extracted text

September, 1997

FALL RETREAT TO
FEATURE HERLAND
SONGWRITERS' FESTIVAL
Girls with Guitars. Lesbians with Lyres. Sisters with
Strings. What ever you want to call it, they're coming
to the Herland Fall Retreat. A fabulous and diverse lineup featuring women of song will gather at Lake Murray
State Park October 17-19.
This retreat will host the first Herland Songwriters'
Festival, Saturday, October 18 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Performers confirmed to date include Peggy Johnson,
Wende Allyn, DonnaDeSalvo, CuchlaFuller, Deb Mills,
Wanda, and Amy.
Peggy Johnson and Wende Allyn were the featured
performers at the spring retreat. Peggy has been writing
songs and performing in the Oklahoma City area for
many years. Her style of folk blues is immediately
recognizable. Wende is in the process of releasing her
first album, Catalina Days, a collection of original
material featuring some of the most respected instrumentalists in the state. Her "Americana" brand of songs
feature powerful lyrics and her strong voice.
Wanda, the Tex-Mex blues-pickin' mama, is back in
Oklahoma after living in Boston for a while and is getting
back to performing in places other than her living room.
Her original material ranges from the sittin-on-thefront-porch-rockin-and-sweatin-I-must-be-close-to-thegulf blues of "Muddy River" to the rock-pop feel of
"Living in a Man's World."
Donna D. will do double duty, performing in both the
songwriters' fest and with Circle ofFriends, the featured
entertainment for the evening. Donna has entertained
the women of Oklahoma City with her songs, stories and
antics for decades.
Cuchla Fuller, best known for her song "Backdoor
to Heaven" was a member of the Desert Heart Band.
Her style is reminiscent ofthe early days ofthe "women's
music" movement. Whether singing about stepping out
with an unavailable lover or spelling out the name of a
popular watering hole for lesbians, her songs are lived in
and comfortable. (Continued page 2)
Volume 15 Number 9

IN PERFORMANCE
AT MEDINA'S
ON THE PASEO
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER

12

JAMIE ANDERSON
7:00 P.M.

"Anderson's friendly, every-woman voice is
open, engaging and occasionally, barely
suppresses and aural grin or two. n The
Record. Sacramento, CA

MARY REYNOLDS

&

NANCY SCOTT
9:30 P.M.

After winning the Gazette's best Female
Vocalist for several years running, Mary
moved to Austin's music scene This trip
back she's petforming with Nancy Scott from
Austin.

CALL TO

WRITERS

The first meeting ofthe new Her Iand Writers' Group
was an unqualified success. Three of us met and
discussed our hopes and plans for the future of our
group. Our most immediate goal is 10 include as many
new women in the circle as we can
Our next meeting will be at H(!rland at 6:30 on
Monday September 8th. Come to l1 sten, or bring work
you wish to share. All genres , all ab i1ities welcome. See
you there!CI

Herland Sister Resources

2312 N.W 39, OKC, OK 73112

FALL RETREAT

(continued from page 1)

In addition to all of the seasoned performers, Herland is fortunate to have two fresh-faced newcomers
who will be performing at the festival. Deb Mills is a
spunky young woman from Oklahoma City who has
recently been seen playing in a group with Peggy Johnson.
Her original material falls somewhere between Indigo
Girl Amy Ray and Melissa Etheridge.
Theonlynon-OkiewriterisAmyBelzerfromAbilene,
Kansas. When I started putting this festival together, I
posted several notices on Internet bulletin boards. I had
several responses, but as soon as I told them it was
freebie, they all seemed to have another gig that weekend. Except for Amy. She just wanted a place to play
her songs for a group of appreciative women. She
describes her music as mushy love songs--come out to
the retreat and see for yourself
The evening concert will be provided by Circle of
Friends, an Oklahoma City group of 4 women who have
been playing together for several years. Circle ofFriends
includes Kristan Bright, Cathy Cahill, Donna DeSalvo
and Tammy King. They have become infamous for their
rowdy shows at the Cafe Paseo, a normally sedate jazz
club.
After the concert, all the guitar players can "come
out of the closet" for the biggest electric jam ever at a
Herland Retreat. Bring your noisemakers and be ready
to shake your groove thang at the fall retreat. CJ

HERLAND WISH

LIST
Barbecue grill
Lawnmower
Refrigerator, 16 cu ft or larger
Garden tools
Weed eater
Carpentry tools
Heat and air installation, paid
Food pantry items
Bookcases
If you can donate any of the above, just drop
it by Herland or give us a call Ht 521-9696 and
we'll make arrangements to pick it up.

