JOHNSON CITY-- Joyce Duncan, an adjunct professor in East Tennessee State University's departments of English and philosophy and humanities, has recently published Ahead of Their Time: A Biographical Dictionary of Risk Taking Women.
The reference work brings together "information about pioneering women who took risks and made remarkable strides in a diversity of fields," explains the editorial review of the book, created by the publishing team at Greenwood Press in Connecticut. "Whether in the name of science, sport, or humanitarianism, the spirit of adventure runs through the lives of these 75 daring woman who broke down barriers as they explored the far reaches of the globe, the depths of the seas, and the lofty expanses of space."
Some of the women included in the book are as familiar as Jane Goodall and Amelia Earhart, but also included are more obscure women, such as Bessie Coleman, Freya Stark and Birute Galdikis, whose accomplishments might not have made it into the international spotlight.
"The book contains the stories of real women climbing mountains, exploring seas and dealing with pygmies and cannibals," Duncan said. "They were women who broke the mold."
"I described a wide range of ages of women from the 1800s to present and attempted to include women from all areas of the globe," Duncan said. "When I told the stories of women of previous generations, I tried to find a modern counterpart." Examples of this juxtaposition can be found in the tales of flyer Harriet Quimby and modern astronauts, such as Sally Ride, or the pioneering mountain climbing exploits of Annie Smith Peck and the current feats of Junko Tabei.
The book describes the adventures of athletes like Susan Butcher, the four-time Iditarod champion. Diana Sneed Nyad, who swam from the Bahamas to Florida in what became the longest swim in history for both men and women, and Ann Bancroft, who along with Norwegian Liv Arnesen, were the first women to ski and sail across Antarctica.
It also tells the reader of headstrong women like Alexandra David-Neel, an actress who agreed to marry a wealthy man under his condition that she would give up acting. She agreed, but she had conditions of her own. He had to fund her traveling expeditions. Once the pact was made, David-Neel traveled all over the world, eventually bankrupting her husband.
In addition to teaching English and service-learning courses, Duncan is managing editor of the Sport Literature Association, editor of H-Arete listserv and a freelance writer, editor and photographer.
The book is currently available for purchase at Amazon.com for $55, and will soon be available at the ETSU Bookstore and for checkout at ETSU's Sherrod Library.
For more information about Ahead of Their Time: A Biographical Dictionary of Risk Taking Women, contact Duncan at (423) 439-5995.