Viva la Feminista

2012 Blog for Choice Day

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I know I'm supposed to be talking about 2012 elections today, but today I am in Mexico on the first full day of the Nobel Women's Initiative's delegation. And yes, I wrote this before I left...But I must reflect on my thoughts about being in Mexico on Roe v. Wade Day.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the number of unsafe abortions around the world are on the rise. Abortions are unsafe when performed by unskilled people and/or under unsanitary conditions. Here in the USA, I am sure we still have back alley abortions. But I think we consider them last resort or hope they are mostly a relic of the past, stories we hear about during abortion speak-outs. A few years ago, I was the emcee at a speak-out and heard Dr. Quentin Young talk about the days before Roe at Cook County Hospital. I'll never forget the look on his face as he described how many women came in bleeding, desperate for assistance.

But as you read this, I'm in a city, Mexico City, where abortion is legal. Just outside the city limits, "thirteen* of Mexico’s 31 states have ...amended their constitutions to protect the fetus from the moment of conception, which may set the stage for greater restrictions in these states’ abortion laws." "According to one analysis, the factors that made this reform possible were the presence of a liberal political party governing at the state level, favorable public opinion and pressure from nongovernmental women’s organizations that promote reproductive rights"[PDF citation] OK, so many I will touch on voting in pro-choice people.

Soon I'll be in Guatemala. There we find, as of 2003, 49% of unsafe abortions are performed by traditional providers. "In Guatemala, poor rural women are three times as likely as nonpoor urban women to have an abortion induced by a traditional birth attendant (60% vs. 18%), and they are far less likely than nonpoor urban women to obtain the services of a doctor (4% vs. 55%). " [PDF citation]

And in Honduras, abortion is prohibited altogether or has no explicit legal exception to save the life of a woman.

Don't fret, I'm not trying to make those of us in the USA feel bad for fighting for our lives. I'm just trying to bring an international perceptive to today's conversation. I will wrap this up by reminding us that the USA does impact women around the world. Our freedom is linked with theirs, theirs with ours. We can't truly celebrate victory in this country until our sisters around the world are also celebrating.

So get out there and register as many pro-choice folks as you can! And get them to the polls in November.

And to see what we're up to in Mexico, head over to the Nobel Women's Initiative's delegation blog. See you back here in February!

Andele Feministas!

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I'm off to Mexico tomorrow!

I'll return home on January 31st. Until then, you can find me at the Nobel Women's Initiative's delegation blog, Twitter feed, Facebook page and perhaps even their Flickr site.

I am a torn feminista. I am so excited that I'm sick to my stomach about meeting the wonderful women I'll be traveling with, the courageous women we will meet and seeing the beautiful countries we will visit. I am weighed down with the burden that I know this trip will leave me with. This is a fact-finding mission. Meaning we will be doing a lot of listening to women who have lived through some very violent things. It is our job to listen to them, carry their stories and help amplify them for the world to hear. I am packing extra tissues, not for my every-runny-allergy-nose, but for the tears I know I will cry.

But I am equally sad to be leaving my family for 10 days, or as I keep trying to rationalize, 8, since Day 1 I wake up at home and Day 10 I fall asleep at home. The kid is heartbroken. My husband is too, but also worried as hell. I know some of you are as well. Thanks for your concern, but I plan to be home before you even have time to miss me. The sickness I feel when I think of the kid & my husband is seriously going to make me puke. Hopefully that's the only thing that makes me want to puke during the next ten days.

Check back in February when I hope to post reflections about the trip.

Until then,

Peace, Love & Feminism!

According to Honda, your life ends with marriage & the baby carriage

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Have you seen Honda's new ad campaign?

It's called "The Leap List" and I guess the reason I didn't get a pitch about it is that I'm an old married mother. Far past the apparent target audience for "The Leap List."

It's a rip off from the old idea of having a bucket list, but instead of making a list of things to do before you die, it's asking pepole to make a list of awesome things to do before making a big leap in life. Two leaps that Honda thinks you should make lists about? Babies and marriage. Take a look:

So what do we learn here? That men will be restricted from doing awesome things because a baby weighs him down and women can't make movies after they get married.

Oh, that Honda cars aren't for us old married parent types. I'll certainly keep that in mind when it's time *knockonwooditisyearsfromnow* for my husband and I to buy a new car.

Because heaven knows that a Honda can't take the boredom that goes along with fathers and married women.

CFP: Stay at Home Mothers: An International Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

CALL FOR PAPERS

Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection

Stay at Home Mothers: An International Perspective

Editors: Elizabeth Reid Boyd and Gayle Letherby

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: June 1, 2012!

Stay at home mothers and the 'mommy wars' are a continuing phenomenon worldwide. This book will be the first international edited collection exploring debates and issues surrounding mothers returning to/staying at home from a variety of countries and perspectives.

Stay-at home mothering remains a significant social and gender trend. Over the last decades, there have been many books exploring questions, issues and policies surrounding working mothers. This volume explores the flip side to enable a new discussion: Why are mothers still staying at home? Which mothers? In which countries? Under what conditions? What kind of rhetoric is invoked - personal choice or political push? Which national policies benefit them? Which don't? What debates - and emotions - do they provoke?

Chapters can be written from a national perspective and can include both empirical data on mothers staying at home, including statistical trends, as well as conceptual discussion and analysis. This will enable comparison; it will also provide scope for contrasting views. The book will not be for or against stay at home mothers, though it will include debates around the topic, and, indeed, is likely to provoke them.

Topics can also include (but are not limited to):

Debates about the 'worthiness' of different mothers staying at home such as government funded teen mothers versus wealthy, older 'yummy mummies'; the 'mommy wars' between working moms and stay at home moms; maternal versus paid child care; the persistence of mothering at home and what it means; the take up of maternal (and paternal) leave; maternity payments and childcare policy; state enabling of mothers staying at home; the 'new Victorians'/the domestic goddess and the increasing idealisation of mothers at home; the leisured mother at home assisted by a (foreign worker) maid; stay at home mothers and the media; the history of mothers staying at home; generational change and visions for the future. Different viewpoints, from academics to lobby groups, are welcomed.

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts: 250 words. Please include a 50-word biography (with citizenship information.)

Deadline for abstracts is June 1, 2012

Please send submissions and inquiries directly to:

Elizabeth Reid Boyd e.boyd@ecu.edu.au

Accepted papers of 4000-5000 words (15-20 pages) will be due between April to June 2013, and should conform to American Anthropological Association style.

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

GIVEAWAY: Witches, Wizards, Spells and Elves: The Magic of Shakespeare

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Witches, Wizards, Spells and Elves:
The Magic of Shakespeare

by Bruce Adolphe
featuring performers from The Chicago Chamber Musicians and CST

in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater
January 21 and 22, 2012 at 10:00 and 11:30 a.m.

Viva la Feminista is happy to offer one lucky reader four (4) tickets to next weekend's Witches, Wizards, Spells and Elves: The Magic of Shakespeare.

Theatrical magic and musical masters blend to draw young audiences into the performing arts in an hour-long family concert. Chicago Shakespeare actors and The Chicago Chamber Musicians bring together theater and classical music to create an interactive concert, giving children the opportunity to discover, up-close, the excitement of live performance. At 11:00 a.m. on both days, performers are available for autographs and pictures in the lobby, while young musicians demonstrate and answer questions about the featured instruments.

Approximate Running Time: 1 hour

Recommended for children ages 5 and up.

I'm making this easy...Just leave a comment with your email address. I'll pick a random winner after Sunday, January 15th at 5 pm.

Make this your luckiest Friday the 13th!

