MSRRT Newsletter's alternative news, views, and resource listings were sent via snail mail to members of the Minnesota Library Association Social Responsibilities Round Table (MSRRT). Others subscribed by making a donation ($15 suggested) payable to MLA/MSRRT. Editors: Chris Dodge and Jan DeSirey.
A book about Alcatraz Prison was recently issued in the Children's Press Cornerstones of Freedom series. No lie. O Alcatraz, that shining monument to human liberty in San Francisco Bay. Unhappily, this phony concept of freedom seems on the rise. Urban politicians and business owners across North America seek "freedom" from panhandlers and unsightly encampments of homeless people. Consumers are "free" to select from over thirty toothpaste varieties. Cable TV subscribers may watch programs on 64 channels or more. Alienated and depressed people are "free" to choose between Prozac, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin. "More important than any single drug is the how of life; that is, how true one can get it to who it is one is," writes one MSRRT correspondent, and we agree. What about the freedom for self-actualization for all, homeless and middle class alike? The liberty to express oneself candidly without recrimination? Fear, complacency, economic reality, and intimidation rule. (The number of prisoners in the U.S. has doubled in the past decade to 2,000,000.) A powerful book about being true to oneself despite outside pressures is recommended reading for these repressive times.
Hal D. Sears' The sex radicals: free love in high Victorian America (Regents Press of Kansas, 1977) illuminates a hidden history of 19th century freethinkers, sex education advocates, feminists, and free speech devotees. Foremost among these were Kansas anarchist Moses Harman (editor of Lucifer, the Light Bearer), imprisoned for daring to publish a letter about marital rape (the word "penis" was deemed obscene); Harman's daughter Lillian (jailed for over six months for marrying without sanction of church or state); and Ezra and Angela Heywood, editors of The Word. The latter were hounded in Boston by full-time censorship activist Anthony Comstock. Sears writes that Comstock "felt that a direct link existed between the sight of a naked human body and the degradation of the viewer." Comstock never explained, says Sears, "how he himself escaped such degradation, even though he probably viewed more 'evil' than most professional lechers were able to see. He allowed himself to sit through whole performances before making arrests, such as 'Busy Fleas,' which was enacted for him in 1878 by unwary prostitutes. On an 1881 occasion, a Philadelphia paper reported, he paid $14.50 for a specially ordered undressing act by three prostitutes; they performed for Comstock for one hour and twenty minutes before he arrested them."
The so-called Comstock Act (Postal Act of 1873) criminalized the mailing of "obscene," "lewd," "and "lascivious" materials. In response, some radicals backed down (Liberty editor Ben Tucker, for one) while a few remained fearless. Besides Moses Harman (about whom Voltairine de Cleyre wrote in her essay "Sex Slavery"), there was Lois Nichols Waisbrooker. Sears writes that during 1891-92, as Harman moved in and out of prison, "the sixty-six-year-old woman served as editor of Lucifer [and] succeeded in getting the journal barred from the mails for pointing up the contradictions in the Horse Penis Affair." Urging readers to compare, Waisbrooker published an explicit excerpt from a Department of Agriculture horse veterinary pamphlet along with the passage from the letter which caused Moses Harman's imprisonment. A phrase that applies here, "speaking the truth to power," is a motto for those who love true freedom today. Waiting in distant outposts and hidden nearby, gumption and courage smolder deeply. It's time to fan the coals again.
By Karen Elliott
Creativity is prized only if it will get you future employment.
Working in teams is good. Autonomy is bad.
Never assist your classmates with homework assignments if you are not specifically told to work in groups.
Looking in two or three sources is not enough to sufficiently answer a reference question. Trying at least two print sources, two websites, and perhaps a Dialog search is ideal.
Sucking up really does get you somewhere.
Libraries are never about politics. Libraries are always about politics.
Taking a business administration approach to librarianship is to be desired.
All intelligent and talented librarians invariably wind up working in the private sector, as well they should.
If you feel like you're in an MBA program instead of an MLS program, it must be a good school.
"Librarian" might be a dirty word. Use "information professional" to be on the safe side.
If you don't want to learn programming or how to implement databases, you have no ambition.
If you don't want to go into administration, you have no ambition.
Reference librarians answer over 50% of reference questions incorrectly because they didn't go to our school.
All good reference librarians want to become information brokers or information consultants.
All good catalogers want to catalog Internet sources and nothing else. They should also be experts in SGML and metadata, otherwise they are not to be taken seriously.
Outsourcing the cataloging of all printed materials is a good idea.
Children's librarians are masochists. Nobody understands them and nobody wants to.
Anyone without an MLS who calls herself a librarian has delusions of grandeur.
Taking yourself and your chosen profession less than seriously is verboten.
Distinguish yourself only by scholastic achievements and not by personality traits.
Collection development is all about balancing budgets and dealing with vendors. No intellectual activity should be required.
Filtering the Internet is bad unless: a) it's the children's section, or b) your library board wants it.
While corporate librarianship is ideal, academic librarianship can also be acceptable if it is in an ACRL institution and you are tenure-track faculty.
Political activism isn't allowed at work. Unless you win.
