As a reader of this blog, you're most likely aware that I've written a book about women and fitness. (Click here if you aren't!:) What you may not know is that this book is a unique take on the world of "American fitness" that draws on my life, and at times feels like a really scary personal and professional risk. I am slowly letting go of the anxiety that surrounds publicly sharing my life in and between these two spheres of fitness and academia. This open letter is a part of that process.
And my letting go is slow since I drafted this blog post two months ago....
The reason we write books is to be read. We want to share our message, insights, and research with both an academic audience and a mainstream one. Since I do not have a marketing team behind me, I am relying on my own energy and the generosity of others to help me reach more potential readers and to keep moving this conversation. Many of you have already helped me do this. If you can help me get the word out on Women and Fitness in American Culture, I will return the favor or pay it forward.
Here's what I have been doing and where we might connect:
~I created a website last summer where I share all of my work, connect to resources, and maintain a blog.
~I am writing about my book on my website and through my blog. I have even decided to give the world of Twitter a try. @sarah_hentges
~I created a Facebook page for Women and Fitness in American Culture. Perhaps you will "like" it!
~I have also started an Author page on Amazon and would appreciate reviews that you might do there or on Good Reads or other similar sites.
~I have been working to get people to review my book in academic journals and other forums. If you're interested in this my publisher might send you a book!
~ I will be doing guest blogs like these: Love Average guest blog and Fit is a Feminist Issue guest blog and will be reaching out to a variety of print and online sources to share some of the ideas that this book takes up. If you know of such a forum, please share it with me! Here's a recent piece I wrote about CrossFit for The Conversation.
~When I get my tech needs sorted, I will be making a short promo video to share.
~This fall I am currently teaching my American Fitness (AME/WGS 306) class hybrid and online, and we will be making connections to our local communities through a variety of projects. I will be sharing some of my students' work through my blog. Here's the first post: a lovely piece about walking in three different modes.
~I'm developing curricular tools for teaching fitness through American studies or women's, gender, and sexuality studies, or interdisciplinary studies more generally. I'm happy to share these!
The world of social media is rather new to me, so I am happy to receive any feedback that might make my work here more effective.
Finally,
~Over the next couple of years I also plan to offer mind and body workshops, both in academia and in fitness and community centers. I have a lot of ideas that range from an hour or two to a weekend or overnight retreat, and some versions that fit better in academia as well as some that work better in community fitness spaces. I outline a few possible fitness workshops on my website (click here for Move and Be Moved: Fitness Workshops for the Mind and Body) and will be adding to these descriptions as I develop more workshops. If you think that your campus or your fitness or community center would be interested in something like this, please contact me and we can work out the details.
~And, of course, the book would make a nice gift for the fitness enthusiast (or novice) in your life. That gift-giving season is upon us! And, yes, I would humbly sign and personalize a copy for such purposes.
Women and Fitness in American Culture is something I was compelled to write despite a lack of time and resources. It comes from my experience in a variety of overlapping fitness communities, of which many of you are already an important part. I want to thank you all for your continuing role in pushing the boundaries of mainstream fitness. This work--mine and ours--is work that I am passionate about and work that I think can be transformative. But I struggle with the idea of "self-promotion" as well as asking for help from others, as much as I am reminded that I am simply doing what I love and sharing my work.
And this is the reason why I do this work in the first place. To Move and Be Moved.
And my letting go is slow since I drafted this blog post two months ago....
The reason we write books is to be read. We want to share our message, insights, and research with both an academic audience and a mainstream one. Since I do not have a marketing team behind me, I am relying on my own energy and the generosity of others to help me reach more potential readers and to keep moving this conversation. Many of you have already helped me do this. If you can help me get the word out on Women and Fitness in American Culture, I will return the favor or pay it forward.
Here's what I have been doing and where we might connect:
~I created a website last summer where I share all of my work, connect to resources, and maintain a blog.
~I am writing about my book on my website and through my blog. I have even decided to give the world of Twitter a try. @sarah_hentges
~I created a Facebook page for Women and Fitness in American Culture. Perhaps you will "like" it!
~I have also started an Author page on Amazon and would appreciate reviews that you might do there or on Good Reads or other similar sites.
~I have been working to get people to review my book in academic journals and other forums. If you're interested in this my publisher might send you a book!
~ I will be doing guest blogs like these: Love Average guest blog and Fit is a Feminist Issue guest blog and will be reaching out to a variety of print and online sources to share some of the ideas that this book takes up. If you know of such a forum, please share it with me! Here's a recent piece I wrote about CrossFit for The Conversation.
~When I get my tech needs sorted, I will be making a short promo video to share.
~This fall I am currently teaching my American Fitness (AME/WGS 306) class hybrid and online, and we will be making connections to our local communities through a variety of projects. I will be sharing some of my students' work through my blog. Here's the first post: a lovely piece about walking in three different modes.
~I'm developing curricular tools for teaching fitness through American studies or women's, gender, and sexuality studies, or interdisciplinary studies more generally. I'm happy to share these!
The world of social media is rather new to me, so I am happy to receive any feedback that might make my work here more effective.
Finally,
~Over the next couple of years I also plan to offer mind and body workshops, both in academia and in fitness and community centers. I have a lot of ideas that range from an hour or two to a weekend or overnight retreat, and some versions that fit better in academia as well as some that work better in community fitness spaces. I outline a few possible fitness workshops on my website (click here for Move and Be Moved: Fitness Workshops for the Mind and Body) and will be adding to these descriptions as I develop more workshops. If you think that your campus or your fitness or community center would be interested in something like this, please contact me and we can work out the details.
~And, of course, the book would make a nice gift for the fitness enthusiast (or novice) in your life. That gift-giving season is upon us! And, yes, I would humbly sign and personalize a copy for such purposes.
Women and Fitness in American Culture is something I was compelled to write despite a lack of time and resources. It comes from my experience in a variety of overlapping fitness communities, of which many of you are already an important part. I want to thank you all for your continuing role in pushing the boundaries of mainstream fitness. This work--mine and ours--is work that I am passionate about and work that I think can be transformative. But I struggle with the idea of "self-promotion" as well as asking for help from others, as much as I am reminded that I am simply doing what I love and sharing my work.
And this is the reason why I do this work in the first place. To Move and Be Moved.
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