****************
UPDATED: Sunday, January 15th

The lucky winner is commenter #2! Which is my friend Catherine. Click on the above graphic to see that random.org selected #2.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is courtesy of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. I got nada for this giveaway.

¡Acábalo Ya! Working Together to End Cervical Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and Viva la Feminista is joining in on the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health's blog carnival! VIVA!

Si, viva! Because I want my Latinas hermanas to live long and healthy lives.NLIRH is asking bloggers to consider the following question:

“What will it take to end cervical cancer?”

NLIRH states that "every year in the United States alone, more than 12,000 women are diagnosed and more than 4,000 women die of cervical cancer, a disease that is 100% preventable. A disproportionate number of those who suffer from this deadly disease are Latinas." A big reason why Latinas are disproportionately impacted is our lack of access to healthcare.

We may have trouble getting to a doctor for a pap smear because we lack health insurance. We may lack health insurance because we are in a lot of low-paying jobs. We may lack health insurance because we work in sectors like service (restaurants, hotels, etc) where even if we bring home enough money to live on, health insurance isn't offered. And of course, we may not be documented and thus not in a position to obtain health insurance. Not having health insurance may then bump us into having to rely on public health services, which in some parts of the country (ahem, Arizona) may mean risking revealing our lack of documentation.

In a world where cervical cancer should be preventable via the HPV vaccine or detected at an early stage via Pap smears, the fact that so many women, Latinas or not, die from it is unjust.

But I think it's more than just lack of access.

Cervical cancer is linked to sexual activity. And that puts a lot of cases in the STD pile and we all know what that means...STIGMA! BLAME! SHAME! We need to come to grips with the fact that women, even younger women, teenagers, are sexual beings. Shame should never kill anyone. That's why I so detested the decision to ignore the FDA on teens' access to the morning after pill. Yes, I know it was a political decision, but I think it was one made easier because teens + sex = squirmy public.

So that's what I think? What about you?

Book Review: Intimate Wars by Merle Hoffman

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman Who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room by Merle Hoffman is a must read memoir by a no-holds-barred feminist activist trailblazer.

Her tale is one like no other I have read. She attacks her life story just as she would anything in life - without fear. It is hard to summarize the life of Merle Hoffman. She seems to be a pretty typical example of people with a lot of intellect and potential, as she floated through the first part of her life. She had high standards and life just never seemed to rise to them. Apparently, it was just waiting for the right moment to strike Merle with her life's purpose.

Merle opened one of the first abortion clinics in New York in pre-Roe days. She did most of her early abortion work without political consciousness. But she soon grows into her warrior life.

Merle's story of how she came to love abortion work is moving and one that should be heard by more people. She simply grew to love helping women through, as she put it in our interview, the "most powerful and vulnerable point" of their lives. She saw the connections between mothers and daughters who came in together, between race and class, especially post-Hyde Amendment and most of all she saw how disconnected some women were with their bodies and the political process. Merle quickly transformed her clinic from a mere health center to a radical place. The waiting room was inviting and filled with current information on abortion and reproductive justice issues.

This isn't an easy memoir to read though. Merle challenges feminists to consider the bifurcation in the woman-versus-fetus debate. She cedes ground and agrees that "abortion stops a beating heart." Because for Merle, an abortion is a sacrifice and we must acknowledge that in order to be a stronger movement. Merle also is not ashamed to acknowledge that she makes money from abortions. Although the price for a first trimester abortion hasn't changed in 25 years. Some will be taken aback by her personal life. She must be honest because reading through her affair-to-marriage story will make you wince.

Merle adopts a daughter late in life and this concluding chapter is poignant and still wrapped in Merle's ability to see everything through a reproductive justice lens. Which, of course I loved.

Intimate Wars is a great peek back at the early days of the 1970s feminist movement, including their missteps that my generation (third wave/Gen X) often chide them over. Merle doesn't seem to hold back on her criticism of anyone, including herself. This memoir may be difficult to read, but it is also refreshing. Get your copy at Powells or IndieBound.

Disclaimer: I was offered this book for review by a publicist, who also facilitated access to Merle for the interview previously posted.

* Book links are affiliate links. If you buy your book here I could make a very small amount of money that goes towards this blog by helping me purchase books for school. Thanks!

Interview with Merle Hoffman

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Merle Hoffman is the publisher/editor-in-chief of On The Issues Magazine and one of the most outspoken advocates for progressive and feminist issues.

Merle established Choices Women's Medical Center to provide abortion services shortly after New York State legalized abortion in 1971. Today, Choices has grown to become one of the most comprehensive and nationally well respected providers of a full range of gynecological services for women, including abortion to 24 weeks of pregnancy, birth control and pre-natal care.

In 1983 Merle began On the Issues Magazine as a newsletter of Choices Women's Medical Center to communicate with other health care providers, pro-choice activists and the reproductive health care community generally. Within a few years it had developed into On the Issues, the Progressive Woman's Quarterly, gaining accolades as a motivating, challenging and controversial magazine of ideas and action. After ceasing publication in 1999, On the Issues Magazine was reborn as an online publication in Spring 2008 and publishes all-new, themed editions quarterly with new articles added weekly.

~ Biography from MerleHoffman.com


Loretta Ross (l) and Merle Hoffman (r)

I was privileged to grab 10 minutes of Merle's time at the 2011 National Women's Studies Association Conference. Her memoir, Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman Who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room, is out now. You can get a copy directly from Feminist Press, Powells or IndieBound.

VLF: Why now? What made you write this book now?

MH: well it's the 40th anniversary of Choices. I thought it was time for me to look back and reflect on the whirlwind that was my life. I wanted to create a narrative for myself. I have also lost an lot of people recently and that put me in a place that was very self-reflective. It was very therapeutic. The other part is that I have a 10-year-old daughter and I wanted to leave her this testimony. I'm sure she'll read things about me when I am gone, so i want her to have my side. After all these years, this issue is front and center with more virulent attacks against abortion rights than ever before. Sometimes I feel like I'm that movie "Groundhog Day." I just woke up and it's 40 years later and it's still the 1970s. It is still just as difficult to have abortion without apology as it was all those years ago.

VLF: What has been your most memorable moment?

MH: You mean from my life on the front lines? Going to Russia. That was amazing. I was going to save Russian women and being rushed by thousands of people because I had some condoms.The whole opening up of the consciousnesses. My civil disobedience action in front of St. Patrick's cathedral which was the first time pro-choice forces were ever arrested. It was a very powerful action. The first patent whose hand I held [as she underwent an abortion]. That really was the most memorable because that's what catalyzed my involvement into the movement. I don't her name or her face, but basically it was her hand and that intimate personal connection. You know Euripides wrote that woman is woman's natural ally. And it was that connection at what I would say was her most powerful and vulnerable point of her life that actually was the catalyst to get so deeply, deeply involved.

VLF: Let's talk about the growing movement of abortion doulas, or rather the growing awareness of abortion doulas.

MH: Choices has abortion doulas, we always have. Our doulas work with both our pre-natal and our abortion patients. And the patients love them, of course they would because they focus on the reactive part of the procedure, the emotional and psychological issues. We also have counselors, but the doulas are more specialized because they with the women in the recovery room, as they are waiting to be called in, they are there to ease the anxiety that comes up.

VLF: It's hard to reconcile that abortion is one of the most common outpatient procedures for women to go through, but it also the most isolating procedures for women to go through. They go through it alone.

MH. Absolutely. And they go through it alone, but once they lay themselves down on that table, they become by that act, an integral part of the sisterhood of what that reproductive choice connects them to. It is the challenge of the movement, the leadership, the activists, the scholars to help politicize the understanding that just by having an abortion women have done a political act. And to help them not distance themselves immediately afterwards. They want to deny, put it behind them. It's a very common reaction.