If you can't quote Ranganathan's five laws of library science verbatim, you suck.
Don't wonder (aloud) why the techies in your department aren't in computer science degree programs.
Don't expect any of your professors to have worked in an actual library any time in the past 20 years.
Don't expect any of your professors to have worked in an actual library any time ever.
"Selfish Slaves of Zines & Animation," an exhibition held February 1998 in Toronto, is documented in a mini catalog which includes reviews of about three dozen Canadian zines. (A Space Gallery, 110-401 Richmond St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V 3A8, 416-979-9633, FAX: 416-979-9683, http://www.interlog.com/~aspace).
72 Signs You Are Doing a Zine is a collaborative (and self-referential) mini-zine from Davida Gypsy Breier. Available for a 55-cent stamp, trade, cash, or "something fun." (P.O. Box 963, Havre de Grace, MD 21078-0963).
The Whizzbanger Guide to Zine Distributors #3 (1999) features "self-description of 200+ distros from around the world." Thirty pages of tiny print, contact data, and details, it's available for three dollars from: Shannon Colebank, P.O. Box 5591, Portland, OR 97228.
Zine Guide #2 (Winter/Spring 1999), from the publishers of Tail Spins, is nearly twice the size as the first edition, with 188 pages of zine listings, survey results, indices, and--perhaps most interestingly--questions and answers from longtime zine editors about how and why they got started. (Box 5467, Evanston, IL 60204, 847-424-9910, FAX: 847-424-9978; $6 payable to Tail Spins; $18/4 issues).
ADAM PURPLE (artist, gardener, squatter, human)
ADVISORY SERVICE FOR SQUATTERS
ALTERNATIVE PUBLICATIONS (Rory Litwin's page of links and commentary)
AMERICAN INDIAN SPORT TEAM MASCOTS ("Activist Resources and Archives")
HOTHEAD PAISAN ("Homicidal lesbian terrorist")
INFOSHOPS NETWORK (resources by and for "autonomous centres, infoshops, free cafes, reading rooms, etc.")
NATIONAL LAW CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY (includes material on homeless people's rights)
RESOURCES FOR INDEPENDENT THINKING (distributor of books & tapes for critical thinkers, skeptics, anarchists, libertarians, feminists, and humanists)
SUNSHINE FOR WOMEN ("The place on the internet for women and men who love women"--articles, bibliographies, and links)
WOMEN'S PRESSES LIBRARY PROJECT (coalition of women-owned indie publishers)
Psychotropedia: a guide to publications on the fringe. By Russ Kick. Headpress, 1998. 574p. Staggering. In his book Outposts (Carroll & Graf, 1995), Russ Kick reviewed hundreds of books, videos, zines, and comics approaching and going beyond the pale. Focusing on printed material this time, Psychotropedia contains over one thousand full-fledged reviews of taboo, titillating, disturbing, radical, intriguing, weird, disgusting, and dangerous books and magazines. How one person could read, digest, and coherently review so much is amazing in itself. Here descriptions of tomes on cult religions and sexual fetish magazines bump up against collections of transgressive art, psychoactive drug use manuals, Holocaust revisionism, and guides to dirty tricks. Arranged roughly by topic, Kick's reviews examine "the unusual, the unorthodox, the overlooked, and the controversial," meaning everything from body modification and sabotage to Luddism, conspiracy theories, civil rights, and forgotten history. Since most of these publications are from small or specialty publishers, Kick usefully includes an appendix listing complete contact data for all. Indexed by title (subject would have been ideal), this book ought to be used widely by selection librarians, as well as added to library collections to let users know what they've been missing. (Creative Forces, Inc., 370 S. Lowe Ave., #A-311, Cookeville, TN 38501; $27, paper, 1-900486-03-2; http://www.mindpollen.com).
Split-level dykes to watch out for. By Alison Bechdel. Firebrand, 1998 126p. Alison Bechdel has done it again with her eighth "Dykes to Watch Out For" cartoon collection. As soon as I got my hands on this book, I flipped to the new section which has not been serialized in publications running the strip. Even though I had Christmas gifts to buy, dishes to wash, a house to clean, and a baby-sitting engagement to face in a few hours, I could not put the book down until I discovered the latest twists and turns in each character's life. Suddenly, I was literally yelling and laughing aloud at these women I think of as far away friends. Later, I read all of the installments in the book, even though I had encountered them before in various newspapers. The beauty of Bechdel's characters is their humanity. I honestly feel as if I know these women. I am hooked on their stories, interested in their lives. Bechdel's art work continues to improve, and tiny but clever details like a sunscreen bottle labeled "SPF 6000" and a box of books marked "Cleavage Press" continue to delight. Messages about serious topics such as corporate dominance, gay marriage, and depression are not delivered heavyhandedly, but with a dose of humor. This book is a testament to the wit, talent, and creativity of Alison Bechdel. (141 The Commons, Ithaca, NY 14850; $10.95, paper, 1-56341-102-4; http://www.firebrandbooks.com). -Chantel C. Guidry
Assume nothing. By Leanne Franson. Slab-O-Concrete Publications, 1997. unpaged. A spiritual cousin in Quebec to Alison "Dykes to Watch Out For" Bechdel, Leanne Franson has been self-publishing her own "semi-autobiographical" Liliane mini-comics for years. Following the "evolution of a bi-dyke," this anthology focuses on young Montreal artist Liliane, in anecdotal tales which are yearning, sweet, smart, and slightly self-deprecating. This collection contains stories about being bisexual, coping with crushes on evasive women, surviving masseuse work hell, and dealing with a desire to bear a child. There's even a slightly ghoulish tale of finding--and keeping--a chunk of human skin. Highly recommended. (P.O. Box 148, Hove, BN3 3DQ, UK; $10, paper, 1-899866-04-3).
