2011 February Archive

Not Oprah’s Book Club: Tonight No Poetry Will Serve

Ever since reading “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich, I’ve been a massive fan. These lines, alone, turned me into a convert:

I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
I came to see the damage that was done
and the treasures that prevail.

I was thrilled to read her newest collection, Tonight No Poetry Will Serve (Poems 2007-2010), out from W.W. Norton. It’s a slim volume, filled with the pathos of the time–the ravages of war, struggled with authority, the decay of illness. The political undergirding isn’t surprising from this deeply political, feminist poet. For those who don’t know, in 1997, Rich refused the prestigious National Medal of the Arts, ...

Ever since reading “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich, I’ve been a massive fan. These lines, alone, turned me into a convert:

I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words ...

By Ann • 15 years ago

House votes to defund Planned Parenthood; I am livid

Despite the impassioned testimony of many lawmakers, on Friday the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to eliminate Title X funding, which supported clinics and programs that provide contraception and basic gynecological care to low-income women. This bill (which I like to call the “Anti-Pap Smear and Anti-Contraception Act” or the “Encouraging Teen STDs Act“) passed with the inclusion of an amendment by Rep. Mike Pence that specifically targets Planned Parenthood, denying the organization all federal funding.

Watch me sputter in anger on national television when Chris Hayes asks me about this bill:

Ann Friedman MSNBC Live 2011-02-18
Transcript here.

If you’re on Twitter, folks have been using the hashtag #thanksPPFA to talk about times when Planned Parenthood was there for ...

Despite the impassioned testimony of many lawmakers, on Friday the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to eliminate Title X funding, which supported clinics and programs that provide contraception and basic gynecological care to low-income women. This ...

By Vanessa • 15 years ago

What We Missed

YES! In response to the byline gender gap, Ann has created Lady Journos!, where she’ll be highlighting the work of various women writers. Check it.

Want to find out where any Walk for Choice rallies are happening in your area this Saturday? This is the place to go.

Georgian Republican rep Bobby Franklin is trying to make it a crime for a woman to have a miscarriage.

We have some awesome content on the Community blog today; check it. Also, a new blogger at Feministing Campus!

YES! In response to the byline gender gap, Ann has created Lady Journos!, where she’ll be highlighting the work of various women writers. Check it.

Want to find out where any Walk for Choice ...

By Vanessa • 15 years ago

Wisconsin workers’ rights are a feminist issue

Photo by Mark Hirsch/Getty Images

For a few reasons. Dana Goldstein hits the nail on the head on how directly feminist of an issue the Wisconsin labor battle is, as it’s one that addresses women workers:

[P]redominantly male professions are deliberately protected while female ones are targeted.

About 80 percent of American teachers, for example, are female; at the elementary school level, nearly 90 percent are women. Nursing is 95 percent female. Nationwide, the majority of public sector union members, represented by AFSCME and other groups, are women.

Meanwhile, over 70 percent of law enforcement workers in the United States are men. Our firefighting ranks are

Photo by Mark Hirsch/Getty Images

For a few reasons. Dana Goldstein hits the nail on the head on how directly feminist of an issue the Wisconsin labor battle is, as it’s ...

By Vanessa • 15 years ago

Speaking of birthdays…

Happy birthday, Shark Fu!

The brilliant, bad-ass blogger and activist is celebrating her birthday today, and we wanted to wish her some mushy birthday wishes on here. We’ve been lucky enough to have Shark Fu as a columnist on Feministing for years now (when she’s not raising hell at her own amazing blog) and are truly honored to have her as part of the crew. We love you, Shark Fu!

Give her some birthday love in comments.

Happy birthday, Shark Fu!

The brilliant, bad-ass blogger and activist is celebrating her birthday today, and we wanted to wish her some mushy birthday wishes on here. We’ve been lucky enough to have Shark Fu as a ...

By Winter Trabex • 15 years ago

The Vagina Monologues

The university I attend, Shippensburg University, has been doing a production of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues for a while now. I attended the play last year and was so impressed by it that I wanted to act in it. I wasn’t sure what I would do, I only knew that I wanted to be a part of it. When I came to the audition session, I didn’t know the first thing about acting. Sure, I had acted in a high school play once. They put goop on my face and dyed my hair grey. I played a preacher in an episodic Christian play that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I almost pulled out at ...

The university I attend, Shippensburg University, has been doing a production of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues for a while now. I attended the play last year and was so impressed by it that I ...

By Chloe Angyal • 15 years ago

Congresswoman Giffords is alive and well and tweeting photos of birthday cake

Yesterday was the birthday of astronaut Mark Kelly, husband to Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering in Texas after being shot in January. Kelly has a twin brother, Scott, who coincidentally also had a birthday yesterday. Giffords tweeted birthday wishes to both of them and thanked her hospital for the cake they gave her husband. “Happy Birthday @ShuttleCDRKelly & @StationCDRKelly! Thanks for the cake @houstonhospital,” Giffords tweeted, the first words she has spoken publicly since the shooting.

As always, we send nothing but good wishes to the congresswoman as she continues her apparently quite remarkable recovery. She’s an inspiration and I hope we’ll hear more from her very soon.

Also, that cake looks delicious.

Yesterday was the birthday of astronaut Mark Kelly, husband to Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering in Texas after being shot in January. Kelly has a twin brother, Scott, who coincidentally also had a birthday ...

By Rose • 15 years ago

Remembering Malcolm X

Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.

As a feminist, I have always been very drawn to Malcolm’s ideological transformation. After reading his autobiography, I saw Malcolm less as a sexist and more as a man who was prompted to reevaluate his world view because of sexist injustices against women. It is no secret that his break with the Nation of Islam was primarily motivated by Elijah Muhammad’s affairs with his young secretaries where he fathered 6 children. While this doesn’t give him a pass on vitriolic remarks such as “The closest thing to a woman is the devil,” it is important to recognize feminist moments about this leader that have been understated or unstated altogether.

Along with ...

Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.

As a feminist, I have always been very drawn to Malcolm’s ideological transformation. After reading his autobiography, I saw Malcolm less as a sexist and more as a ...