WOMEN’S & STUDIES at Louisiana State University A Letter from the Director Volume 5, Issue 1 Fall 2007 Rita Culross

From my vantage point it is 4 Questions with WGS’ a very exciting time to be part of the Women’s and Program at Newest Joint Faculty Members LSU. Under the leadership Dana Berkowitz of Becky Ropers-Huilman, Kristen Hogan Heather Ondercin the National Women’s

Studies Association Journal (NWSAJ) began a three- year residence at LSU this year. Editing NWSAJ positions WGS and LSU to be a leader in producing and disseminating interdiscipli- nary, multicultural feminist PhD Dual Degree in Political PhD in Sociology with a scholarship. PhD in English with a Science and Women’s Studies Graduate Portfolio in WGS WGS Graduate Certificate WGS also welcomes four University of Texas, Austin Pennsylvania State University University of Florida new joint hires who bring Dissertation: “Reading at Dissertation: “The Changing Dissertation: “Gay men: energy and expertise to a Feminist Bookstores: The Femi- Social Definitions of Men and Negotiating procreative, family, growing program: Kristen nist Shelf, Women's Studies, and Women and Their Effect on the Hogan (English/WGS), and father identities” the Feminist Bookstore Network” Partisan Gender Gap,1953-2003” Dana Berkowitz (Sociology/ 1. What are your research WGS), and Heather 1. What are your research Ondercin and Challen Nick- 1. What are your research interests? I study feminist print interests? I am a qualitative len (Political Science/WGS). interests? My research interest culture with a focus on book- feminist researcher interested in Their presence has also stores and publishers, feminist focuses on political behavior in the social construction of allowed WGS to expand activism, and feminist the United States, specifically gender, sexualities, and families. undergraduate and graduate theories, and U.S. and Canadian the political behavior of men offerings to permit more women's literature in the 20th and women. Political behavior students to access WGS 2. Describe your dream course and 21st centuries. courses earlier in their ex- encompasses a wide variety of to teach. My sociology of gender perience at LSU and to activities, including when and 2. Describe your dream course course this semester is my dream allow majors and minors an how people participate in to teach. I'm teaching them! course! But, if I had to choose expanded array of courses During the fall semester I'm politics, who they vote for, another one it would be a throughout the year. teaching Queer Theory & Survey which political party they sexualities course that would identify with, and attitudes and Even WGS’ physical of Women's Literature. Next critically explore the social, facilities are getting a much- semester I will teach an Introduc- public opinion. I am particu- historical, political, and needed upgrade. New paint tion to Women's and Gender larly interested in the role economic constructions of sexual Studies course including a trans- and carpeting have context plays to shape these knowledges, norms, institutions, national focus and a service- brightened the offices and behaviors. My current research learning component (we'll be and identities. provided a more welcoming project examines how men and environment to new and working with the BR YWCA) and a women have identified with the 3. What do you think WGS prospective students. graduate course on the Feminist political parties in the United Coupled with the proposed Literary Public Sphere. I am should focus on as it continues new facilities for the particularly excited about the States over the past fifty to develop the program? I would Women’s Center, Women’s Feminist Literary Public Sphere years. I argue that men’s and like to see Women's and Gender and Gender Studies are course, because it is an opportu- women’s partisan attachments Studies to place more emphasis nity to get students thinking and receiving increased visibility are shaped by the social and on men's studies; after all, men on campus. talking about the relationship of literature to public reading, historical constructions of are gendered too! Otherwise, gender. Additionally, I am WGS should continue to foster a As Interim Director I look discussion, and social change. forward to working We will also talk about the role interested in the election and critical analyses of gender as it is collaboratively with my of distribution and the book mar- representation of women in the shaped by other axes of oppres- colleagues within the ket in mediating the feminist United States and methodology. sion and privilege and encourage program and across campus literary public sphere. I think scholarship as well as activism. to advance the academic excellence that is WGS. continued on page 2 Page 2 New Faculty, continued