A woman determined. By Jean Swallow. Spinsters Ink, 1998. 206p. A woman determined is a novel exploring relationships and responsibility. Its chapters alternate between two points of view, that of a lesbian activist injured in a tragic accident and the female lawyer (also a lesbian) who takes her case. As both women recall the time between the accident and a settlement, the reader learns about each character's personality. Fleshed out and real, these are authentic women with good points and faults. The events of the plot are detailed slowly; the author does not seem to be in a rush to finish her tale. Further, there is no "truth" handed down here, but rather an object lesson that there is no one reality and that individual personality and circumstance shape perception. In addition to being an interesting story and a good read, this book questions what people within a community owe each other, and what accountability individuals have to one another. The reader will contemplate such ideas long after reading the final sentence. (32 E. 1st St., #330, Duluth, MN 55802-2002, 218-727-3222; $10.95, paper, 1-883523-28-1; http://www.spinsters-ink.com). -Chantel C. Guidry
San Francisco Bay Area murals: communities create their muses, 1904-1997. By Timothy W. Drescher. Expanded 3rd ed. Pogo Press, 1998. 160p. Both history and guidebook, this new edition importantly documents the constantly changing murals of San Francisco. Photos, many in vibrant color, demonstrate the murals' range from elaborate trompe l'oeil to graffiti pieces, from political works to site specific art. Subject to the elements and the vicissitudes of business owners and developers, murals are ephemeral. While the paint peels on some, others are covered or destroyed. Happily, a "Murals in the Nineties" update indicates that more works are being restored than in the past. New to this edition is a section on the murals of the Peninsula (San Mateo, Palo Alto, et al). One quibble: the numbering system carried over from previous editions makes new entries difficult to locate. Since arrangement is by neighborhoods and regions, this makes for such confusing number sequences as 711, 712, 528, 586, 529, 530, 531, 713. Still, this unique and significant book deserves attention. (4 Cardinal Lane, St. Paul, MN 55127, 612-483-4692, pogopress@minn.net; $19.95, paper, 1-880654-13-X).
Sugar land. By Joni Rodgers. Spinsters Ink, 1999. 342p. It isn't often that the same book can make me break down in sobs and burst into raucous laughter. Sugar land brought out both of these intense emotions. This story of two adult sisters dealing with marriage, motherhood, and cheatin' hearts is a long way from my single woman reality, but after reading only a few pages I felt invested in their lives. As with the best novels, this one has vivid well-developed characters complete with weaknesses as well as virtues. They love and hate, feud and reconcile, laugh and cry, wound and heal. Often when a character seems understandable, a new twist on the individual's past or personality is revealed and all assumptions must be abandoned. Joni Rodgers' use of language captures the richness of southern thinking and speaking without relying on caricature or stereotype. Unfortunately, her plot is sometimes implausible. (For example, most battered women are not as fortunate as the protagonist whose abusive husband is whisked away by a tornado.) These few faults are easily forgivable because the book is otherwise so darn good. The greatest strength of Sugar land may be its accessibility to women who do not consider themselves feminists. While she shows normal women facing adversities and finding their strength and power, Rodgers never resorts to preaching or rhetoric. These characters may not know feminist theory, but by the end of the story they are liberated in their actions and provide readers with models for their own change and empowerment. This work is more than an escape into other people's realities, not just a soap opera designed to make readers more content with their own existence. It inspires hope that we can alter our lives in positive ways. (32 E. 1st St., #330, Duluth, MN 55802-2002, 218-727-3222; $12, paper, 1-883523-32-X; http://www.spinsters-ink.com). -Chantel C. Guidry
Taylor's Campaign (Video). Raindog Films, 1997. This feature-length documentary on homelessness both humanizes the problem and confronts the political impediments which keep it in place. Focusing specifically on Santa Monica, California, and an articulate community of homeless people there who are systematically harassed by police and leveraged by politicians, it also follows Ron Taylor's run for city council, a campaign on which the former truck driver spent $333. Not just a sad story about the criminalization of poor people constantly forced to move from one place to another, and not simply an ennobling picture in which homeless people are revealed to be humans with character, dignity, and intelligence, "Taylor's Campaign" is a critique of the system under which homelessness is institutionalized. Ron Taylor was not elected and he has subsequently given up hope of change taking place governmentally. While it doesn't address housing, the Just Us food distribution program shown in the film provides, like the Food Not Bombs movement, one model of how to operate from outside. (P.O. Box 1012, Venice, CA 90291, 310-395-3549, http://www.richardcohenfilms.com; $39 individual/public libraries, $99 other institutions, plus $6 shipping).
