HerlandVoice-1984-07_ocr.pdf
- Title
- HerlandVoice-1984-07_ocr.pdf
- extracted text
-
he·rland newsletter
July 1984
a publication of Herland Bookstore , 1630 N. W. 19th Oklahoma City_ 73106
AN INTERVIEW WITH GAYLE MARIE
Influences from the women ' s movement to
folk music, jazz and even the blues go
into Gayle Marie's songs, but it ' s 11 a
positive kind of blues, 11 the San Francisco Bay area singer said prior to an
Oklahoma City performance .
"I don ' t consider myself a blues singer ,
although my song "Stormy Nights" is a
blues, 11 explained Gayle Marie, who wrote
all but one of the songs on her "Night
Rainbow" album and operates her own
Gayleo Music Co .
"My words are positive , whereas a lot
of the blues is "Oh, my man done and
left me, and I 'm never going to get up
again, 11 or 11 I 'm on the floor and someone
should step on me . 11 "I don't agree with any
of that stuff . That ' s not how I live my life ,
although maybe a lot of people do . I can still
sing a blues song - I feel down, sometimes , I
feel blue, but I don ' t like that negative
image .
11
I 1 m a feminist who feels strongly women
need to come together to find our what their
wea~nesses and strengths are , and through
11
mus~c, you can do that ,
said the singer ,
noting that she likes the versatility of the
~azz styl~ . "You can express what's going on
in your life , and get rid of some of the bad
things . You don't have to sit on them the
rest of your life . Music is a vehicle for me
to give
other people a little bit of what I
am . 11
Attributing some of her determination to her
Midwestern origins , Gayle Marie said she
attended Kent State University and began her
career on the folk music circuit in Boston
before becoming associated with west coast
women's music . "I was married for quite a
while, when I finally realized that I couldn't
keep music on the back burner anymore . The
divorce happened, and I decided I would whole
heartedly go ahead with music . That's the best
decision I ever made . "
Publisher : Herl and Bookstore
Editor: Elaine Barton
Considered a part of the women's music
movement, Gayle Marie said the fact that
her work is non - commerical frees her to
write what she really wants to say in
her songs , whether they're directed to ward women, men or children .
i "Since I know that they ' re not trying to
sell me for sex ap~eal - toothpaste or
- whatever - I have ~ freedom to write the
things I really want to say - like one
of the songs on my new album is really
directed to children .
"I just have a love affair with people,
generally , " the singer said . "We can't
relax as Americans and let things go by
us . W~ in the women's movement need to unite
behind goals so we can get things done instead of going backward . "I 'm not a spokes woman for the women ' s movement ~ just one
woman who believes that women have a place
in this world, and it ' s not in the shadow of
somebody else . 11
by John Brandenburg (reprinted from the Daily
Oklahoman)
A NOTE ON MUSIC IN OUR NON-COASTAL STATE
To everyone who attended the Gayle Marie
concert May 18 , we hope you enjoyed it! With
your support women ' s music will visit upon
us again and again . Your ideas and energy is
welcomed by Herland ' s concert productions for
future programs .
Gayle Marie was a financial success , break ing even . Thank you all for donations .
Folks ask occasionally, ' why not bring in
big names like Holly Near to Oklahoma City . '
We ' d love to but it means 'big bucks . 1 Actu ally several thousand dollars different from
a production like the last one ••• Large communities elsewhere produce such musicians
within a ticket price of less than what con certs run here . They do it with a larger
attendance .
continued on page 2
Page 2
Cont . f r om p. 1
The Oklahoma City metro area does comprise
a large women ' s community and has a great
store of marvelous musicians - you know
who you are - women! Since there's no plans
for an outdoor .fest this summer that I know
of, I ' ll be the first to start a rumor . If
enough people want a community concert it
wi 11 happen .
·
-Editor
IAM AWOMAN
GIVING BIRll-l
TO MYSELF·
TEACHER'S RIGHTS
In a major assertion of First Amendment
rights, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the
Tenth District has struck down an Oklahoma
law intended to eliminate not only gay
teachers, but any teachers with the nerve
to talk about Lesbians and gay men in public .
The 11 Helm Bill 11 was designed to prevent Oklahoma teachers from engaging in any discus sion of homosexuality which could 11 come to
the attention of:schoo l children or school
employees . 11 It was enacted in 1978 .
National Gay Rights Advocates, a San Francisco-based law firm, decided to challenge
the statute . According to Your Paper , the
firm almost immediately hit a snag; thanks
to the chilling effect of the bill NCRA
could find ~o Oklahoma plaintiff . Instead,
the National Gay Task Force agreed to become the plaintiff on behalf of its Okla homa membership .
