Reader's Writes: Who Do You Think You Are?

I got this invitation to join the paternal family facebook group.

I didn’t think much of it, other than, wasn’t it a bit strange looking up other family members you’d never met when you were in your fifties? If they were significant to you, wouldn’t you know them already?

In no time at all, there was a family tree and there I was in all my glory with my original paternal family name that I changed over thirty years ago to my own name, linked neatly to the husband I’d ditched soon after.

A note appears from the founder of the family facebook group.

Apparently, we’re all coming out of our cocoons.

I thought I’d been living my own life all these years.

I didn’t realize I was just waiting for the call of patriarchy.

Shani


Reader's Writes is a new section of the blog where you can get involved. Got something to say immediately? Feminist stress to get off your chest? Maybe we can help, drop Charlotte an email charlcooper@hotmail.com

First WI at a university

A student at Goldsmith's university, London UK, has set up the first WI at a university. News article here or you can listen to an interview on radio4 woman's hour feature.


Laura

Images of Black Women Film Festival

The Images of Black Women Film Festival has returned for the fifth year running and is bringing another swathe of amazing films, including a fantastic looking documentary about afro styling at the Black Beauty Hair Awards, Afro Saxon, a wake up call about child soldiers, Johnny Mad Dog and something of a blockbuster, The Secret Life of Bees.

The festival, celebrating African decent women in cinema, takes place from 27th - 29th March at the Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn.

Check out some trailers and buy tickets at the festival website, and if anyone goes and wants to send in a review of the festival now might be the time to get your writing into Issue 8, published later this year.



Charlotte

Women's Howler

Dear Subtext readers, are you big fans of radio 4's Women's Hour? I sure am, I listen to it on the BBC iPlayer all the time because I think it gives an interesting round up of what's generally bubbling around the newspapers.

This week though they tackled something which had my left eye twitching away as I audibly huffed and puffed alone in the living room - women paying for sex. This is a subject that I'd already seen raise its head on the BBC news website and though I haven't caught any further talk about it yet, I'm sure I will. It's something that I can only see as another ploy in the attempt to normalise the selling of sex and the objectification of women, and now men, in society - and I ain't happy about it. I don't support exploitation because someone the same sex as me thinks it's ok - alright, "Jane".

Anyway, I want to look at the way Andrew, the male prostitute and author was treated on Women's hour, particularly in the Women's Hour Newsletter (Oh, Come On. Someone else must be signed up to it?!) Jenni Murry took the reigns on the radio, talking to a woman who'd bought the services of a man for her sexual wants and to the male prostitute. In her post summary Jenni writes,

No prizes for guessing what you really want to know from me this week. What did the male escort I spoke to on Wednesday actually look like? Tallish, mouseyish and absolutely not a Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig - consequently, as my mother would have put it, 'hardly worth bothering dragging your old bones to the bottom of our street for' and certainly not one of whom she might have enthused, 'well I wouldn't mind finding his boots under my bed.'

It didn't cross my mind during the interview, to me it really was about an issue not whether or not I would want to fuck a prostitute or escort that I'd cold called if he was "ugly". The radio show irritated me (not least because some woman tried to insinuate that anyone who didn't support the commodification of sexuality and prostitution was blind to a woman's right to say Yes) but the dismissive tone which eradicated any prostitutes option to be a real person or anything other than a sex object irked me more.

Listen again here - you have until Wednesday

Charlotte

Birds Eye View Film Festival

The always fabulous Birds Eye View film festival opens tonight heralding 7 days of film based fun and frolics as well as lots of learning, networking and partying.

Catch the latest and hottest short films from emerging women filmmakers here and abroad, and don't miss once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hear direct from Afghan women filmmakers, director of stunning Indian doc Goddesses, and one of the pioneering producers of Nigerian Nollywood.

This year our retrospective focus is Screen Seductrices: Vamps, Vixons and Femme Fatales - where cinema's earliest sex symbols, including Louise Brooks and Greta Garbo, vamp it up to specially commissioned live musical accompaniment from the likes of Bishi and Natalie Clein.

