OITNB

It may come as no surprise to everyone and anyone who has asked in the library for a DVD recommendation that I LOVE Orange is the new Black. I've read the book twice... and as I don't have Netflix access have to wait out for the second series to be released here in OZ, but while waiting there's always something else to find....
Here's the Blog set up for the real Piper when she was incarcerated and Here's an article with the real Nora/Alex and there's a cookbook too! 
Happy stalking!!

Female pirates

I've written before about the time I got asked for help with finding info on female pirates and how I got all excited and Blah Blah Blah...

 

Well I found these two great pictures of Mary Read and Anne Bonny... both with their boobies out! Enjoy!!

Total Fan Girl Moment

Linda Jaivin has been one of my favourite authors since my ex-best friend told me about Rock and Roll Babes from Outer Space 15, 16, could it be 17? Years ago.

Last night Linda came to little old D’town.

I have theory in life that cheeky-ness gets you everywhere. People have been asking me how I organised it. I just asked her! I sent her some fan mail, told her if she wanted to we’d love to have an event with her and it grew from there! Very disappointed in the numbers, but considering all of the people who showed up had only heard of her through my ravings, and she won over everyone who was there and now has a bunch of new fans I’d call it a success. Yay!

Just thought I’d share my intro with you...

Hi my names Allison and I’m a librarian and I have a confession to make... I judge books by their covers. But it wasn’t a cover that brought me to Linda’s books, but the title. Over 15 years ago a friend told me about this book called “Rock and roll babes from outer space” well how could I go past that. The next one I read was called “Confessions of an S & M virgin”. It just kept getting better!

I’m having a little fan girl moment tonight because Linda is one of my favourite authors, she’s got a new novel out call “The empress lover” which we’ve got for sale here tonight. But if you are far to clever and academic for fiction, Linda was also the writer of the last Quarterly Essay, “Found in translation” which I found to be a great accompanying piece to this novel.

She’s a lady with many strings to her bow... and she’s got great hair! Please join me in welcoming Linda Jaivin.

New fav website...

ROOKIE.

Someone buy me the book PLEASE!!

I went to the launch of the new Vali book at Outre Gallery on Friday. I went even though I knew I would hate being there. I mean, I love Outre and, well hopefully everyone knows how i feel about Vali! But that's just it, I hate that the place is crowded with wannabes, when I actually KNEW her, but that is just so selfish of me I know. I should be sharing her with the world. And there are so many more people who I would love to meet or have met and haven't and does that make it wrong for me to want to celebrate them. I'm being such a horrible bitch about this. I should be so glad that someone has published another book about my absolute hero, even though I couldn't pick up my copy I pre-ordered grrrr. And sharing her legacy. Or maybe I'm just jealous because I sent them some of my photo's which (I don't think anyways) they didn't use, and BUST magazine never did publish that article I wrote and maybe I should just shut up and look at this wonderful picture of vali by Angelique Houtkamp (who I also love but SHOCK HORROR have never met!!)

Friends...

I mentioned my friend D in my last post.
D and I have known each other since primary school, and in the last couple of years of high school were part of the same wider friendship group. He was someone I always felt intimidated around. One of those uber-intelligent people, and I was sure he thought of me as the dumb blonde. It wasn't until I went to stay with him in Japan that I really got to know him, and found out we had so much more in common than what I ever thought possible.
He was there on his own at the time while his (then) wife was back in Oz finishing off some study.
No it was NOT like that thank you very much!
But I do think he really enjoyed having some company and I really enjoyed the free accommodation and was not expecting that I would find a close friend out of it. I had such a great time with him in a country that I had never thought to visit other than the opportunity presenting itself (I will never pass up free accommodation!)
I went back a few years later as I wanted to visit when his (then) wife was there so we could do all the girly stuff (as much as I love him I cannot imagine ever visiting Onsen with D!).
Then the third time I visited was a classic... I was on my way to the states and in investigating flights, my travel agent, knowing I had friends there, presented me with the option of a 23 hour stopover in Japan with hotel room paid for by the airline. I emailed D & (then) wife and said "just wondering when you are doing on the night of such and such and do you want to take me out to dinner?"
D & I only get to catch up maybe once a year, but I love the idea that someone you've know a long time and have a certain perception of can surprise you. And maybe in turn you can surprise yourself.

My newest friend S is a real inspiration me... I met her through Derby at a time when I was seriously contemplating how much dedication I had to keep on training. She is pushing me to see just how far I can take it, and is number one contender to be my derby wife! We are at about the same level and are forming quite the competitive friendship. We are about the only two who are ready to take the next step (mind you I have been at this a lot longer than she!) and am starting to feel the frustration at being held back by others... Now that I've made the decision and all!