NGRA, which filed suit in 1979 , was defeated in a U. S. District Court of Appeals in
Denver . In a press release , Jean O'Leary,
Executive Director of NGRA, said, 11 The
court vindicated our employment rights and
the right of all people to discuss homosex uality . 11 She called the decision 11 a total
victory . 11
WOMEN AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY AWARD & ZAP
Women Against Pornography recently held its
3rd Annual Advertising Awards Ceremony in
New .York City .. The purpose is to .honor advertising which promotes realistic and positive
images of women and to criticize ads which
stereotype ~ dehumanize and degrade women .
Four companies received Ms . Liberty awards .
Only one company qualified for its tele¥ision
ad: Crest , for showing a little girl who
doesn'i:like coming in second place . The ad
also counters sexual stereotypes about grown up men , by showing a supportive and nurturing
father who is proud of his achieving daughter .
For print ad winners: Fortune Ma[azine , for
por4raying a girl base ball player wlio is d~
termined to be a winner ; Bell ?x_stem, for its
ad .profiling Elma Lewis, founder of the Na - .
tional Center of Afro-American Arts . Ms . Lewis
defies the advertising stereotypes by being
neither white, thin, nor young - and by defining herself, by herself . 11 My concept of
me is who I am, 11 she says in the ad; Quartz
Perfume by Molyneux , for its portrayal of a
woman airline pilot who is 11 always in command . 11
Zaps for video commercials: Poochie Glamour
Nails , for its commerical depicting little
girls as cute , coy, simple-minded, and obsessed with their looks; Hanes, for its ad about
a woman breaking ~ nto a formerly all-male
club. The ad celebrates the fact that instead
of being treated by the men as their equal ,
the woman is ogled and objectified; Orelia,
for its blatantly pornographic ad that reduces
a woman's sexual parts to commodities to be
sold and consumed like soda; Berlei , for its
cable TV commercial showing a""leering , voyeuristic vision of a nude woman putting on
her underwear; Jordache , for the ultimate in
advertising misogyny, an ad which exploits
all the tricks of the pornographer ' s trade .
The ad reduces women to their sexual parts ,
portrays women as whore and eroticizes women
being menaced and threatened .
Zaps for print ads : Hare._e!' s B~zaar an~
Andrea Carrano, for aas featuring heavily
maae-up lfttle girls, baring their bodies
and striking provocative poses . These ads
encourage the objectification and molestation
of children; Gilette , for its Daisy razor ad ,
showing a politewoman dancing out of her
precinct headquarters dressed in hot pants;
Scots Gre,x, for . its 11 Go with G~ey:: ad ~ which
portrays 11 experi ence and maturity ~ in ~en
only. The older man depicted as having d~s
tinguished taste, etc . His female companion
is young enough to be his daughter .
Page 3
WOMEN 1 S WEDNESDAY NIGHT
11
Women 1 s Wednesday Night" is a publ i c program presenting images of women in various
media , with discussions following . All
women are invited to the informal and supportive sessions to share ideas and encouragement .
Pat Walke, M. S. W., LrC. S. W., sponsors the
series . She is a psychotherapist in private
practice and an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City Unive r sity.
The cost is $10 per session at One Western
Plaza , 5500 N. Western , Suite 102 , Oklahoma
City .
"We Wanted More Than a Father Image , We
Wanted a Father , 11 is ~..Jednesday , July 11 ,
from 7: 00 p. m. to 8: 30 p. m. Heroes and
Stan~rs will be the featured new -film .
The film makers , one male and one female ,
reflect on what it was like growing up with
fathers who fit the traditionally distant
father role . The film shows them going back
for a visit with their fathers and their
thoughts afterwa r d. Also included in the
session will be a song by Judy Collins , "My
Father , 11 and a painting by Mary Cassatt .
11
Dreams/Images , 11 is Wednesday ~ July 18 , from
7: 00 p. m. - 8: 30 p. m. A poem by Ann Sexton
about her dreams outlasting he r relationships ;
a children 1 s picture book , Joan of Arc; and
a song by Barbra Strei sand, 11 My 11ea rt Be longs
to Me , 11 will be included in the program .
"Societal Images of Healthy Women/Sick Women"
is Wednesday , July 25 , from 7: 00 p. m. - 8: 30
p. m. The Yello ~ W~llpaei:_c film will be shown .
It is based on Cnarlotte Perk i ns Gilman 1 s short
st<Dry , 11 The Yellow Wallpaper" and is about a
woman who is def i ned as sick by society 1 s
standards as she seeks her own true self . Also
shown will be a segment of a review of the
television show , Ca[ nel an_d Lacel·
11
Women 1 s Wedesday Night" is a summer series
which began in June . It 1 s a time out from
work •.• from family ••• from the usual routine .