VLF: Do you have any personal regrets?

MH: None. Every choice in my life has led me to point I am at now. Whether at that point of time they were difficult, the challenges I welcomed because they strengthen you, they give you courage and I made some very difficult ones. It was been a very singular life. But I see it as a privilege that I use my energy, my talents in this cause, in this movement.

VLF: Any critiques about the movement? What you wish it had done?

MH: I wish they had come out thousands and thousands strong when Henry Hyde cut off Medicaid funding. There is this bifurcation between providers and academics/activists. Abortion can be a dirty business, you get your hands dirty in the trenches with the women. One of the things that I've always wanted is for the activists to come to the clinics and see the women. Then the racial and class bifurcations that have gone on. That was very clear when Hyde cut off funding. Nobody marched because it was just the poor and the minorities and the young.

VLF: What does your daughter know of what you do?

MH: She's ten. She knows the word abortion. She knows "My mommy fights for women's rights." She works at Choices and does some filing. She's learning about it. So yes, she knows.

VLF: Do you think she'll be proud of you?

MH: Oh, she's proud of me now.

VLF: When I read Dr. Wicklund's memoir she said a lot about her daughter. There are sacrifices we make to do the work we do. Sometimes our daughters pay a price.

MH: Of course. It is very difficult. She was in my bed the night before I left and I explained to her that I have this work. I call and text the woman who is staying with her. I just got a photo from the soccer game. Being a mom is struggle. Every day, every day. Bring them into the movement, like my friend Jen Baumgardner. She's got her little ones running around her. Let them see. It's better than bringing them shopping.

* This is a summary of our conversation, not a complete transcript.

* *Powells and IndieBound book links are affiliate links. If you buy your book from them I could make a very small amount of money that goes towards this blog by helping me purchase books for school. Thanks!

Giving up Annie

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Sunday I thought this post was going to be entitled, "Giving up on Annie." Instead we gave her up.

Monday we packed up the car and drove two hours to meet up with the couple who helped connect us with our dachshund, Annie. Tony handed Annie back to this loving couple. We were surrendering her to their care.

New Year's Day brought us nothing but heartache. We woke up late and as usual, Tony took the girls, Annie & Piper, outside to do their doggie business. But this time Annie could not scamper up the stairs. Tony carried her inside, put her down on the floor and it was evident that something was wrong.

We eventually realized that something was very wrong and took her to the animal ER room. Which, by the way, is one of the most depressing places I have ever been in. I felt like half of us were crying.

The vet took a few minutes to look over Annie and determined that yes, it looks like she had a ruptured disc.

Now, we knew going into all of this, when we adopted Annie, that doxies were prone to back problems, but we had fooled ourselves into thinking that if we exercised Annie enough, kept her weight down and carried her down the stairs, that she'd be ok until she was a little old lady doxie. But we were so wrong. Everyone always commented on how well Annie was physically. Perfect weight, sleek, the picture perfect doxie. It makes no sense what happened.

After hearing all the details of the surgery option, the cart option and the putting her to sleep option, we took her home with enough medication to keep her comfortable until we could figure out what to do.

A very long story short and without the gory details, we ended up contacting Lois, who is our contact with the doxie rescue we got Annie and Piper from. I also knew it was in our contract to notify her if we couldn't take care of either of them anymore. And well, we had come to the conclusion that we couldn't take care of Annie anymore.

This picture is of our girls together, one last time. Annie still has a lot of spunk left in her and returning her to the doxie rescue was the best decision for all of us. Lois cares for many doxies who are in need of extra care, special care and round the clock care. If anyone can help Annie heal, it would be Lois.

We are all heartbroken in la Casa de Roni. Piper too.

I was feeling (and honestly still am) totally guilty about us realizing that we just could not take care of Annie anymore when one of my besties, Amy, texted me and said, "Our dogs are a part of our family, but we have to make the best decision for our human family." And sadly that's what it came down to.

I know some people will think I am awful for letting Annie go, but I know we gave her the best chance for recovery. Sometimes loving is about letting go and we had to let her go.

If you want to do anything, send the DRNA some money because they do this sort of work all the time. Otherwise just send the kid some hugs and Annie strength to get through what could be months of recovery.

CFP: Mothers, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

CALL FOR PAPERS

The editorial board is seeking submissions for Vol. 4.1 of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI) to be published in spring/summer 2013.

Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies

The journal will explore the topic of Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, government agencies and workers, artists, mothers, and others who work or research in this area. Cross- cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged. We also welcome creative reflections such as poetry, short stories, and artwork on the subject.

Topics can include (but are not limited to):

Normative & disruptive discourses about motherhood and education; pedagogical othermothering & midwifery; mothering in the academy; teaching & learning from mothers at the margins (mothers of color, teen mothers, First Nation/aboriginal/Native American mothers, low-income mothers; adoptive mothers, queer and transgendered mothers...); maternal pedagogies; empowered mothering & teaching; mothering, education, & disability; education & infertility; men, mothering, & education; mothering & homeschooling; mothering, education, & activism; education & the public/private split; mothers' historical experiences of education; teaching one's actual or surrogate children; navigating cultural expressions of "good" and "bad" mother/ing; second/third shift responsibilities & education; transmitting maternal knowledges; motherhood & online teaching; problematizing the motherly teacher; literary/artistic/pop cultural representations of motherhood & education; teaching and/or learning parenting skills; educating public policy makers about mothering/motherhood; challenges to patriarchal and/or imperialist educational ideologies and practices; motherhood, education,& health; feminist motherlines & education; teaching/learning about mothering/motherhood through new media ; Is a distinct scholarly discipline of Motherhood Studies needed or necessary? What are the benefits and risks of creating a distinct discipline? How do we determine what is Motherhood Studies and what is not? Is such determined by the content and or perspective of the scholarship? Are there methodologies and or pedagogies distinct to Motherhood Studies; what are they? What topics have been well-researched? What areas require further study and research? What are the strengths of Canadian Motherhood Studies? What is the hertory of Motherhood Studies in Canada? Have some regions and universities been more prominent (and why)? What is the relationship of Motherhood Studies to Women's Studies, Childhood Studies, and Feminist Studies? Is Motherhood Studies feminist in its perspective and content? Does it have to be? How does Motherhood Studies relate to the burgeoning studies of fatherhood/parenthood? How do we study motherhood without falling prey to the scholarly limitations of 'identity politics' and essentialism? How do we best develop and disseminate Canadian motherhood studies?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Articles should be 15-18 pages (3750 words) including references. All should be in MLA style, WordPerfect or Word and IBM compatible. Please see our style guide for complete details: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/journalsubmission.html

SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 1, 2012! ** TO SUBMIT WORK ONE MUST BE A MEMBER OF MIRCI

http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/membership.html

Please direct your submissions to: Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022 Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (905) 775-9089 http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org info@motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

Book Review: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

This is my New Year's gift to you.

GET THIS BOOK.

You don't have to make a list of resolutions, you don't have to throw out the one you already made either. But I highly recommend that you get this book and read it with care.

A Twitter friend sent me this book, along with another Brown book that still needs to be read, with a card expressing her support of my work and goal to earn a PhD. She works at a domestic violence crisis center, so she gets how heavy our work can weigh on our souls. She's also Latina and gets how our culture's kick ass work ethic can be a double-edged sword. She's become a bit like the big sister I always needed, but never wanted.

So the book...

Brené Brown wrote this book after having a breakdown of some kind. Brown is a researcher who suddenly found herself reflected in her work on shame and acceptance:

How much we know and understand ourselves is critically important, but there is something that is even more essential to living a Wholehearted life: loving ourselves.

