Archive for Blog

Ticket to Ride – 5 Stars, Midwest Book Review – “Very Highly Recommended”

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Ticket to Ride

by Philip Scott Wikel

Review:
“Adulthood wasn’t easy when everyone around you wanted you to destroy what adulthood was. “Ticket to Ride” is a novel telling the story of Morgan and Livy coming to adulthood during a time where revolutions of all types were coming ahead and so many messages were going around, no one knew who to follow or believe. “Ticket to Ride” is an exciting read with its own take on the 1960s and 1970s. – James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review, a prestigious reviewer of books connected to “Cengage Learning, Gale Interactive (published four times yearly for academic, corporate, and public library systems), as well as such book review databases as LexisNexis and Goliath.

Book Synopsis:
Ticket to Ride is a timeless tale of two writers coming-of-age. While it’s set in the late 70s Ticket to Ride is as universal in it’s message as Homer’s Odyssey. Enriched with allusions to literary and rock ‘n roll classics, readers of Ticket to Ride will see Morgan and Livy moving from being innocent 17-year-olds to becoming fully realized adults and, like America, anxiously redefining the ideas of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”


Author’s Blog: http://philipscottwikel.wordpress.com
Publisher: Julian Day Publishing

Category: Blog /

HollaBack!: Feminist Responses to Street Harassment

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Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall
Broadway at 117th Street
New York, NY

Created By Barnard Center for Research on Women

Panel Discussion featuring Shannon Lynberg, Emily May, Oraia Reid, and Chai Shenoy

Street harassment, or sexual harassment in public spaces, is an issue with which just about every woman has some experience. Activists from New York City and Washington, DC will discuss new, innovative ways to combat street harassment using technology, mapping, and community organizing. Through online activism, public policy and advocacy, and outre…ach, these activists have succeeded in giving people from many different communities a forum in which they can speak out against gender-based street harassment.

Shannon Lynberg is the co-founder of Holla Back DC! Shannon has worked with various organizations to improve the lives of women and girls. In November 2008, Shannon was featured as one of “Tomorrow’s Leaders” in O, The Oprah Magazine.

Emily May is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder HollaBack!, a movement to end street harassment, and New Yorkers for Safe Transit, a coalition dedicated to safe transit for all. Emily also has a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics and was recently selected as one of thirty “Women Making History” by the Women’s Media Center along with Rachel Maddow and Nancy Pelosi.

Oraia Reid is a social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience dedicated to empowering communities on behalf of LGBTQ communities, socio/political justice, women’s rights, with a focus on direct services to eradicate gender-based violence. She is the Executive Director of RightRides for Women’s Safety, an award-winning New York City nonprofit she founded in 2004, whose mission is to create safer communities by ending sexual harassment and assault through direct services, safety advocacy and community organizing.

Chai Shenoy is the co-founder of Holla Back DC!, an online, community-based organization whose aim is to educate and address public sexual harassment and assault. In addition to Holla Back DC!, Chai is Policy & Technical Assistance Attorney at Break the Cycle and oversees policy initiatives that relate to how schools address dating violence and sexual violence

Category: Blog, Co-Sponsored Event, Events /

Dark Truth – a poem by Cristina Dominguez

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I’m sleeping with the light on tonight
because there is a possibility of vulnerability,
A chance that I might
be haunted by the moment in my memory
where you caught me
between baby and young lady,
where you persuaded
and invaded
my privacy and vibrancy

You made me
give up my innocence
so you would play with me;
Pretending to know adult affection
just to gain your attention,
in fact it was a mere reflection
of what they show on TV.
Tuned out,
you pretended not to see me
I pretended not to be me–
where was your protection?

Now I write up a storm
to collect the debris
left from the memories
I try to forget,
from the secret I kept
to not see you publicly scorned
as I privately mourned
the death of the little girl
I buried in the place where I hid,
from you
from view
from what we did…

You ignored
how sore
you made my spirit.
You’d deny
Lie–
You’d never hear it.
You call
I fall for it every time
like a nursery rhyme
or a lullaby.
Only this time,
I’ve learned that
all the king’s horses
and all the king’s men
only put us back together again
to break us in the end

Only I never fall asleep
not weeping,
I’m never spared
or prepared
to re-live
the nightmare
I shared with
NO–one.

