They are America's most powerful women. The fourteen female
U.S. senators currently in office have changed not only the
face of power, but the exercise of power as well. Bringing
women's perspectives and life experiences to what has been
described as America's most exclusive (and exclusively male)
club, female senators are emerging as powerbrokers in
Congress, known for their bipartisan teamwork, compassion
for social issues, ability to build coalitions, and use of
unique tools for lawmaking.
This pioneering work of photojournalism documents all
fourteen women in their day-to-day work as senators. Melina
Mara's candid images show the senators attending hearings,
meeting the press, greeting their constituents, consulting
with staff, legislating behind the scenes, and sharing
private moments with colleagues and family. The photographs
capture the demanding, 24/7 nature of the job and show
clearly that the female senators more than hold their own
among their male colleagues.
Accompanying the photos are a commentary by journalist Cokie
Roberts, introductions by Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and interviews between
veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas and all of
the senators. These pieces address women's achievements in
attaining political power and frankly describe the burdens
and rewards of the office. The senators describe their
motivations for being in the Senate, the challenges they've
faced, the way they balance work and family, and the
prospects for a woman winning the presidency in the coming
years.
As Congress becomes a truly representative institution for
the first time in its over-two-hundred-year history, the
women who have been pathbreakers in the Senate well deserve
this photographic tribute. Changing the Face of Power is at
once headline news and a potent documentary record of a
turning point in American and women's history.
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