Before I get further, let me say that while this book looks like a "girl book," I truly believe that all the men in my life would appreciate this book. Because while women have more inclination towards perfectionism, men also have their own version of perfectionism...I think we call it "being a man."

Brown explores what is behind our need to be perfect, our fear of being authentic and our fear of pursuing our dreams because "what if we fail?" There is so much in this book that it is hard for me to do it justice. Perhaps because this book hits me in places that are so personal that I can't share here. There were times when I was reading the book and I had to put it down and stifle a cry. Of course by the time I was done with the book, I realized I should just let myself cry.

Being in a doctoral program pretty much makes one a perfectionist. I am very much prone perfectionism, so this book came at a wonderful time for me. I wish I had had this book in high school or at least at the beginning of college. I'm not sure if I would had gotten as much out of it. Sometimes you have to screw up your life before you realize why people warn you about certain things.

So start 2012 with this book [P | IB]. It won't make you thinner, it won't make your house cleaner, but I do think it'll help you get to that better place we all need to be so we can truly work on being healthier and all around even more awesome.

* Book links are affiliate links. If you buy your book here I could make a very small amount of money that goes towards this blog by helping me purchase books for school. Thanks!

Book Review: Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons (Revised Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

The newly revised and updated edition of Odd Girl Out is a must have for every person who is parenting or educating a girl.

This was the first book I grabbed once my fall classes were over. A bookshelf of books have been taunting me since August, but this is the one I had to read first. Why? I think it's because I have a daughter. She's eight and in the 3rd grade and we've already had two incidents involving bullying. The first was in preschool and the second was last year. Both incidents were handled by teachers are administrators in a manner that Simmons suggests in Chapter 12: the road ahead for teachers and administrators. That chapter gives some wonderful suggestions on how to set up a school or even a classroom to be as bully-proof as possible. Obviously no place can be bully-proof, but one thing that Simmons points out is that one way to address bullying is to have a transparent and predictable system of consequences. If a student knows that Sally and Maria are the teacher's favorite and nothing they do gets them in real trouble, that student feels disempowered to act and report bullying she may be experiencing or witnessing. Having a consistent system of consequences also sends a clear message to students who bully that it will not be tolerated.

Simmons doesn't advocate for a zero-tolerance policy that gets 7-year-olds expelled, rather a zero-tolerance policy that is just that, zero-tolerance for bullying a classmate.

As a kid I had my share of girlfriends, but at recess I was more prone to hang with the boys playing softball, football or plain old wrestling. I can't recall being bullied on the playground the way Simmons reports, I guess I'm lucky. Or maybe because the girls from my school were working class and we were all tough in our own ways. I can't recall more than a couple of girls who were overly girly. That said, I can see the girly girls in my daughter's life.

Her first experience with bullying was from a girl who was trying to enforce gendered clothing. The kid was told that when she wore pants, she was a boy. Once reported, the teachers had a great conversation with the kids about kids being able to wear whatever they wanted. Clothing does not make one a girl or a boy.

Three themes really struck me as key things to remember from this book.

One is that schools have relied on girls to maintain a certain peace for years. Without most girls maintaining that peace, the whole classroom would be chaos.To ask teachers to be aware of the quiet manner girls bully each other is asking teachers to realize that their classrooms are as out of control as they sometimes seem.

And second is that this peace that we see in girls is really silence. Society teaches girls to silence their feelings in order to "be good." Simmons outlines how this silence works in girl-on-girl violence is really just training for being in a violent relationship later in life. Because being BFFs with a girl who bullies you IS VIOLENCE.

Bullying is not just how girls are. Not if we decide that it ends today. HERE. NOW. When we teach our girls to get over it, that "that's how life is, wait until your boss is a bully," we are teaching our girls to ignore that voice in their head and heart that says, "This is wrong. Walk away."

The last theme is one that a friend and I were discussing a few weeks ago. Why are women afraid to promote themselves? I know that I can look back at my childhood and know that being "all that" was frowned upon. Pride in one's work could only be taken so far. I use to write email updates to family & friends until someone very close to me wrote asking why I only send emails when I have something to brag about. That comment still keeps me from writing updates to people I know what to know what's going on with me. Especially people who aren't connected to me via social media. Simmons really digs into how promoting oneself breaks one of the cardinal rules of being a girl -- fit in. You can't fit in if you let people know how awesome you are.

Simmons updated her book to include a great chapter on cyberbullying. If you don't have time to read the whole book, skip right to chapter four: bff 2.0: cyberbullying and cyberdrama and chapter nine: parents speak. But you really should read the whole thing.

Warning women reading this will experience flashbacks to high school. Men who read this may have a lot of WTF moments. Either way, I highly recommend this to everyone with a girl in their lives. Get yourself a copy at Powells or IndieBound.

Disclaimer: I requested this book for review.

* Book links are affiliate links. If you buy your book here I could make a very small amount of money that goes towards this blog by helping me purchase books for school. Thanks!

2011 Feminista Travel Log: Everywhere else

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

My first travel log covered my four trips to Washington, DC. Here, I'll cover the other places that welcomed me and my family.

Seattle: This was the worst of my trips as I traveled to Seattle to be with my Tia and cousins after my Tio died. I obviously did not do much sight seeing. But just being back in the Northwest was comforting. I love the SeaTac airport, especially the salmon that are imprinted on the floor of the terminals, not to mention the way the water fountains gurgle like a river. *big sigh* I can't wait to get back there.

Butler University: I drove down to Butler University to kick off their activities for Women's History Month. I had a lot of fun talking to their students. I didn't go to a fancy-looking school, so it's always nifty to visit one. The students who go to Butler are blessed with a beautiful campus. I hope they all enjoy it.

Denver: I went to Denver for a work conference. We stayed at the Lowes, which is swanky looking, but is pet-friendly. A detail that was not communicated and was a surprise to a few of my fellow conference goers. But it was a great place to stay, good food and great service. We ate dinner one night in the artsy part of town. The restaurant was ok, but the area was super cute.

Starved Rock: We decided to drive down to Starved Rock for our summer vacation. It's only 100 miles away from our home, but it felt like a different world. When you live in the Midwest you forget that we have pockets of non-flat land. We spent 3 days hiking the many trails and didn't see everything. It was so much fun! We were a bit disappointed in the lack of "wildlife." We see more deer at the North Park Village Nature Center and driving on the Jane Addams. Although we did get a good scare from a raccoon who popped out of a garbage can! We stayed in the lodge and did not camp. The room and pool were great, but the restaurant food got a bit old after a few days. BUT the fried chicken was amazing! They give you a lot, so just order one plate and share with a friend. Overall, it's a great getaway for us city folk. My cell phone didn't get a great signal, so there was also a vacation from technology...even if I did log into the free wifi in the evening.

Atlanta: The National Women's Studies Association Conference was in Atlanta this year. I was on a panel with fellow Girl w/Pen'ers discussing how we combine our academic work with blogging for a popular audience (instead of for other academics in academic terms). I roomed with Feminist Teacher, so I started out the conference with a big squeal. Ileana and I totally hit it off after being friendly on Twitter for a few years. I am so happy to add her to my circle of hermanas. I also met Merle Hoffman and interviewed her. That interview should be up on this blog soon! I even was able to find Denise Schultz to say hi to her before her panel.

Luckily before I left for Atlanta, someone made a remark about visiting the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. And even more luck had the conference hotel just minutes from the memorial/center. It was so worth the walk and missing out on a few hours of the conference. Words truly fail to express what it felt and meant to visit the resting place of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King.