22 years too late
three months after I leave,
No apology to date
and No reprieve,
Always something more you need
but I’m no giving tree
fruitless, rootless, call me ruthless.
I have no reservations
in being dedicated to the preservation
of the little girl still alive,
the one I revived not long ago.
I’ve recovered
and uncovered
the ways
you subjected me to
disrespect, rejection, and neglect,
a little girl
should never know

Aware but
not where
I can forgive
without apology;
without making you
raise your eyes
to see me
to meet me
the woman matured
out of what she
should have never had
to endure.
To see uncensored
how your venture
into masculinity,
your innocent, unintentional,
blameless curiosity
staked a claim
shamed and maimed
the terrain,
of my girlhood

The pain comes and goes,
lessens and grows,
the scars and bruises
sometimes show.
But I’ve survived
the red glare
of that nightmare
that I’ve lived

I let go of the light
fighting my body’s attempt to take flight
open my eyes and give
wrap myself in
what I was forced to find within
in the heart, that shelters her still
in the will that overcomes

I submit to the sharpness
of living
of feeling
of seeing
the ugly
that needs to be seen,
the scenes that make me cry,
where there is no insight in hindsight,
where purity of pain never lies–
but lies beside me
where peace is the instant when
sleep has forgiven me
gets up from the living room
comes to bed
and finally,
comforts me

Category: Blog, Cristina Dominguez /

No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power

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In her new book, feminist icon Gloria Feldt gives women real strategies to change their thinking and reclaim their power:

No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power

In No Excuses, Feldt asserts that today nobody is keeping women from parity—except themselves. Combining extensive research, her personal experience as former CEO and president of the Planned Parenthood Federation, and interviews with dozens of women politicians, business owners, and activists, Feldt concludes that the doors of opportunity are open; however at the rate women are leading the way through the doors, it will take 70 years to reach parity with their male counterparts.

Feldt gives women 9 Ways to overcome the external and internal barriers keeping them from their own power and leadership. No Excuses has nine chapters, each organized around a specific power tool that will help women change the way they think—and the way they act—so they can lead unlimited lives.

Starting on October 11, join Gloria Feldt for 9 Ways in 9 Weeks: a conversation about how you can apply the power tools in No Excuses to your own life. Feldt will share interviews with amazing and inspiring women as well as her thoughts and links to resources. Each week a different power tool will be posted, topics will be presented, and discussion will take place.

Gloria Feldt; photograph by Maryanne Russell

Please visit at http://gloriafeldt.com/9ways to join the conversation. You can also visit Gloria Feldt’s fan page on Facebook to stay up-to-date on No Excuses and the 9 Ways.

Category: Blog /

Barnard/Columbia Chapter of Take Back the Night hosts annual Sexhibition!

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The Barnard/Columbia chapter of Take Back the Night, a sex-positive, anti-sexual violence organization, is hosting our annual Sexhibition, a consent-based, sex-positive health fair, full of sexy food, games and giveaways! The fair will be held on November 18th, at Lerner Hall, Columbia University from 11 am to 3 pm.

Every year we invite a speaker to present in the evening on a topic involving sex positivity. This year, we’ll be hosting Liz Canner, an award-winning filmmaker. At 7 pm, she will be screening her feature documentary, Orgasm Inc.: The Strange Science of Female Pleasure and facilitating a discussion afterward.

Sexhibition is an amazing event with an empowering message. If you’re in the city, be sure to check it out!

Category: Blog, Events /

Fundraiser for Crossroads Theatre Project: Staged reading of “Tulpa, or Anne&Me”

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WHAT: Staged reading of “Tulpa, or Anne&Me” by Shawn C. Harris (aka RVCBard) followed by a birthday party for Anne Hathaway (who probably won’t show up, so we’re calling her The Great Pumpkin)
WHEN: Friday, November 12, 8pm
WHERE: TBA – most likely WOW Cafe Theatre
WHY: Fundraiser for Crossroads Theatre Project
HOW MUCH: Suggested donation $10 (for your cake and balloons)

ABOUT “TULPA, OR ANNE&ME”
When Anne Hathaway crawls out of your television, what do you do? When the topic of conversation is race, how would you navigate the truth of your experience and the human need to make connections despite the pain and rage involved?

Through a series of surreal visitations from the famous movie star, “Tulpa, or Anne&Me” blends reality, fantasy and memory to explore what is usually hidden in the way we talk about race. Taking the vantage point of a Black lesbian with an overactive imagination, “Tulpa, or Anne&&Me” explores the effects of racism on human relationships.

“Tulpa, or Anne&Me” is the first work developed by Crossroads Theatre Project.

ABOUT CROSSROADS THEATRE PROJECT
Crossroads Theatre Project is a collaboration of new Black playwrights whose works explore how race intersects with other identities and challenge mainstream ideas about Black theatre.

The crossroads are rooted in African folklore, Vodou, and Delta blues as a place where strange and unexpected things happen. Anything can happen on the crossroads. You can speak with the dead, meet the spirits of your ancestors, or even sell your soul to the Devil.