Cost of the sessions include fresh fruit and
sparkling water .
STUDENT 1 S RIGHTS
Oklahoma State University 1 s student senate
voted in March to refuse its recommendation
to a gay campus group seeking university
registration . University Students for Gay
Understanding and Awareness , a support group ,
lost i.n a 26 - 20 vote . The group had met all
the requirements and and are consulting the
ACLU .
WOMYN 1 S BRAILLE PRESS IS AVAILABLE
Over 75 femin i st and Lesbian books are on
tape for women who are bl i nd or physically
disabled . WBP also circulates several fem- '
inist periodicals on tape ~ For more infor mation ~ or to mak~ contributions , contact :
Womyn 1 s Br aille Press , Inc ., P. O. Box 8475 ,
Minneapolis , MN 55408 . They are also in need
of qualified braille transcribers around the
country. Womyn who would like to volunteer
time please contact them .
SEVENTH - DAY ADVENTIST KINSHIP SUPPORTS GAYS
Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship International ,
Inc . is an organization of gay Adventists
working to educate church members about homo sexuality . They have mailed thousands of
information packets to Adventist colleges
and high schools , and pastors in the denomin ation . Some favorable responses have been
received and more mailings are planned . Persons wishing to contact SDA Kinship may
write to P. O. Box 1233- H, Los Angeles , CA
90078; or call 213 - 876 - 2076 .
THij CITIZEN 1 S PARTY ON THE THIRD PARTY
Third parties play an important role in
.. launching new ideas into mainstream American
politics . Legislation abolishing slavery ,
setting a minimum wage , funding Social Security, establishing an eight-hour work day ,
and instituting child labor laws were all
originally introduced through third party
initiatives . Without alternative parties ,
the two major partices become increasingly
conservative and indistinguishable from each
other . Their platforms cease to be meaning ful contracts between candidate and voter ,
and national elections become popularity contests . Third parties force the Democratic
and Republican parties to be more inclusive
and are essential in preserving democracy .
Page 4
MIDWEST PEOPLE ' S MUSIC NETWORK GATHERING
Lea r n new songs , new skills , share your own
songs and skills , share resources with other
musicians - at the Foolkiller , Etc . July 1315, 1984 , 2 West 39th St ~ (39th & Main) ,
Kansas City , MO .
The Gathering Schedule : Friday night con cert , 8: 00 p . m ~ with Rosy ' s Bar & Grill , a
Kansas City feminist string band performing
since 1977 ; El ton Gumbel and Keith Leathers
Quartet ~ playing original tunes from a jazz
base . A music jam will follow the concert ,
interpreted for the hearing impaired .
Daytime wor kshops Saturday and Sunday in clude song areas of : peace- anti -war and
intervention , labor , women's music , children ' s
songs (non-sexist , non - racist) , farm protest ,
anti - nuclear, Nueva Cancion (New Song Move ment of Latin America) , topical/sati r e , and
your ideas . Skill Sharing topics include :
concert production of progressive music ,
audience participation skills , harmony singing , voice production , sound systems, and
your ideas .
Registration begins at 6: 00 p.m. Friday ,
$7 . 50 mailed in advance and $12 . 50 at the
door . If you can pay more to help a tight
budget , appreciated ; if you can afford less ,
let us know . Please pre-register for i n- home
housing arrangements . Plan to bring sleeping
gear, musical instruments, and records , tapes ,
sheet music , etc , to sell , swap or share .
Don ' t bring pets or i llegal substances . The
fee cove r s grano l a and fruit breakfast fo r
Sat . and Sun . and tea during both days . A
pot luck dinner is Sat . night . Numerous and
varied restaurants within walking distance .
Chiltdcare will be arranged for pre - registrants .
Ma i l registration to ~ Echo, 7426 Melrose ,
Shawnee , KS 66203. (Under 12 free)
SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE
11
Search i ng for Solutions" is a conference
designed to promote networking and exchange
of ideas among individuals and organizations
providing services to survivors of sexua l
assault and domestic violence .