Keep My Voice Coming!
Monthy publication and distribution of 1, 000 copies of the Voice is Herland' s largest monthly e \ pense. A donation
of$12 or more is requested to cover the cost of sending your monthly copy of the Voice, but we'll he happy to send the
. Voice even if you can't send a contribution right now. Just let us know you still want to receive the Voice.

City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State_ _ _ __
_ _ My contribution of $12 or
is enclosed.
_ _Keep the Voice coming! Maybe I can contribute later.
Return to: Herland Sister Resources, 2312 NW 39, OKC, OK 73112

Zip_ __ _ _

READ ANY
GOOD
BOOKS
LATELY?
Many women have read, or have at least seen the
movie, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, both written by
Jeanette Winterson, but those readers or viewers who
stopped there are denying themselves the pleasures of a
thoughtful, sexy, solid body of work.
To date Ms. Winterson has published five novels and
a book of essays, each diverse in subject, theme and
tone, but connected by the author's intellect, wit and
skill. Oranges, if you have not read it, is the autobiographical account of Ms. Winterson' s evangelical upbringing and painful coming out. Her next two novels
have historical setting and subjects. The Passion is set
in Venice and in the camps ofNapoleon' s army and tells
the tale of a cook and a gondolier's daughter. Sexing the
Cherry is the story of a giant woman, her son, and twelve
dancing princesses in seventeenth century England .
For her fourth novel, Written on the Body, Ms.
Winterson returns to her own life as inspiration for her
hard, vivid picture of a multisexual love triangle in
modern London. Art and Lies, perhaps her finest, most
perfectly realized work to date, blurs the line between
past and present, telling the story in the voices of three
narrating characters: Picasso, a troubled young woman
painter, Handel, a cold Victorian doctor, and Sappho,
the ancient Greek Poet.
Two works have followed Art and Lies. Art [Objects] , her collection of essays, and her most recent
work, Gut Symmetries , which deals with physics,
astrology and yet another love triangle.
Jeanette Winterson is a brave, uncompromising storyteller, refusing torestrict her themes or characters to
what some might call "normal" lives and behavior. It is
her skill and confidence which make the implausible not
just plausible, but breathtaking. An ancient Greek
woman riding a London train, and a red-haired, webfooted Venetian girl literally losing her heart to a noblewoman are presented so beautifully and so well that they
never seem cheap or trite, but are indeed illuminating
experiences for the reader bold enough to accept the
challenge.
Jeanette Winterson's body of work, like her characters, transcends categorization. Mysterious, adventurous, erotic, romantic, there are elements in her work to
appeal to the tastes of any reader. D

HOME •••.•
I'm sitting here in my tiny h;l\·en thinking "I'm
home", not just these four but in the 1niddle of America,
Oklahoma City to be exact.
A few years ago I would not ha' ·l' expected to be so
happy, away from California and all 1 liose wimmin! But
I needed a smaller, cozier scene, discontent with the
transient nature of relationships. I 11 eeded deeper connections, I wanted a small town scene and part of the
specialness of the gay community i:- its lack of size.
.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd l1lve more and more
gay awareness and that includes the hi folk but its sorta
nice to have only a few choices, yo11 get to see the same
people again and again.
So just to let you know, or remi11d you, Oklahoma is
happening. My view of life is simi.J ar to "love the one
you're with". The positive I experience in Oklahoma is
the friendliness ofits people, the strong spiritual bonds
(not necessarily religion) and the amazing array of
talented artists.
I like that Oklahoma is still experimenting with
ethnic foods/coffee houses/poetry readings because I
was a sixties child/woman experiencing life's alternatives and content to stay there.
The most recent treasure I've ventured into is the
beginning of a writing group at Herl and, Wendy Allen's
smooth, silky voice melting me down, and Diversity's
smoky atmosphere (although I'd love a non-smoking
night).
I'm looking forward to meeting 0 klahoma' s characters and becoming one of them. 0
-- Deidra