Against civilization: readings and reflections. Edited by John Zerzan. Uncivilized Books, 1999. 215p. Alienation, domination, and dehumanization. Alarm clocks, dependence, and denial. Are these the price paid for "progress"? This anthology of excerpts, short essays, "critiques of civilization," and calls for resistance, represents writers from Rousseau, Thoreau, and William Morris to Theodore Roszak, Kirkpatrick Sale, and other contemporary "rebels against the future." Recommended, especially for teachers, discussion groups, and reading clubs for whom the format seems ideal. (P.O. Box 11331, Eugene, OR 97440; $9.95, paper, 0-9667758-0-5).
Beaver Dam Rocking Chair Marathon (fragments of a lost text): stories and poems. By Ron Whitehead. Illustrations by Sean Mount. Tilt-A-Whirl Press, 1998. 92p. Yes, there really is a Beaver Dam, Kentucky (population 2904, according to the last census) and photographic evidence suggests that Ron Whitehead not only participated in, but won a rocking chair marathon there in his youth. Still, that event is but a hook on which to hang a larger story about growing up in "the land of Coal." The poems here don't waste words, evoking a landscape dotted with blackbirds and TVA smokestacks, but the stories are more compelling, full of lively images. A family fishes for chickens through a trapdoor in their living room; an allergic uncle covers his nostrils with tape; a father manipulates heavy machinery with the dexterity of a surgeon. It seems Whitehead's still rocking. (635 Sawridge West, Monterey, KY 40359; $10, paper, 0-9663772-0-6; http://www.summersault.com/tilt-a-whirl).
The history of the world according to Jack T. Chick. By Robert B. Fowler. R. Fowler, 1997. various pagings. Promulgating a crackpot born-again Christian theology via mini-comics, Jack T. Chick has flooded the world with his distinctive tracts. These publications rail against other religions and sects (including Catholicism), decry "queerness," lambaste rock music, and warn direly against the hazards of drug and alcohol abuse. Translated into more than sixty languages besides English, they target the miserable and desperate, with an appeal that is direct and simple, if somewhat mystical. Fowler's book is the first exhaustive study of these ubiquitous "hardcore fundamentalist" tracts. It relentlessly annotates contents, examines recurring themes, and lists parodies, articles, and other references. It also contains quotations and a thesaurus, and even depicts over 40 tract format variations over the years. (354 Caliente Circle, San Leandro, CA 94578, 510-614-8704; $10, paper).
Curbside. By Rob Kirby. Hobnob Press, 1998. unpaged. This compilation of the best of Robert Kirby's autobiographical "Curbside" comic strips from 1991-1996, first serialized in the gay press, is an amusing look at gay relationships and Rob's move from Minneapolis to the Big Apple. Fun for insiders (look for the references to comic artist peers Jen Camper, Alison Bechdel, Diane DiMassa, and Howard Cruse), it's honest and playful, whether dealing with sexuality or the simple events of a day spent out and about in the city. (Box 2368, Times Square Station, New York, NY 10108, 212-388-1649, curside1@juno.com; $8, paper, 0-9663241-0-2; http://www.comicazee.com/cartoonist.asp?id=1).
Inspector 18 is a zine produced by the news editor of Zine World, Michael Jackman. The Winter 1998/99 issue (#5) includes a fairly detailed account of working at Blackout Books in New York (especially about dealing with an eccentric street woman who "always comes in and praises Stalin"), firsthand reporting about urban homesteading (remodeling shared living space in an old garage in Brooklyn), a rant--and related correspondence--about a zine festival which featured mostly "shoestring venture capitalists trying to profit from the small press," and a "bad job" tale about working in a pool hall. (P.O. Box 3663, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163-3663; $2/issue).
Public Enema is a zine which has been published for at least eight years (issue #3 was reviewed in the first Seth Friedman edition of Factsheet Five in 1991) and represents its peripatetic editor Skot!'s obsessions: "anti-politics, alternative forms of travel, drugs, musick, good literature, radical history, subversive lifestyles + cultures which go beyond the close-minded limits of Amerika." The Summer 1998 issue (#14) includes stories about bus trips (and sexual harassment on the road), a rant against living only to survive ("Survival--the vampire sucking the life energy from revolt"), a letter from someone squatting in seaside caves in Andalusia, and an account of how New Orleans' Treme neighborhood was bulldozed to construct an elevated highway. There's a report from The Match! criticizing library weeding policies, a letter from the editor of Bamboo Girl (partly about the use of the word "exotic"), and even a grassroots call to boycott the National Civil Rights Museum. Brackin's Nipples and Bits #1 is included as an insert, a zine especially interesting for its Mississippi civil rights history. (25686 Nugget, El Toro, CA 92630; $2).