The Oklahoma Coalition on Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault and the OU Women's Studies
Program are sponsoring the OCDVSA ' s first
annual conference , to be held November 1-3 ,
1984 , at the Oklahoma Center for Continuing
Educati-0n , Norman , Oklahoma . Fo r informa tion : OCDVSA , c/o DVIS , 1331 E. 15th , Tulsa ,
OK 74120
A call for workshop proposals has been
ci rculated with potential areas for workshops : Community Education : legislation,
netwo r king , among service providers , marita l'
rape , organizing in the religious community ,
networking in rural area~ , Protective Order
legislation , the ro l e of public schools in
prevention education ; Organizational Devel opment : grassroots fundraising strategies ,
board/staff relations, alte r native organ izational structu r es , volunteer recruitment
and training , gr antswomanship , dealing with
differences - racism , class i sm , homophobia ;
Pr ogramming : needs of women and children of
color , adult survivors of incest , empower ment of women and children, self defense ,
wiolence in Lesbian and gay relat i onships ,
rape avoidance educat i on , non - shelter pro grams for battered women , abuser treatment ,
sexual assault prevention for children ,
couples counseli ng , legal advocacy , working
in traditional agencies , child victims of
violence in the classroom , programming for
child witnesses of violence .
SISTERS : VOICES OF DIFFERENT COLOR CONFERENCE
This conference about women of color in Okla homa , is being presented to increase public
awareness of the contributions and issues
concerning minority women . "Sisters : Voices
of Different Color" i s in the planning stages
as a conventional grant application is in
preparation for the Oklahoma Foundation fo r
the Humanities .
It is sponsored by the OU Women ' s Studies Pr ogr am , the Langston University Urban Center and
the OFH , which has already funded a planning
grant. The Multicu l tu r al Women ' s Summer Inst itute , Chicagd , !has :funded pre1iminary distr ibution .1. of mater i ?Jls developed there .
· The conference will r epresent four et hnic
groups : American Indian , Asian Ame r ican ,
Black American and Hispan i c American and cover
topics of women ' s history in their country
of origin and their experiences in Ame r ica ;
literature and poetry by or about women of the
cultural groups partic i pating in the conference ; and contemporary issues such as social
roles , leadership , health and future directions .
The tentative dates are November 16 and 17 ,
1984. A gala will be planned for Friday even ing . Fo ~ information contact Elsa Tolnay or
Judy Flores, Women ' s Studies Program, 601 Elm
St ., Room 530 , Norman , Oklahoma 73019 .
Page 5
CALL FOR MATERIALS
Who 1 s Who in Prison : Class War Prisoner s
in fne ~1i . S . A . ""Defense comm i ttees , dvfl
Tf6ert i es organizations , and pr i soners ar e
invited to submit short sketches of those
imprisoned for labor , feminist , env i ron mental i st , anti - racist , peace and other
political activ i ties . Victims of r acist ,
sexist , and anti-gay prosecutions wi ll also
be included . Send to Cha r les H. Kerr Co . ,
1740 Greenleaf Ave . , Su i te 7, Chicago , IL
60626
Work to examine historical , cross -cultural ,
legal and feminist pe r spectives on the in stitutions , customs and attitudes surround ing adoption : from women who have children
up fo r adoption - either legal or covert through word or tape for anthology . Inquiries welcome , contact K. Kaufman , c/o Plexis
545 Athol Ave . , Oa kland , CA 94606
And The Thick Ones Are Comforters : A Lesbian
Mother 1 s AntfiOlogz . A multi-cul tural group
of Lesbian mothers seeks prose (3000 word
limit) or poetry (5 page limit) to share ,
teach , empower those women who are Lesb i an
mothers . Copy types , DBL sp . 111 margins .
Send SASE to LOCK , Box 8, 5831 Telegraph
Ave ., Oakland , CA 94609
Women and Peace . Frontiers : A Journal of
Women 1 s Studies is soTiciting articles for
an upcoming issue focusing on women 1 s rela tionsh i p to issues of peace and war and
nuclear disarmament , i n particular , the
conflict between loyalties to the women 1 s
movement and the world wide di sarmament push .
August 1, 1984 dead l ine . Two copies of typed
double- spaced manustripts to : Frontiers ,
Women 1 s Studies , University of Colorado ,
Boulder , CO 80309
Articles , essays, ar t , commentary and sub scriptions to Lesbian ethics . (3 issues/yr. :
$12) . Inquiries , SASE to Le Publications ,
P. O. Box 943 , Venice , CA 90294
Sed i tious Delic i ous , a new ant i-authoritarian poetry r ag . Anti - semit i sm , r ac i sm , mil itar i sm , patr iarchy , classism , homophobia ,
age is m, etc . , poetry welcome . Send up to 5
poems , plus SASE to P ~ O . Box 6981 , New York
City , NY 10150. Submissions in Spanish wel come .
Prose , poetry , etc . fo r an anthology about
the lives of women on the road . Inquiries
pluse SASE to Leslie Hershberg , P. O. Box
465 , Felton , CA 95018
~
<t
~
.. J
.,.,.,:..:~
~~:.IL.-~~~_j \!
of Erotic Wr itin9s bl Women :
stor i es , poems , journal entries ;-i etters ,
essays . We are looking for wr i tings celebrating the sensual - body & spirit , nature ,
humor & joy. Edited by Louis Thornton , Jan
Sturtevant , and Amber Coverdale Sumrall .