The Voice is published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK
73112
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community
discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author
and not necessarily those of Herland s isterResources.
Unsolicited articles and letters to the ~ditor are welcomed and must be signed by the writ er with full name
and address. Upon request, letters or articles may be
printed under a pseudonym or anonymously.
Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request
although a donation is requested to meet publication and distribution costs.

~~~~~~=-~.::::::~===---------.:._-~--------Ru.e;:rl;;;an=:diVVolce September, 1997

3

t;

. ·.,

f~

Fall Retreat and Music Festival
Saturday afternoon Songwriter Festival
Featured performers:
) ) Peggy) Wanda ) Wende ) Donna D))
) )Cuchla ) Amy ) Deb M ) )
Songwriter Festival begins at 2:00pm

Evening Concert with

•
Concert begins at 8:30pm

Herland Sister Resources
September, 1997
Sunday

Tuesday

2

Wednesday

3

4

Saturday

Friday

Thursday

5

6

Crazy Horse assassinated while in
custody, 1877

11

I

7

8

Grandma Moses b. 1860

6:30 PM
Her land
Writers'
Group

14

15

9

JO

11

1st Quarter

16

12

13

7:00PM
Jamie
Anderson
9:30 PM Mary
Reynolds&
Nancy Scott,
at Medina's on
the Paseo

17

18

Full Moon

19
HSR Newsletter
Deadline

20
Equal R"i.cts Party Formed
1884

7:00 PM
Welcome
Back to
School
Bash

21
4:30 PM HSR Board
Mtg.

22
Autumn begins

23
Last Quarter

24

25

6:30 PM
Newsletter
mailing

28

29

30

26

27

Sandra Day
O'Connor
appointed US
Supreme
Court, 1981

1:

IS SHE OR ISN'T SHE?????

SUMMER

by Melissa

by Diedra

We all know and love her-that queen comedienne
and day time diva. Yes, I'm talking about the one and
only Rosie O'Donnell. Most of us have seen her
comedic ability compliment that of Richard Dreyfuss
and Emilio Estevez in Another Stakeout . Many of us
have enjoyed watching her hilarious, yet somewhat sexy
(come on girls-admit it. You know you felt that tingly
feeling when you saw the leather-clad Rosie) antics as
she played the role of undercover-agent -turneddominatrix-to-catch-the-bad-guys in Exit to Eden.
. Some of us have even been fortunate enough to see
her grace the Broadway stage in Grease . And any socalled respectable dyke has sat down at least once to
catch a glimpse ofRosie's refreshing Johnny Carson-ish
daytime talk show.
Except for choosing such a public line of work,
Rosie'~ life is a mystery to most. Nobody ever hears of
a boyfriend or any other aspect of her personal life.
There are speculations (unconfirmed, of course) that she
may be a part ofthe family. And although this rumor may
be just that-a rumor- we may be on the right track.
Ifone were to stop and think about it, they might find
that ms. O'Donnell has many characteristics in common
with our more butch sisters. She (when not working)
dresses comfortably and prefers the natural look as
opposed to wearing makeup or poofing her hair up. She
would rather play handywoman around the house instead ofcalling a repair man. Not only does she own one
motorcycle, but. she in fact owns two (which might
construe that thissecond bike might be for a significant
other????).
In addition to these characteristics, she is very vague
about her personal life and relationships. In any inter. view I've seen her do or read about, she is very careful
to evade direct questions about her personal life and to
use words such as partner or mate instead of using the
pronouns he or she.
And who could forget Rosie and Ellen's word play
with the word Lebanese???
It's not my right, nor do I condone publicly outing
another sister or brother. The Goddess knows I wouldn't
want to be the recipient of such an act. Until Rosie goes
public it is all speculation, but I will say Rosie does make
my gaydar go haywire!D

Summer was a bitch, striding irn n my heart like she
owned the place. Laying me do 11 n with her sticky
fingers, an extravagant landscapt [ traveled, nearly
burning me alive. Yet when she left 1, )wn I was searching
for her twin in dark corners of my fl'. newed life, discovering smoke and heat were stage prnps I couldn't lean
against. Summer threw me a loop Id 1dn't catch, chasing
heat, needing her to open me wide
Is love a place we've reached m a person?
Summer, a fickle dancer raving in the afternoons,
offering a blooming sun you can't touch and all those full
moons blinding me. I entered love rhru the side door,
barefoot, looking for the midnight show. Summer
rocked and wooed me, forbidding skep, my mistress, my
guardian angel beating me senseless [was reckless with
desire, we found each other afterbours naked under a
