Our "cupping" program is tailored to libraries, but is also popular with civic groups and social gatherings.  A narrated slide show about coffee history, cultivation and characteristics precedes an adapted coffee cupping.  In the real thing wholesalers and independent roasters are seeing, smelling, touching, tasting coffees; looking for the very best taste and quality for their customers and clients.  In this version, participants examine and taste coffees blindly, then try to identify the beans based on information about regional characteristics.   We "prime the senses" then challenge the players.  There are lots of laughs and a new appreciation for the morning cuppa' Joe!  

Sunday morning paper brings another Wild Woman alert! A name we should recognize as easily as Steve Jobs’ or Mark Zuckerberg’s!  Meet Steve Shirley (because her business letters signed as “Stephanie” went unanswered). “Ridiculously ahead or her time,”(Sue Black NYTimes 8/24/25) she founded a tech company that provided the programming for the Concorde’s flight data recorder, software protocols that were adopted by NATO, and pioneered scheduling software for buses and trains. Her company’s high stakes innovative work was done by a small army of women working from home via dial-up connections. By sharing ownership of her company with her mostly female employees in the 1970s (297 of her first 300 employees were women), she made at least 70 of them millionaires; her retirement  years were devoted to philanthropy; her company eventually reached a value of $3 billion. Dame Steve, rescued from the Nazi’s via a Kindertransport train, then attending a boys school when the local girls school did not offer advanced mathematics, and starting her own company offering flexible work hours for women after bumping against the glass ceiling of the corporate world of the 1960s while designing an early computer.  Yes, a Wild Woman indeed! https://stevenirosenfeld.substack.com/p/a-pioneer-in-technology-and-a-giant https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/business/stephanie-shirley-dead.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Welcome to the Wild Women Coffee Conversations Blog: Musings about coffee, travels in the coffee belt, and women who inspire us (and maybe even drink coffee ). Enjoy this collection of occasional essays that always circle back to coffee. We two authors inhabit a little corner of coffee space. We love to travel in coffee growing climates and experience the cultures of coffee growing people. We dabble in coffee roasting, and learn from observing master roasters. We watch barista competitions and play at steam milk designs and surface powder stencils in our kitchen. We share our knowledge of the mysteries of coffee through cuppings and presentations. We brew coffee in limitless iterations to share with friends and new acquaintances and try our best to learn about the world through the people who live in it with us. We laugh a lot, with each other, with our families, with our friends, and often with strangers. Our blog is a reflection of what we know, what we learn, what we admire. It is flavored by the ribbon of coffee running through it. Reading and writing both require coffee! Here are some of the coffee books that inspire us to write. A note about the WWC LogoGirls Our Logo is intended to be whimsical composites and a little unfinished. Sort of like us. The colors--a sort of orange, and a sort of purple, primary color blends--are representative of so many of us: a little of this and little of that and not fully defined in any one way. The LogoGirls represent us on our packages. They travel with us and love to get their pictures taken. Follow them on Instagram to see all their adventures Blog or newsletter or both? We publish an occasional newsletter but the blog format allows us to get our thoughts out more quickly. We'll re-publish some of our newsletter content here and post a link to full newsletter issues. We hope you enjoy reading our coffee musings-- We enjoy writing them. Leave comments, subscribe, and by all means, buy coffee!

Josephine Baker once said about her partner Jo Bouillon, “He was my cream, and I was his coffee. And when you poured us together, it was something,” Offerring a simple yet powerful metaphor that captured the essence of their relationship. But it is another quote, from her brief speech at the March on Washington in 1963 that provides insight into the internal fire that fueled her courageous work for the French Resistance during World War II and her rise to prominence in the “I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents, and much more,” she told the crowd of some 250,000. “But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee , and that made me mad. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth.” Josephine Baker performing in Paris, 1930s Early Life and Rise to Stardom Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1906, Josephine Baker grew up in poverty and faced racial segregation from an early age. Despite these challenges, she showed remarkable talent and determination. She moved to New York City as a teenager and began performing in vaudeville shows. Her breakthrough came when she moved to Paris in the 1920s, where she became a sensation in the vibrant nightlife scene. Baker’s performances were groundbreaking. She combined dance, music, and theatrical flair with a unique style that captivated audiences. Her famous banana skirt costume and energetic dances challenged conventional norms and made her an international star. Paris embraced her as a symbol of freedom and exotic beauty, but her success in Europe contrasted sharply with the discrimination she faced in the United States. The Coffee Denial Incident and Racial Discrimination Despite her fame, Josephine Baker was not immune to racism. One striking example occurred when she was denied a cup of coffee at a hotel in the United States. This incident highlighted the harsh reality of segregation laws and racial prejudice that persisted even for a world-renowned artist. Baker refused to accept such treatment quietly. She used her platform to speak out against racial injustice and segregation, and ended up paying a high price for calling out her experience at the Stork Club. Her experiences fueled her commitment to equality and human rights. Josephine Baker’s Role in the French Resistance Before the fight against segregation in America, Josephine Baker was one of an army of women who were part of the French Resistance . When World War II broke out, she was living in France and became involved in the fight against Nazi occupation. Using her celebrity status as a cover, she worked as a spy and courier for the French Resistance. Baker’s missions included carrying secret messages hidden in her sheet music and traveling to various locations to gather intelligence. Her performances allowed her to move freely between different social circles and countries without raising suspicion. She also used her connections to help smuggle refugees and provide aid to those persecuted by the Nazis. Her bravery earned her several honors, including the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor from the French government. Baker’s work in the Resistance showed a different side of her — not just an entertainer but a committed fighter for freedom and justice. Legacy Beyond the Stage Josephine Baker’s impact goes far beyond her performances. She broke racial barriers in the entertainment industry and became a symbol of resistance against oppression. After the war, she continued to advocate for civil rights. She and Bouillon adopted 12 children from different ethnic backgrounds, calling the family at their French Château des Milandes her “Rainbow Tribe.” Her life story inspires many today, reminding us that courage and determination can overcome prejudice and adversity. Baker’s journey from being denied a simple cup of coffee to risking her life for freedom illustrates the power of resilience and the importance of standing up for what is right. Josephine Baker’s legacy is a powerful reminder that fame does not shield one from injustice, but it can be a tool to fight it. Her work with the French Resistance and her lifelong commitment to equality make her a a Wild Woman to be remembered and celebrated.