Prozac & Cornflakes is a zine which has regularly covered its editor's experiences with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, while branching widely into other topics and including material by other contributors. The 32-page issue #6 contains questions and answers about neuroses, dreams, and Freud; contact data for the Obsessive Compulsive & Anxiety Information Center; writings by zine editors Corina Fastwolf (Sugar Needle) and Davida Breier (Slow Leek); a report on an experiment with Twinkies; and postcard catalog reviews. (Kez Panel, P.O. Box 589, Moon, PA 15108-0589; $2/copy).
Fight Back! ("News and views from the people's struggle") is a new tabloid intended to cover "key battles facing working and low-income people in Minnesota, Central Wisconsin, and Chicago." Some of the staff putting out the paper "are members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization." The 8-page Summer 1998 initial issue included a report on a poor people's protest at the Minnesota State Capitol, an article by two members of an aid delegation to Iraq, material on organizing against police brutality in Chicago, and coverage of the pro-democracy movement within the Teamsters. The Fall 1998 edition featured a report on the Black Radical Congress held last June in Chicago, coverage of welfare rights activism and a march protesting INS policy in Minnesota, and a call to protest at the School of the Americas, while the Winter 1999 issue contains commentary on the Minnesota gubernatorial election. (P.O. Box 582564, Minneapolis, MN 55440; $5 individual, $25 institutional).
By What Authority is a new publication of the Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy, a nonprofit project of the Council on International and Public Affairs. Questioning "the proper role of giant corporations in a democracy," the 8-page Fall 1998 initial issue contains an essay ("Sheep in wolf's clothing") about the history of regulatory agencies, as well as an excerpt from an address by Greg Coleridge, director of the Economic Justice and Empowerment Program, Northeast Ohio Office, American Friends Service Committee. (P.O. Box 246, Yarmouth, MA 02664-0246, 508-398-1145, FAX: 508-398-1552; $30 contribution; http://www.poclad.org).
Middle East Children's Alliance News is the publication of a nonprofit devoted to the rights of children living in the Middle East. The 8-page Winter 1998 issue contains a report on a medical delegation to Iraq, material about diversion of water from Palestinian camps to Israeli settlements, and a brief article about the first of four "Playgrounds for Peace" parks, as well as photos from a trip to Palestine and Israel. (905 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510-548-0542, FAX: 510-548-0543; http://www.peacenet.org/meca).
Social Theory: A Bibliographic Series is a quarterly appearing in the same format--and from the same publishers--as Contemporary Social Issues. Recent editions have covered such individuals as Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Derrida, as well as such topics as ecofeminist theory. The 64-page issue #48 ("Queer theory: a bibliography") contains 685 unannotated bibliographic citations arranged by various categories, from lesbian theory, bisexuality, and transgenderism, to "testimonials." As with Contemporary Social Issues, sources cited include alternative presses. Especially notable: four pages of annotated web sites, from Mimi Nguyen's "Links to critical chicks" to "Welcome to InspirAsian!" (Reference and Research Services, 511 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060; ISSN: 0887-3577; $55/year, $15 each).
La Herencia del Norte ("Our past, present, our future") is a quarterly publication "dedicated to the preservation of the Hispanic culture of New Mexico." It focuses on personal history, with bilingual stories, photos, and poems from members of the community. Besides profiles of Latino ancestors, the 68-page Fall 1998 edition ("Volume XIX") includes thoughts on barbershop philosophy, commentary on the scrapping of a turntable and the advent of CDs, a brief essay on diacritics and pronunciation, and an article about the Festival del Oto-o (and giant effigy El Kookooee), as well as recipes and reviews. (P.O. Box 22576, Santa FE, NM 87502, 505-474-2800, FAX: 505-474-2828, http://www.herencia.com; ISSN: 1078-4322; $19.99).
Ella's Voice is the newsletter of the nonprofit Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a civil rights organization focusing on police accountability. The 16-page issue seen (dated 1998) includes commentary on the police use of pepper spray ("It's a lynch rope in a can"), an article about "the campaign to fire racist killer cop Marc Andaya," and regional reports from San Francisco and nearby communities. There is also contact data for allied organizations such as Berkeley Copwatch, news about the formation of New York PoliceWatch, and statistics based on complaints received about police abuse. (301 Mission St., #400, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-543-9444, FAX: 415-543-0296, http://www.ellabakercenter.org).
Arabian Gazette is a monthly bilingual Arab-American newspaper published in Minnesota since 1994. The 12-page January/February 1999 combined issue contains an article about the health hazards of depleted uranium (currently harming people--especially infants--in Iraq), a short guide for travelers to Jordan, and a simple Arabic language lesson, as well as ads for such local businesses as Sindbad's, a source not only of foodstuffs but also printed matter, Arabian music, and videos. (P.O. Box 3651, Minneapolis, MN 55403, 612-585-9185; $25, $75 for organizations).
Southeast Asian Outreach Newsletter is published quarterly by Resources for Child Caring as part of outreach efforts in providing Hmong parents and Hmong child care providers access to current child care information that specifically addresses their needs. The 8-page January 1998 issue (#4) contains material in both English and Hmong, including questions and answers about child care fee reimbursement and workshop listings. (450 North Syndicate St., Suite 5, St. Paul, MN 55104).