brightness we couldn't hide.
Summer was a feast, a taste I craved, a fast night
running down my alley, a flight of spilled stars. There
was no safeness to return to, once h1 ve held me in a lush
possessiveness it was me who wouldn't let go. Summer
wound me tight round her finger. Losing track of time
and swallowing whole days I waited in the dark, an alley
cat wet and howling.
There's never enough when you· re young or hungry,
only freedom is as strong an urge and love won out.
Love has a louder ·voice, a greater· promise of shiny
summer nights. I kept slipping into her easiness, finding
strangers whispers a noisy substitute for truth.
But love has Aged, an antique memory I climb when
I need to be higher, looking over my Ii fe, Summer's long
bittersweetness, refusing winter and fall, demanding
warmer suns, empty cries irritating the moon, searching
for the hapless reason love lost its freedom. The smallest
details were pieces of glass cutting me with the memory
of France.
Oh yeah, Summer admired my Ye ms, held my fragile
hands and put me out, like a light. 0

HERLAND SISTER RESOURCES
2312 NORTHWEST 39TH STREET
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73112
(405) 521-9696

Books, New & Used • Lending Llbrary
CD's & Tapes • Gifts • Meeting Space
Coffeehouses• Concerts• Retreats
Monthly Newsletter, free on request

HOURS: SATURDAYS 10- 6; SUNDAYS 1 - 6

6 Her/and Voice September, 1997

October is Lesbian and Gay History Month
We need your help to observe the month and celebrate National Coming Out Day!
The October Voice will feature your coming out
story-- that is ifyou send it to us. Write a poem, an essay,
a story ... anything short of a novel about your coming
out process and we'll consider publishing it (actually our
space is pretty limited so your novella is probably a little
long for the Voice.)
Send your submission to Herland Voice, 2312 NW
39th, OKC, OK 73112 to arrive by the September 19
deadline.a

Nancy Nesser

. ~)'Strc.

'Y Attorney at Law 'Y

~OR€St tR€c\SUR€S

942-4190

• in°'nsic & oils • eandlu • impofb

•bankruptcy and consumer law
•wil ls, trusts ii estate planning
•divorce, custody ii fomily law
Email: njnesser~uno.com

Campus Comer
323 \\?hilic SINd
Nonnan. OK 73069

• crystals & slonu • j~dry
• uniquic & unusual gifts
• n~ a~ suppliu
Nalaaha Rice (405) 447-5111

RETREAT PRE-REGISTRATION
S In g le Pe rs on ' s

Please choose the registration amount most
appropriate for you. On-site registration will be
$65. Deadline for pre-registration is October 14
and registration is non-refundable after October 16.

Pre-registration
per person

Household An nu el

Annual Income

undo r S 6 ,5 OO

$15

undor $13,300

$6,500. $13,250

$25

s

1

3,300 • $18,000

$13,250. $19,500

$35

1 1

a,000. $26,000

$19,500. $30,000

$45

s 16,000. $50,000

over SJ0,000

$60

o' vor $50 ,000

Income

Registration fee enclosed (payable to Herland): _ $15 _$25 _$35 _$45 _$60
Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone:_ _ _ __
Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _State _ _Zip_ _ __
__ I need a scholarship to attend .
__ I'm enclosing and additional $

to help provide scholarships.

__ I'm bringing __ children (girls of all ages and boys under 1O are welcome)
__ I'm bringing __ pets (LEASHED and well-behaved)
Return registration to: Herland Sister Resources, 2312 N.W. 39, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

SUPPORT

OUR SUPPORTERS

FAX 405-528-1 035

405-528-1018

REBECCA R. COHN, Ph.D.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Peggy C. Johnson
Attorney At Law

321-2148
Associated with
Parr, Friend and Johnson

2200 Classen Blvd., Suite 650
Oklahoma City, OK 73106-5609

~ti> PLU~BING

r .

844-1951
"FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING
NEEDS"

P.O. Box 5119
Norman, Okla 73070

;;~~·1·'·

JM~:

· ~}; ·.. · · ;

· · • ·,- )f

-,

Individ ual - Couples
Family ThL: rapy, Retreats

RIYMa<.

Preferred Pro1w rues Inc.

Car 1a S 11la i 11 (J'a rd
r.-

Of1ice: (405) 75, -4848
Toll Free: (800) 299-5615
Fax: (405) 751 -4330
3705 W. Memorial

Oklahoma City, OK 73134

JEAN PROCKISH

Herland Sister Resources
2312 N.W. 39
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Address Correction Requested
Return Postage Guaranteed

NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage

PAID
Oklahoma City, OK
Permit No. 861



September, 1997

FALL RETREAT TO
FEATURE HERLAND
SONGWRITERS' FESTIVAL
Girls with Guitars. Lesbians with Lyres. Sisters with
Strings. What ever you want to call it, they're coming
to the Herland Fall Retreat. A fabulous and diverse lineup featuring women of song will gather at Lake Murray
State Park October 17-19.