Send to : P . O ~ Box 971 , Felton , CA 95018 , SASE
The National Lesbian Pla writin Contest
The -contest of fers -a A rst prize o r - T ffOO
and production , a second prize of $500 , and
the opportunity fo r playwr ites to make con nections with and have their work read by
directors and theatre artists .
New scripts ar e continua l ly accepted and
r eviewed by Theatr e Rhinoceros , one of the
nation 1 s most prominent gay arid Lesbian
theatres , but only a small percentage of
these are by and/or about women . The Nationa l
Lesbian Playwriting Contest is an effort to
recruit the largest possible numbe r of Les bian scripts and to encourage the continued
writing of these scripts . Originally a gay
theatre , two years ago Theatre Rh i noceros
made a commitment to reach out to and try
to serve the Lesbian community in the Bay
Area , in the belief that Lesbians and Gays
have much to share and learn from each othe r .
All scripts submitted as a contest entry must
be unpublished and unp r oduced . Deadline for
submission is September 1, 1984 . Send scr i pt
and SASE and/or inquiri~s to : Patricia Keaney ,
Playwriting Contest , Theatre Rhinoceros ,
2926 16th St . , #9 , San Francisco , CA 94103 ,
or call , 415 - 552 - 4100 .
Anthol~
Page 6
HERLAND SUMMER NEWS UPDATE
He r land Bookstor e will ~closed Saturday ,
~ 2 ~ and Sunday~~'~ while repairs are taking place .
Herland wil l reo~ AU[USt 4 with our Pre Anni versary Sale , which will continue
through August 19 , 1984.
The Herl and Anniversar1 Party wi 11 be Fri d~, August 17 , a~7 : 00 p. m. We.have n'()"t"
confirmed a location - if you wish to host
the celebration , please call Barbara Cleveland at 672 -6459 (late eve . )
RECENT DONATIONS
$2 . 00 ano;nymous donation towa r d acquiring
a file cabinet (for resources and records)
1 box of 100 new f i le folde~ s for subject
library from Ange l a Butler
16 books and 7 periodicals to lending library
from Alice Woods
6 years of Ms . magazine , misc . books and
stacks of subject i.nformati on from an anon ymous donor
an autog r aphed copy of Gloria Steinem ' s new
book for lendi.ng lib r ary from a supporter
art for Newsletter from Michele Espeut
SPRUCING UP THE BUILDING
The bookstore building is in much need of
repair work so July 23 - July 29 is set
aside for the completion of various chores .
Volunteers from the community who appreciate
and benefit from the services provided by
having a women ' s bookstore in Oklahoma City
are asked to donate the i r skills and services ~ The kinds of work to be taking place
include completing the painting on the outside of the building; taking down and re placing the ceiling of the main bookstore
room ; and light hauling (volunteers with
trucks will be especially helpful!) . Also ,
we have the opportunity to expand the bookstore to another medium sized room in
the middle of the building , at no extra
renta l charge . The room i s now used as a
storage catch -all and has a papered ce i l ing which is peeling and in need of some
plaster work as a result of a roof leak
(which has been repaired} ., The middle room
will hbuse the Herland office and the re source aspects of Herland ' s service expan sions .
If you 're interested in volunteering your
time , please fill out the form below as to
your schedule and preference , and thanks for
sprucing up!'
VOLUNTEER POSITION OPEN
A Volunteer Coordinator is needed to oversee ; contact ~ schedule and develop a strong
and efficient base of volunteers fo r the
Herland Bookstore and its many resource ,
service , and publ i c programming activities .
If you believe you are qualified to fill
this .posit i on , please contact Herland by
mail , or call Barbara Cleveland , 672 - 6459 .
BOOKS BY MAIL
Herland Bookstore welcomes mail orders for
your reading needs . Since Herland serves a
large geographic area in Oklahoma , our mail
order service is particularly convenient
fo r customers not in easy driving distance
to Oklahoma City .
Last month you received a catalog which is
a part i al listing of books available . If the
book is out of stock we will order it ; if it
is out of print we will refund your money .
· In any case , you will be notified as to the
progress of you r or de r. Please note t hat
all orders must be pr epaid .
Herland Bookstore , 1630 N. W. 19th Str eet , at
Bl ackwelder , Oklahoma City , Oklahoma 73106
Regular hours : Satµrday , 10 : 00 a.m. - 6: 00 p. m.
Sunday ,
1: 00 p. m. - 6: 00 p.m.
