santa fe jane

I decided to ride my bike across town to independent Garcia Street Books last Saturday morning, rather than drive. Jane Fonda's popularity was one of the reasons. She would be speaking in the parking lot of the bookstore and I expected gobs of people. Gobs of people there were. She's a beloved figure here and elsewhere of course and some of the stuff she said only made her more so. I was struck by how big her voice was. She had a microphone, of course, but I had a feeling it would not have mattered. Ironically (or not), her talk was about VOICE, and about finding her VOICE. At 67 she says she's now more aware of who she is and what she wants, much of it because she's been able to use the words to make it all clear ... to herself, to others, to anyone who will listen.

I have to say that what I knew about her before I went to hear her introduce her autobiography would fill a short sentence: I used to sweat to her aerobic tapes, and she's anti-war. Now I can't quite put my finger on what more I know, but I really like her. And as far as I can tell she's standing up for many of the things that I believe in as a woman and as a creative, thinking person. A woman from the audience thanked her for "standing up" and said that it was so important that someone of her celebrity would declare her convictions, and be so honest about her weaknesses. She said that the rest of us make no splash when we do such things. Of course Jane Fonda responded by saying that we were all powerful people. Yes, yes, she's right, but when I do a reading at my house, there will most likely be plenty of parking spaces on the street.