316 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10001 (212) 868-3330
for J A N E A L P E R T
September 1975
Dear Sister,
We are women who after much homework have found the ''Jane Alpert controversy" more far reaching than a question of "informer'' or "collaborator". Since there is clear evidence that Jane Al pert has not informed, we conclude that t hi s accusa tion made against her is a smoke screen to obscure a mo re dangerous threat: that is, Jane Alpert's strong opposition to the underground left and her insistence that t he Ma rxist cause i s as much an adversary of women as t he establishment right . Her stance has proved frightening not onl y to men i n the left, but also to the women who have identified feminism with t-1arxist change and who consequently feel that Jane Alpert's position has left them without allies and without a blueprint for revolution.
It has become clear to us that we must support Jane Al pert in her rejection of patriarchal culture, history and definitions. We must also strive for a higher level of woman's consciousness in the evolution of a radical feminist ethic and philosophy.
We who constitute the CI RC LE OF SUPPORT FOR JANE ALPERT come from different places. We have been in the left, old and new, and in a ll forms of establishment and liberal politics. Many have been in the Women's ~1ovement sine~ its inception and have been founding and/or active members of New York Radical Women, THE FEMINISTS, Redstockings, New York Radical Feminists, Older Women's Liberation. All of us derive our streng t h from continuing consciousness-raising. Our immediate goal is the distribution of literature which will give information, facts, analysis and original thinking stimulated by Alpert's strong position and courage .
Enclosed is a list of available literature and a Statement of Purpose \vhich, for the present, defines the reason for our existence. We feel that Jane Alpert and feminism are worthy of our greates t effort. He hope you will join us in this effort. We would like t o have your name as a sponsor, we wa nt you to wo r k with us a nd we need your money (even a doll a r will help) . We we lcome you to join the CI RC LE OF SUPPORT . In Sisterhood,
Barbara ~;eh rhof , Coordinator CI RC LE OF SUPP ORT F0!l JA~:E .\ LPERT
CI RCLE: Al ice &madcne. Kirsten Grin1Stad. P: 111 1 Kcanlll. &lire Kroll. Barbara fv1ch rhof. Helen Pa ~· ne . Rebecca Rei tz. Rosetta Reitz, StL-;;111 Rennie. r lorcncc Ru,h. j fo r J A N E A L P E R T Se p tember 1975 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE \ve are women who support Jane Alpert and welcome her into t he Feminist Hovement. In 1969 Jane Alpert was arrested for conspiring with ot hers to blow up government property. After pleading guilty t o a bomb - ing conspiracy , she jumped bail and spent t he next four years underground. During her years as a fugitive, Alpert discovered that she and other women revolutionaries suffered f rom hatred and discrimination against women in the male lef t. Her t h inking evolved from the narrow ideology of Harxism to t he larger, more vital concerns of feminism, a process which she made public in her open letter from the underground (Mother Right. Spring 1973) . In November 1974, Jane Alpert turned herself in to the authorities, and is now serving a 27-month prison term. There has been confusion and controversy surrounding these events. Jane Alpert has been accused by some people in the left of being an informer. She has been charged with revealing the whereabouts o f other radicals in her writings from the underground, and in her conversations with authorities after surfacing -- particula rly of leading to t he arrest of Pat Swinton. But t he fact is tha t in May 1975, i t was disclosed in court papers f iled by t he eovernment (Unite d States District Court, Southern District of New York, 70 Cr. 230 (MP) ) that Jane Alpert risks a prolonged prison sentence for perjury and contempt because she refused t o give any information which might endanger Pat Swinton. The male Ri ght wants Jane Alpert in prison for break i ng its l aws a nd t he male Lef t wants her discredited f or sma sh i ng its i dols . We recognize t hat both the patriarchal Right and Le ft are a nti f eminist. We recognize the rieht of