Women'space is a quarterly magazine promoting Internet accessibility and women's networking. The 34-page issue examined (v.4 #1, 1999) includes annotated lists of websites related to anti-poverty organizing, adoption, indigenous peoples, menstruation, feminist archives, and women's spirituality, as well as an article on "teleworking," book reviews (e.g., Wounded workers: the politics of musculoskeletal injuries), and info about discussion lists. Also: "Antiracism & the Internet: meanings & tools." (P.O. Box 1034, Almonte, Ontario, K0A 1A0, Canada, 613-256-5682, http://www.womenspace.ca; $17 individual, $27 institutional, $18/$28 in Canada; 1480-8536).
Ragedy Anne is a zine by young Canadian feminists who are not afraid to call it as they see it. Refreshingly free from automatic and simplistic thinking, each edition contains a thoughtful blend of interesting commentary, reviews, and poetry, with a special emphasis on media analysis. (The three issues examined all included astute criticism and comparisons of magazines for women and girls.) Another regular feature ("Side B") provides men's views on sex roles and sexism. The 28-page August 1998 edition (v.2 #5) contained a roundtable discussion on feminism along with a handy guide to its various flavors (e.g., liberal, socialist, radical, postmodern), as well as an article on women's struggles worldwide. The October 1998 issue focuses on women athletes and includes nine pointed questions about women and sports (e.g., "Why is Monica Seles chastised for grunting on the tennis court?") and an interview with college hockey player Laura Warner. Articulate and unpretentious, Ragedy Anne is highly recommended for young women and anyone concerned about helping them resist conformity. (S. Sanford, #303 10745-83 Ave. Edmonton, Alberta, T6E 2E5, Canada; $9.98; http://www.ualberta.ca/~ssanford).
C.U.N.T. (Chicks United for Non-noxious Transportation") is a zine with attitude, produced by and for women cyclists and bike messengers. The 22-page Winter 1998/99 issue #10 includes bike helmet hair tips, a satirical column on biking etiquette ("Ms. Manners-My-Ass"), an account of visiting Lebanon for the first time (by someone whose parents were born there), thoughts about "the choice to really be single and to keep on cyclin' in determining [one's] own path," and a report on the Cycle Messenger World Championship held in Washington D.C., as well as mini-essays on heroism and "gal pal power," thoughts on in-line skating ("Rollergrrl rant"), and an "oBIKEtuary." (86 Northcote Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M6J 3K3, Canada, ckatrib@ofdc.on.ca; $1/copy).
Maxine ("A literate companion for churlish girls and rakish women") is a magazine which has been published about once a year since its 1994 inception. The 52-page issue #4 focuses on "crime & punishment," with essays examining female violence ("Faster Pussycat: the politics of girl violence") and prostitution ("Dollars, sex, sense, rights"), an account of getting arrested as a suspected accomplice to a supposed bank robbery attempt, and one woman's experience with hostile mail after she published an article about prosecuting a flasher who had harassed her. Also: an interview with Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux, a piece by a young urban teacher ("Discipline 101"), cartoons, and reviews. (P.O. Box 408774, Chicago, IL 60640-8774; maxinechi@aol.com; $4).
Calyx ("A journal of art and literature by women") is published twice a year. A nonprofit endeavor, it is put together by a volunteer editorial collective. The 128-page issue examined (v.17 #3, 1998) contains poetry, stories, photos, artwork, and 15 pages of reviews. The writings range from Judith Arcana's memories of working with the Abortion Counseling Service of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union (a.k.a. "Jane") in the early 70s, to a translation from the work of Bolivian author Virginia Ally-n Soria. (P.O. Box B, Corvallis, OR 97339-0539, 541-753-9384, FAX: 541-753-0515; 3 issues/$19.50, $25 institutional; ISSN: 0147-1627).
The Razor Wire is published "6 times per year" by the November Coalition, an organization of "casualties of America's War on Drugs," both prisoners and their family members. The 24-page May/June 1998 edition (v.2 #2) includes prison statistics, coverage of opposition to mandatory minimum sentencing in England, info about an "elderly prisoner initiative," book reviews (e.g. The celling of America), and writings about prosecutorial discretion, asset forfeiture, botched drug raids, medical marijuana, and related issues. (795 S. Cedar, Colville, WA 99114, 509-684-1550, http://www.november.org).
Active for Justice is a tabloid published 10 times yearly by the nonprofit Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. Each issue contains substantial articles with focus ranging from regional to international, often--but not always--reprinted from other alternative periodicals and books. There are also letters, event listings, and an occasional review. The 8-page February 1998 edition (v. 19 #2) contains commentary by John Taylor Gatto on "education versus schooling," excerpts from books by Jonathan Kozol and Marian Wright Edelman, a report on the "forgotten" young adults of El Salvador, and news about the construction of radomes at Buckley Air National Guard Field. Another recent issue contained a scathing editorial on U.S. foreign policy ("America the Hun"), by English playwright Harold Pinter. (235 E. Fountain, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1329, 719-632-6189; $15).
