Listen, World!, Julia Scheeres
Listen, World!, Julia Scheeres
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Listen, World!
How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America's Most-Read Woman

Author: Julia Scheeres, Allison Gilbert

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Unabridged: 7 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/27/2022

Synopsis

The first biography of Elsie Robinson, the most influential newspaper columnist you’ve never heard ofAt thirty-five, Elsie Robinson feared she’d lost it all. Reeling from a scandalous divorce in 1917, she had no means to support herself and her chronically ill son. She dreamed of becoming a writer and was willing to sacrifice everything for this goal, even swinging a pickax in a gold mine to pay the bills.When the mine shut down, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Armed with moxie and samples of her work, she barged into the offices of the Oakland Tribune and was hired on the spot. She went on to become a nationally syndicated columnist and household name whose column ran for over thirty years and garnered fifty million readers.Told in cinematic detail by bestselling author Julia Scheeres and award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert, Listen, World! is the inspiring story of a timeless maverick, capturing what it means to take a gamble on self-fulfillment and find freedom along the way.

About Julia Scheeres

Julia Scheeres is the author of the New York Times–bestselling memoir Jesus Land and the award-winning A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown. She lives in Northern California.

About Allison Gilbert

Allison Gilbert is an award-winning journalist and author of numerous books including Passed and Present and Parentless Parents. She lives outside New York City.

About Bernadette Dunne

Bernadette Dunne, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC. She lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Beary Into Books on November 01, 2022

Rating 4.5 “The first biography of Elsie Robinson, the most influential newspaper columnist you’ve never heard of” I LOVED this book. I was hooked from the first page! I’m honestly upset that I never knew about Elsie Robinson sooner. She went through so much and kept going. I teared up multiple times......more

Goodreads review by Zibby on October 02, 2022

This book is the first biography of Elsie Robinson, one of the most influential newspaper columnists. After a divorce and difficult time, Elsie went into the Oakland Tribune and became a writer. She advised on parenting, being a mom, and family. But she also wrote about social issues of the time, li......more

Goodreads review by Amanda on September 16, 2022

As a feminist who yearns to be a full time writer, I related wholeheartedly to the story of Elsie Robinson and that is thanks to the incredible storytelling abilities of Scheeres and Gilbert. They bring Elsie to life, weaving excerpts from her own columns, memoir, and poetry with a detailed account......more

Goodreads review by Bronwyn on December 09, 2022

I heard of Elsie Robinson through an interview with Allison Gilbert on the Lost Ladies of Lit podcast and thought she sounded so interesting. This biography by Gilbert and Julia Scheeres is really well done. Robinson had quite the life and it’s a shame she’s not better known. I highly recommend this......more

Goodreads review by Savannah on September 15, 2022

Book: Listen, World! . Author: Julia Scheeres and Allison Gilbert . Genre: Biography . Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ . I immensely enjoyed this biography. It was a captivating read following the life of Elsinore Robinson who had such lows in life but still carried on and tried to live the best life she possibly coul......more

Quotes

“Narrator Bernadette Dunn’s voice sounds like that of a 1940s newscaster. Those interested in women’s early struggles to break into the professional world will enjoy this biography.” AudioFile

“The first biography of this forgotten California dynamo…The allure is apparent." Washington Post

“One does not tire of spending time with Elsie Robinson, nor stop wondering how many other women, with equally compelling tales, have also been lost to history.” New York Times

“The book’s prose is clear and engaging, with vivid descriptions.” San Francisco Chronicle

“An important contribution to women’s history.” Wall Street Journal

“A fascinating topic and solid biography.” Booklist

“Robinson’s is not a rags-to-riches story, but one of a resilient, forgotten and ‘venerable American icon.’” Shelf Awareness

“Recount[s] how the popular syndicated Hearst newspaper columnist broke free from the restrictive Victorian morés of her time…Robinson was a spirited and adventurous proto-feminist.” Library Journal

“A vivid picture of the challenges Robinson faced…The account is enlivened with copious excerpts from Robinson’s column and her memoir, all of which bring home her firebrand style.” Publishers Weekly

“A lively piece of unknown history, a marvelous story of a woman’s triumph, and a tremendous read.” Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author

Awards

  • Shelf Awareness Pick
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