those of us who value women's (Ondercin continued) WOW and The Women’s Center hosts literature and who depend on 2. Describe your dream publishing need to get The Clothesline Project, course to teach. This is a informed about the book a public art installation project hard question and the answer market, because we can be against domestic and sexual violence. advocates for change and for for me probably changes alternative media. daily. I would really like to develop a graduate level class “I think those 3. What do you think WGS that looks at the concept of should focus on as it contin- of us who value feminist methodology ues to develop the program? . women's I'm interested in participating 3. What do you think WGS literature and in a larger discussion about the program with the faculty who should focus on as it contin- who depend on have established and devel- ues to develop the program? oped the program. I'm excited publishing need One of the things that I have about its growth and about its always cherished about WGS increased focus on transna- to get informed programs that I have been tional women's movements and about the book issues. This focus along with associated with in the past is market, attention to the work, scholar- the interdisciplinary na- ship, and lives of women of ture. It is an impressive thing because we can color, discussion about the to have a group of feminist be advocates relationship between queer scholars gather together and theory and , share their research. I am for change and and a conscious and well- always amazed at how much articulated practice of anti- for alternative racist in our organiz- overlap there is among the media.” ing will place us in the com- research when it is coming pany of cutting-edge women's from such different fields of -Kristen Hogan studies programs. study and how much we can learn from each other. So, I (Berkowitz continued) 4. If you could recommend would hope that as WGS grows 4. If you could recommend one book to WGS students, it still remains an interdisci- one book to WGS students, what would it be? Everyone plinary program that fosters what would it be? I would should pick up the new edition of Borderlands/La Frontera: the exchange of ideas among have to say Black Feminist The New Mestiza, by Gloria a diverse set of Thought by Patricia Hill Collins Anzaldúa, published by Aunt scholars. because she integrates the Lute Books, a multicultural standpoints of black women women's press since 1982. The 4. If you could recommend poets, novelists, and musicians groundbreaking queer/feminist one book to WGS students, in a way that makes you mixed-genre text combining what would it be? Animal, forget you are reading an English and Spanish is a gather- ing of words for Chicanas’ Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of academic text. lives. For those of us listening Food Life by Barbra Kingsolver in, too, it is a mentor, a visita- tion, and an invitation to make a new world: "if going home is denied me then I will have to NWSA-J Arrives at LSU stand and claim my space, making a new culture -- una In May 2006, the National Women’s editorial assistant. The journal, cultura mestiza -- with my own lumber my own bricks and Studies Association Journal moved published by Johns Hopkins mortar and my own feminist to LSU. Housed within the LSU University Press and affiliated with architecture" (44). New in the Women’s and Gender Studies the National Women’s Studies third edition, the book begins program and edited by Becky Association, is known nationally and with ten women's writings on Ropers-Huilman, who is now at the internationally for its focus on their relationships to Border- University of Minnesota, the journal interdisciplinary and multicultural lands; authors including Ana staff at LSU includes Nina Asher, feminist scholarship that is directed Castillo and Sandra Cisneros book review editor; Kate Bratton, toward understanding women’s join their voices with scholars including Norma Alarcón senior associate editor; Angeletta lives. More information on the (formerly of Third Woman Gourdine, MaryBeth Lima, Margaret journal, including subscription Press) and AnaLouise Keating. Parker, and Helen Regis, all information and submission This is a gathering of council associate editors; Brenda Macon, guidelines, can be found at on the twentieth anniversary managing editor; and Ashli Dykes, http://www.nwsaj.lsu.edu. of Borderlands' 1st publication.

Women’s & Gender Studies Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 3 Selective Faculty Accomplishments

ARTICLES. Hendry, Petra Munro (2007). Engendering Wisdom: Listening to Kuan Yin and Julian of Norwich. In C. Eppert & H. Wang (Eds. Cross-Cultural Studies in Curriculum: Eastern Thought, Educational Insights. New York: Lawrence Earlbaum. pp. 207-227

Mohan, Brij. 2007. Globalization, democratization, and human rights: Human-made disasters and a call for social justice. In Elisabeth Reichert, Ed. Challenges in Human Rights: A Social Work Perspective. New York: Columbia University Press, Pp. 239-257.

Ondercin, Heather. “Gender Gaps in Senate Elections, 1988-2000: The Impact of Campaign Level and State-Level Factors” with Jeffery Bernstein. Politics and Gender. 3(1): 33-53.

Otero, Solimar. “Getting There and Back: The Road, the Journey and Home in Nuyorican Diaspora Literature.” In Writing Of(f) the Hyphen: Criti- cal Perspectives on the Literature of the Puerto Rican Diaspora, eds. Jose L. Torres-Padilla and Carmen H. Rivera. Seattle: U of Washington P 2007, pp. 274 -292.