Special events include a Sex on Screen Debate, a director's masterclass with Mary Harron (American Psycho), a Last Laugh Comedy Event celebrating our recent comedy feature film initiative with Warp X, and of course the Closing Night Awards Party - with an amazing line up of live acts & DJs.

Once again we give you a glimpse of things to come at our innovation strand, featuring music videos, fashion films and incredible new dance-meets-motion-capture project from film/game designer Katie Ellwood.

As ever, we are also doing our bit to equip the next generation of Campions, Coppolas and Chadhas as we bring together an unbeatable line-up of the nation's top film training organisations (including BAFTA, Shooting People, and Script Factory), to host a series of brain-bending .

Let us know what you think if you attend any events and we'll include the best of your commentary in a special women and film section in Subtext Issue 8.

Bloody Books

Maturely side stepping numerous puns and word play from the lexicon of menstruation I shall delve delicately into a little buzz about My Little Red Book, a delightful anthology of first periods collected from women of all ages and from all over the world by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff.

I say delightful, but what would I know all I've read is a review, what I mean is to make polite applause. We at Subtext have had our flirtations with period politics, and there's a tonne of lovely zine action going on around the subject but a lovely, well formed, paperback really hammers home the message that it's not so beastly to bleed.

Check out the website, buy a book and peruse the fantastic non profit organisations the book will be helping out at your leisure.

Charlotte

Armchair Action: Put Your Foot Down Before International Women's Day

While we all love a rally, a march, a conference, mixing with the other feminists in real life for chatting and debating and joining together into a huge giant feminist who can save the world, there is still much to be said for feminist finger clicks.

Action Aid is a rather wonderful charity who do lots of rather wonderful things (including their riotous Bollocks to Poverty parties) Before International Women's Day (you know it's March 8th, right?) Action Aid need to collect 2876 virtual shoes to represent each of the 2876 women who contract HIV every day an epidemic borne of various forms of violence against women, so get online, make your pledge and ask your friends and families to do the same.

Once the petition comes to an end YCN and artist Riitta Ikonen will be creating some lovely art, so remember to keep your eyes peeled or follow Riita's blog.

The campaign is currently running on 2252 signatures, not many to go so sign the petition and put your foot down now!

Charlotte

International Women's Day, a Website, the World

International Women’s Day is the highlight in many a feminists calender with a splurge of educational, interesting and exciting events - we’ve already blogged about some plans organised by the Million Women Rise March in London - now you can see what’s happening across the globe.

The International Women’s Day website will act as a single source for women’s celebrations all over the world, with the opportunity for users to upload their events or search their country for anything happening in the name of IWD. Get online and get involved, and don’t forget to check out the International Women’s Day timeline and find out when and how the event got started.

You can also follow @Reuters_Women on Twitter for updates

Charlotte

Cross Posted @ The Femilist

Invasion of The Chubsters - Queer Fat Punks Invade the BFI

Bless all the Chubsters, saying no to fatphobes the only way a true gang knows how with fists. They're invading the BFI, this is a straight up repost from their facebook page.

The Chubsters have been working on a secret project to invade the British Film Institute during the 2009 London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. We're going to present a special event at the festival, involving bad behaviour, archive film clips and a programme of cutting edge short films by and about fat queers. There will be opportunities for people to get jumped-in as Chubsters too, with badges and membership cards for those who take the plunge.

This event is likely to sell out, so book early.

Event details
LLGFF ticket information


Invasion of The Chubsters
Sunday 29 March 2009
18:20
NFT3
BFI South Bank
Waterloo
London SE1 8XT

PS Don't forget to check out the Allyson Mitchell retrospective at the film fest too, and Beth Ditto is introducing an event about The Raincoats – yay!

Check out the Chubsters website for info on gang rules, chub life and watch their gang video.

