[Herstory] Fall 2007 CWLU Herstory E-Zine

[The CWLU Herstory Project E-Zine]

Welcome to the Fall 2007 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.

Don't forget to buy your books at Women and Children First Bookstore. If 
you can't visit the store at 5233 N. Clark St. in Chicago, you can 
always order online at http://womenandchildrenfirst.com.

***************************
THE CWLU HERSTORY WEBSITE REACHES ITS 100,000 VISITOR

Early in the morning on October 21, 2007, the Herstory website received 
its 100,000th visitor since it opened in 1999. Our anonymous visitor 
looked at the Judy (Syfers) Brady essay, "Why I Want a Wife," one of the 
most popular articles on the site.

Should we plan for a Herstory 10th anniversary party for sometime in 2009?

***************************
THE GRAMMY MUSEUM PLANS TO OPEN WITH AN EXHIBIT THAT INCLUDES THE 
CHICAGO WOMEN'S LIBERATION ROCK BAND

The Grammy Museum in LA, currently under construction and opening in 
Fall 2008, will explore the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the 
creative process, and the history of the Academy.

"Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom" is the museum's inaugural 
temporary exhibit and the first major museum exhibit in the United 
States to explore the 200-year history of music and politics in America. 
It will run from Fall 2008 to Spring 2010 and then travel to major 
museums in the U.S.

Professor Dan Cavichi is curating and would like to include some Rock 
Band material.

We are working with Dr. Cavichi on this project and have offered to 
share our photo collection. We are also trying to get a copy of the 
original vinyl album for the exhibit. Former members of both the Chicago 
and the New Haven Liberation Rock Bands are being contacted.

We'll keep you posted as to how this is going.

***************************
SPEAKING OF THE CHICAGO WOMEN'S LIBERATION ROCK BAND, YOU SHOULD HEAR 
SUSAN ABOD NOW.

Susan Abod is a professional musician and film maker. The former lead 
singer of the Chicago Women's Liberation Rock Band is out in Santa Fe 
making some great music. You can see one of her performances on video at

http://www.cwluherstory.org/myblog/susan-abod-live-in-santa-fe.html

There are also links there for Susan's film documentaries as well as 
info on how you can book her for concerts.

Former Rock Band member Susan Prescott has a video interview with Susan 
Abod at http://www.blip.tv/file/17924/.

Susan Prescott is executive producer of the Insight New Mexico radio 
show on AM 1350 which you can read about at http://insightnm.net/.

****************************
SAYING GOODBYE TO MARDGE COHEN AND GORDY SCHIFF

Three hundred people crowded in Reza's restaurant on the Northside of 
Chicago to bid farewell to Mardge Cohen and Gordy Schiff, two of 
Chicago's finest physicians. Gordy has accepted a teaching position at 
Harvard, meaning that Mardge and he will be moving to Boston.

Mardge is a former member of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union.

Mardge and Gordy have been battling for quality healthcare at Chicago's 
Cook County Hospital since the 1970's. There were many heartfelt 
tributes at the farewell dinner from colleagues, friends, family members 
and former patients.

Mardge is one of the world's leading experts on HIV/AIDS and has worked 
extensively in Rwanda with HIV/AIDS patients there. You can read an 
interview with Mardge at:

http://www.thebody.com/women/resource/interview_mcohen.html

Gordy is known in the world of medicine for his research on patient 
safety. You can read a CNN interview with Gordy at:

http://archives.cnn.com/1999/HEALTH/12/08/schiff.chat/index.html

Mardge and Gordy's outspoken efforts on behalf of decent healthcare for 
working class Chicago made them some powerful enemies among the city's 
power elite. Gordy said that their move to Boston was actually more of 
an "exile". Both Mardge and Gordy plan to stay in close touch with their 
Chicago friends and colleagues.

To help continue Mardge's work with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, please visit 
WeAct on the web and donate some much needed $$$$.

http://www.we-actx.org/

We would love to post photos and video of of Mardge and Gordy's farewell 
party on the Herstory site. Contact infogal at cwluherstory.org if you can 
help.

****************************
EMMA IS PLAYING IN CHICAGO

EMMA, a play by Howard Zinn about the renowned American anarchist Emma 
Goldman will be opening at the Trap Door Theater on October 18 in Chicago.

It is being directed by Kate Hendrickson, the daughter of Ayrie Moore, 
who belonged to the Chicago Women's Liberation Union (CWLU) and Rising 
Up Angry.

Zinn's drama “Emma” is based on the life of American Anarchist Emma 
Goldman. Passionate, audacious, and notorious Emma was also a 
popularizer of the arts, a defender of civil liberties, a proponent of 
birth control, and a free love advocate. Emma explores not only her 
political life but also the friendships, and tumultuous love affairs 
that sustained and inspired her.

"Emma" has been performed in New York, Boston, London, and Tokyo. This 
is its Chicago premier.