This retreat will host the first Herland Songwriters'
Festival, Saturday, October 18 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Performers confirmed to date include Peggy Johnson,
Wende Allyn, DonnaDeSalvo, CuchlaFuller, Deb Mills,
Wanda, and Amy.
Peggy Johnson and Wende Allyn were the featured
performers at the spring retreat. Peggy has been writing
songs and performing in the Oklahoma City area for
many years. Her style of folk blues is immediately
recognizable. Wende is in the process of releasing her
first album, Catalina Days, a collection of original
material featuring some of the most respected instrumentalists in the state. Her "Americana" brand of songs
feature powerful lyrics and her strong voice.
Wanda, the Tex-Mex blues-pickin' mama, is back in
Oklahoma after living in Boston for a while and is getting
back to performing in places other than her living room.
Her original material ranges from the sittin-on-thefront-porch-rockin-and-sweatin-I-must-be-close-to-thegulf blues of "Muddy River" to the rock-pop feel of
"Living in a Man's World."
Donna D. will do double duty, performing in both the
songwriters' fest and with Circle ofFriends, the featured
entertainment for the evening. Donna has entertained
the women of Oklahoma City with her songs, stories and
antics for decades.
Cuchla Fuller, best known for her song "Backdoor
to Heaven" was a member of the Desert Heart Band.
Her style is reminiscent ofthe early days ofthe "women's
music" movement. Whether singing about stepping out
with an unavailable lover or spelling out the name of a
popular watering hole for lesbians, her songs are lived in
and comfortable. (Continued page 2)
Volume 15 Number 9

IN PERFORMANCE
AT MEDINA'S
ON THE PASEO
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER

12

JAMIE ANDERSON
7:00 P.M.

"Anderson's friendly, every-woman voice is
open, engaging and occasionally, barely
suppresses and aural grin or two. n The
Record. Sacramento, CA

MARY REYNOLDS

&

NANCY SCOTT
9:30 P.M.

After winning the Gazette's best Female
Vocalist for several years running, Mary
moved to Austin's music scene This trip
back she's petforming with Nancy Scott from
Austin.

CALL TO

WRITERS

The first meeting ofthe new Her Iand Writers' Group
was an unqualified success. Three of us met and
discussed our hopes and plans for the future of our
group. Our most immediate goal is 10 include as many
new women in the circle as we can
Our next meeting will be at H(!rland at 6:30 on
Monday September 8th. Come to l1 sten, or bring work
you wish to share. All genres , all ab i1ities welcome. See
you there!CI

Herland Sister Resources

2312 N.W 39, OKC, OK 73112

FALL RETREAT

(continued from page 1)

In addition to all of the seasoned performers, Herland is fortunate to have two fresh-faced newcomers
who will be performing at the festival. Deb Mills is a
spunky young woman from Oklahoma City who has
recently been seen playing in a group with Peggy Johnson.
Her original material falls somewhere between Indigo
Girl Amy Ray and Melissa Etheridge.
Theonlynon-OkiewriterisAmyBelzerfromAbilene,
Kansas. When I started putting this festival together, I
posted several notices on Internet bulletin boards. I had
several responses, but as soon as I told them it was
freebie, they all seemed to have another gig that weekend. Except for Amy. She just wanted a place to play
her songs for a group of appreciative women. She
describes her music as mushy love songs--come out to
the retreat and see for yourself
The evening concert will be provided by Circle of
Friends, an Oklahoma City group of 4 women who have
been playing together for several years. Circle ofFriends
includes Kristan Bright, Cathy Cahill, Donna DeSalvo
and Tammy King. They have become infamous for their
rowdy shows at the Cafe Paseo, a normally sedate jazz
club.
After the concert, all the guitar players can "come
out of the closet" for the biggest electric jam ever at a
Herland Retreat. Bring your noisemakers and be ready
to shake your groove thang at the fall retreat. CJ

HERLAND WISH

LIST
Barbecue grill
Lawnmower
Refrigerator, 16 cu ft or larger
Garden tools
Weed eater
Carpentry tools
Heat and air installation, paid
Food pantry items
Bookcases
If you can donate any of the above, just drop
it by Herland or give us a call Ht 521-9696 and
we'll make arrangements to pick it up.

Keep My Voice Coming!
Monthy publication and distribution of 1, 000 copies of the Voice is Herland' s largest monthly e \ pense. A donation
of$12 or more is requested to cover the cost of sending your monthly copy of the Voice, but we'll he happy to send the