I was told by a psychic once that I am a very open person and make friends easily. At the time It was certainly not how it felt, but I think that comment made me really take stock of the friendships I have and appreciate them. I've been through some pretty lonely times, (when I could not find a friend...) But I think it just took me a long time to really find the people I fitted in with... Now I have them in abundance!

Ms G does C

Here's another tasty morsel I discovered on a lazy afternoon in front of Youtube...

Love you Professor Greer

Miss Concept (ions)

Naomi Wolf's Misconceptions was beyond a doubt the best book I have read about Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. It's personal and political and spoke to me about exactly how I was feeling, making me feel not so alone, guilty or wrong for the mixed feelings I was going through. One of the things that bothered me most at that time was that no matter how equal you thought your relationship had been before, when the baby comes along that the stereotypical gender roles come to the forefront. I've ranted about all this before... even sung the praises of this book way back in (gosh so long ago) 2008, but in this interview she talks about another one of the things I related to about a woman coming home from major surgery after a Cesarean, its like sending a person who has just had major heart surgery home with this tiny dependent creature pretty much reliant on you. Even if you didn't have a Caesar, it's still a pretty massive physical thing your body has had to go through and women are so hard on themselves feeling they have to still be the be all end all to their families.

"That's not how it works, you have to move here on faith, then you'll find a way" - Beverly Donofrio's friend in Looking for Mary.

I'd been trying to track down this book for years, I loved her Riding in cars with boys (though ashamed to admit I didn't know about it until the movie came out) and I'd seen it on the shelf in my book slave days and then suddenly it disappeared into thin air ...spooky!... anyways, good old Document Delivery service at the uni (bet they wish they hadn't have taught me how to use that!) and there it was for me. It was OK, journey of self discovery, blah blah. Then  on about the second or last page when I was just trying to finish the book (I always get a bit frustrated when I see the end in sight and   just   want   to   get   the   book   finished!) when that line just blew me away. It just perfectly summed up the last 6 months of my life!

Yay me!!

Rats...

I made the mistake this week of reading two books too similar in their content so now they are just kind of swimming around blended together. They were both good books, just not so close together.

Lets review to get this straight in my head;

Rat Girl

Kristen Hersh

Set in the 80's

Founder and main songwriter for mostly girl band Throwing Muses

Bipolar & Pregnant

Likes Rats

Petal Pusher

Laurie Lindeen

Set in the 90's

Founder and main songwriter for all girl band Zuzu's Petals

MS

Hates Rats

McCindy

How excited was I that one of my favourite photographic artists Cindy Sherman has collaborated with my equal favourite make up line (not that I wear that much...) MAC. I love the types of celebrities they use to endorse their products, Elton John, PuPaul, Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper et.al. I love that they have a sense of humour and dont take themselves too seriously, but I hate that it's hideously expensive!!!

Go'in Gaga

I’ve got myself a surprising new obsession... One Miss Lady GaGa. Now know I’m showing how behind I am in the world of Popular culture here, I should have known this years ago, and It’s not that she was completely off my radar, I had most of her hits on my Ipod and had looked upon her costumes with vague interest. But the other night I watched the Monster Ball Live at Madison Square Garden’s Concert on DVD. I started to watch with scepticism and thought it might provide a laugh or two and a distraction while doing the dishes. And at the start of the show was not even entirely convinced that she did actually exist as a person or was just a series of skinny chicks writhing to a backing tape. But much to my surprise, I found myself not only enjoying the show, but gaining a whole new respect for someone that I really hadn’t thought too much about. So now my life is full of Gaga Internet searching, Gaga book borrowing and just general Gaga!!

Tattoo me!

Catching up on some important reading, I came across this article in my 5th favorite magazine (Frankie) about my favorite tattoo artist Miss Jane... hmmm me thinks its a sign I might need to call and make an appointment!!

Amy Amy Amy...

Goodbye Beautiful, Unconventional, Misunderstood Soul Diva.

I hate to say it because I think your wonderful but you've made the best career move you ever could have. You'll now have the place in legend and history your music deserves...

To the latest member of the 27 club. (Sorry I'm a week late!)

Seems almost everyones favourite part of my zines has been the cute rubber stamp of the girl reading the book...

Her name is Kosheshi and she's from Talk to the Sun on Etsy.

Magazines I can stand!

