Background

Shalit was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her father, Sol Shalit, was a professor and her mother, Elizabeth Shalit, was a real estate broker.

Education

In 1993, Shalit started her studies for a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Williams College. She graduated in 1997.

Career

Wendy Shalit was twenty-three years old when her first book, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue, was published in 1999. The book raised a firestorm of controversy as Shalit took a tin antifeminist position and argued against what she perceived as the failures of women's liberation.

Her second book, Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It's Not Bad to Be Good, was published on June 26, 2007.

In 2008, Shalit's third book, The Good Girl Revolution: Young Rebels with Self-Esteem and High Standards, was released.

Moreover, Shalit is a contributor to various periodicals, including Commentary.

During her writing career, Shalit collaborated with publishing agencies, such as Simon & Schuster (1999-2015), and Penguin Random House (2007-2014).

Achievements

• Shalit is known for her books, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue (1999), Girls Gone Mild: Young Rebels Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It's Not Bad to Be Good (2007), The Good Girl Revolution: Young Rebels with Self-Esteem and High Standards (2008). They received a good response from critics and audiences.

Works

More photos

• book

  • A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue 1999
  • Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It's Not Bad to Be Good 2007
  • The Good Girl Revolution: Young Rebels with Self-Esteem and High Standards 2008

Views

In A Return to Modesty, Shalit argues that if women were to hold their sexuality in higher regard, they would find more respect from men and ultimately be happier and more fulfilled. Shalit theorizes that young women have been brainwashed by a feminist culture that loudly advocates that to be happy, women need to be the same as men, a state which includes having the freedom to be sexually adventurous.

Shalit has been labeled a prude by some of her detractors. Many of her critics, including feminists, take the view that to be modest is to be prudish, which in turn is to be sexually repressed. In A Return to Modesty, Shalit rails against these notions. Instead, Shalit feels that being modest is being a bit hesitant with sex, and the opposite of being promiscuous. Shalit feels that promiscuity and prudishness run parallel to each other - each expresses indifference to sensuality and desire.

In her book, Shalit argues that children are being taught too much about sex and far too early. Raised in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, Shalit began formulating her ideas on sexuality in the fourth grade, when her parents insisted she be excused from sex education in school. The ideas being taught in the class were that genitalia and sex were casual concerns - everybody has them and everybody has sex. Far from being a healthy experience. Shalit saw the torment as children teased each other about masturbation and body development. As educators tried to remove all mystery and embarrassment about sexuality, Shalit feels that they are also removing all the passion and joy that can be found in a mature and meaningful relationship.

Shalit also notes in her books how unfortunate it is that women who tend to be more modest are also inherently more quiet - they do not shout "Look at me! I'm modest!" - whereas many women who feel that promiscuity is the norm have no problem in calling attention to themselves. Shalit also argues against feminists who feel that modesty conveys low self-esteem. Rather, Shalit feels that modesty proves a great sense of self-worth: modesty proves that a woman feels important enough to say that she is worth waiting for.

Connections

Father:

Sol Shalit

Mother:

Elizabeth Shalit

Sister:

Ruth Shalit

Sister:

Mina Shalit