Kalamazoo: We went for a visit to see our godson and his family, but we decided to take in downtown Kalamazoo. And wow! Not sure I would say take a vacation to Kalamazoo, but it's definitely worth a stop during a road trip. The museum downtown is free and while might small by Chicago standards, it was the perfect size when you have 4 kids with you. And yes, on the way out of town, we did hit Sweetwater Donuts and brought home a dozen. There is no reason to visit Kalamazoo and not grab at least one donut at Sweetwater. On a diet? Share with a friend!

2011 Feminista Travel Log: Washington DC

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

2011 brought a good amount of traveling, although far too bunched up for my taste. Why can't the Goddess space out my trips better? Let's look back at where I went and what we learned, shall we?

Me and my coworkers at the Executive Building

Washington, DC: FOUR, four trips to our nation's capital this year! All for wonderful reasons, so who can really complain? In January I zipped off with my coworkers to accept an award at the White House. We spent five days in DC in a lot of meetings with a lot of other people who are dedicated in our shared mission to increase the diversity of scientists and engineers in the USA.

I returned in March for a grantee meeting. I stayed at the Omni Shoreham Hotel which was like a museum. It had all these amazing displays about the building's history. I was fortunate that a few of my DC friends trekked over to Open City for dinner one night. I stopped by another time just to grab tea & a muffin. I also got away one night and walked over to Adams-Morgan and hit Idle Time Books, then had dinner at Mama Ayesha's. Which is ironic since I live near a lot of Middle Eastern restaurants and rarely go. It came highly recommended and I wasn't disappointed.

The whole family came back to DC in April for the White House Easter Egg Roll. This was not connected to the award in January, rather a wonderful gift from a friend. If you get a chance to attend, you really should. It is amazing. We got one of the early slots and thank goodness because it was a hot day. The White House staff and volunteers did a bang up job at corralling all of us in and out of the official area within the allotted time. We even got to hear the First Lady and President Obama address the crowd, then spot the whole First Family as they walked the lawn.

We did a lot sightseeing in the small amount of time we were in town. A new tradition, for myself and the family, is to eat at least a snack at the National Museum of the American Indian. It's a beautiful museum (not only because one of my dear high school friends worked on the exhibits) with an equally beautiful cafe. Tamles, buffalo burgers and fry bread! On a whim, I had us jump into the National Portrait Gallery. OMG, one of the best snap decisions EVER!You can see the kid curled up on the floor sketching a portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt.

My fourth trip came at the end of November where I stayed in Crystal City, which is this oasis from the intensity of the district. It's close enough to get work done, but far enough that one isn't overwhelmed by the energy that makes up DC. The unnamed, but "top" hotel won't be named because they fail to provide their guests with complimentary wifi, even in the lounge areas. When asked about it, I was given a mini-lecture on how "at *company's* hospitality school, free wifi is a thing of the past. The only reason anyone would stay at a Holiday Inn would be for the free wifi." On the upside, I did have a few friends trek their way to said hotel for drinks when I arrived. I love getting different friends together when I travel. It's almost like having a mini-summit on feminist issues. We talk kids, family, partners, schools, environment, mothering, science/technology, foreign affairs. We cover a lot of space in a short amount of time. Feminists are efficient!

Before I left town, I did grab my carry-on and headed into the district to visit the newly rehabbed Sewall-Belmont House. I believe the only other time I had made it there was in 1999 for a Women's Leaders Online one-day conference. Oh, how the house has changed! If you are visiting, you must take the time to stop in there to see the fab exhibits that tell the story of the women's rights movement in the USA from suffrage until today. There are also some exhibits on international women's rights. I was on a tight schedule and was able to get through the museum in about an hour, but I'd recommend two so you can really take in the history. The best part? There is a recreation of the lobbying cards the suffragists kept on the US Congress. You can flip through index cards with the names of U.S. representatives, their stance on suffrage and any comments that they gave suffragists. Which are ASTOUNDING and sadly still hear from the lips of far too many people today.

As for the airlines I traveled...Southwest still wins as best carrier. And while it may its issues, Midway will continue to win for best food as long as I arrive early enough to get egg & potato tacos at Lalo's. Although at Dulles, Vino Volo is fast becoming a favorite place to grab a bite to eat.

I will note that none of the companies, stores, restaurants or otherwise commercial entities asked me to review them, paid me or whatnot. This is just a summary of my travels from 2011. Next up...everywhere else I traveled this year!

Viva la Feminista on the radio

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

It's Feminist Wednesday time on the Morning AMp! Catch me on Vocalo tomorrow from 9 am - 10 am.

You can join in our discussion by calling in to 888.635.1112, posting on Facebook or tweeting me. Listen online or via the vocalo app!

Donors Choose: Support Bilingual students, Pregnant Teens and a very cool art project

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Can you believe it's almost gift giving time? Whether you are giving for Christmas or Hanukkah, Donors Choose has plenty of projects to select from. Seriously, why give a crappy $20 gift when you can donate in a loved one's name to a school that can put that $20 into action?

I had intended to flip through Donors Choose and offer a long list of projects for easy donating. But I decided to go with three schools in particular:

1) The Learning Garden at Meadowdale Elementary
This school was just up the street from the house I grew up in. I didn't attend this school, but I spent a lot of time at their playground. One of the outside walls is tall and flat without windows (at least when I was a kid, I haven't visited in years) and is on the parking lot. So this is where a young Roni use to pretend she was a tennis pro, spending hours hitting the three tennis balls she owned into a wall. It also had an awesome hill that was perfect for sledding.

2) Pregnant Teenagers and Young Mothers Need to Stay in Shape at Simpson Academy
This is the only school for pregnant teens in the Chicago Public School system. Their About Us page shows you what services their offer their students. The ask is so simple! Exercise equipment so expectant mothers can stay in shape during their pregnancy.

3) Wire You Buggin' at Steinmetz Academic Center
This one I selected because it just looked very cool. And cool projects shouldn't be left to only schools who can afford it or top academic schools. Who knows, maybe it takes cool art projects to connect with some kids? Either way, I like it.

Feel free to find a project that needs support that fits your own vision. I'm sure there's one to find.

Thanks!

Disclaimer: The links above are affiliate links, but any money generated goes right back into Donors Choose projects. Nothing that you donate is involved in the affiliate program.

Review: Chicago Toy and Game Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Last month I took the family to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Sadly we only had about an hour to look around the fair. But in that short time we found a few good new games. Disclaimer: We attended using a blogger pass that I applied for and were given a swag bag of a variety of games. Any game with an asterisk (*) is one we now own thanks to the swag bag.

Pajaggle*: Imagine the classic game of Perfection, but bigger and more intense. AND if you buy more than one set of Pajaggle, you can play head-to-head...or as we did, head-to-head-to-head. Play against the clock or against a friend or family member. You can get a taste of the game via e-Pajaggle.

Perplexus: Oh-my-gawd this is an addictive game!

The kid got one for her birthday and we've been addicted since. So when we walked into the toy and game fair and spotted the giant sized version of Perplexus we rushed it. As you can tell from the picture, the kid loved playing with it. We had to drag her away. Hopefully Santa or the Solstice Fairy will bring us Perplexus Epic. We've been good all year!

KaBAM!* is a card game that asks two players to slap down a card each and make a word with those sounds. In the image, one card has "ou" and another "L." So if you are the first to say a word that includes those two sounds, like "loud," you get the cards. And the one with the most cards at the end wins. This ends up being a super quick game with a lot of laughing. This was certainly a big win.

