Everywoman Space - Women Writers - Irene Yarrow Speaks with Jan Clausen
Item
Title
Everywoman Space - Women Writers - Irene Yarrow Speaks with Jan Clausen
Subject
Lesbian radio
Coming out
Lesbian autobiographies
LGBTQ+ poetry
Autobiography
Feminism
Lesbian authors
Lesbian community
Lesbian feminism
Lesbian writers
Poetry
Writing
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."
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
Date
2/6/77; Date Broadcast: 1976-08-08?
Rights
This item is protected by copyright. You are free to use this item for personal and educational purposes, as outlined in CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0. Requests for further uses and licensing questions should be forwarded to Pacifica Radio, owner of WBAI and other historical stations. See also LHA Copyright Statement.
Rights Holder
Pacifica Radio Archives
Series Title
Everywomanspace
Interviewee
Jan Clausen
Host
Irene Yarrow
Physical Format
Audio cassette
Duration
1:01:04
Collection
Citation
“Everywoman Space - Women Writers - Irene Yarrow Speaks with Jan Clausen,” Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections, accessed May 19, 2026, https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/show/1384.