The Farm Folk/City Folk Newsletter is published quarterly by a Vancouver-based nonprofit "working...for social justice & a sustainable food system." The 16-page Summer 1998 edition (#19) includes an article about a new agricultural patent which "will permit its owners and licensees to create sterile seeds by programming a plant's DNA to kill its own embryos" (this so-called Terminator Technology is now controlled by Monsanto), as well as questions and answers about genetic engineering, a report on a talk by Vandana Shiva ("Women, Life and the Planet"), and a review of The case against the global economy. Also: coverage of the International Forum on Food and Agriculture. (#208-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6K 4S2, 604-730-0450, FAX: 604-730-0451; $25 membership, $15 senior/low income; http://www.ffcf.bc.ca).
Peace Matters ("Working for peace without violence") is a quarterly magazine published by the Peace Pledge Union, "the oldest non-sectarian organisation in Britain." Free from cant and lazy thinking, the 20-page January 1998 edition (#20) contains statistics on civilian war deaths, material on child soldiers (and a move to establish a worldwide minimum age for military recruitment), and the second of two articles examining "the continuing reverberations of the Holocaust," as well as commentary on children and war toy ads, an essay on the meaning of citizenship, and coverage of a "Remembrance Day" white poppy campaign emphasizing peace education. (Peaceworks, 41b Brecknock Rd., London, N7 0BT, England; http://gn.apc.org/peacepledge; ISSN: 1350-3006).
The Highlands Voice is published monthly by the nonprofit West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. The 20-page July 1998 tabloid (v.31 #6) includes material on mountaintop removal coal mining (with an action alert and commentary on "corruption at the highest levels of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection"), an article on forest nutrient depletion, and a report on global warming (with web site listings), as well as news about environmental legislation, timber cutting issues, and a plan for less stringent smog standards in Virginia. (P.O. Box 306, Charleston, WV 25321; $15 membership, $12 student/senior; editorial: Bill Reed, 350 Bucks Branch, Beckley, WV 25801, 304-934-5828, http://www.wvhighlands.org).
Midwest Beer Notes is a bimonthly tabloid focusing on microbreweries, brewpubs, home brewing, and regional beers. Besides its economic implications (buy locally, support small businesses, do it yourself), what could be more socially responsible than learning more about what one is eating and drinking? The 24-page June/July 1998 issue contains info about a distance education program from the American Brewers Guild, "A brief history of brewing in Michigan," and a listing of upcoming home-brew competitions, as well as a review of Altbier: history, brewing techniques, recipes. The 20-page February/March 1999 edition (#39) includes a feature article on porters and profiles Roffey Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan. (P.O. Box 237, Ridgeland, WI 54763, 715-837-1120, FAX: 715-837-1636, beernote@realbeer.com; $12.95; http://realbeer.com/beernotes).
Hard Hat Construction Magazine is a quarterly publication of the nonprofit Center for Practical Education. The 37-page Summer 1998 edition (v.5 #3) includes an article about negotiations between unions and the owners of Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, news about labor racketeering in New York under the banner of civil rights, and an interview with the top "in-house" lawyer of the Laborers International Union of North America. Also: a veteran woman laborer's advice to women construction workers and seven pages of job listings. (P.O. Box 40668, San Francisco, CA 8468, 415-621-8468, FAX: 415-648-9062, hardhat@infinex.com; $25 institutional; $12 individual).
Don't Fuck With My Cat is a zine of personal writings composed using tagger-style handwriting. The first issue included a great piece about "getting over my homophobia," as well as writing about how to "stick up for your homies" without "fighting their battles for them," comments on the psychological high of "bombing" (completing a graffiti piece in about four minutes), anti-cop and anti-"Bible thumper" rants, and a page of photos of the editor's kitten "and his moms." Issues #2 and 3 include more commentary on graffiti, homophobia, racism, and crappy jobs, but also an open exchange of letters with the editor of a Christian fanzine and an account about rescuing a stray kitten. (Joe F.M., c/o P.O. Box 80239, Minneapolis, MN 55408).
We Dare Be Free is a strident newsprint tabloid issued by "New England Anarchist Agitation for International Social Revolution." Begun in 1998, three issues appeared during the year, containing a mixture of news (both regional and international) and texts by such anarchist writers as Errico Malatesta, Mikhail Bakunin, and Alexander Berkman. The 24-page third issue reports on a Victory Gardens project based in Maine and a protest against prisoner deaths in Massachusetts, calls for "a radical queer liberation movement," provides updates on the Mumia Abu-Jamal case, and lists New England infoshops, Food Not Bombs groups, IWW chapters, and anarchist organizations. (P.O. Box 390085, Cambridge, MA 02139; $1/copy).
Big Questions is a zine of nicely understated comics by Anders Nilsen, most of which feature talking birds. These are gently philosophical and deal with relationships, self-expression, and seed-eating. In comparison, a story involving two humans is less effective, while geometrical drawings make up the rest of this publication. Will there be a Big Questions #2? If so, we hope for more stories such as "Seeds." (Anders Nilsen, 4323 Pleasant Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55409).
