Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections

Women Writing Series - Episode 2

Item

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Title

Women Writing Series - Episode 2

Subject

Lesbian radio
Coming out
Lesbian autobiographies
LGBTQ+ poetry

Description

Irene Yarrow opens this episode of Everywomanspace with information about Lesbian Switchboard and Identity House to help listeners who want to know how to reach the gay community. She recommends these organizations and coming-out groups, along with consciousness-raising groups, for any woman who wants to get together with other women to discuss issues relating to feminism or lesbianism.

Irene interviews Jan Clausen, a poet and writer from Oregon who reads her short story, "The Warsaw Ghetto." Irene and Jan discuss autobiographical writing, the experience of writing about friends and acquaintances, incorporating the political into personal writing, and receiving feedback as a writer. They also debate the question of whether feminist and lesbian writers should publish with women's presses or commercial presses, prompted by a questionnaire Jan sent to a number of lesbian writers, which she describes as her "writing community." Finally, Irene asks Jan if she feels that her stories with "lesbian content" limit her to a lesbian audience. Both hope that all women would be interested in women's content, regardless of sexuality. Jan also reads her poems, "The Christmas Letter" and "This is a Poem for You, Mary."

Irene also takes questions from callers (side B) including a woman asking for advice on how to find resources to respond to her younger sister coming out and a woman who wanted to share her opinion that publishing through women's presses will be the only option when the women's movement "goes out of vogue."

Publisher

WBAI radio

Rights

See the LHA Copyright Statement

Type

Audio Recording; Radio talk shows

Rights Holder

Pacifica Radio Archives

Date Broadcast

1976-08-08

Series Title

Everywomanspace

Interviewee

Jan Clausen

Host

Irene Yarrow

Physical Format

Audio cassette

Duration

1:01:04

Citation

“Women Writing Series - Episode 2,” Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections, accessed December 22, 2024, http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/show/1384.