There was also this awesome wooden cube puzzle that was a two player game. It was part soma cube and part something else because it was 4x4. You had to keep all the pieces within the 4x4 invisible box. I wish the guy I played against, who was a representative, had given me a card with it's name! It was one of the last things I played, then had to rush out and I couldn't find a card myself. Oh well. If anyone knows, please let me know!

There are a lot of great toys out there that are not super gendered. Now a few of the representatives did interact with the kid in a very gendered way. One greeted each girl with, "Hi there princess!" Overall, it was a great hour. I'm looking forward to it next year.

Raising a Citizen (includes book and website reviews)

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

The kid has to complete a certain number of book reports every quarter. Included in the book reports are online quizzes from BookAdventure.com. Some of the questions on the quizzes are pretty specific about plot points. Tonight the kid took a quiz based on the book, Vote!, by Eileen Christelow.

When we were first told we had to use the site, I was skeptical. But the quizzes seem fair. Tonight though, the site proved pretty awesome. Here are a few of the questions the kid was asked about Vote!

What do you have to do if you want to vote?
What are political parties?
Why does a politician want to do a good job? (Answer was to get reelected)
Who decides who could vote?
What did the Constitution say about voting?
What do the candidates hope to do in a debate?
How old do you have to be to vote?

Perhaps these should be the first questions asked of GOP candidates at the next debate?

And that brings me to the awesomeness that is Vote!

Christelow has crafted a picture book that teaches kids more about voting than I suspect most of us get in our whole K-12 education. Example? At the very end of this simple tale of an election, there is a timeline of voting rights in the USA. One of the cartoon characters, the yellow dog, remarks after a notation about the 1975 Voting Rights Act amendment, something about "1776-1975 and finally everyone can vote!" She also includes in the timeline notes about women's suffrage, the 14th amendment, ex-prisoner's voting rights and the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

I had bought the book for the kid when she was really small. It came out in 2003, so maybe when she was an infant, as we have the hard book copy. I hadn't read it to her in years and this was the first time she read it on her own...and all of it, including the supplementary material such as the timeline and definitions.

Because it is a picture book, I hadn't thought to make her reread it. But because I saw it was marked as third-grade level reading and was a 10-question quiz, I figured she could use it for her book reports. And I am so glad I did. One doesn't always read the supplementary material to an infant. Or at least she doesn't always remember that in 10 states ex-felons can't vote. But she knows that now and I saw that look in her eye that says, "Oh, hell no!" Thanks, Eileen.

JOURNAL CFP: Motherhood and Activism

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

CALL FOR PAPERS

The editorial board is seeking submissions for Vol. 3.2 of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI) to be published in fall/winter 2012.

Motherhood Activism, Advocacy, Agency

The journal will explore the topic of Motherhood Activism, Advocacy and Agency from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, government agencies and workers, artists, mothers, and others who work or research in this area. Cross-cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged. We also welcome creative reflections such as poetry, short stories, and artwork on the subject.

Topics can include (but are not limited to):

the relationship between maternal agency and institutional constraints; personal agency; social agency; intersectionality and maternal agency; maternal agency and social justice; empowerment and family-life responsibilities; maternal agency and legal norms/practices; public policy and the public/private split; neoliberalism and public policy for mothers; healthism and maternal agency; navigating cultural expressions of "good" and "bad" mothering; second and third shift responsibility and agency; online advocacy and empowered mothering; maternal advocacy as theorized or practiced by women of a particular race, class, religion, or culture; empowered caregiving versus non-empowered caregiving; workplace norms and maternal advocacy or agency; motherhood and politics; "having it all" and maternal empowerment; challenging the maternal wall; challenging the "price of motherhood"; pregnancy and maternal agency; empowered mothering and disability; co-parenting and maternal empowerment; social change potential of memoir, narrative, autobiography, or blogging; maternal empowerment through artistic expression, film, music, literature, pop culture, or other arts; maternal agency through 'experts' or resistance to them; maternal empowerment by being resistant to or rooted in traditions, histories, or generational knowledges; navigating multiple identities as a mother; motherhood movements; advocacy for new family forms and relations; feminist mothering; queer and/or transgendered mothering; gender equity in home and work place; redefining fathering; othermothering; activism by young and/or low-income mothers; maternal activists' allies.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Articles should be 15-18 pages (3750 words) including references. All should be in MLA style, WordPerfect or Word and IBM compatible. Please see our style guide for complete details: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/journalsubmission.html

SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 1, 2012!

** TO SUBMIT WORK ONE MUST BE A MEMBER OF MIRCI

http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/membership.html

Please direct your submissions to:

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022 Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (905) 775-9089 http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org info@motherhoodinitiative.org

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: Nobel Women's Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Another amazing group working on women's rights around the world.

The Nobel Women’s Initiative uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.

They have a lovely blog for the 16 Days project too!

Not only that, but I will soon have the honor of joining NWI on a delegation to Mexico and Central America. More details when I can post them! Until then, my passport is tapping its foot in anticipation.

Three New Titles from Demeter Press

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Demeter Press is pleased to announce the releases of

Latina/Chicana Mothering
edited by Dorsía Smith Silva

Latina/Chicana Mothering provides a glimpse into the journey of mothering within the diverse spectrum of the histories, struggles, and stories of Latinas and Chicanas. Here, the Latina/Chicana mothering experience emphasizes the need for various conceptualizations of mothering, especially in regard to the conditions which shape the lives of Latinas and Chicanas, such as race, gender, sexuality, culture, language, social status, religion, kinship, location, and migration. The book has four sections: testimonios (narratives), links between motherhood and communities, mothering challenges, and literary and cultural images of Latina/Chicana mothers. As the essays in this book unfold, they reveal new images of motherhood and offer ways to transform Latina/Chicana mothering.

"Compelling narratives, testimonios, empirical research and literary representations on mothering make up Latina/Chicana Mothering. Dorsía Smith Silva has assembled a powerful collection of essays that get at the spirit of Latina/Chicana mothering. Diversity of thought and discipline is the beauty of this anthology as it extends the topic across studies in education, incarceration, violence, homelessness, popular culture, and feminine icons among others. This is essential reading in Chicana feminist work, women studies, ethnic studies, feminist theory, and motherhood."

-Ruth Trinidad Galván, Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies, University of New Mexico, co-editor of the Handbook of Latinos and Education.
-Dorsía Smith Silva is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. She is the co-editor of Caribbean Without Borders: Caribbean Literature, Language and Culture and Critical Perspectives on Caribbean Literature and Culture.

October 2011

258 pages $34.95

ISBN 978-0-9866671-3-8

Maternal Pedagogies: In and Outside the Classroom

edited by
Deborah L. Byrd and Fiona J. Green.

This is the first anthology to theorize about ways in which cultural views of motherhood and personal experiences of mothering affect the processes of teaching and learning, this collection features fifteen articles by Canadian and U.S. women of varying backgrounds, interests, and fields of expertise. Some essays examine ways in which individuals and groups who do not occupy positions of unearned privilege and power use maternal pedagogies to resist oppressive ideologies and practices based on race, class, sexual identity, and ability, while others reflect on how belonging to one or more privileged groups affects the author's pedagogical views and experiences. Some contributors focus on the teaching and learning that occurs when parents are interacting with their children; others examine ways in which ideas about mothering and motherhood affect teacher-student dynamics that occur within educational institutions; still others discuss ways in which the teaching of one's children resembles and differs from the teaching of one's students. Other essays foreground ways in which contemporary public policies and institutions shape or are shaped by maternal pedagogies, whereas others examine the relationship between mothering and teaching from an historical perspective or in the context of activism and social justice work.