Sometimes I feel like magazines are the enemy of the thinking woman, filling our lives with trash (not that that's always a bad thing!) and basically cheapening our lives in general. I used to be a bit of a magazine junkie, then all your who's and your NW's came out and I kind of swung the other way and wouldn't enter a newsagent if my life depended on it! But I am pleased to report in the last few years I have come across some magazines that I can stand... and a few recent articles that have tickled my fancy... I'm a regular subscriber to BUST: the magazine for women with something to get off their chest. Though I think they may be getting a little too slick and mainstream for their own good. They LOVE the DIY (as do I, in fact they may be responsible for my taking up knitting... just so you know who to blame!) and their latest 'food' issue contained this fab little project. Bitch Magazine has kind of stuck more to its feminist roots than BUST and I'm only a recent subscriber (though I used to always read it when I worked You-Know-Where!) LOVED this take on those ridiculous baby-nappy basket things... It kind of reminds me of one of my favourite episodes of Sex & the City called 'A woman's right to shoes' where Carrie is forced to remove her Manolo's at a friends party coz said friend doesn't want dirt coming into her house with her kids and blah blah, Carrie's shoes get nicked, friend refuses to pay for them, Carrie realises that she has bought that friend an Engagement present, Wedding present, Presents when each of the 3 kids were born, but what do singles get... a big fat nothin' Bring me a PMT cake over a baby thing anyday!! My newest favourite mag is Femme Fatal: Kustom Kulture for Dames. (when are you guys going to bring out another issue???) Being so out of the loop on stuff, I only came across it a couple of months ago, and immediately sent off for a copy and low and behold; The first issue contained an article on my lovely tattooist Jane! Issue #2 Had an article on Sharpies which is also definitely worth checking out too! For other magazines worth checking out I would say; Frankie, Milkshake and the Derby mag Hit and Miss. P.S. while were sort of on the subject... I just put the glue stick down from creating my first Zine (hey I did warn you a while back!) Now just got to sneakily use mum's photocopier over Easter (hope she's not reading!) Its doing that thing again where it wont let me put in line breaks... AAARRRGGGHHH

Femi-nazi? Femi-nuffy more like it... AKA my history in feminism

I identify as a feminist, but it’s such a loaded word, as I soon came to understand as a Naive first year student at a country university taking Women’s Studies because it sounded interesting.

I always heard that feminists were crazy women and they might get somewhere if they just figured out what they want as the media pitted one feminist against another with very different ideals and priorities. Of course I heard this from my bigoted, narrow minded father whose other such rants took on topics such as Aboriginal land rights, Greeks, left wing politicians, Homosexuals, Immigrants etc. Etc. You get the idea! Whose answer to any kind of further explanation was always “one day you’ll understand” which I only came to realise later meant he had no further debate and his whole perspective of the situation came from A Current affair/60 minutes. (But then again he also assumed that nobody likes Pumpkin soup and everyone likes country music and could never understand if he was ever challenged on these beliefs.)

Anyways I was going somewhere with this rant!

Ive always thought that chicks were great but thought you had to have some academic kind of qualification or have had some sort of radical initiation to be able call yourself a feminist. I remember enrolling in the Women’s studies subject and making some offhand comment to my then boyfriend along the lines of “Ha, wont my dad love it if I come home and tell him I’m a feminist... how would he cope with that first a gay son then a feminist daughter...” and then-boyfriend said “why don’t you already call yourself a feminist” which got me to thinking (turns out this boyfriend might have been useful for something after all now I think about it!).

Anyways back on the track... So in undertaking this course I discover that its not that simple... there’s your radical feminist, your Marxist feminists, your separatist, queer, eco, black, liberal, not to mention your second-wave, third-wave and post feminists and it goes on and on and on... I JUST THINK CHICKS ARE GREAT! I love it when women beat men at their own game, I believe that women can do everything and anything that men can (and more) and want the opportunity to be available to all. and I have no issue with pornography or women using their bodies if THEY ARE THE ONES IN CONTROL and doing it because they want to.

But it’s choice that I think it comes down to, and I respect if that choice includes things traditionally under the feminine gender stereotype like being a stay at home mum, a nurse, knitting, baking cupcakes or whatever floats your boat. I love that these things are being reclaimed, and I love it even more when men do them too. I think the world these days is hard for men too, and I respect anyone who can loudly and proudly JUST BE THEMSELVES! (P.S.I love knitting and baking cupcakes so there!)

Feminism still gets a bad rap, a friend of mine the other day said something along the lines of “yeah they did a lot of great stuff for women but now we are expected to do it all, work, babies, all of it.” There is a lot of truth in that, and it’s defiantly something I struggle with everyday. Life would be a lot easier for me if I were happy to be a stay at home mum/subservient housewife but I’m afraid it ain't gonna happen! It was never going to be like that. And it would be nice if the boy would come along for that ride and meet me half way but he seems to delight in making life hard for me! Things were fine before the kiddlies came along, we would each cook every second night and whoever didn’t cook did the dishes blah blah. But for some reason when the kiddiewinks came along 50’s housewife style gender divides came into play. And I’d just like to add here in my defence that pretty much the year after you have a baby is the most vulnerable time in a woman’s life and if there is someone willing to take advantage of that then you’re in big trouble lady (trust me I know!)