~------- - --- - -------------- - - -- - - ------------------ - -------- --- ---~-------------- - --------Name
Chores
(CHECK)
1. Sanding or scraping
Phone
2. Painting
3. Light hauling
Time
Day
(CIRCLE)
4.
Ceiling crew
3: 00- 6: 00 p. m.
M T w Th F Sat Sun
a . tear out old •••
4: 00- 7:00 p. m.
M T w Th F Sat Sun
b. put up new ••.
5: 00-8:00 p.m.
M T w Th F Sat Sun
dry wa 11 & patch
c.
6: 00- 9:00 p. m.
M T w Th F Sat Sun
5. Genera 1 cleaning , repair
Page 7
BESTIALIZING THE HUMAN FEMALE , by Margot Si ms
LINE ITEMS : WHAT WENT INTO THE PRODUCTION
South End Pr ess , -i 982
Gayle Marie
$ 425 . 00
Hall Rental
$ 150. 00
Book Review by Teresa D. Long
Sound System , piano r ental , tune $ 130. 00
The scientific method is in for one rough
Mary Black and Susan Morgan
$ 100 . 00
ride in this jewel of a sleeper book. Margot
Ref r es hmen ts .
$ 80 . 00
Sims applies a brilliant brand of myth-break ~
Pr i nting , Publicity
$ 15 . 00
ing Feminist/Lesbian logic to the subject of
Misc
.
,
telephone
$ 40 . 00
the evolution of the human race and com~s up
with some hilarious and thought-provoking
$ 940 . 00
results .
Approximately 115 folks attended ; app r ox .
At her Institute For the Study of Human Types
100 paying ; some folks purchased donation
she has collected data which 11 proves 11 that
tickets ; app r ox . $75 other monies were do women and men are really two different species , nated .
essentially unrelated to each other . In an
Herland r ealized a pr ofit to cover the May
uproariously irreverent play on the 11 objecrent .
tivity11 of science , she proves this point and
many others . She also deals with the terrible
fact that heterosexuality as a disease afflicts 9 out of every 10 Americans . Can this
menace be stamped out in your lifetime? Read
Margot Sim's Bestializing the Human Female
to find the answer to this and many other
burning scientific questions of our day .
(available in the humor section at Herland)
SOME NEW BOOKS
Bloch , Alice . The Law of Return . Boston MA :
Alyson Pu6lications . 249 p $7 . 95
About making peace with the Israel of the
character ' s dreams and the Is r ael which exists ; embracing Orthodoxy and coming out .
Gardner , Virginia . Friend and Lover : The Life
of Louise Bryant . ]orizon Press .
The first biog r aphy devoted entirely to Louise
Bryant , usually written about in conjuction
with the more famous John Reed . Examines her
political activities and journalistic con tributions , giving Bryant proper recognition .
Rose , Wendy . What Ha e.e en~d When the Hopi Hit
New York ~ NY : Contact II Publications .
41 p $3 . 50
Includes a striking poem about the Indian
takeove r of Alcatraz -during 1970; pieces that
deal with home , Hotevilla , in Hopi country,
its people . Deals with Indian ' s confronting
the culture of American cities .
Letty Cottin . Famil l Politics : Love
and Power on an Intimate Frontier .™NY:
McGraw-"Rill . $14. 95
Brings together in a single volume many of
the issues feminism has addressed , housework ,
parenting , physical and sexual abuse , etc o
Pogr~bin ,
I
I
-~
I~
NOTICE : Nuclear War is Permanent . I have done
a fai r amount of resea r ch concerning nuclear
war and unless we can stop it there may be
another way. The Mother has shown me loop
holes enough to bring a few industrious and
forethoughtful women through the holocaust .
I would never say it would be easy but any
women who wish company with me in my plans or
just in need of information contact : Angela ,
228 N. Flood , Norman , OK 73069 , after 5: 00 p
360- 2713
,
Page 8
POST IT
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CCl'tlPLIMENTS OF
HERLAND BOOKSTORE
1 NOW National
2
4 Independence
3 Support Group
Day
meeting for sis-
Conference
- June
30, Mi am
5
~
Gay/Lesbian
Support Group
OU Counseling
Center 325-2911
every Wed./July
mothers, wives of
Vietnam Vets -all
ages. 7:00 - 9:00
Women's Resource
Ctr. 226 E. Gray
9 Frosty Troy
10 Vietnam Vet
support group
speaks to the
Norman Women's
Political Caucus
7: 30 Public Library: open to
the public/re-
I
meets every
call
364-9424 for
information
Tuesday,
: 15
11
Women's Wednes-
day Night
7:00 p.m.
5500 N. Western
8:00 p.m.