"The book brings up a plethora of important questions about the changing definitions of motherhood in different contexts, cultures and historical periods, and across different mediums of communica- tion and educational settings. The editors have created a provocative collection of essays on what is a relatively new and under-theorized topic for both women's studies and education."

-alice e. giNsberg, author of And Finally We Meet: Intersections and Intersectionality among Feminist Activists, Academics and Students

-Deborah Lea Byrd is Associate Professor of English and Women's and Gender Studies at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. She is lead editor of Teaching the Isms: Feminist Pedagogy Across the Disciplines (2010) and has published articles on 19th- and 20th-century British writers, mentoring programs for teenaged and low-income single mothers, and building and sustaining partnerships with community organizations.

-Fiona Joy Green is a feminist mother, Chair of the Department of Women's and Gender Studies and a Co-Director of the Institute for Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Winnipeg. She is the author of Feminist Mothering in Theory and Practice, 1985-1995: A Study in Transformative Politics (2009), and Practicing Feminist Mothering (2011).

Fall 2011 978-0-9866671-6-9 $34.95 pb / 6 x 9 / 238 pp. education / motherhood studies / feminist studies / social change / justice and activism

Through the Maze of Motherhood: Empowered Mothers Speak
written by Erika Horwitz

This is a unique book that argues that mothers who are critical thinkers and who take a stance against social pressures to be perfect mothers experience a sense of empowerment. The book is based and expands on qualitative research that explored the experience of mothers who resist the current discourse on mothering. Through the Maze of Motherhood conveys what it is like to resist a strong societal discourse and how some mothers have managed to navigate the intricacies of the process of resistance. This book also dispels the belief that there is one right way to mother and, therefore, suggests that a process of questioning and resisting the current myths may result in a more autonomous, agency driven, and empowered way to mother. This book will not only encourage resistance that can lead to freedom from the oppression of the discourse, but that it will also persuade women to refrain from judging one another and develop a strong community with a strong voice against the ideal of the prefect mother. Through the Maze of Motherhood gives voice to mothers who are in a process of resistance to the discourse on mothering and it unpacks the many benefits, intricacies, challenges, and struggles they experience. Moreover, the book provides evidence for the notion that critical thinking and resistance are experienced as empowering even though they present some challenges.

"Through the Maze of Motherhood gives voice to women who bucked the norm of good motherhood ... and have no regrets. They mothered their way, and, in doing so, felt challenged but empowered. It is a must-read for independent-minded mothers and scholars."

-Shari Thurer, author of The Myths of Motherhood: How Culture Reinvents the Good Mother

"Erika Horwitz's book is a refreshing and important look at how resistance works, is experienced by mothers, and what supports mothers' resistance and challenges to dominant discourses of motherhood. By interviewing mothers rather than only theorizing resistance, Horwitz adds a much needed exploration in motherhood studies about the personal, contextual, and situational factors that support resistance to the dominant, white, and western model of motherhood. By doing so, Horwitz encourages readers and mothers to find strategies of resistance that can work for them, while also encouraging mothers to support one another in the struggle to resist the dominant discourse of motherhood."
-D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein, Boston University

"Drawing on many examples from the life experiences of mothers and on her wealth of knowledge from 20 years of teaching parenting courses, Erika Horwitz offers rare and honest insight into how some mothers have made decisions to successfully deviate from the confining and limiting dominant set of rules and expectations of motherhood in ways that result in the mothers feeling empowered as they actively engage in alternative ways of parenting."

-Fiona Joy Green, author of Practicing Feminist Mothering and co-editor of Maternal Pedagogies: In and Outside the Classroom
Erika Horwitz is a registered psychologist. She is the Director of Counselling Services at Simon Fraser University and a Lecturer both at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia in their Faculties of Education and Counselling Psychology Programs. She has published several articles on the topic of motherhood, and has appeared on television and radio interviews as an expert and advocate for mothers. Dr. Horwitz lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her two daughters and her husband.

Fall 2011

250 pages $34.95

ISBN 978-0-9866671-4-5

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: The Global Fund for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:51:00 +0000

It's the end of the semester and I sadly do not have time to devote to properly participating in "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence." Instead I am pointing you to the Global Fund for Women's blog where they are doing an excellent job at showing you not just the work they do, but what these 16 days are all about such as:

Founded by the United Youth of Philippines – Women, Inc (UnYPhil-Women), this crisis center represents a “safe haven, an empowering place for women and girls” impacted daily by a conflict that has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced two million more.[link]
For the past 20 years, amidst wars in the former Yugoslavia, Women in Black remains a beacon of nonviolent resistance to militarism, war, sexism and nationalism. Whether standing still and silent on the streets of Belgrade or organizing theatrical performances, advocacy campaigns or street actions, Women in Black is a powerful voice in demanding gender justice.[link]
Kashindi, a widow and mother of six, has something to celebrate. After her husband’s death, her in-laws pressured her to marry her brother-in-law. When she refused, they responded by selling her house and land. However, with the assistance of Solidarité des Femmes Activistes pour la Défense des Droits Humains [Women Activists in Solidarity for the Defense of Human Rights (SOFAD)], Kashindi got her home back.[link]

I urge you to follow along as they continue their work of sharing stories of women around the world.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:30:00 +0000

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University in 1991. Participants chose the dates November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a human rights violation.

From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World:
Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!

Building upon the information gathered from participants during the 2010 campaign, this year’s 16 Days Campaign will delve further into five issues that were identified as priorities for those working on the intersections of violence against women and militarism:

1) Bringing together women, peace, and human rights movements to challenge militarism.

2) Proliferation of small arms and their role in domestic violence

3) Sexual violence in and after conflict

4) Political violence against women, including Pre/During/Post-election violence

5) Sexual and gender-based violence committed by state agents, particularly the police or military

Over the next several years, CWGL will work to support the development of a coordinated, global, feminist critique of militarism and the violence it perpetuates. The 2011 campaign is an opportunity for reflection and conversations about what the global women’s rights movement can do to challenge the structures that allow violence against women to continue at all levels, from local to global. It is also a crucial time to reach out to and involve more men, boys, faith-based and traditional leaders, and other key partners in the work towards building a more just and peaceful world. While militarism is often discussed in terms of conflict situations, this Campaign theme seeks to broaden our understanding of the many ways militarism influences our daily lives. A crucial aspect of the 16 Days Campaign involves listening to the stories of women around the world and standing in solidarity with one another: It also emphasizes the importance of working locally to transform violent or militaristic mindsets. By focusing on how “peace in the home” extends outward and relates to “peace in the world,” we see how values of nonviolence can influence the attitudes of friends, families, communities, governments and other actors.

From the Theme Announcement in the Take Action Kit.

THREE New CFP's from Demeter Press (Disabled Mothers, Black Mothers and Gender in Mothering)

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Get your typing fingers ready because here are three new Calls for Papers from Demeter Press! All three are for edited collections.

CFPs are listed in order of abstract deadlines. So grab your calendar and thinking hat.

1) Disabled Mothers*

Co-Editors: Gloria Filax and Dena Taylor

Publication Date: 2014

While there are several books on raising children with disabilities, the literature is scant on experiences of disabled women who are raising children OR the experiences of those parented by a woman with disabilities. Bringing together disability with mothering has the potential to challenge dominant narratives of both mothering AND disability. Noticing dominant ideas, meanings, and/or stories/narratives (normative discourses) regarding both 'mothering' and 'disability' expose the limits beyond which disabled mothers live their daily lives.

