Friday, September 19, 2008

sister shuffle

We're playing on Wednesday at the Union
here's some lyrics:

IT'S NOT ON TV

Act Up, Annie Lenox, Audre Lorde, Androgyny,
Annie Sprinkle, Cherie Moraga, Cyper and the Snow, Cell 16,
The Dyke March, Daniela, Discrimination Documentation Project,
Guerilla Girls, Gertrude Stein, Gay Liberation

We won't take for granted everything you organized and fought for
Don't you take us for granted
We will fight, we will fight, we will fight!

Harvey Milk, HotHead Piason, Indigo Girls, Amy Rae,
Joan Jet, James Baldwin, Jacks of Color, OK!
Kate Millet, Lesbian Avengers, Names Quilt Project Fed Up Queers
Ruby Fruit Jungle, Radical Cheerleaders, Snarla, Riot Grrrrl

We won't take for granted everything you organized and fought for
Don't you take us for granted
We will fight, we will fight, we will fight!

Sarah Schulman, Street Trans Action Revolutionaries,
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Stonewall, Silvia
Sex Panic! The Gay 90's! Sister Spit! Wilie and Joe!

Without you, I'd be invisible. Without you, I'd be dead.

GENERATION 5

tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me
We can trust eachother now
tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me
My arms around you dear
tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me
Your deepest secrets scared
tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me
There's nothing here to fear

There were days of murderous rage
I tried to plug your ears
There were nights I knew nothing about
I couldn't protect you
I couldn't protect you
Like no one protected me

I want revenge! someday, someway.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

abortion doulas

this is a link to a really interesting article about abortion doulas. click here for link

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

november events

My band Sister Shuffle is going on a mini tour in November plus I'm doing a speaking thing in New Paltz NY, and am trying to get another student group to sponsor me to speak somewhere to make some money on the way - like in Providence RI or Philadelphia or Boston. (so if you're in a student group that's got funding and wants to spend some of it - I can do a talk on feminism/ breaking silence/ zines and self-education.

Here's the tenative schedule:
November
Tuesday 11 - Pittsburgh. Geoffs back porch
Wed 12 - Baltimore
Thurs 13 New Paltz (speaking and band)
Friday 14 Brooklyn (the fort)
Saturday 15 Boston (zine library)
Sunday 16 Providence RI (AS211 or something like that)
Monday 17 Brattleboro VT

call for submission - zine on loss, grief, families, survival

I got this call for submission + am going to write for it, and thought you might want to too.

we're golden
a zine about loss, grief, families, and survival


on november 15, 2007, my father committed suicide. at the time, my family was in the midst of declaring bankruptcy, our house was going into foreclosure, and i had been out of school for three months because my parents couldn't afford the private school education we had decided on a year before. my father had attempted suicide in august, but failed the first time. i guess the second time we failed him.

we're golden is a documentation of my first year of grief. month by month. tear by tear. memory by memory. dedicated to my beautiful father and friend, john "two", in hopes that his life, and the life i've started to muddle through without him, can bring comfort, change, and perhaps even support as you grapple through your own stories of heartache, loss, or struggle.

pain, along with grief, is extremely individual. and for that purpose, i'm requesting submissions for we're golden from those who would like to share their own insights or stories on matters pertaining, but not limited to: suicide, death, families, bereavement, illness, financial burdens, friendship, therapy, education, the idea of "home", ...

what was your friend's memorial service like? what was it like to move out of your childhood home? what helped you through your grandparent's illness? what did your friend's do when your mother got sick? what helped? what didn't help? what could you do to help your friend through their depression? how did you support yourself through school? after school? when did you finally decide to seek help with bereavement? when did you realize that therapy was/wasn't helping? what band, author, person, movie, helped you through your grief?

every one of you has a story to tell. maybe you've told it before, maybe you tried to but couldn't, maybe you could barely make sense of the story yourself. but now i'm asking you to tell your story or remember a person you've lost in whatever way you like. the ultimate goal of this zine is to bring beauty and aid out of the pain we've felt; to remember the fights and the people; to make sense of our stories, and to help you make sense of yours.

what's really helped me through my grief is being able to talk about my dad - sharing my memories of the 19 years i got to spend with him, and ultimately, talking through what went wrong. it's painful and sad of course, but what's kept me sane is hearing other people's stories. being reminded that people before me have survived their ordeals or are still in the midst of their battles. knowing that our fragile selves have been tested and maybe, if you've found peace, i can too.

the release date will be january 15, 2009, which would have been my father's 59th birthday. i'm hoping to have each chapter be one month of the year and to have an outside submission in between each month. it's going to be a bit massive, yes, and very ambitious, but i think the end result will be something really important and meaningful, and i hope most of all helpful. submissions could be in whatever form you choose: story, poem, song, photograph, artwork, even a golden piece of advice or lesson learned, etc. the more variety, the better. please feel free to submit anonymously as well. any help, guidance, suggestions or support are of course encouraged and appreciated.

i haven't decided on a deadline, but i'd say december 1st is a safe date. you can email me at gmereg at gmail. real mail is great too! you can send me stuff at
43 hathaway road
bronxville, ny 10708


thanks for listening and happy september
love, grace

call for submission - zine on Physical Illness

This was sent to me by a friend of a friend. (it's not me putting it together, but it looks like a really great project!)

Call for Submissions on Physical Illness

I am currently seeking submissions for a zine/pamphlet on physical
illness. This project aims to give voice to the experiences of people
living with illness, serve as a resource for those who are diagnosed
with illness, and further the dialogue around issues related to support
and illness. While I am principally seeking submissions from those who have experienced or are currently living with a serious physical health problem, I am also very interested in submissions from those who have indirectly experienced illness: caregivers, community members, partners, family members, etc.

Some possible topics include:
Personal narratives of living with illness • Illness and support within left /
radical / DIY scenes • Intersections of race / gender / sexuality / class / culture and illness • Experiences with doctors, hospitals and treatments • Body image / identity and illness • Disempowerment / empowerment of illness • Mental health and physical illness • Suggestions for navigating the world of being a ‘patient’ • The experiences of being a caregiver • Suggestions for providing support to someone living with illness • Creating and sustaining community support networks • How life changes after a diagnosis • Living with multiple diagnoses • Illness as taboo •
Insurance • The financial burden of illness • Sex and illness • Illness and creativity • Illness and isolation • The invisibility of illness

The deadline for submissions is December 30, 2008.

Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas:
illnesszine@gmail.com

Spread the word!