Linda McKay & Kate Vogl: Iron Horse Cowgirls

This episode features a conversation with David McKay and Kate St. Vincent Vogl about the book, "Iron Horse Cowgirls," which chronicles the lives of Louise Scherbyn and other women motorcyclists in the 1930s and 40s. Find out how the discovery of a collection of photographs inspired the book and shaped the narrative. McKay and Vogl detail Scherbyn's influence on women's motorcycling, including her efforts to establish clubs and advocate for women's rights within the sport. Hear the challenges these women faced, the evolution of women's motorcycle organizations, and the broader societal context of their experiences. 

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Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/iron-horse-cowgirls

FEATURED TITLE & DESCRIPTION

"Iron Horse Cowgirls: Louise Scherbyn and the Women Motorcyclists of the 1930s and 1940s." McFarland, softcover (2023) ISBN: 9781476669465 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/iron-horse-cowgirls

Before Louise Scherbyn founded the Women’s International Motorcycle Association, she was simply a working girl who loved motorcycling—at a time when women weren’t allowed to wear pants, roads weren’t hard-topped, and handlebars could come apart while riding. The hardest part? Auxiliaries she looked to for support each proved to be the wrong fit—some uncomfortably, disastrously so. All Louise wanted was for women riders to have a proper space of their own. For that she would ultimately have to forge a new path.

This book tells the fascinating story of Scherbyn’s journey in forming the first stand-alone women-only motorcycle association. Chapters cover 225,000 miles and two decades’ worth of community-building, hostilities, physical and professional attacks, recovery, sisterhood and more. Scherbyn paved the way for women motorcyclists across the world while facing a storm of threats and uncertainties, driving ahead with newfound friends and her singular, unifying vision for women who ride.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

The late LINDA BACK MCKAY was a poet, writer, coach, and teaching artist. Her work appeared in literary publications such as Great River Review, Water~Stone Review, and White Pelican Review. She taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

KATE ST. VINCENT VOGL was honored to co-write "Iron Horse Cowgirls" with Linda Back McKay. AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Chris Sommer Simmons calls their book “Brilliant.” Vogl also co-wrote "Lady Ref," which was featured in USA Today. Vogl is the author of "Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers," named among the best of the year by the Beacon Journal, and her essays are found in best-selling anthologies like "Why We Ride." Her writing has received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Anderson Center. She graduated from Cornell University cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and from the Creative Writing Program at Hamline. She teaches at the Loft Literary Center. 

• www.IronHorseCowgirls.com 
• www.KateVogl.com
• www.facebook.com/KateStVincentVogl

OTHER BOOKS BY KATE

• "Lady Ref: Making Calls in a Man’s World" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023)

rowman.com/ISBN/9781538181607/Lady-Ref-Making-Calls-in-a-Mans-World

• "Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers" (Double Tree Publishing, 2009)

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