We thought you would like to find out a bit more about the author of this fantastic book so we asked Sue a few questions. She's eager to read what you have to say and answer any other questions you may have.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A. I was born in New Jersey, just 10 miles from New York City, and have lived in the state all my life. I have always loved watching and playing sports. My dad used to pitch in the softball games in our neighborhood, with all the kids taking part. I loved to play, so I was devastated when I found out girls were not allowed to play Little League baseball. (This was in the 1960s.) I think I channeled my disappointment at not having many opportunities to play sports into my career writing about sports. It’s fantastic that girls today can play as many sports as boys, either right alongside them or in leagues of their own. But it’s important that boys and girls know that this equal opportunity is a fairly recent development and honor those pioneers who made it possible.
Q. What inspired you to write "Wheels Of Change"?
A. From my previous writings about women and sports, I knew that Susan B. Anthony had once said that bicycling did “more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.” I also knew that Frances Willard, another important feminist leader, had written a best-selling book in the 1890s about how she learned to ride a bicycle at age 53. Plus, I had read about two New York women who kept trying to outdo each other in the 1890s by riding 200, 300, 400, and more miles at a time. All that indicated there was a story to tell about women and the bicycle in the 1890s, and I was able to convince my editors at National Geographic to give me the green light.