Mizna is a new magazine of "opinion, poetry, short stories, essays and art by Arab Americans," intended for quarterly publication. The 28-page Winter 1999 initial issue features mostly contributions by Minnesota writers, including Joanna Kadi, Mizna co-editors Kathryn Haddad and Saleh Abudayyeh, and Mohammed Almosa. As a result, one emergent theme is that of being somewhat estranged in a cold land, while holding fast to mental images of deserts, figs, and warm sun. The name Mizna means "soothing cloud that shades the desert traveler." (P.O. Box 14294, Minneapolis, MN 55414, MiznaInc@hotmail.com).
The ACTivist (MSRRT Newsletter, Apr 89), bimonthly publication of ACT for Disarmament, has new contact data: 148 Kerr St., Oakville, Ontario L6K 3A7, Canada, 905-849-5501.
Alternative Press Review (MSRRT Newsletter, Sep 93) has a new address: P.O. Box 4710, Arlington, VA 22204.
Fucktooth (MSRRT Newsletter, Jan/Feb 97) and editor Jen Angel have a new address: Box 353, Mentor, OH 44061.
Ink Reader (MSRRT Newsletter, Jul/Aug 98) and the Independent Press Association have new contact data: 2390 Mission St., Suite 201, San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-643-4401, FAX: 415-643-4402.
Kick it Over, the "social anarchist anti-authoritarian quarterly" (MSRRT Newsletter, Sep 88), is back after a 3-year hiatus, with issue #36 (Winter 1999). New contact data: P.O. Box 1836, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1H 1A1, FAX: 519-822-7089, mbernhar@uoguelph.ca
Marginal Distribution is a source of Canadian, British, and U.S. micro- and small press publications from Eyeball Books, Lickspittle Ventures, Pagan Press, Reality Street Editions, Blast Books, and other publishers. (277 George St. N, Unit 102, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 3G9, Canada, 705-745-2326, FAX: 705-745-2122, http://www.ptbo.igs.net/~marginal).
Asian American Writers' Workshop titles include Watermark: Vietnamese American poetry & prose and Black lightning: poetry-in-progress. (37 St. Mark's Pl. New York, NY 10003, 212-228-6718, FAX: 212-228-7718; http://www.panix.com/~aaww).
Autonomedia recent titles include The rotting goddess: the origin of the witch in classical antiquity's demonization of fertility religion and Dreamer of the day: Francis Parker Yockey and the postwar fascist international. (P.O. Box 568, Williamsburgh Station, Brooklyn, NY 11211-0568, 718-387-6471, FAX: 718-387-6471; http://www.autonomedia.org).
Freedom Press new titles: George Orwell at home (and among the anarchists) and Brian Martin's Information liberation: challenging the corruptions on information power. (84b Whitechapel High St., London, England, E1 7QX; http://www.tao.ca/~freedom).
Northland Poster Collective ("Art of the labor, peace & justice movements") is a fine source of union-related posters, T-shirts, stickers, and buttons. How about a child-size shirt for members of the "International Babyhood of Eaters, Soilers & Snugglers"? (P.O. Box 7096, Minneapolis, MN 55407, 1-800-627-3082; http://www.northlandposter.com).
New from Plain View Press: Up from the soles of our feet: a women's reader and In search of peace, the latter from the Association of Women of the Mediterranean Region. (P.O. Box 33311, Austin, TX 78764, 512-441-2452; http://www.eden.com/~sbpvp).
Fantasies of the master race: literature, cinema and the colonization of American Indians. By Ward Churchill. City Lights Books, 1998. 261p. Includes "Carlos Castaneda: the greatest hoax since Piltdown Man" and an essay on Tony Hillerman's detective stories. (261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133, 415-362-1901, FAX: 415-362-4921; $16.95, paper, 0-87286-348-4; http://www.citylights.com/CLpub.html).
No gods, no masters, book one. Edited by Daniel Guer'n. Translated by Paul Sharkey. AK Press, 1998. Cover subtitle: "An anthology of anarchism." Writings by and about Max Stirner, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Mikhail Bakunin, James Gillaume, and Peter Kropotkin. (P.O. Box 40682, San Francisco, CA 94140-0682, 415-864-0892, FAX: 415-864-0893, http://www.akpress.org; $16.95, paper, 1-873176-64-3).
Herotica 6: a new collection of women's erotica. Marcy Sheiner, editor. Down There Press, 1999. 240p. (938 Howard St., #101, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-974-8985, FAX: 415-974-8989; $12.50, paper, 0-940208-25-3; http://www.goodvibes.com/dtp/dtp.html).
DiY culture: party & protest in Nineties Britain. Edited by George McKay. Verso, 1998. 310p. Includes material on SQUALL magazine, video activism, anti-road politics, and rave culture. (180 Varick St., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10014, 212-807-9680; $19, paper, 1-85984-860-7).
Surrealist women: an international anthology. Edited with introductions by Penelope Rosemount. University of Texas Press, 1998. 516p. Writings and artwork by Claude Cahun, Suzanne CZ*saire, Frida Kahlo, Alice Rahon, Nora Mitrani, Luiza Neto Jorge, Jayne Cortez, Ricci Ducornet, and others. (P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713, 512-471-4032; $24.95, paper, 0-292-77088-X).
Return to the MSRRT Newsletter homepage