Ms magazine

We were sad here at Ms. to learn that Miriam Wosk--who created the iconic first cover of the magazine--has died at age 63. Wosk's cover depicted a modern version of the Hindu goddess Kali, tears streaming down her face while she uses eight arms to juggle an overabundance of work and household tasks. Meanwhile, a new baby is growing inside her belly. In charming style and vibrant color, this Wosk original illustrated Jane O'Reilly's much-reprinted story, 'The Housewife's Moment of Truth.'…

Ms. magazine has been at the forefront of feminist journalism for half a century. Our new book, 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution (Alfred A. Knopf, September 2023), is a celebration of that achievement. It's also a history of women's advancement, a testament to how far we have progressed in five decades—and a reminder of how far we still must go. Order it here! When Ms. was launched as a “one-shot” sample insert in New York magazine in December…

A look back at the groundbreaking feminist publication’s early takes on abortion, the wage gap, American childcare, and more.

Happy Women’s History Month, y’all.

Forty years ago, a group of feminists, led by Gloria Steinem, did the unthinkable: They started a magazine for women, published by women—and the first issue sold out in eight days. An oral history of a publication that changed history.

xi, 341 pages : 23 cm

Barbara Kruger. Rage + Women = Power, cover for Ms. magazine. January/February 1992. Photolithograph. composition and sheet: 10 3/4 x 8 3/8" (27.4 x 21.3 cm). Lang Communications, New York. Lang Communications, New York. Purchase. SC728.1995. © 2025 Barbara Kruger. Drawings & Prints

'Please don’t make me a joke.' —Marilyn Monroe ... Most surprising about Norma Jeane Mortenson Baker’s grave is this: It does not exist. No tombstone, mausoleum or urn marks her final resting place. Norma Jeane’s absence is telling, for her presence in the cultural imagination is unsettled and unsettling. Memorialized instead at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in the Westwood area of Los Angeles is the legend “Marilyn Monroe.” This slippage between woman and icon speaks to a legacy of erasure…

More Than a Magazine, a Movement!

Ms., September 1972, art director: Bea Feitler

Watching the new HBO documentary Gloria: In Her Own Words left us nostalgic for the early days of Ms. and eager to hear about even more of the women who launched the contemporary feminist movement--especially the memorable Flo Kennedy. Just a few moments of footage of Kennedy (who died in 2000 at age 84) at the 1972 Democratic National Convention made it abundantly clear that she was a force to be reckoned with. So we went to the Ms. archives and unearthed a feature from the March 1973 issue…

Wonder Woman on cover of Ms. magazine 1972

Forty years ago, a group of feminists, led by Gloria Steinem, did the unthinkable: They started a magazine for women, published by women—and the first issue sold out in eight days. An oral history of a publication that changed history.

The letters are remarkable, and collectively they show the best kind of relationship between a magazine and its readers.

All 239 issues of the iconic women's liberation magazine are now available online.

Journalist

When I was a very young child, I received a late November package all the way from my grandmother in Germany. It was a large, cloth Advent Calendar, designed to hang on the back of my bedroom door and fitted with little pockets, one for each day leading up to December 25. In each pocket she'd stuffed a tiny toy or bit of candy for me to retrieve day by day. I took so much pleasure in this calendar that my parents felt compelled to fill it for me each year around the holidays, well into my…

'Mrs. America' features Ms. Magazine co-founder Gloria Steinem, played by Rose Byrne. Here's everything you need to know about the feminist-themed magazine, the true story of how it got started, how Steinem chose the name Ms., and whether the magazine is still publishing issues today.