every woman t o l eave t he Ri ght, t he Lef t, or any situation which oppr e s ses her. J ane Alpert ha s been denied this right. We welcome into feminism all women wh o r e ject any f orm of male control. - cont i nued - ~'t: "" We want to explore and forge a new feminist ethic and philosophy; we want the participation of women who seek to find what is honorable, moral, and just, according to a feminist frame of reference. Jane Alpert is not only a symbol of Feminist defiance, she is also a human being who needs, and has earned, our respect, our support and our strength. We call for the support of all women who can identify with the courage of Jane Alpert and who wish to clear the name of a woman \vho has chosen feminism over male ideologies. Partial List of Sponsors: Hinda Bil Elaine Bloom Kate Millett Paula Bromberg Honor Moore Susan Brownmiller Robin t-1organ Jan Cra"tvford Evan t1orley Dr. Nary Daly Jean O'Leary Karen De Crmv Anne Pollon Jo-Ann Evans Gardner Adrienne Rich Janice Goodman Jemera Rone Jean Hirsch Elizabeth Shank i n Lolly Hirsch i'la r ga ret Sloan Jill Johnston Gloria Steinem Barbara Kolber Judy Sullivan 3arba r a Love Holly Tannen Nary Lutz Do r ot hy Tennov C I R C L E 0 F S U P P 0 R T FOR JANE ALPERT September 1975 LITERATURE AVA ILhBLE _____Calendar of Events. Jane Al pert 25~ _____Do It Yourself: Compa re and Contrast Quo tations 35~ _____Fact Sheet Concerning the S t ory of Pat & Jane. Florence Rush 25~ _____Letter to A Friend. Jane Alpert 25<; ----~News Items on Barry Stein. 1 5~ -----Sexism in the Ma le Left : A Double Standard for "Informers" . Fl orence Rush 85~ ____Strange Bedfellows: The Right and Left Against Jane Alpert. Steven Da nsky 15<; -----United States Government Hemorandum. 15~ ----Vindication of the Rights of Feminists. 20<; _____O ne c opy of each paper. $2 . 60 ----~Button: "Circle of Support for Jane Alpert" 50<; Please add postage C IRCLE OF SUP PORT 316 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10001 (212) 868-3330 for Jane Alpert Enclosed is for the items marked above. ------Please make checks payable to CIRCLE OF SUPPORT . I want to add my name as a sponsor to the CIRCLE OF SUPPORT . ----- .. -----I would like to work with the CIRCLE . Please contact me . $ I have encl osed my check as a contribution to the CI RCLE. N.i\.~1E AREA CODE PHONE ------~ ------ADDRE SS ______Z IP COD E______RCLE OF SUPPORT for J A N E A L P E R T September 1975 Literature List & Recommended Readi ng The following is a list of material currently available. An asterisk indicates the literature that is available from the CIRCLE OF SUPPORT FOR JANE ALPERT -- MINIMUM ORDER: $1.00 Checks or Money Orders Payable to: CIRCLE OF STRENGTH. THE FACTS *1-United States Gevernment Memorandum. Dated May 12, 1975. 15¢ The pertinent facts including the prosecutor's remarks that Jane Alpert never told authorities about any association with Pat Swinton while they were both underground. (The full government memo is available from the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. U.S. vs. Pat Elizabeth Swinton, 70 Cr. 230 (MP) . ) *2-Fact Sheet Concerning the Story of Pat and Jane. Florence Rush. June 1975. 25¢ Concise , factual account, focusing on the Swinton-Alpert association and controversy. (Also available from NYRF, P.O.Box 621 , Old Chelsea Station , New York, New York 10011, where it appeared in their August 1975 newsletter.) 3-4 Accusatory Statements and Response Statement #1: Loyalties in the Face of the State (by former weatherpeople). #2 : The Crisis in Feminism (4 signatories) . * #3: Vindication of the Rights of Feminists , (signed by 86 women from all s egments of the feminist movemen~. The complete vindication statement with signatories and identific ation is available from the CIRCLE OF SUPPORT FOR JANE ALPERT. All were reprinted in Majority Report, March 8, 1975, 74 Grove Street , New York , New York 10014. *4-Barry Stein News Item: Newsweek, March 24, 1974 & San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1975 . 15¢ #1: Newsweek quotes the Justice Department as reve aling that it was Barry Stein who informed on the whereabouts of Pat Swinton. #2: Picture of Barry Ste in be ing warmly welcomed by Pa t Swinton in her Brattleboro, Vt., homecoming . *5- Do I t Yourself: Compare and Contrast Quotations . Augu s t, 1975. 