Library Juice Press Series on Gender and Sexuality in Librarianship

Library Juice Press is my favorite library-related publishing house, hands down. To make a good thing even better, Brooklyn librarian Emily Drabinski is currently editing a series on gender and sexuality in librarianship. Below are a few examples of possible subjects gleaned from the LJP site:

• Queer and feminist approaches to traditional library topics including classification, pedagogy, collection development
• Works that address gender and sexuality issues in conjunction with other articulations of difference including race, class, nationality, etc.
• Practical approaches to developing community-based GLBTQ collections

• Materials addressing library needs of specific populations, e.g., GLBTQ youth, elders, etc.

I’m especially looking forward to the fall 2011 publication of Documenting Feminist Activism by Lyz Bly and Kelly Wooten.

LJP invites writers to submit queries, proposals, and manuscripts to Emily Drabinski, emily.drabinskigmail.com.

I definitely dream of writing for this series myself someday!

BRAIN WAVES opening Friday @ STOREFRONT

If you’re like me and you love zines and Brooklyn you should take the L train out to Bushwick tomorrow (Jan 28) to STOREFRONT. From 7-9PM the gallery is hosting the opening of BRAIN WAVES, a collection of zines, art books, and prints created by local artists. The collection is curated by my good friend and frequent star of my blog, Kate Wadkins.

Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

I recently learned about Feminae and wanted to make sure I shared it sooner rather than later. Started in 1996, Feminae offers citations for journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books pertaining to the study of gender/sexuality in the Middle Ages. The index is hosted by the University of Iowa Libraries and can be searched like a typical library catalog, with both basic and advanced search options. Currently there are over 20,000 records in the index, and they appear quite carefully indexed by subject.

One thing to keep in mind is that the index does not include books written by a single author — the site’s maintainers encourage visitors to use a library catalog in these cases.

Sex, Hope, & Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Music Writing of Ellen Willis

This is the second conference I’ve heard about in a week which meets my criteria for “conference of my dreams.” Scheduled for April 30th at New York University, Sex, Hope, & Rock ‘n’ Roll will, according to the website:

honor, remember, and critically situate the acclaimed New York writer Ellen Willis (1941-2006) and her work across politics, gender, and popular culture, with a special attention to her unique contribution to intellectual history within the fields of music journalism and feminist cultural criticism.

My friend Kate informed me about the conference last night and I immediately shrieked with delight and ran to my bookshelf to get my copy of No More Nice Girls: Countercultural Essays. Ellen Willis has had a profound impact on my feminism for a number of years. She was one of the first pro-sex feminists whose work I read, and essays such as “Lust Horizons: Is the Women’s Movement Pro-Sex?” and “Radical Feminism and Feminist Radicalism” continue to influence me.

The conference is organized by Evie Nagy, Daphne Carr, and Nona Willis Aronowitz, Willis’s daughter and co-author of the 2009 book Girl Drive. Confirmed speakers for the event include Joan Morgan, Kathleen Hanna, and Stanley Aronowitz.

Wench Blog Zine Distro

While writing a selfcare zine review this past weekend I came across the blog for the Louisville, KY based WENCH Selfcare Education Collective. They work to “educate ourselves and others in the workings of our complex bodies and minds to empower people to live healthier lives through understanding and empowerment.”

In addition to organizing activities such as health fairs, classes/workshops, and clinic defense, they also run a zine distro. Their inventory is currently divided into 7 categories: selfcare, female selfcare, transgender health, consent/assault/healing, abortion, mental health, and healthcare history.

I was a little confused as how to order zines from them, although I found an email address which I assume is their preferred method of contact: wenches@riseup.net.

MOMA Acquires Woj’s “A Fire in My Belly”

My co-worker (thanks, Charlotte!) sent me a MOMA press release announcing that the museum has acquired David Wojnarowicz’s film “A Fire in My Belly.” The film has already been placed on view in the current exhibit Contemporary Art from the Collection. While this does not erase the pain created by the National Portrait Gallery’s censorship of the work, I am relieved to learn that the amazing film is on display elsewhere.

Biography of Sexuality Studies in Latin America

Stanford University’s library website has some pretty impressive bibliographies pertaining to Latin American & Iberian Studies. I’m particularly excited about their Biography of Sexuality Studies in Latin America. The bibliography is maintained by the subject bibliographer for Latin American & Iberian Studies, Adán Griego.

The bibliography is really current – it was last updated in July 2010. The works are both in Spanish and English, and are arranged alphabetically by author.

Fat Studies Resources

Lately I’ve been avidly reading fat studies/fat feminism books and articles, and I found a great bibliography on fat studies resources on the website Fat Dialogue. These resources include fat studies and fat politics texts, article references, book chapters, and fat positive creative projects.

The site is maintained by Dr. Sam Murray, author of The Fat Female Body and the forthcoming (2011, I can’t wait!) book Fat Panic and Disciplined Embodiment: ‘Health’ and Bodily Aesthetics in the Management of Obesity.

Jonathan D. Katz and the Omission and Censorship of Queer Art

As usual, CUNY’s Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) has another amazing talk coming up. This time it’s given by Jonathan D. Katz, the chair of SUNY Buffalo’s Visual Culture doctoral program and co-curator of the National Portrait Gallery’s Hide/Seek exhibit. From what I understand David Wojnarowicz’s video “A Fire in My Belly” was removed from the exhibit without Katz’s knowledge, despite his position as curator.

The talk will be held on January 12th from 6-8PM in room 9204 at the CUNY Grad Center.

Below is an excerpt from the email I received regarding the event:

Despite 30 years of scholarship from him and other experts, Katz says that most major institutions gloss over gay and lesbian sexuality in their collections – which is why Hide/Seek is such an important show. “Punishing the one institution that broke the blacklist will enable all the other institutions to sit on their hands,” says Katz. “My goal in doing the show was not simply to do the show, but also to make it safe for other institutions to do the show. We have been falsifying art history for decades.”
http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2010/12/hide-seek-curator-jonathan-katz-on-gay-art-s-newest-threat-the-left-6342.html

Jewish Women’s Archive

Based in of Brookline, MA, the Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) offers users an incredible array of free information on the lives/struggles/achievements of North American Jewish women throughout history. Founded in 1995, this virtual archive includes an encyclopedia, teaching/educational materials, oral history tools, and stories of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on Jewish communities.

The site’s mission statement reads:

JWA has amassed the most extensive collection of material anywhere on American Jewish women, and it can be accessed for free by anyone with an Internet connection. Our website is a destination for people seeking knowledge, a sense of connection and community, and a way to affirm and enhance the legacy of American Jewish women.