The goal of this edited collection is to add to literatures on mothering and disability through providing stories by disabled mothers or their children as well as chapters of scholarly research and theorizing. We intend that both stories and research in this collection will raise critical questions about the social and cultural meanings of disability and mothering. Whether a birth mother, an adoptive mother, a foster mother, a co-mother, someone mothered by a disabled woman, or someone whose research explores disabled mothering, we invite you to submit to this collection.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

How are disabled women discouraged from having children? How does the medical model of disability shape the meanings assigned to disabled mothers? How do chronic illnesses affect mothering? Are disabled mothers healthy mothers? How do the social and cultural models of disability shape how we understand disabled mothers and mothering? Are disabled mothers oppressed? How do issues of race, class, and sexuality affect disabled mothers and their families? Should disabled mothers 'pass' as normal? How are pregnancy and birth experiences shaped by disability? How do children experience and understand a disabled mother? What support is needed and received by disabled mothers? How does the built environment, both public and private, shape the experiences of disabled mothers? What kinds of issues are there with children's schools, health professionals and/or children's attitudes? What form, if any, does social and political activism take? Do legal remedies work to assist disabled mothers (for example, disability as a protected category in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Americans with Disabilities Act)? How does a mother's disability expose the expectations of mothering? How does a mother's disability expose the assumptions about disability? How is society disabling of mothering? How can we 'do' disabled mothering differently?

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be 250 words. Please also include a brief biography (50 words) with citizenship. Please send to gfilax@shaw.ca and detaylor@cabrillo.edu

Deadline for Abstracts is December 31, 2011

Accepted papers of 4000-5000 words (15-20 pages) will be due October 15, 2012 and should conform to MLA citation format.

*Tanya Titchkosky argues that referring to "disabled people" is preferable because it emphasizes disablement as a social process that prevents certain people from access to resources and goods available to others. "People with disabilities" implies that disability is not part of what it is to be a person and leaves disability as a problem. We agree with Titchkosky and therefore our choice of the title for this collection is "Disabled Mothers". (See Tanya Titchkosky (2003) Disability, Self, and Society. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, chapter 2).

2) Chasing Rainbows:
Exploring Gender Fluid Mothering Practices

Co-Editors: Fiona Green and May Friedman

Publication Date: Early 2014

Feminist mothering creates unique challenges. Mothers may struggle with shifts in their own subjectivity and the peculiar conjoinment of parenthood. As women experience the unique powerlessness of motherhood, they also hold the uncomfortable power of acting as agents of socialization and social control over their children. While this power is evident in many areas of parenting, it is especially keenly experienced in the area of gender and mothering.

Feminist mothers may attempt to resist gender binaries; they may submit to them while attempting to foster critical dialogue; they may struggle with the display of their own femininity or, for some, its perceived lack. For some parents a dialogue about gender normativity may be inspired by gender-diverse behavior on the part of their own children, while others may parent children who happily submit to the mainstream and query the need for gender questioning. Chasing Rainbows: Exploring Gender Fluid Mothering Practices attempts to cast a lens on the messy and convoluted ways that feminist parents approach parenting their children in gender aware and gender fluid ways. The collection aims to draw together scholars, activists and community members to open a conversation about the challenges of exploring and maintaining an awareness of gender while parenting in a highly gender normative world. Because gender is expressed and performed differently in various places and spaces, and across different ages, this collection welcomes submissions from feminist parents and from the widest range of experiences.

Suggested topics may include, but are not limited to:

Cross-cultural, historical, transnational, comparative and interdisciplinary modes of inquiry and analysis
Gender fluid parenting within and beyond cisgendered mother and father parenting roles
The challenges and gifts of affective/psychic/embodied transformations of gender fluid parenting
Media representations and spectacles of gender fluid/diverse/variant families
Alternative visual and artistic depictions of gender variant socialization in/of family life
Racialization of gender variant parenting/family discourses
Gender diverse self-help parenting texts
Community based gender variant/diverse/fluid family activism and organizing
Commodification of gender fluid mothering and gender variant families
Practical and theoretical ways of complicating and shaping fluid gender expression
Broad social and historical forces that impact what can be done and said in the name of gender diverse families

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be 250 words. Please also include a brief biography (50 words) with citizenship.

Please send to: may.friedman@ryerson.ca, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St.,
Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 and f.green@uwinnipeg.ca, University of Winnipeg,
515 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3T 1M5.

Deadline for Abstracts is March 15, 2012 & Deadline for Acceptances is May 15, 2012.

Accepted papers not exceeding 15 pages (3750 words) will be due February 15, 2013

and should be formatted according to MLA guidelines. The book is to have 50 percent
Canadian content, so Canadian contributors are especially encouraged to submit.

3) Patricia Hill Collins: Reconceiving Black Motherhood
Editor: Kaila Adia Story

Publication Date: 2014

In 1965 a then sociologist and eventual US senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan released his report, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action. The report concluded that the Black family existed as a tangle of pathology, which struggled to make progress toward economic and political equality due to its deterioration of the concept of the nuclear family. Since the release of the report forty-six years ago, many Black feminists and motherhood scholars have elucidated the ways in which Moynihan's conception of the Black family, in particular the Black mother, was couched in racist, classist, and sexist notions of the family and the institution of motherhood. One such Black Feminist scholar was Patricia Hill Collins. In the spirit of Demeter Press and the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI), this anthology seeks to discuss the impact/influence/ and/or importance of Patricia Hill Collins on motherhood research. The goal of this edited collection is to add to the existing literature on Black Motherhood and the Black Family. In addition, this collection will raise critical questions about the social and cultural meanings of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and mothering.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

How has Hill Collins' work disrupted or undone previous work about motherhood? How has Hill Collins' work paved the way to understanding the institution of Black motherhood? How has Hill Collins discussed conceptions of Motherhood and agency in her work? What has Hill Collins' work done to reconceptualize our ideas of Black mothers and fathers? Which aspect of Hill Collins' work speaks to sexuality and conceptions of parenting? How can we unpack Hill Collins' conception of "real mothers"? How does Hill Collins' notion of the "new racism" relate to the institution of mothering? What does Hill Collins' work do to move conversations of national identity and race forward? How has Hill Collins' work allowed other motherhood scholars to rewrite the constellation of motherhood?

Submission Guidelines:

Please submit abstracts of 250 words and include your 50 word bio and citizenship

Deadline for Abstracts is April 1, 2012

Please send submissions and inquiries directly to:

Kaila Adia Story: doctressstory@gmail.com

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

Book Review: Math Dictionary for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Veronica) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:35:00 +0000

When one starts to plan out parenthood, you take into consideration where you are in your career, money, and how many kids you might want in your family. The one thing I clearly did not consider was the massive amount of homework today's kids bring home in their backpacks.

And while I am a science nrrd and math was my best and favorite subject, I truly love the copy of Math Dictionary for Kids I received over the summer.

The hardest part of helping the kid with her homework, especially math, are definitions. Do you remember what an acute triangle is? Identity property? Can you explain it to a 8-year-old? And that's the hard part, remembering the exact definition and then explaining it so that your child doesn't fail that part of the exam. It's one thing to think you know the answer, it's another when your daughter comes home with a -1 on a test and you know you taught her the wrong thing. We've done that with a few spelling words! Which is why I now look up words I swear I know how to spell.

While you can try to do a web search for math terminology, there's something empowering about having your 8-year-old look up a definition or technique for herself.

The only issue I have with the book is that it is grouped by concept (algebra, geometry, etc) versus a pure alphabetic listing. There are occasions when it makes sense, but for the most part, it's pretty confusing.

Despite the flaw in organization, it is still well used in our household. You can get your family a copy at Powells or IndieBound.

Disclaimer: A publicist offered me a copy for review.

* Book links are affiliate links. If you buy your book here I could make a very small amount of money that goes towards this blog by helping me purchase books for school. Thanks!