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Gail Collins      

Liberal NYT Op-Ed Writer; Known for Co-Writing the Bi-Partisan Blog, "The Conversation"; Author & Expert on Women's History; Pulitzer Prize Board Member

Gail Collins is an American journalist, op-ed columnist and author, most recognized for her work with The New York Times. Joining the Times in 1995 as a member of the editorial board, she served as the paper's Editorial Page Editor from 2001 to 2007 and was the first woman to attain that position. Collins writes a weekly op-ed column for the Times from a liberal perspective, which is published on Thursdays. She co-authors a blog with conservative journalist Bret Stephens entitled "The Conversation," at NYT online, featuring bi-partisan political commentary.

Collins is an author of several significant works about women's history, including "America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines," "When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present," and her latest book, "No Stopping Us Now: A History Of Older Women In America." Collins is renowned for her insightful research and historical perspective, combined with her characteristic wit and humanity. Her work offers a detailed and engaging account of women's social and political history in America.

Collins has been a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board since 2013. She is also noted for her lectures on American women's history, where she discusses both iconic and ordinary women's struggles and successes. Furthermore, Collins engages audiences with her talks on political gossip and scandal in American history, notably through her lecture "Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Scandal, and American Politics." Collins earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism at Marquette and a Master's in government at the University of Massachusetts. Before joining The Times, she was a columnist at New York Newsday and the New York Daily News, and a reporter for United Press International. Her early journalism career began in Connecticut, where she founded the Connecticut State News Bureau, providing coverage of the state capitol and Connecticut politics.

Speech Topics


Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Scandal and American Politics

In this speech Collins destroys the image we have that we are living in the most scandalous and screechiest era in American history. Going back to several other periods, Collins lays out the often outrageous and always colorful tempests that have surrounded certain major political figure and explains how telling and meaningful political gossip is and what it says about the anxieties of the age.

When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women

In this speech Collins champions American women. With a gift for story telling, Collins tells of the icons and the ordinary as she examines the struggles and successes women have achieved. From the time the first colonists arrived on our shores to the open sexism of the 1960’s “Mad Men” to Hillary Clinton’s historic run for President, Collins, with a clear eye and candid style, tells the story of all American Women in the battle for parity. Amazingly , for centuries this battle was incredibly unsuccessful until the last fifty years, when almost in a heartbeat all the established preconceptions of women as being inferior to men intellectually and physically came crashing down. How we got from there to here and why it happened, historically speaking, so fast is an enlightening and fascinating journey which resonates with all audiences.

News


Opinion | In Memory of My Husband, Dan - The New York Times
Jul 24, 2024 ... Daniel Collins awaits the next infringement of his civil liberties.” We lived together for a couple of years, and I agreed to become “Gail Collins” while ...
Gail Collins - The New York Times
Apr 17, 2024 ... Gail Collins, a New York Times Opinion columnist, writes about American politics and culture.
Gail Collins - The New York Times
Oct 23, 2024 ... Gail Collins is a Times Opinion columnist focusing on domestic politics.

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