Anyda Marchant 1911-2006
I met Anyda when she was 84 years young. For a decade she's been my friend, mentor, publisher, and the most demanding boss I've ever had.
She was born in 1911, and I can only begin to imagine the events, innovations, and history she experienced in 94 years.
To put it in perspective, one day Anyda and I sat debating the relative power of first lady Hillary Clinton vs. Nancy Reagan. "Well," said Anyda, "neither could hold a candle to Florence Harding, 1921-1923."
Anyda was the feminist's feminist. She worked for Women's rights pioneer Alice Paul, researching the very possibility of an Equal Rights Amendment—in 1932.
During World War II, Anyda's supervisor at the Library of Congress was drafted and she was promoted to his job. At war's end, she dutifully stepped aside so he could return to his position—but then, on principle, left the Library rather than take a lesser job—in 1945.
When Anyda was hired as one of the first female attorneys at a prestigious law firm, she met Muriel Crawford—beginning 57 years of devotion to each other. And this was 1948—before any public respect for, or even acknowledgement of, same sex relationships. Theirs was a courageous, willful, and against many odds, joyous path.
Through the 1950s and 60s the couple shared adventures around the globe for Anyda's job with the World Bank and began spending time in Rehoboth Beach. In fact, Anyda and Muriel hosted, at their home, Delaware's first-ever National Organization for Women meeting. Anyda loved describing the women arriving at the house as neighbors lurked, one actually hiding behind a tree, to see which of Rehoboth's females were going to show up. Rehoboth had its consciousness raised.
In 1972, Anyda retired and jumped heart first into life as a novelist, under the pen name Sarah Aldridge and, with Muriel, founder of Naiad Press—which became the most successful independent feminist publisher in the United States and the world.
Anyda wrote; Muriel transcribed. They opened their home and big front porch to Saturday evening cocktail hours attracting a diverse crowd of neighbors, writers, musicians, clergy, young, old, gay, straight, locals, visitors, Democrats, and even Republicans.
Eleven novels later, in 1995, Anyda and Muriel withdrew from Naiad and started A&M Books of Rehoboth. The salons, writing, and publishing continued, with Anyda's 14th novel published in 2003, the works of a little-known Rehoboth columnist in 2004, and in one of Anyda's proudest moments, a new novel by legendary feminist author Ann Allen Shockley just this past October. In my later years, I hope I can react half as giddy with glee as Anyda did the day the new books arrived from the printer.
The remnants of 2005 and the tip of 2006 were tough. She was home in a hospital bed in the living room, tilted at the perfect angle so she could see Muriel in her chair in the back sunroom and call "Yoohoo, Sweetie" and wave.
Although she was absolutely furious at her deteriorating condition, she continued to rule the roost, giving orders to hospice staff, requesting not just tea, but Prince of Wales tea, and demanding her nightly 5 pm glass of Dewar's Scotch. The parade of cocktail hour visitors spoke to Anyda and Muriel's vast circle of loving friends. Until almost the last, Anyda would remind me not to make Muriel's drink too strong. And Muriel would hold the glass up to the light and complain that the drink looked awfully pale.
Two days before the end, I got the opportunity to read a letter to Anyda from a woman named Carol Seajay, former editor of the Feminist Bookstore News and a superstar in the publishing industry. In part, the letter read "Anyda, it was your vision of a possible world in your first lesbian novel and your vision that we could have such books, and your vision and skills that launched our first, grand lesbian publishing house – and published books that have gone out all over the world, changed countless women's lives, given hope, and opened doors. Yours was an awesome body of work and I hope you are fiercely proud of it all."
She was. And everyone was proud of her. And just this morning, Jan. 21, 2006 I received an e-mail from two young women from Utah, asking if the Sarah Aldridge books were still available. I think that says it all. Thanks Anyda, from them and from me.
Fay Jacobs, 1/21/2006
