[NIFL-WOMENLIT:1070] Re: Books

From: Mev Miller (mev@winternet.com)
Date: Sat Oct 21 2000 - 09:43:17 EDT


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Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1070] Re: Books
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Hi All,

I want to thank Daphne for this question -- it's one that interests me 
quite a lot and I've been working on creating a list now for awhile. So I 
read your responses with great interest and will add them to the list I 
already have going. So please keep those suggestions coming...

I have a list posted on the Internet -- that right now is simply in alpha 
order but over time I will finesse it by subject, author, content, 
possibly reading level -- but that's down the road about 6 months. For 
now,I direct your attention to: 
http://www.litwomen.org/Resources.html

Also, for those of you who love to respond to questionnaires, please have 
a look at the one I have on the website that also cultivates these issues:
http://www.litwomen.org/questionnaire.html/litq.html

I was going to wait to start a similar conversation but it seems now that 
we're on the topic, this is a good time too...

I'm very serious about creating an organization that does publishing and 
clearinghouse work specifically about basic literacy materials that 
address issues, concerns, topics of interest to women. Initially, I 
thought I will do publishing to fill the void but I'm finding so many 
publications produced by various literacy centers and programs and some 
by publishers that people just don't seem aware of so I'm thinking 
perhaps (additionally) review and clearinghouse is also important. So I'm 
interested in having conversations with literacy workers about these 
issues (hence the questionnaire) in a variety of forums.

Over the next year, however, I'm working on talking with LEARNERS about 
the reading materials that most interest them. I'll be having 
conversations locally (in the Twin Cities) with women in a variety of 
settings but I'm also trying to find ways of having these conversations 
with women learners across the country. Some could be via email or by 
posting on a separate elist or questionnaires or conversations 
facilitated by literacy workers or learners in their own settings. 

If you have any interest in any aspects of this project, I'd be 
interested in hearing from you.

FYI this is a serious project and within the next 2 years I plan to have 
a non-profit established to specifically address these issues -- the 
creation, production, review, netwrking and distribution of 
women-centered, women-positive (feminist) literacy materials.

looking forward to your input.
Mev



>I was wondering if anyone would like to recommend works of fiction or 
>nonfiction that they would suggest would be interesting  to our women 
>learners.  I just finished reading a very moving book that I want to 
>recommend:
>The Last Time I Wore A Dress by Daphne Scholinski, printed by Riverhead  
>Books, 1997.
>Phyllis Burke, author of Family Values and Gender Shock is quoted on the 
>sleeve of the book as saying:
>"The Last Time I Wore A Dress is an extraordinary, dramatic document, 
>tracing a young girl's incarceration in institutions for the mentally ill 
>because she was not considered appropriately 'feminine'.  Daphne 
>Sholinski's story is horrifying, but ultimately triumphant.  It makes you 
>want to go through the country's psychiatric wards, finding and freeing 
>the girls whose only 'illness' is a refusal to wear makeup, or dresses, 
>curl their hair, sit 'like a lady', or bat their eyelashes.  This book is 
>a wake-up call for all of us."
>What amazed me the most about this book is that it took place in the 
>1980's.  I did not realize how archaic so many of our mental hospitals 
>were at that time (and maybe still are).  
>I think that this book may be appropriate for adult learner book 
>discussion groups, and for younger adults who could relate to the 
>difficulties Daphne had in school.  
>The book is not written for the adult learner, and therefore, would only 
>be easily read by advanced GED learners, or if read to by an instructor.
>Anyone else have recommendations?
>Daphne
>
>Daphne Greenberg
>Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
>Georgia State University
>University Plaza
>Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
>Fax: 404-651-1415
>Ph: 404-651-0400
>E-mail: alcdgg@langate.gsu.edu
>


WOMEN LEADING THROUGH READING
Founded in 1995, WLTR is a collaborative initiative which primarily 
sponsors book discussion groups for women who are lower-level readers. It 
is co-sponsored by The MN Literacy Council and Amazon Bookstore (the 
oldest feminist bookstore in North America, located in Minneapolis) 

Mev Miller
Coordinator
1483 Laurel Ave.                 
St. Paul, MN 55104-6737                            
651-646-1855
651-646-1153 /fax
mev@winternet.com
www.litwomen.org



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