Charlotte

Playboy Open To Strategic Change of Direction

I'm no fan of the exploitation and commodification of women, even less when purveyors of such tosh have a sideline in the targeting of the tweens so when Playboy suffered a net loss of $156.1 million at the end of 2008 I became vaguely giddy.

Playboy now say they're up to suggestions for strategic changes of direction, my first would be to get out now while they still have their profits, invest into charities and organisations that support women who suffer from the end game of the endless sexualisation of women (I know, I'm out of control)

Realistically though, once they've cut some jobs, closed the NY office, once they've brought the 'cost structure in line with current market realities' there is that ripe audience of young girls, unaware of the implications of that cute bunny rabbit on their bedding, their pencil cases, their inappropriate apparrell with a seemingly endless resource of pocket money.

This year may be the year you keep a closer look at their output beyond the magazine, there's always time to Bin the Bunny

Charlotte

Voice your opinions, Fawcett want your words.

Fawcett are going survey crazy so here are three lovely ways to lend your voice to their work.

Views on Business Use of the Sex Industry

Pin Up calenders, business meetings moving to lap dancing clubs, nudey screen savers are not as inclusive or as jovial as some might think - but what do you think? Follow the link to Fawcett

Experiences Selling Lads Mags

Do you or anyone you know work in a shop that sells ‘lads mags’ or other pornographic magazines? Would you prefer it if these publications weren’t displayed or on full view in your workplace? If so, please get in touch. Fawcett is conducting some research on this issue and would like to hear your views. Your details will be kept strictly confidential. Please email or phone Kat Banyard: kat.banyard@fawcettsociety.org.uk; 020 7253 2598

Experience of Sexual Harassment or Violence in School or College

I'm not sure if this is strictly Fawcett, but Kat Banyard is from Fawcett and needs your experiences

Sexual harassment can come in many forms, including unwelcome sexual propositions, sexually explicit comments or gestures, being shown pornography, unwanted touching, or sexual assault.

If this has ever happened to you (past or present) and you would be interested in sharing your experiences as part of this research, I would be very grateful if you could get in contact with me. All information you share will be kept strictly anonymous.

Contact Kat, Katbanyard@yahoo.co.uk

Feel free to make your comments known here as well!

Charlotte

Zine Review: Pamflet IX

October 2008
Edited by Anna-Marie Fitzgerald and Phoebe Frangoul

The Pamflet crew @ the Women's Library Zinefest 09 (lifted from Pamflet's blog)

It is no secret that I totally love zines – and surprise zines are even better. Imagine then, my delight at receiving issue number 9 of Pamflet in my PO BOX!

Pamflet XI is a A5 zine, with a powder pink cover, put together by the hilarious Anna-Marie and Phoebe. This issue is dedicated to girl gangs (yay!) and features:

• MMORPG girls “Quake is well know form its hyper macho imagery of big guns, small heads and smack talk”
• why modern drag queens are disappointing “placid, tame and un-rebellious”
• why dandys suck
• Grazia gripes & isms, including “their stoic dedication to the epic crapness which is gossip girl”
• American apparel sexism
• my favourite feminists
• beth ditto love
• reviews (inc kamikaze girls – “makes you wanna join a girl gang”)
• the mitfords “the glorious girls are fascinating and repulsive in equal measure”
• jarvis cocker
• a short story about stand up and more besides.

The writing is funny, engaging and enthusiastic. There are lists (always super) photos of Pamflet shenanigans and brilliant original illustrations.

Need any more convincing? Vogue describes it as “Hogarthian (Ed. - eh?*) graphics and modern feminism.”

Pamflet have a blog http://pamfletzine.blogspot.com/ and a myspace http://myspace.com/pamflet Visit them to find out more.

* apparently Hogarth was an English artist noted for a series of engravings that satirized the affectations of his time. Well, then I agree.

Book review: Wetlands, Charlotte Roche

Translation by Tim Mohr
(Fourth Estate Ltd, 2009, 240 pages, RRP £12.99)

After reading about Charlotte Roche’s first book, Wetlands, all over the press, I was excited to receive a review copy and see if it lived up to all of the hype.