. Voice even if you can't send a contribution right now. Just let us know you still want to receive the Voice.

City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State_ _ _ __
_ _ My contribution of $12 or
is enclosed.
_ _Keep the Voice coming! Maybe I can contribute later.
Return to: Herland Sister Resources, 2312 NW 39, OKC, OK 73112

Zip_ __ _ _

READ ANY
GOOD
BOOKS
LATELY?
Many women have read, or have at least seen the
movie, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, both written by
Jeanette Winterson, but those readers or viewers who
stopped there are denying themselves the pleasures of a
thoughtful, sexy, solid body of work.
To date Ms. Winterson has published five novels and
a book of essays, each diverse in subject, theme and
tone, but connected by the author's intellect, wit and
skill. Oranges, if you have not read it, is the autobiographical account of Ms. Winterson' s evangelical upbringing and painful coming out. Her next two novels
have historical setting and subjects. The Passion is set
in Venice and in the camps ofNapoleon' s army and tells
the tale of a cook and a gondolier's daughter. Sexing the
Cherry is the story of a giant woman, her son, and twelve
dancing princesses in seventeenth century England .
For her fourth novel, Written on the Body, Ms.
Winterson returns to her own life as inspiration for her
hard, vivid picture of a multisexual love triangle in
modern London. Art and Lies, perhaps her finest, most
perfectly realized work to date, blurs the line between
past and present, telling the story in the voices of three
narrating characters: Picasso, a troubled young woman
painter, Handel, a cold Victorian doctor, and Sappho,
the ancient Greek Poet.
Two works have followed Art and Lies. Art [Objects] , her collection of essays, and her most recent
work, Gut Symmetries , which deals with physics,
astrology and yet another love triangle.
Jeanette Winterson is a brave, uncompromising storyteller, refusing torestrict her themes or characters to
what some might call "normal" lives and behavior. It is
her skill and confidence which make the implausible not
just plausible, but breathtaking. An ancient Greek
woman riding a London train, and a red-haired, webfooted Venetian girl literally losing her heart to a noblewoman are presented so beautifully and so well that they
never seem cheap or trite, but are indeed illuminating
experiences for the reader bold enough to accept the
challenge.
Jeanette Winterson's body of work, like her characters, transcends categorization. Mysterious, adventurous, erotic, romantic, there are elements in her work to
appeal to the tastes of any reader. D

HOME •••.•
I'm sitting here in my tiny h;l\·en thinking "I'm
home", not just these four but in the 1niddle of America,
Oklahoma City to be exact.
A few years ago I would not ha' ·l' expected to be so
happy, away from California and all 1 liose wimmin! But
I needed a smaller, cozier scene, discontent with the
transient nature of relationships. I 11 eeded deeper connections, I wanted a small town scene and part of the
specialness of the gay community i:- its lack of size.
.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd l1lve more and more
gay awareness and that includes the hi folk but its sorta
nice to have only a few choices, yo11 get to see the same
people again and again.
So just to let you know, or remi11d you, Oklahoma is
happening. My view of life is simi.J ar to "love the one
you're with". The positive I experience in Oklahoma is
the friendliness ofits people, the strong spiritual bonds
(not necessarily religion) and the amazing array of
talented artists.
I like that Oklahoma is still experimenting with
ethnic foods/coffee houses/poetry readings because I
was a sixties child/woman experiencing life's alternatives and content to stay there.
The most recent treasure I've ventured into is the
beginning of a writing group at Herl and, Wendy Allen's
smooth, silky voice melting me down, and Diversity's
smoky atmosphere (although I'd love a non-smoking
night).
I'm looking forward to meeting 0 klahoma' s characters and becoming one of them. 0
-- Deidra

The Voice is published by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK
73112
The Voice is offered as an open forum for community
discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author
and not necessarily those of Herland s isterResources.
Unsolicited articles and letters to the ~ditor are welcomed and must be signed by the writ er with full name
and address. Upon request, letters or articles may be
printed under a pseudonym or anonymously.
Subscriptions to The Voice are free upon request
although a donation is requested to meet publication and distribution costs.