So how does one fix this mess, without becoming a ‘bitch’ or a ‘nag’ (my current tag). The only way out I can currently see for the boy to once again take me seriously again is to return to full-time work, it’s the only way I can see he might meet me half way, but I think I’m kidding myself there too. I want him to become a stay at home or at least part time working dad, Then I get to just lie on the couch when I get home from work until called to the table for tea (but only once it’s served up and on the table for me!) Actually I don’t think that’s how it will really be but whatever happens, I can’t wait to see how he handles it all. “This is easy” will no doubt be all I will here “I don’t know what you were winging about”, all that! But I’ll know...

How does one juggle all these identities ‘wife’(I use this term loosley!), mother, lover, career-gal, feminist without dropping any of the (metaphorical) balls? Will he ever meet me ½ way? Will those feminists on the telly ever agree on what it is they are fighting for? Join me in the next life for the answers to these questions and more...

DIY feminism...

That book on Riot Grrrl, Girls to the front got me thinking about another book in my collection which I dragged out today; DIY Feminism which came out around '95-96. Actually I remember when I bought it, I was sort of friends with this girl, I say sort of friends because I thought we were friends but it was one of those circumstantial friendships where once circumstances have changed and I wasn't needed anymore, well, you know, scrap heap etc. Anyways she had told me about this "naff book about trying to be all new feminist with, you know, annoying chicks like that one in Spiderbait and that young spunky politician and stuff". She was totally bagging it out but I just kept my mouth shut and thought I'd go buy it at the next opportunity. I think it was my first real introduction to things like zines. Growing up in the country in the pre-internet age really was such a sheltered lifestyle. Anyways, it was a good book, and I'm gonna have another read so hopefully it hasn't dated too much!

Four books that have changed the way I feel about teenage girls...

I remember how hard it can be to be a teenage girl, and it shocks me to realise that it was half of my lifetime ago, sometimes that agony is still so strong for me. There have been four books that have really effected me in the last couple of weeks and all have that teenage girl theme running through them; I watched the movie Precious and was blown away and immediately read the Novel Push by Sapphire. Based around her experiences teaching underprivileged teenage girls in alternative schools, and told from the perspective of Clarice Precious Jones, who is 16 and pregnant with her second child to her father... not for the fainthearted but so inspiring with finding the right support and someone to believe in you and push you to be all you can be, that such a big difference could be made, and one life saved. I also love that it's told in Clarice's voice, well written voice... if you read it you'll see what I mean! I've become addicted to audio books, out library has just gone live with Eaudio book downloads from Bolinda Audio. I listened to On the Jellicoe road by Melina Marchetta. Such a well written intricate tale of a young girl trying to understand the mysteries of her life. Don't be fooled by the "Teenage" fiction tag, I love her books and like I said before, that was 1/2 my life ago! Eve Ensler's I am an emotional creature was also a truly inspiring read, makes me feel like I'd love to work with teenage girls, to make a difference in their lives (though ask me again in 10 or so years time when I have two teenage girls of my own!) I love the monologue style of Eve Ensler's work (they are written as plays/spoken word pieces to be performed rather than just read) I think she is such a brave writer... and she has great hair! Lastly, I'm currently reading Girls to the front: the true story of the Riot Grrrl revolution by Sarah Marcus. Loving it! But feel a bit sad that 20 years on we still have such huge issues with Bullying, Body image and sexual harassment. I found this great sign? picture? note? on the Bust website the other day which shows me the spirit of Riot Grrrl is still alive... Gotta love Bust! But back to the book, I managed to miss out on Riot Grrrl until about '95 when it had all become so mainstream that it lost it's soul and the original Riot Grrrls had lost faith in their original concepts. Maybe I was too young, or maybe it was a geographical thing I don't know but I love the spirit of the movement, the DIY aspects that I think will never happen again now that we've got the net to make all that stuff too easy for us. My brand of feminism suits the Riot Grrrl style. I like taking the boys on at their own game!

Rollin'...

I finally made it to my first VRDL Bout last night and I have to say... I am in love!

Next weekend when the boy is gone and the girls are out of my hair I'm gonna strap on the skates for the first time in about 7 years (apart from that one spin around the kitchen!) and see if I've still got what it would take!!!

I love the fact that there was such a huge range of female forms on display, and that it's all about the talent and having a ball! I love the DIY aspect of it, I love that these girls are celebrated for being tough, sexy and athletic.

Oh Yeah... I just remembered the story of my first time on Roller Skates. My (four years older than me) brother got a pair of those adjustable skates you put over your shoes, I asked to have a go but my mum said I was too little... so after my brother got bored with struggling with it, I nicked the skates and took them over to my dad to adjust for me, apparently mum looked out the window and I was up skating straight away!