They’re right, it is pretty of gross, but I liked it.

Wetlands is written in the style of an internal monologue of the thoughts and actions of the main character, Helen, as she lies in pain in hospital after an operation.

From her hospital bed Helen plots ways to reunite her divorced parents, relives past sexual encounters and revels in her personal mission to spread bacteria ( such as by leaving used tampons in prominent places).

My stomach turned at descriptions of her saving dirt, smeg and crust under her fingernails for a ‘tasty snack later’, drinking a mixture of her and her friends vomit so as not to waste the undigested drugs floating in it, and wiping her pussy around public toilet seats.

I laughed at the ridiculous situations Helen gets herself into; like accidentally tipping a glass of water over herself while trying to masturbate when she ends up stuck on the floor of her hospital room, and her forthright style in persuading her male nurse to photograph her arsehole so she can see the wound.

A lot of what’s been said about Roche (a self proclaimed feminist), and her book Wetlands, has centred around whether it is feminist fiction or not. While I don’t think fiction has to be feminist to contain things of interest to feminists, Wetlands could well fall under the category of feminist fiction.

Roche has created a female lead that is likeable and funny, flawed and idiosyncratic. She manages to win you over because of, not despite of, the gross stuff that could come over as a gimmicky distraction in the wrong hands.

The internal monologue gives Roche the freedom to convey the inner thoughts behind the different ways Helen chooses to present herself to the world, and why.

There are some fairly anti-feminist moments; Helen causes the wound that lands her in hospital when shaving her arse, is un-sisterly to the female nurses in the hospital, almost kills herself while trying to reopen her wound, and ultimately relies on a man to help her out of her situation.

On the other hand, Helen speaks about female sexuality in a way that is rarely heard, nevermind in such talked about mainstream fiction. Throughout the novel Helen repeatedly talks about how she wants to look after herself and be independent, and almost everything she thinks and does flies against the popular myth of what it means to be a woman and be feminine.

Would this book be as infamous if it wasn’t written by a high profile German celebrity? Probably not. Is it ground breaking? No. But it is an easy, page turner of a read, with a lead female who doesn’t conform to mainstream ideas of femininity and a great mixture of the gross and erotic.

Charlotte Roche - Wetlands

Today's Guardian Weekend supplement featured a piece on Charlotte Roche, author of the not-yet-published-in-the-UK Wetlands Roche, herself, is a feminist but her book, with it's lead character's lack of personal hygiene, explicit masturbation and fascination with the body, seems to be arousing much debate (see also: The Telegraph) as to whether it is feminist work or just pure smut.

The book will be released in the UK on the 5th Feb. 2009.


Laura W.

Update 4/2/09 - you can read Gill's review of Wetlands on the blog.

Ladyfest Goldsmiths: Women, Words, Music and Fun

Ladies of London, or those with the taste for taking the train there, Goldsmiths Student's Union are hosting the first event of the Ladyfest Calandar 2009.

The events announced so far are as follows:

MUSIC FROM:
Das Wanderlust
Kasms
An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump
We Rock Like Girls Don't
November Fleet
The Lovely Eggs
The Bobby McGees
Helen McCookery Book
Vulgarians
+ more to be confirmed.


PERFORMANCE FROM:
Dockers MC
Sophie Parkin


COMEDY FROM:
Rosie Wilby

TALKS:
Women in Music Journalism - Frances Morgan, Plan B magazine
Women in art, NOW (title to be adapted) - Various


WORKSHOPS:
Make your Own Zine
Guitar Playing

The event is open to all, and with plenty of room for more acts and ideas I would highly recommend emailing h.bott@gold.ac.uk or wandering over to the facebook group and offering to get involved.

Tickets are available from www.wegottickets.com

All inclusive ticket: £7/£6 concession
Evening only ticket: £5/£4 concession

Charlotte Cooper