Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

press release: A Room of One's Own is proud to welcome menstrual activist Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and 48th Assembly District Representative Melissa Sargent for an reading and book signing of Periods Gone Public!

After millennia of being shrouded in taboo and stigma, periods have gone mainstream. A new, high-profile movement has emerged—one dedicated to bold activism, creative product innovation, and smart policy advocacy—to address the centrality of menstruation in relation to core issues of gender equality and equity.

In Periods Gone Public, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf—the woman Bustle dubbed one of the nation’s “badass menstrual activists”—explores why periods have become a prominent political cause. From eliminating the “tampon tax,” to enacting new laws that ensure access to affordable, safe products, menstruation is no longer something to whisper about. Weiss-Wolf shares her firsthand account in the fight for “menstrual equity,” introducing the leaders, pioneers, and everyday people who are making change happen. And she challenges readers to face stigma head-on and elevate an agenda that recognizes both the power—and the absolute normalcy—of menstruation.

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf is a leading voice and advocate for equitable menstrual policy in America. Newsweek deemed her the “architect of the U.S. policy campaign to squash the tampon tax.” Weiss-Wolf’s writing and work have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, the Nation, Bloomberg, and Ms. Magazine, among others. She is a lawyer and vice president for the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Melissa Sargent was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin and is proud graduate of East High School and UW-Madison. In November 2012, Sargent was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 48th Assembly district. Melissa was elected by the incoming Democratic freshman as co-chair of the Freshman Democratic Caucus. She has been appointed to serve on 6 legislative committees including: Energy and Utilities, Aging and Long Term Care, Mental Health Reform, Financial Institutions, Small Business Development, Joint Legislative Audit Committee. ​She is featured in the book Periods Gone Public. She lives with her husband and four sons in Madison.