~~~~~~=-~.::::::~===---------.:._-~--------Ru.e;:rl;;;an=:diVVolce September, 1997

3

t;

. ·.,

f~

Fall Retreat and Music Festival
Saturday afternoon Songwriter Festival
Featured performers:
) ) Peggy) Wanda ) Wende ) Donna D))
) )Cuchla ) Amy ) Deb M ) )
Songwriter Festival begins at 2:00pm

Evening Concert with

•
Concert begins at 8:30pm

Herland Sister Resources
September, 1997
Sunday

Tuesday

2

Wednesday

3

4

Saturday

Friday

Thursday

5

6

Crazy Horse assassinated while in
custody, 1877

11

I

7

8

Grandma Moses b. 1860

6:30 PM
Her land
Writers'
Group

14

15

9

JO

11

1st Quarter

16

12

13

7:00PM
Jamie
Anderson
9:30 PM Mary
Reynolds&
Nancy Scott,
at Medina's on
the Paseo

17

18

Full Moon

19
HSR Newsletter
Deadline

20
Equal R"i.cts Party Formed
1884

7:00 PM
Welcome
Back to
School
Bash

21
4:30 PM HSR Board
Mtg.

22
Autumn begins

23
Last Quarter

24

25

6:30 PM
Newsletter
mailing

28

29

30

26

27

Sandra Day
O'Connor
appointed US
Supreme
Court, 1981

1:

IS SHE OR ISN'T SHE?????

