Miss Representation is a documentary film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, first screened at the 2011 Sundance Festival that explores women's under-representation in positions of power and influence in America and challenges the limited portrayal of women in mainstream media.

Women are:

3% of clout positions in the mainstream media

3% of 'Fortune 500 CEOs

7% of mainstream film directors

16% of film protagonists

17% of Congress

While women make up 51% of the population

Next time you see a movie, ask yourself . .

How many women to men are in the cast?

How often do the women talk to each other?

How many women appear in non-traditional roles?

How many women writers, directors or producers were involved in making the film?

Information provided from misssrepresentation.org Miss Representation features Barbara Berg, Caroline Heldman, Catherine Hardwicke, Condoleeezza Rice, Cory Booker, Daphne Zuniga, Dianne Feinstein, Dolores Huerta, Gavin Newsom, Geen Davis, Gloria Steinem, Jackson Katz, Jane Fonda, Jean Kilbourne, Jim Steyer, Katie Couric, Lisa Ling, Margaret Cho, Nancg Pelosi, Pat Mitchell, aul Haggis, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson

Other data to consider is that women bear the weight of creating 100% of the human life on this planet. So, shouldn't their voices be heard?

Many people have asked me if my novel is truth or fiction. Most seem to believe it is actually a work of non fiction disguised as fiction. They say the scenes and characters are a bit too realistic to be fabricated.

It is a fundamental fact that every book written was sparked by a passion to  explore ideas, concepts, and experiences. Some writers live their lives inside their imaginary worlds. When their work is complete, they bring readers in to meet the cast of characters, visit their lands, and become privy to philosophies, while  sharing in hopes, dreams and desires. These authors write fiction.

Writers of non fiction dive into the worlds of others and expose every  fact (and more than a measure of fiction) that can be culled for the delight of the reader. They also often hire others to write about them, or do so themselves, while being certain to edit away the more unsavory details.

Other writers might be said to write  No-Fi. Not to be contained in the world of the armchair adventurer  they seek out experiences, mine  dreams, cull over ancient and modern writings and create worlds where they funnel their own experiences and observations about philosophy, government and social institutions, while writing under the umbrella of fiction. That is, it's all made up folks - would never think those horrid thoughts or perform such disgusting deeds.

My novel is a journey that began with a true incident. I spent a week on Black Lake with my son. The first night we were rowed out to spend the night on an island in a haunted victorian. It has been twelve years since the event took place, and six years since I began the novel. Black Lake is an alternate universe. Within the structure of the book is the journey I have taken. It is laced with dreams, experience, research, and observation. My characters came to life and took me on a journey. The adventure has not ended. In some ways it has only begun. I like to think of my book as a ride in a carnival,  a seductive and terrifying experience enjoyed, as you are belted safely inside.  Then, when it's finished, you long to take your own crazy journey.

I believe there is a delight in knowing that a writer has been bold in action rather than in keyboard or pen. So, I will gladly accept my N0-Fi writer title. It's all true, it's all me, living in an alternate world, absorbing and reflecting on what surrounds me, taking chances, throwing caution to the wind, flying with abandon into the abyss. Figurative or literal, imagined or dreamed, it becomes real when we are bold and make things happen for ourselves.

No-Fi Writer Extraordinaire

AB