Closes: Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 8PM
Runs: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM

Admission: $20 (2 for 1 on Thursdays)

Where: TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622
For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494.
For more detailed info please visit their website at 
http://www.trapdoortheatre.com
.

****************************
PAULA KAMEN GOES ON THE ROAD FOR HER NEW BOOK: FINDING IRIS CHANG

Paula Kamen's 'Finding Iris Chang' is now out and Paula will be 
criss-crossing the USA talking about her book. If you are in 
Chicagoland, here is a schedule:


Wednesday, November 7, 7:00 PM
57th Street Books
1301 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL
More info

Thursday, November 8, 7:30 PM
Women and Children First
5233 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL

Please go to http://www.booktour.com/author/paula_kamen_ for information 
about other cities and to request a visit from Paula to your favorite 
bookstore.

Iris Chang was a brilliant young writer whose suicide came as a terrible 
shock to her friends and admirers. Iris Chang's book 'The Rape of 
Nanking' is the definitive work on that WWII atrocity. Her grandparents 
were survivors of the carnage.

Paula spent several years researching and writing this biography. Paula 
Kamen and Iris Chang were college classmates and longtime friends.

****************************
WE MISS GRACE PALEY

Grace Paley, one of our finest writers, passed away last August. To 
celebrate her life and work, Judith Arcana has helped organize an 85th 
birthday party on the evening of December 11 at Broadway Books in NE 
Portland OR. Judith Arcana is the author of 'Grace Paley's Life Stories; 
a Literary Biography'. Judith is a poet and a former 'Jane'.

If you miss Grace Paley too and would like to organize a birthday event 
for that evening in your town, please contact your local bookstore and 
get one going.

****************************
THE AURORA PLANNED PARENTHOOD HEALTH CENTER IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

If you follow the contentious US debate over reproductive justice, you 
are probably aware of the battle over whether the Aurora IL Planned 
Parenthood clinic would be allowed to open. After days of demonstrations 
and legal sparring, the clinic had its Opening Day celebration on October 2.

For some video of the struggle visit:

http://youtube.com/profile?user=PPCAAurora


***************************
THE CHICAGO ABORTION FUND LOOKS INTO ITS HISTORY

At a recent fund raiser for the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF), the 
question of its history came up. CAF helps people with limited finances 
obtain safe abortion services at a time when abortion is under constant 
attack.

CAF Executive Director Gaylon Alcarez contacted the Herstory Project for 
information about the group's origins. Intrepid Herstory researcher and 
CAF co-founder Amy Laiken then began going through her personal files.

What follows is a summary of Amy's report:

After the 1972 arrests of 7 Jane members for performing illegal 
abortions, a defense committee formed which became the Abortion Task 
Force (ATF). The charges against the Jane women were dropped following 
the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, and that summer, the Health Evaluation 
and Referral Service (HERS) was formed, in part, as an outgrowth of the 
ATF. HERS was a workgroup of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union.

The Chicago Abortion Fund was founded in 1985 by a coalition of groups 
including HERS.

Over the years, CAF has honored several former CWLUers for their service 
to reproductive justice.

***************************
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONVERSE WITH A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE?

The American Medical Women's Association is inviting you to have a 
conversation with the candidates about their plans for health care 
reform by participating in a series of conference calls that started in 
mid-October with Hillary Clinton.

The next conference call is with John Edwards on November 9. If you 
would like to participate, please sign up at the AMWA website.

http://amwa-cwc.org/

****************************
WHAT'S NEW ON THE HERSTORY SITE?

You can now download 'The Chicago Women's Liberation Union: The Legacy 
of Organizing Around Women's Health Issues', a 101 slide PowerPoint 
presentation created by former CWLU health activists. It's a 40 megabyte 
download, so you'll need a fast Internet connection or a lot of patience.

We're also filling in our Chicago Women's Liberation Timeline with 
details that were gathered by the same group of women who put together 
the slideshow.

We're adding new links to our Resources section. If you would like to 
suggest links, please register on our site and use the Suggest a Weblink 
menu item (only visible to registered users).

If you are a regular reader of Infogal's blog on the Herstory site, you 
will notice that most of our newsletter articles are drawn from the 
blog. So check the blog if you can't wait for our next newsletter issue.

***************************
WEB SURFIN' WITH THE HERSTORY PROJECT-BLOGGER EDITION

http://vivalafeminista.blogspot.com/
Wit and wisdom from Chicago's very own Veronica Arreola.

http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/
A blog to advance the radical feminist views of Twisty Faster.

http://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/
The Angry Black Woman. The title says it all.

http://www.womensvoicesforchange.org/
Women's Voices for Change is changing attitudes about women over 40.

http://www.echidneofthesnakes.blogspot.com/
Opinions from a minor Greek goddess.

http://feministblogs.org/
Independent alternatives to the malestream media.

***************************

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 at cwluherstory.org with your contribution.

-- 



CWLU Herstory Website Project
http://www.cwluherstory.org
infogal at 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