72 Wisdom Utopia Sinister 2007–2008 Winter Sinister Wisdom 72 US $6 Publisher: Sinister Wisdom, Inc Sinister Wisdom 72 Winter 2007-2008 Submission Guidelines Editor: Fran Day Submissions: See page 168 for themes. Check our website at www.sinis- Layout and Design: Jan Shade terwisdom.org for updates on forthcoming issues. Please read the guidelines Board of Directors: Judith K. Witherow, Rose Provenzano, Joan Nestle, below before sending material. Susan Levinkind, Fran Day, Shaba Barnes Material should be sent to the editor or guest editor of the issue. Everything Coordinator: Susan Levinkind else should be sent to Sinister Wisdom, POB 3252, Berkeley, CA 94703. Proofreaders: Fran Day and Sandy Tate Web Design: Sue Lenaerts Writing and Art Guidelines: Please read carefully. Mailing Crew for #71: Fran Day, Carolyn DeTierra, Roxanna Fiamma, Material may be in any style or form, or combination of forms. Maximum: Moire Martin, Senecarol Rising, Jan Shade, and Stacee Shade fi ve poems, two short stories or essays, or one longer piece of up to 2500 Special thanks to: Shaba Barnes, Cathy Cade, jade deforest, Nann words. We prefer that you send your work by email in Word. If sent by mail, Dunne, Arden Eversmeyer, Roxanna N. Fiamma, Kimba Fusch, Virgin- material must be mailed fl at (not folded) with your name and address on each ia Harris, Sonia Johnson, Lori Lake, Sherry Mills, Rose Provenzano, Ida page. We prefer you type your work but short legible handwritten pieces will Red, Linda Strega, Sandy Tate, rainbow williams, and Susan Wiseheart be considered; tapes accepted from print-impaired women. All work must be on white paper. Please proofread your work carefully; do not send changes Front Cover Art: “In This Place” by Diane F. Germain after the deadline. A self-addressed stamped business-sized envelope must be Back Cover Art: “Sisterhood is Blooming” by Chicago Women’s enclosed. If you want acknowledgement of receipt, enclose a separate self-ad- Liberation Union dressed stamped postcard. GRAPHIC ARTISTS should send B&W photos SINISTER WISDOM, founded 1976 or drawings (duplicates) of their work (no slides). Images sent electronically Former editors and publishers: must have a resolution of 300dpi for photos and 600dpi for line drawings. Harriet Ellenberger (aka Desmoines) TIFFs are preferred. Please do not send large fi les electronically – send each and Catherine Nicholson (1976-1981) photo separately. Include a 3-5 sentence autobiographical sketch written Michelle Cliff and Adrienne Rich (1981-1983) exactly as you want it printed. Michaele Uccella (1983-1984) We publish only Lesbians’ work. We are particularly interested in work Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz (1983-1987) Elana Dykewomon (1987-1994) that refl ects the diversity of our experiences: as Lesbians of color, ethnic Les- Caryatis Cardea (1991-1994) bians, Jewish, Arab, old, young, working class, poverty class, disabled, and Akiba Onada-Sikwoia (1995-1997) fat Lesbians. We welcome experimental work. We will not print anything Margo Mercedes Rivera-Weiss (1997-2000) that is oppressive or demeaning to Lesbians or women, or that perpetuates Sinister Wisdom is a multicultural, multi-class, female-born lesbian stereotypes. Because many of our readers are in prison, we cannot include space. We seek to open, consider and advance the exploration of com- explicit sex, obscenities, or art with frontal nudity. No sado-masochism. munity issues. We recognize the power of language to refl ect our diverse Please contact us if you have a new theme you would like to see ex- experiences and to enhance our ability to develop critical judgment, as plored. We are looking for guest editors for future issues. lesbians evaluating our community and our world. Statements made and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect the views Sinister Wisdom, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profi t organization. We of the publisher, board members, or editor(s) of Sinister Wisdom. provide free subscriptions to women in prison and psychiatric institutions (20% of our mailing list), as well as reduced price subscriptions for Lesbians Copyright © 2008 Sinister Wisdom, Inc. with limited/fi xed incomes. All rights revert to individual authors and artists. Enclose an extra $10 to $50 on your renewal to help cover publishing ISSN: 0196-1853. Printed in the U. S. on recycled paper. costs (larger donations accepted). * Give Sinister Wisdom for birthdays, Sinister Wisdom, Inc. PO Box 3252, Berkeley, CA 94703, USA holidays, and special occasions. * Please consider organizing a benefi t or www.sinisterwisdom.org subscription drive for Sinister Wisdom in your area. winter 2007–2008 A Journal by and for Lesbians Contents Fran Day ......................................... Notes for a Magazine ...........................4 Gloria E. Anzaldúa Prize ......................6 Jae Haggard The Wimmin of Our Dreams ..............8 Jacqueline Elizabeth Letalien ............ Every Possibility .................................20 Ellen Williams .................................. The Womelia of Estasusa ...................22 Tanager ............................................ Dreams of a Lesbian Feminist Utopia .............................26 Bea Lieberman ..................................merciful time ...................................28 Susan Wiseheart & Jenna Weston .... The Mists of Aradia ...........................29 Marjorie Norris ................................ The River of Dreams ..........................33 Shaba Barnes .................................... Accepting the Dream or Is It Reality? ......34 Bea Lieberman ................................ even the laughing leaves ....................40 Sunlight ........................................... Prologue: Womonseed .......................41 Susan Hawthorne ............................. Sense .................................................48 Sonia Johnson .................................. Full Moon in the Park .......................50 Billie Dee ........................................ How I Wish to Live ...........................52 Francine ........................................... A Utopian Lesbian Universe ..............53 Tanager ............................................ Praise/Alabanza ..................................54 Amy Winter ..................................... From Euphoria to Despair .................55 Sharon Stewart ................................. Marble Canyon Meeting ...................58 Shawn Helmen ................................. Visions of Love ..................................59 jody jewdyke .................................... Remembering ....................................60 Mary Meriam ................................... May the Women in Prison Dance .............................65 Mary Meriam ................................... Iris .....................................................66 Lynn Brown ..................................... How to Make a Legend .....................67 Natasha Carthew .............................. Home ................................................69 Betsy Rose ........................................ Coming Into My Years .......................70 Doreen Perrine ................................. Over the Rainbow .............................72 Margie Adam ................................... Avalon ...............................................77 Shevy Healey .................................... Just Suppose ......................................78 Bea Lieberman ................................ in these last days ................................81 Ida VSW Red ................................... The Mauvety ......................................82 Martha Courtot................................ When You Become the Rain ..............85 Martha Courtot................................ These Bodies Inhabit Us ....................86 Chris Sitka ....................................... Ancient Lesbian Culture ....................88 Jean Taylor ....................................... Everyday Utopia ................................89 Sunlight ........................................... Once Upon a Time ............................92 Pat Parker ......................................... Excerpt from “There is a Woman in This Town” ...................94 sinister wisdom #72 — Utopia Kim Rivers ....................................... The Search for Utopia ........................95 Alix Dobkin ..................................... The Woman in Your Life....................98 Alix Dobkin ..................................... Amazon ABC ....................................99 Chris Sitka ....................................... The Labrys .......................................100 Michelle Wing ................................. The Good Day .................................101 Ruth Mountaingrove ........................ My Utopia .......................................104 Bea Lieberman ................................ thanks to the sky ..............................106 Jeane Orjas ....................................... Circles of Women ............................107 Alix Greenwood ............................... Let All Be Well ................................110 Alix Greenwood ............................... On My 42nd Birthday` .....................111 Andrea Nicki .................................... Circle ...............................................112 Nicole .............................................. In Unison ........................................113 Mary Meriam .................................