On a balmy July evening in New York City, I was lucky enough to be wandering around Greenwich Village with a coffee in hand, down a narrow street to the Minetta Lane (now Audible) Theatre to see Gloria Steinem speak.
Those two shows on July 14 and 16 turned out to be her last major public event appearances before her passing on Sept. 2. She spoke on a range of topics, and the program will soon be released as an Audible Original on Sept. 17. Steinem recounted her early career in journalism and was asked about her ex-lovers, but what I walked away with was her enduring messages on the importance of being understood, community and togetherness. “We acquire a certain group of people who understand us and that’s what keeps us going,” she imparted.
The event was titled “Yes to the Unknown: A Night with Gloria Steinem.” After reading her work for years, if anyone could help me face some unknowns in my own life it would be her. Maybe just being in her presence would give my brain the sort of aha moment I was seeking. But rather than the imagined epiphany, I felt a sense of calmness and joy hearing her speak and being in her presence — an energy shift.
“Somewhere between poetry and journalism lies the magical land of quotes,” Steinem once wrote in her 2019 book The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off!. She offered many of her own quotes that evening that have stayed with me. In that spirit of sharing quotes, those bits of humanity, I’d like to recall a few from her final event. Her strength and wisdom is apparent in her facial expressions — she is as thoughtful as she listens as when she speaks. What I remember from the event is how her genuine smile transcended time.