Plummer, Carol A., & Eastin, Julie. (2007). System Problems in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse: The Mothers’ Perspectives. Journal of Interper- sonal Violence, 22(6), 775-787, DOI: 10.1177/0886260507300753.

Plummer, Carol A., & Eastin, Julie. (2007). The Effect of Child Sexual Abuse Allegations on the Mother/Child Relationship. Violence Against Women, 13(10), 1053-1071.

AWARDS. M. Jill Brody received the 2007 Individual Achievement in the Humanities Award from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

Heather Ondercin received the Sophonsiba Breckinridge Prize for the best paper on women and politics presented at the 2006 Midwest Political Science Association Meetings.

PRESENTATIONS. On September 24th, Carol Plummer delivered the opening plenary address at the First International Conference in Africa on Child Sexual Abuse.

Petra Munro Hendry presented “Jane Addams and Memory Work” at the American Educational Research Association Conference in April.

Sue Weinstein is an invited panelist at the Hip Hop for Hope Community Forum in New Orleans on November 2, sponsored by Teach for America and the Ashe Cultural Arts Center.

COMMUNITY. Elaine Maccio and John Larkin both participated in the "Homosexuality and/in Society" Public Forum at LSU on September 19th

Sue Weinstein now serves on the Program Council for the new Belfair "Free Dreams" Teen Center in Baton Rouge, a project of Big Buddy, Heath Centers in Schools, and BREC.

Under the Radar: A Queer Speakers’ Series

Three new WGS and English series featured Lambda faculty members, Myriam Literary Award Winner Sharon Chancey, Kristen Hogan, and Bridgforth, LSU MFA student Eldon Birthwright, have Penelope Dane, and local poets developed an alternative from Big Buddy’s WordPlay speaker's series entitled "Under Teen Writing Project. Truly a the Radar," featuring guest success, the event was standing speakers working in the area of room only! Queer Studies. Within each event, writers and speakers The second event in the series will be on October 17th and will drawn from the Louisiana WGS Students, WGSGO Members, and WOW members at NWSA: feature Laura Harris, author of community will also be Kate Wilson, Elizabeth Domangue, Ashli Dykes, Meredith featured as part of an overall Notes from a Welfare Queen in Anderson, Jessica Ketcham Weber, Paige Pruitt, Racheal Hebert, effort to link and create a the Ivory Tower, and Jamey Jessica McKelvie Kemp, and Morgan Moreau McCann presented at dialogue on a wide spectrum of Hatley, a recent MFA graduate and attended the National Women’s Studies Association diversity issues. The first in the from the LSU. Conference in St. Charles, Il in July. Women’s & Gender Studies Louisiana State University 238 Himes Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Phone: (225) 578-4807 Fax: (225) 578-4804 E-mail: [email protected]

Visit our new website: www.lsu.edu/wgs

tune in to KLSU 91.1 FM Wed nights 11-1am for BR’s only feminist radio program: VGI

.WOW and WGSGO.

In October, WOW and WGSGO WOW: Women Organizing members participated in the Following a successful Feminist Women's purpose is to annual Take Back the Night Theories Summer Series promote feminist awareness and march and candlelight vigil for Reading Group, WGSGO: The community activism at LSU. In victims of violence. Women’s & Gender Studies recognition of October as Graduate Organization has an Domestic Violence Awareness active semester planned. Fall Month, WOW collaborated with programming includes an inter- the Women's Center for The disciplinary, biweekly writing Clothesline Project to make a group, participating in a service visual statement against sexual project called Women Build, a and domestic violence. Up next partnership between Engineering is FEMmenstruation: Period at LSU and Habitat for Humanity, Power!, a week-long celebration Melissa Cameron, Danielle Dick, and co-sponsoring with WGS a meant to encourage discussion, Racheal Hebert, Morgan Moreau Graduate Student Luncheon on challenge media portrayals of McCann, and Mariah Stidham pose November 15th to discuss with menstruation, and educate the with Mab Segrest, Author, Activist, new WGS faculty issues such as and Professor at Connecticut College LSU community about alternative the transition from grad student menstrual products. For more WGSGO & WOW are also to professor, finding interdiscipli- information about WOW or co-sponsoring an nary jobs, and the needs of WGS upcoming events, email Academics and Activism students. To get involved or find [email protected]. Dialogue-Share-Vent Session on out more information, email October 27th. [email protected].