35¢ Quotes from some of the pri nc ipals in the current discussion--Alpert, Swinton; 'et c . 6- Gue s s Who ' s On Top Now? Jane Alpert, Feminist Media, The Le ft and the Feds. Linda Fowler. Big Marna Rag, May, 1975. 1724 Gaylord Street, Denver,Colorado 80206. A witty a nd insi ghtful pr esentat i on of facts i n t he form of a Greek drama. (over) --2-- Al\ALYSIS * 1-Sexism in the Male Left: A Double Standard for "Informers". Florence 85¢ Rush. May 1975. Part or whole have appeared in Herself, NYRF Newsletter, Plexus, Lesbian Tide, and Lavendar Woman. A contrast of the attitudes and treatment meted out to a woman and a man by the left. (The Story of Brother Malcolm and Sister Jane) 2-Socialism v . Feminism: What Are OUr Priorities? Leah Fritz. Liberation, February 1975. 339 Lafayette Street, New York , New York 10012. A feminist who believes the struggle against sexism is more fundamental than Marxism. 3-Thinking Like a Woman: On Bravery. Leah Fritz . July, 1975 Rai ses questions on a definition of male concepts of heroism. 4-In Defense of Jane Alpert. Leah Fritz. August , 1975. A moving article which explores the Alpert case as being analogous to the Dreyfuss case. *5-Strange Bedfellows: The Rights and Left Against Jane Alpert. Steven Dansky. Soho Weekly News, June 26 , 1975. 15¢ A man looks at the oppression of Jane Alpert by both the Right and the Left, and comes out in Alpert's defense. 6-Like Witches, We Will Prove OUr Innocence by Drowning. Susan Griffin. Plexus, August, 1975.3022 Ashby , Berkeley, California 94705. A feminist's outrage at the campaign to smear Alpert ' s name. 8-Correspondence Between Susan Sherman and Barbara Deming . WIN Magazine, Box 547, Rifton , New York 12471. Deming ' s appeal to Sherrna- objecting to the position taken by an accusat ory statement against Alpert (The Crisis in Feminism) co-signed by Sherman. 9- Goodbye to All That. Robin Morgan. 1970 . Available from KNOW INC. gox 86031 Pittsburoh, Pa. 15221 Impassioned rejection of t~e left. 10-Fourth World Manifesto . Barbara Burris , et al. 1970. Available from Notes from the Third Year, Box AA, Old Chelsea Station, New York, New York Iooll. An historic manifesto delineating the potential for world revolution. ll-With the Weathermen . Susan Stern. Doubleday, 1975. Good study of f emale expl oitation i n t he ma l e l eft . See especially he r portrait of Ma rk Rudd , obnoxious sexist. -continued - --3-- 12- Are You Ready for Another Jane Alpert Article? Joan E. Nixon . Lavendar Woman , P.O. Box 60206 , Chicago, Illinois 60600. Factual analysis of Alpert controv ersy and the author's support for her . JANE ALPERT SPEAKS 1-Moth er Right : A New Feminist Theory. Part I:An Open Letter to the Weatherwomen; Part II: Education of a Feminist-At-Large . Originally appeared in Off Our Backs, May 197 3; Ain ' t I A Woman?, June , 1973 ; and Ms . Magazine, August 1 973 . Available from KNOW INC . Alpert explains her journey from leftist to feminist and p resents h e r matriarchal theory. *2-Calendar of Events. Jane Alpert, September, 1975. *3- Letter to a Friend. Jane Alpert. May 13, 1975. 25~ Extracts from a l e tter from prison in which Alpert expresses her feelings about women , con sci ousness-raising, feminis m, and the Pat Swinton controversy . 4-Intervie w with Jane Alpert. Susan Rennie and Kirsten Grimstad. Big Mama Rag , March, 1975. In depth interview with Alpert: her story f rom 1969 -1975. 5-Letters from Attica. Introduction by Jane Al pert. Morrow paperback,l972 . A eulogy for Sam Me lville written by Alpert from t he underground. In it Alpert a l so describes how she came to be involved with Melville and the bombing conspiracy. He r feminis m, hinted at h e r e , emerges later in "Mother Right II PAT SWINTON SEEAKS 1-What We Do Matters. Pat Swinton Interview. Off Our Backs, July, 1975 . 1724 20th Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20009. Pat Swinton talks about herself(with other women) -- of particular interest is her advocacy of femal e sel f-sacrifice . 2-Interview: Jane Alpert Taught Me Feminism. Grace Shinell. Majority Report, April 19 , 1975. Swinton talks about h er resistance to the Jane Alpert concept of feminism because, "I just l ove to screw "