From herstory at cwluherstory.org Thu Nov 3 23:18:02 2005 From: herstory at cwluherstory.org (herstory@cwluherstory.org) Date: Thu Nov 3 23:19:48 2005 Subject: [Herstory] November-December 2005 Herstory E-Zine Message-ID: Welcome to the November-December 2005 issue of the CWLU Herstory E-Zine. Explore the CWLU Herstory website at http://www.cwluherstory.org Please send us news tips about upcoming events you know about. Also, don't be shy. Send us news about yourself and what you are doing. Feminist networking is part of what we are about. Forward our E-Zine to colleagues and friends who may want to subscribe. Remember: Support the CWLU Herstory project and buy Women's Graphics Collective posters, refrigerator magnets and t-shirts as holiday gifts. Pay by check or by credit card online. To browse our online store click on "Buy Feminist Posters' from our home page -- http://www.cwluherstory.org Also: Buy online from Women and Children First Books using the link on our homepage or the Book section of the Marketplace. Look for the Women and Children First logo. It's a great way to buy gifts and we'll will earn a small but much needed commission. *************************** WE'RE BACK! After taking some time off, the Herstory E-Zine is back. The Herstory Project is planning a complete overhaul of our website at http://www.cwluherstory.org. We want to bring the site up to 21st century web standards and make it easier to update, navigate and browse. It will be a big job. If there are student interns who'd like to get their hands digitally dirty helping us through the transformation, please contact us. We'll train you and you'll learn a lot about how to put history on the web. We plan to get started in early 2006. Contact infogal@cwluherstory.org if you are interested. **************************** POET AND FORMER "JANE" JUDITH ARCANA IS COMING TO CHICAGO Judith Arcana will be reading from her new book "What if your mother" at: Women and Children First 5233 N. Clark St. on Friday, November 11th at 7:30 pm. For further info: 773-769-9299 or wcfbooks@aol.com Judith was a Jane, a member of Chicago's pre-Roe underground abortion service, and is the author of two earlier books about motherhood, "Our Mothers' Daughters" and "Every Mother's Son". The poems and monologues in "What if your mother" illuminate the painful, tender experiences inside of the national shouting match, encouraging us to think carefully about what slogans and polemics inevitably obscure or ignore. A preview from the book is at http://www.chicorybluepress.com. To inquire about readings, talks and workshops contact jawhatif@earthlink.net. All Herstory supporters are encouraged to attend. With Roe vrs. Wade on the endangered species list, Judith's powerful voice for reproductive choice needs to be heard. Note: Judith will be back in town March 2006 during UIC's Women's History Month activities. We'll keep you posted. **************************** MARDGE COHEN'S RWANDA AIDS WORK IS THE SUBJECT OF A CHICAGO TRIBUNE MAGAZINE COVER STORY Herstory member and former CWLU health activist Mardge Cohen, a physician at Stroger Hospital and national leader in HIV research and treatment, has been working in Rwanda with women who are living with HIV and AIDS. Eleven years after the genocide in that nation, many of the women who were raped during the conflict, are now seriously ill with AIDS. On May 22, 2005 the Chicago Tribune Magazine showcased this remarkable work. Mardge and a small group of American doctors, nurses and mental health experts have helped to establish a clinic and are working alongside Rwandan health professionals and community members trying to ease the suffering of these women and their children. You may read the Trib article at ttp://www.crossroadsfund.org/WE-ACTx-Article2.html. While you are there, you can donate $$$ to a special fund that Mardge started to support HIV+ women in Rwanda. Mardge also requests your presence at a benefit for Chicago Women's AIDS Project: Global Rhythms A benefit for the Chicago Women's AIDS Project Friday, November 18, Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 East Chicago Avenue Reception 6:00-8:00 PM Dance performance 8:00 PM Featuring Emmy Award winner Jason Samuels Smith with Anyone Can Get It from Los Angeles and Vata Tap from Brazil Tickets $50. For Reservations and business sponsorship, call 773-271-2242. Send check to CWAP, 5249 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago 60640 or e-mail cwapns@ameritech.net Paypal accepted. To advertise in the ad book: contact Karen at 773-271-2242. The Chicago Women's AIDS Project has been serving women, children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS since 1988. Please help them serve the growing number of women living with HIV and provide much-needed prevention education for youth at risk. Mardge has devoted her life to the cause of women's health and is a constant source of inspiration to all of us connected to the Herstory Project. *************************** "PAPA DON'T LAY THAT SHIT ON ME" IS ISSUED BY ROUNDER RECORDS In 1972, Rounder Records released Mountain Moving Day - a ground-breaking album by the Chicago and New Haven Women's Liberation Rock Bands. A product of the fervent women's liberation movement of the late 1960s and early 70s, Mountain Moving Day helped pioneer the second wave of feminist music, paving the way for many of today's feminist, female-fronted, and "grrl" rock bands. Thirty-three years later, Rounder reissued this historic album as "Papa Don't Lay That Shit On Me". Entirely remastered and restored, the reissue features 6 previously unreleased tracks, 2 bonus tracks from contemporary feminist rock band Le Tigre and an extensive CD booklet featuring liner notes from the original recording, lyrics (with printed chords), and commentary by author Jennifer Baumgardner and both the Chicago and New Haven Women's Liberation Rock Bands. Visit http://www.rounder.com/ to purchase your copy of "Papa Don't Lay That Shit On Me" CD. The Herstory Project first began its efforts to revive this music in 1999. We transferred the original vinyl album to CD's in Estelle Carol's home studio and put MP3's of the songs