Standing in complete riding regalia, sans her horse, Rita Mae Brown mused on topics ranging from politics, drugs, and religion to aging, love, women and her seemingly favorite topic: animals.
One of the most revered and respected writers in the country; this 64-year-old spitfire didn’t show any signs of slowing down as she addressed a full auditorium at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, as the keynote speaker for Gerber/Hart Library April 25. Originally scheduled to be in Chicago in September to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the publication of her first novel, Rubyfruit Jungle, and to serve as keynote speaker at Gerber Hart’s annual benefit, Brown’s visit was delayed by Hurricane Hanna.
Those in attendance would say it was well worth the wait, as she held the audience captivated with snippets of her mom’s wisdom as well her own, for just under an hour wherein Brown pushed conventional opinions on a variety of topics. When asked what she thought about same-sex marriage rights, she replied, “I can’t mate in captivity,” borrowing a phrase coined by the now married Gloria Steinem. To make her opinion of the legislative system unequivocal, she added, “The difference between republicans and democrats is like the difference between syphilis and gonorrhea.”
Brown’s musings also included thoughts about women. She posited that, “we don’t really know the potential of the female body” because we [women] are raised to be weak and therefore aspire not to develop or use our physical strength. She then further queried, “Why would anyone want to be weak?” as she continued her exploration of the American female experience.
However, she became most passionate on the topic of animals, notably those other than humans. By way of explanation she stated, “My first memory of life is a crib with a cat.” In addition, she argued, the one unique trait that humans seem to have over other animals is the ability to make compromises. She further suggested that development of this skill might be a critical goal toward the success of our survival. Brown further explained that she believes that no one can love as deeply as a dog, but said, [despite that] “My goal is to love as deeply as they do.” She urged those in attendance to support local ASPCAs and summed up her talk with the statement that “Maybe the real goal is to be a little more like your dog.”
It should come as no surprise that her upcoming novel is entitled Animal Magnetism.