Individual Artists of OK
12 E. Californi•
232-5514
13
12
Films & Videos 14 Marketing Your
Poetry 2:00 p.m
8:00 p.m. IAO
IAO
Music Gatherin1
15th Kansas I
City
-
~8 Women's Wednes-· 19
day Night
7:00 p.m.
5500 N. Western
17
16
7
6 Films & Videos
Avant Garde and
freshmen ts
I
SAlURDAY
local artists
ters, dauthers,
Florida
8
FRIDAY
THU~AY
\rmESDAY
llESDAY
rwDAY
SLtIDAY
oli2J.
Natural Family 2Q ·Films & Videos
8: 00 p.m. IAO
Planning workshop 7:00 9: 00 p.m. free
a
Women's Resource
Ctr. 226 E. Gray
Norman. 364-9424
22
Women in Business Ownership
23
24 Herland Book- ·
Herland Book-
store repairs
store repairs
- 24th Kansas
City 816-3743416
3:00 - 9:00 p D
0
3:00 - 9:00 p.D
~Women's
Wednes-
26
day Night
7:00 p.m.
5500 N. Western
Herland Bookstore repairs
30
repairs
3:00 - 9:00 p m
31
:~
~8
Marketing Your
Poetry 2:00 p . m
.IAO
Herland Bookstore repairs
3: 00 - 9: 00 p •D
store repairs
Her land is
closed for
Films & Videos
8:00 p.m. IAO
3:00 - 9: 00 p.I
Her land Book-
29
27
Marketing Your
Poetry 2:00 p . m
IAO
Her land is
closed for
repairs
3:00 - 9:00 p.m
-
--
- - --
1
Page 9
10 Quick Ways
To Analyze
Children's Books
For
Racism And Sexism
Both in school and out, young children are exposed to
racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes-expressed
over and over in books. and in other media-gradually
distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths
about minorities and women are accepted as reality. It
is difficult for a librarian or teacher to convince
children to question society's attitudes. But if a child
can be shown how to detect racism and sexism in a
book, the child can proceed to transfer the perception to
wider areas. The following ten guidelines are offered a$
a starting point in evaluating children's books from
this perspective.
The Council on Interracial Books for Children
1841 Broadway , New York, New York 10023
1. CHECK THE ILLUSTRATIONS
Look for Stereotypes. A stereotype is an over·
simplified generalization about a particular group, race
or sex, which usually carries derogatory implications.
Some infamous (overt) stereotypes of Blacks are the
happy-go-lucky, watermelon-eating Sambo and the fat,
eye-rolling "mammy"; of Chicanos, the sombrerowearing peon or fiesta-loving, macho bandito; of Asian
Americans, the inscrutable, slant-eyed "Oriental"; of
Native Americans, the naked savage or "primitive
brave" and his "squaw"; of Puerto Ricans, the
switchblade-toting teenage gang member; of ·women,
the completely domesticated mother, the demure, dollloving little girl or the wicked stepmother. While you
may not always find stereotypes in the blatant forms
described, look for variations which in any way demean or ridicule characters because of their race or sex.
Look for Tokenism. If there are racial minority
characters in the illustrations, do they look just like
whites except for being tinted or colored in? Do all
minority faces look i;tereotypically alike, or are they
depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?
Who's Doing What? Do the illustrations depict
minorities in subservient and passive roles or in
leadership and action roles? Are males the active
"doers" and females the inactive observers?
2. CHECK THE STORY LINE
Liberation movements have led publishers to weed out many insulting passages, particularly from stories
with Black themes and from books depicting female
3. LOOK AT THE LIFESTYLES
Are minority persons and their setting depicted in
such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the
unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia? If the
minority group in question is depicted as "different,"
are negative value judgments implied? Are minorities
depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios or migrant
camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict
another culture, do they go beyond over-simplifications
and offer genuine insights into another lifestyle? Look
for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction
of other cultures. Watch for instances of the "quaintnatives-in-costume" syndrome (most noticeable in
areas like clothing and custom, but extending to
behavior and personality traits as well).
4 . WEIGH THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
PEOPLE
*Do the whites in the story possess the power, take
the leadership, and µiake the important decisions? Do
racial minorities and females of all races function in
essentially supporting roles?
*How are family relationships depicted? In Black
families, is the mother always dominant? In Hispanic
families, are there always lots of children? If the
family is separated, are societal conditionsunemployment, poverty, for example-cited among the
reasons for the separation?
5. NOTE THE HEROES
For many years, books showed only "safe" minority
heroes-those who avoided serious conflict with the
white establishment of their time. Minority groups
today are insisting on the right to define their own
heroes (of both sexes) based on their own concepts and
struggles for justice.