up on the web. Special thanks to Naomi Weisstein, Pat Mathews and Bob Simpson for their work in keeping this music alive. We're thrilled to finally see a professional re-issue. The Herstory Project now possesses a number of unpublished Rock Band photos thanks to former Band member Pat Mathews. We plan to get those up on our newly designed website next year. We would also love to hear from other former Band members. Tell us your stories and we'll put 'em on the Web. **************************** WOMEN'S HEALTH HISTORY SLIDESHOW JANUARY 10, 2006 For the past several years, former CWLU health activists have met in effort to pass along the vibrant history of the Chicago women's health movement beginning in the late 1960s. One of their projects has been a PowerPoint slideshow. On Tuesday, January 10, 2006 Coral Norris will show the slideshow on Women's Health History at Women and Children First Bookstore in Chicago. Check the WCF website at http://womenchildren.booksense.com for details as the date approaches. **************************** DR. SUSAN WOOD, FORMER FDA DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH, TO SPEAK AT UIC On August 31, 2005, Dr. Susan Wood resigned as Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health and Director of the Office of Women's Health (OWH) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protest the FDA's decision to once again delay over-the-counter (OTC) status to Plan B emergency contraception. Hear her discuss women's health at the FDA. Wednesday, November 16 Noon - 1 p.m. School of Public Health Auditorium, University of Illinois at Chicago 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois **************************** RAIN AND THUNDER: A RADICAL FEMINIST JOURNAL OF DISCUSSION AND ACTIVISM IS SEEKING CONTRIBUTORS ISSUE #29: Our Annual ACTIVISM Issue - Deadline December 1, 2005 What does radical feminist activism mean to you? What does it look like in your life? In your community? What are your strategies as an activist for creating a culture of resistance? What are your tactics? What do you do to prevent burnout? What activist stories give you hope? Who are activists that inspire you? ISSUE #30: Women's Herstory Issue (in celebration of Women's Herstory Month) - Deadline March 1,2006 What is radical feminist herstory? Who are important figures from our past? What lessons have we learned from the women who came before us? How does uncovering, understanding, and valuing our herstory shape and help our current work? Send us your creative pieces on activist visions as well as photos, collages, poems, chants and more! We welcome women's writing from radical feminist perspectives and writing that contributes to radical feminist ideas. We are interested in theory, opinion, strategy, action updates, news, reviews, and upcoming events. Contributions can be sent via U.S. mail or email to Rain and Thunder, PO Box 674, Northampton, MA 01060 USA, rainandthunder@yahoo.com. *************************** BECKY KLUCHIN IS LOOKING TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTIVE IN THE MOVEMENT TO END FORCED STERILIZATION Herstory Project member Becky Kluchin is applying for a grant to fund a trip to Chicago in the fall of 2006 to conduct interviews with Chicago women who were involved with the movement against forced sterilization. She would love to interview anyone who was active in this movement. Interested women (and men?) can contact her at rkluchin@csus.edu. Becky conducted a number of interviews of CWLU activists in 1999 that helped make the Herstory website possible. She is now a history prof at California State University in Sacramento. *************************** BOOKS! "From Suffragettes to She-Devils: Women's Liberation and Beyond" by Liz McQuiston is an amazing collection of women's graphics and photos. Includes several posters from the Chicago Women's Graphics Collective. "The Wonders of Mothers Milk" by Mishawn Purnell is a book about breastfeeding aimed at kids 4-8. Mishawn is a Forest Park IL breastfeeding activist who works extensively among African American women. The book was illustrated by Herstory Project member Dana T.C. Simpson, an art student at Chicago's Columbia College. Get more details and order the book at http://www.breast-feedingamerica.com *************************** WEB SURFIN' WITH THE HERSTORY PROJECT The Jane Addams Hull House Museum website at http://wall.aa.uic.edu:62730/artifact/HullHouse.asp has an extensive online collection about the work of Hull House on Chicago's West Side. Herstory members Peg Strobel (museum director) and Estelle Carol are among those who are designing new exhibits for the museum. Alzheimer's Spoken Here at http://alzsh.net/ is a call to action by people who deal with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia everyday. Jenny Knauss (a former CWLU health activist), is the the president of this non-proft advocacy organization. Feministing.com at http://www.feministing.com/ is a brash and consistently engaging feminist blog. Although it is said that blogs are like noses (everybody has one), this blog is actually worth your time. Paula Kamen.com at http://www.paulakamen.com/ has links to many of Paula's articles as well as excerpts from her books and plays. Paula is currently working on a bio of Iris Chang, a talented writer whose life was cut short in 2004. *************************** THAT'S IT FOR THIS ISSUE Please send us any news about former CWLUers, upcoming events and feminist happenings. We depend on you to be our eyes and ears. Do you need research assistance? Do you provide a service? Do you need a service? Do you have a cool project you need help with? Are you looking for a job? Do you have a job to offer? Let us know and we'll try to include it. Feminist networking is part of what we are about. E-mail infogal@cwluherstory.org with your contribution. -- CWLU Herstory Website Project http://www.cwluherstory.org infogal@cwluherstory.org PO Box 548 Oak Park, IL 60303-0548 708-386-7197 A Project of the University of Illinois Center for Research on Women and Gender http://www.uic.edu/depts/crwg/ "We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster." - Rachel Carson