Crossroads Theatre Project is the anti-Chitlin Circuit created to break barriers and undermine stereotypes by presenting thoughtful new stories by and about African Americans today. In the simplest terms, this means: no maids; no crackheads; no Tyler Perry.

The vision of Crossroads Theatre Project is nearly identical to 13P. The idea is to use our shared passion for theater and our status as Othered to empower us when it comes to gathering resources and reaching out to potential audiences and creative partners. We’re committed to giving people theatre by and about us that challenges what people assume we stand for and/or are interested in. The goal of Crossroads Theatre Project is to incubate the works of new Black playwrights from first draft through full production.

READ MORE AT:
http://www.ankhesen-mie.net/2010/08/tulpa-or-anne.html
http://jasminllenadegracia.blogspot.com/2010/09/spotlight-tulpa-or-anne.html
http://arsmarginal.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/open-discussion-tulpa-or-anneme/

Category: Blog, Co-Sponsored Event, Events /

Makeshift Reclamation

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If anyone is familiar with the stellar feminist magazine make/shift (and get your hands on a copy ASAP if you aren’t!), you’ll be thrilled to know that there is an affiliated event that will be stopping by NYC in the next few days. It’s called Makeshift Reclamation, and it’s a bit hard to describe, so I’ll defer to their own words:

“A multimedia event showcasing how contemporary feminists are resisting and creating alternatives to not only gender-based oppression but also a collapsing economic system, climate crisis, and more. Featuring live readings, performances, and video works by artists and activists including Jessica Hoffmann, coeditor/copublisher of the independent, transnational, antiracist feminist magazine make/shift; Hilary Goldberg, whose new project, recLAmation, is a Super 8 experimental documentary/narrative film in which queer superheroes navigate a future beyond capitalism; and others.”

October 14, 2010 Barnard College, 6:30 pm

October 16, 2010 Bluestockings, 7 pm

Both events are free.

For more information, check out their website.

Category: Blog, Events, Marissa Jeffery /

NOW-NYS Annual Convention Women With Opinions: Rise Up and Be Heard

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Join NOW-NYS as it celebrates the power of women at its annual convention, October 16 – 17, 2010, Albany Ramada Hotel (formerly Clarion Hotel), 3 Watervliet Ave Ext., Albany, NY 12206.

Speakers:

  • Mo Therese Hannan, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Siena College and co-founder of the annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference held in Albany, NY
  • Bill Baird, the holder of three US Supreme Court victories for women’s rights and found of the Pro Choice League
  • Zenaida Méndez, Director of External Affairs for the Manhattan Neighborhood Network Public Access Television and President and Founder of the National Dominican Women’s Caucus
  • M. Tracey Brooks, Esq., President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State and Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York
  • Andrea D. Lyon, Attorney, Educator and Author is nationally recognized for her work to promote social justice, equity and improvement in the criminal justice system
  • Terry O’Neill, president of National NOW
  • Sandy Rapp, singer and feminist author

Register online or print the registration form (pdf).  www.nownys.org

Complete schedule and hotel information. Also read the Fall 2010 Newsletter for more information about the speakers. www.nownys.org

Category: Blog, Co-Sponsored Event, Events /

Feminist Press 40th Anniversary Gala- Paradigm Shift's Meredith Villano Selected as Honoree for 40 Under 40: The Future of Feminism

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Paradigm Shift NYC is proud to announce that The Feminist Press has
selected Meredith Villano, PS co-founder and director, as an honoree:
40 Under 40: The Future of Feminism.  You are invited to The Feminist
Press 40th Anniversary Gala- come celebrate and network!

Category: Blog, Co-Sponsored Event, Events /

Juvenile Counselor Sexually Assaults 3 Teen Girls, Gets Probation?!

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Sign Our Petition NOW & Help Secure Justice for Victims
Last week, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Cassandra Mullen proposed a sentence of ten years probation with absolutely no jail time for a court-appointed juvenile counselor–Tony Simmons–who pled guilty to raping one girl and sexually assaulting two others that he was transporting to Manhattan Family Court.  Court transcripts show that prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office did not object to the no-jail time plea.

In one of the instances, the assailant brought a 15-year-old girl entrusted to his custody down to the basement of the court building to rape her. Just moments after the attack he escorted her to her scheduled court appearance.

Take Action: We need you to send the message that this is outrageous!

1.  Sign our petition NOW to Justice Cassandra Mullen to demand jail time for this violent offender and justice for the victims.

2.  Forward the petition and the article to five friends, and post on Facebook and Twitter. The more signatures we get, the bigger our impact on this case.
Petition URL: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/now-nyc_justiceforassaultvictims/

3. Get the Daily News Article |  See Our Letter-to-the-Editor: Troubling Case

Category: Blog /
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