When minority heroes do appear, are they admired
for the same qualities that have made white heroes
famous or because what they have done has benefited
white people? Ask this question: "Whose interest is a
particular hero really serving?"
6. CONSIDER THE EFFECTS ON A CHILD'S
SELF-IMAGE
*Are norms established which limit any child's aspirations and self-concept? What effect can it have on
Black children to be continuously bombarded with
images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty,
cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil,
dirty, menacing, etc.? Does the book counteract or
reinforce this positive association with the color white
and negative association with black?
*What happens to a girl's self-image when she reads
that boys perform all of the brave and important
deeds? What about a girl's self-esteem if she is not
"fair" of skin and slim of body?
*In a particular story, is there one or more persons
with whom a minority child can readily identify to a
positive and constructive end?
'
..
Page 10
7 . CONSIDER THE AUTHOR'S OR
ILLUSTRATOR'S BACKGROUND
Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap
or the back of the book. If a story deals with a minority
theme, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal
with the subject? If the author and illustrator are not
members of the minority being written about, is there
anything in their background that would specifically
recommend them as the creators of this book?
8. CHECK OUT THE AUTHOR'S
PERSPECTIVE
No author can be wholly objective. All authors write
out of a cultural as well as a personal context. Children's books in the past have traditionally come from
authors who were white and who were members of the
middle class, with one result being that a single
ethnocentric perspective has dominated children's literature in the United States. With any book in question,
read carefully to determine whether the direction of the
author's perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of his/her written work. Is the perspect.ive patriarchal or feminist? Is it solely Eurocentric, or
do minority cultural perspectives also receive respect?
characters; however, racist and sexist attitudes still
find expression in less obvious ways. The following
checklist suggests some of the subtle (covert) forms of
bias to watch for.
Standard for Success. Does it take "white" behavior standards for a minority person to "get ahead"? Is
"making it" in the dominant white society projected as
the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do
persons of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities-excel in sports, get A's, etc? In friendships between white and non-white children, is it the child of
color who does most of the understanding and forgiving?
Resolution of Problems. How are problems presented, conceived and resolved in the story? Are minority people considered to be "the problem"? Are the
oppressions faced by minorities and women represented as related to social injustice? Are the reasons
for poverty and oppression explained, or are they
accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage
passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular
problem that is faced by a racial minority person or a
female resolved through the benevolent intervention of
a white person or a male?
Role of Women. Are the achievements of girls and
women based on their own initiative and intelligence,
or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys? Are ~ex roles incidental or critical to
characterization and plot? Could the same story be told
if the sex roles were reversed?
9. WATCH FOR LOADED WORDS
A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones.
Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are
"savage," "primitive," "conniving," "lazy," "superstitious,'' "treacherous," "wily," "crafty," "inscrutable,"
"docile," and "backward."
*Look for sexist language and adjectives that exclude
or ridicule women. Look for use of the male pronoun to
refer to both males and females. While the generic use
of the word "man" was accepted in the past, its use
today is outmoded. The following examples show how
sexist language can be avoided: ancestors instead of
forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman; community instead of brotherhood; fire-fighters instead of
firemen; manufactured instead of manmade; the human family instead of the family of man.
10. LOOK AT THE COPYRIGHT DATE
Books on minority themes-usually hastily conceived
-suddenly began appearing in the mid-1960's. There followed a growing number of "minority experience" books
to meet the new market demand, but most of these were
still written by white authors, edited by white editors
and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Not until the early 1970's
has the children's book world begun to even remotely reflect the realities of a multiracial society. The new direction resulted from the emergence of minority authors
writing about their own experiences. Unfortunately, this
trend has been reversing, as publishers have cut back on
such books. Non-sexist books, with rare exceptions, were
not published before 1973.
The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to
how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist,
although a recent copyright date, of course, is no
guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity. The
copyright date only means the year the book was
published. It usually takes about two years from the
time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the
time it is actually printed and put on the market. This
time lag meant very little in the past, but in a time of
rapid change and changing consciousness, when children's book publishing is attempting to be "relevant," it
is becoming increasingly significant.
For fully detailed criteria, a book titled Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks, $6.95, is available at the address below.
Additional copies of this pamphlet are available: 1O for $1.50
or 100 for $10; plus 10% postage.
It is reprinted from the CIBC's Bulletin which is published
eight times a year and analyzes the content of new children's books and educational materials for racism, sexism,
ageism, handicapism and other anti-human values. Yearly
subscriptions (8 issues) are $10 for individuals, $15 for institutions, libraries and contributing individuals. For subscriptions and a free catalog listing other teaching and training
materials available please write the CIBC, 1841 Broadway,
New York, N.Y. 10023.
Part of Herland Newsletter : July 1984