Center for the literary arts in New York State
REIMAGINING SUCCESS AND WORK
Samhita Mukhopadhyay
4:30 p.m. Thursday, September 12, 2024
Conversation/Q&A
Campus Center West Boardroom
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue Albany NY 12222 See map.
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and the online community, Feministing, is a UAlbany alum who earned her BA in Women’s Studies in 2000. Her new book is The Myth of Making It (2024), a reimagining of the nature of professional success as we know it—particularly for women in the 21st century.
CNN’s Jill Filipovic called it, “A reexamination of the many falsehoods, misconceptions, and outright delusions about female ambition and professional achievement,” and said, “If you’re burned out or simply asking ‘is this it?’ pick up this book.”
Major support and funding provided by Heidi Knoblauch. Cosponsored by the Massry School of Business, Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and the Honors College.
Photo credit: Victoria Blewer
About The Myth of Making It (from www.samhitamukhopadhyay.com)
“As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80 percent faking it with a 100-percent-real Gucci bag.”
Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it: she had her dream job, dream clothes—dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working twelve hours a day. Success didn’t come without costs, right? Or so she kept telling herself. And Mukhopadhyay wasn’t alone: Far too many of us are taught that we need to work ourselves to the bone to live a good life. That we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to “lean in” and “hustle,” to enact change. But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths—and they are seductive ones.
Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the sixties to the present. She forms a critical overview of workplace feminism, looking at stories from her own professional career, analysis from activists and experts, and of course, experiences of workers at different levels. As more individuals continue to question whether their professional ambitions can lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks, What would it mean to have a liberated workplace?
Mukhopadhyay emerges with a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need.
A call to action to redefine and reimagine work as we know it, The Myth of Making It is a field guide and manifesto for all of us who are tired, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of hustle culture.
