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A Woman's Place - Kate Millett Speaks About Sita
(Side A) Viv Sutherland welcomes listeners to The Velvet Sledgehammer and announces that the show's program will include "Hot Flashes," women's news from "Majority Report"; a story on "A Woman's Place" produced by Irene Yarrow; and an interview of author Kate Millett about her book Sita (1976) conducted by Judy Pasternak and Viv Sutherland.
The first segment is "Hot Flashes," a women's news report announced by Nancy Borman. Topics covered include: an "anti-wedding" event sponsored by Majority Report to discuss the sexist details of marriage contracts, Valerie Solanas reprinting Scum Manifesto after the original publisher went out of business and the copyright reverted to her, New York's announcement of plans for a large-scale Women's Rights rally, events for Lesbian Pride Week, and a bill to legalize abortion in Italy.
Irene Yarrow then introduces a tape about "A Woman's Place," a feminist collective in upstate New York that has existed for three years but is now in danger of closing due to lack of support. Irene recorded this tape at "A Woman's Place" and features women's songs, poetry and feelings about what the retreat has meant to them. The recording begins at 19:25 and continues onto side B. Irene announces that women interested in learning about "A Woman's Place" or contributing to save it can contact her. She attributes the music in the recording to Ruth Pelham, and the poetry to Erica Silver.
Kate Millet guest stars in the last segment, discussing her new autobiographical novel, Sita, with Judy Pasternak and Viv Sutherland. Kate describes the plot of Sita as "the plotline of the woman destroyed." She rebuffs "malicious" reviews that called her work either "icky" and "pukey" or "pornographic" for being queer. She considers these reviews to be motivated by bigotry. Kate recounts that a major motivation in writing Sita was to describe the loss of a lover, which she felt does not exist in any other book. She says she wanted to "write a very musical and very romantic book in praise of love: in praise, even, of its melancholy and possible futility." Kate also discusses hoping for "company" in writing "these kinds of books," but that she is alone in having to "take abuse" for them. With Judy Pasternak and Viv Sutherland, Kate Millett reflects on activism and efforts to dismantle the patriarchy. The interview closes with discussion of Kate's visual art. -
Lesbian Nation, undated [Placenta Previa-cesarean]
Recorded by Martha Shelley in San Francisco, an unknown woman reading a poem written about the birth of her child and motherhood. -
Lesbian Nation, April 14, 1972
Martha Shelley hosts a poetry reading and interview with lesbian poets from the San Lorenzo Bay area. In between reading their poems, the women discuss power and equality dynamics, as well as relationships and trying to get works published in The Ladder. Trigger warning: racial slurs. -
Lesbian Nation, September 29, 1972
In this episode of Lesbian Nation, Martha Shelley and guests read original poetry. They cover love, relationships, and life as a lesbian in New York City. Mary Flowerpot opens the show with her trademark whimsical comedy segment. -
Andy, April 28, 1982 (Tape 4)
At the start of the interview, Andy talks about the first time someone asked her about sex. She talks about her experience going with hookers. She discusses butches and femmes and argues that femmes aren't "true" lesbians. -
March on Washington / Pacifica Program Service, 1979 (Tape 3 of 4)
March on Washington on October 14, 1979, which dealt with the civil rights of the gay and lesbian community. Participants included Audre Lorde (who can be heard on side A about 80% through), Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Ted Weiss, Gotham, Tom Robinson, Howard Wallace, Kate Millet, and Flo Kennedy. Key topics included civil and human rights, the labor movement, racism, sexism, and love. Short technical glitches occur on Side A.