SUMMER

by Melissa

by Diedra

We all know and love her-that queen comedienne
and day time diva. Yes, I'm talking about the one and
only Rosie O'Donnell. Most of us have seen her
comedic ability compliment that of Richard Dreyfuss
and Emilio Estevez in Another Stakeout . Many of us
have enjoyed watching her hilarious, yet somewhat sexy
(come on girls-admit it. You know you felt that tingly
feeling when you saw the leather-clad Rosie) antics as
she played the role of undercover-agent -turneddominatrix-to-catch-the-bad-guys in Exit to Eden.
. Some of us have even been fortunate enough to see
her grace the Broadway stage in Grease . And any socalled respectable dyke has sat down at least once to
catch a glimpse ofRosie's refreshing Johnny Carson-ish
daytime talk show.
Except for choosing such a public line of work,
Rosie'~ life is a mystery to most. Nobody ever hears of
a boyfriend or any other aspect of her personal life.
There are speculations (unconfirmed, of course) that she
may be a part ofthe family. And although this rumor may
be just that-a rumor- we may be on the right track.
Ifone were to stop and think about it, they might find
that ms. O'Donnell has many characteristics in common
with our more butch sisters. She (when not working)
dresses comfortably and prefers the natural look as
opposed to wearing makeup or poofing her hair up. She
would rather play handywoman around the house instead ofcalling a repair man. Not only does she own one
motorcycle, but. she in fact owns two (which might
construe that thissecond bike might be for a significant
other????).
In addition to these characteristics, she is very vague
about her personal life and relationships. In any inter. view I've seen her do or read about, she is very careful
to evade direct questions about her personal life and to
use words such as partner or mate instead of using the
pronouns he or she.
And who could forget Rosie and Ellen's word play
with the word Lebanese???
It's not my right, nor do I condone publicly outing
another sister or brother. The Goddess knows I wouldn't
want to be the recipient of such an act. Until Rosie goes
public it is all speculation, but I will say Rosie does make
my gaydar go haywire!D

Summer was a bitch, striding irn n my heart like she
owned the place. Laying me do 11 n with her sticky
fingers, an extravagant landscapt [ traveled, nearly
burning me alive. Yet when she left 1, )wn I was searching
for her twin in dark corners of my fl'. newed life, discovering smoke and heat were stage prnps I couldn't lean
against. Summer threw me a loop Id 1dn't catch, chasing
heat, needing her to open me wide
Is love a place we've reached m a person?
Summer, a fickle dancer raving in the afternoons,
offering a blooming sun you can't touch and all those full
moons blinding me. I entered love rhru the side door,
barefoot, looking for the midnight show. Summer
rocked and wooed me, forbidding skep, my mistress, my
guardian angel beating me senseless [was reckless with
desire, we found each other afterbours naked under a
brightness we couldn't hide.
Summer was a feast, a taste I craved, a fast night
running down my alley, a flight of spilled stars. There
was no safeness to return to, once h1 ve held me in a lush
possessiveness it was me who wouldn't let go. Summer
wound me tight round her finger. Losing track of time
and swallowing whole days I waited in the dark, an alley
cat wet and howling.
There's never enough when you· re young or hungry,
only freedom is as strong an urge and love won out.
Love has a louder ·voice, a greater· promise of shiny
summer nights. I kept slipping into her easiness, finding
strangers whispers a noisy substitute for truth.
But love has Aged, an antique memory I climb when
I need to be higher, looking over my Ii fe, Summer's long
bittersweetness, refusing winter and fall, demanding
warmer suns, empty cries irritating the moon, searching
for the hapless reason love lost its freedom. The smallest
details were pieces of glass cutting me with the memory
of France.
Oh yeah, Summer admired my Ye ms, held my fragile
hands and put me out, like a light. 0

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6 Her/and Voice September, 1997

October is Lesbian and Gay History Month
We need your help to observe the month and celebrate National Coming Out Day!
The October Voice will feature your coming out
story-- that is ifyou send it to us. Write a poem, an essay,
a story ... anything short of a novel about your coming
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space is pretty limited so your novella is probably a little
long for the Voice.)
Send your submission to Herland Voice, 2312 NW
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deadline.a

Nancy Nesser

. ~)'Strc.

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