Gloria Steinem’s memoirs were due in 2000 but she had yet to find time to write them. Knowing she had to “do something drastic,” Steinem retreated this summer to HedgeBrook, a 48 acre haven for women writers on Whidbey Island, not far from Seattle. There along with six other residents she has the solitude she needs to put her 35 years at the front lines of the fight for women’s rights into the form of a book. Each evening they share a meal prepared by Hedgebrook’s chef (other meals are also provided) and once a week they share their work. The Seattle Times recently printed another (less famous) author’s experiences at Hedgebrook (free registration to read but cypherpunk/cypherpunk works).