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letters to the editor

Dear Krista:
I've read every column in this issue. What fantastic, smart women you all are. Thanks for your commitment and great writing!
Carol Austin, TX

Dear Krista:
I use your zine in my introductory courses on gender and feminism. The students relate to you and the other writers. You are doing a great job challenging the stereotypes about feminists AND doing righteous, politically important work. Keep up the great work!
Steven Allen

Dear Krista:
I just read your "letter from the editor" and I really related to what you said about the dangers of not using the label of feminist. I am a man, a man with liberal politics, and I'm sad to see all of the women rejecting the term feminist. However, I hadn't looked at it like you do in that they simultaneously espouse feminist views AFTER they reject the label. It made me realize that I, as a man, need to call myself a feminist, too.
Justin Williams

Dear Krista:
I just read your book (Our Choices, Our Lives: Unapologetic Writings on Abortion) from cover to cover. It is an excellent overview of the abortion experience and all of the complex issues that go along with it. I've had an abortion myself and took great comfort in the non-shaming words of the women in your book. You are a powerful force in the pro-choice movement and I admire you very much. I'm recommending your book to all of my friends, especially my anti-choice friends/acquaintances.
Name withheld
Syracuse, NY

Dear Krista,
I love Emari's columns. She always raises good points and I feel more "enlightened" after I read her column. She is a wonder PR person for feminism. Thanks, Emari, for writing about important and sometimes difficult issues.
Sophia Black
St. Louis, MO

Dear Krista:
Thanks for adding the "Boomerang" column. Us ol' gals like to have our place at the table, too.
Clara Jacobson
Ann Arbor, MI

Dear Krista:
Would you ever consider publishing an essay from a pro-life feminist? Just curious.
Anonymous

Krista responds:
I'm dubious of any attempt to criminalize abortion, even when done in the name of feminism. I do not see a society in which women are forced to bear children they do not want to as a positive thing for women. That said, however, I'mto a diverse dialogue about abortion. Pro-choice feminists have a range of views on abortion, ranging from abortion without apology to deeply morally/religiously conflicted. If you (or anyone else) want to write about this topic for STP, please go ahead. I would, however, want you to draw a link between your feminism and your anti-choice/pro-life views. In addition, I'd like to know how you want your views to play out in the political arena (ie: criminalize abortion, etc.). Thanks for your question!

Dear Krista:
How come you don't have anything from men in your zine?
David Allen
Tucson, AZ

Krista responds:
Because I've never received any written work from men. STP isto both women and men so knock yourself out.

Dear Krista:
Lauren's poetry is gorgeous. I'd like to see more from her. Elizabeth's article on "otherness" is fantastic.
Karen Armstrong
City Withheld

Dear Krista:
I heard you speak at my college campus and really liked what you said. Your book is great and has made me think about abortion in a new way. I'm not willing to say I'm a feminist, yet, but pro-choice…you bet!
Jessica Gore
University of Iowa
Iowa City

Dear Krista:
This is a great zine. It's a nice mix of political theory and humor. The book reviews and interviews are a real bonus. So many of the feminist journals/zines are (yawn, yawn) boring. Who says feminists politics can't be entertaining?
Jenny Simpson
Utah

Dear Krista,
Thank you STP writers for your insight on race, gender, class and sexuality. I only wish you published more frequently!
Veronica (last name withheld)
Eugene, OR

Dear Krista:
What a great e-zine! I found you accidentally, but what a find! It's uplifting to see the next WAVE taking off. As an early 40-something that just realized she was a feminist (did I say that?), it's good to have resources from the old and the new. Keep up the good work!

Peggy S. Scott, Ed.D., LPC, Mediator
Associate Dean of Student Development
Stephen F. Austin State University

Dear Krista:
I’ve been up half the night reading your journal from cyber cover to cyber cover. What smart, sassy gals you all are. I especially like Elizabeth’s essay on her interracial relationship. It made me think about things I hadn’t before…and made me think about my own biases. I always think of myself as “enlightened,” but her essay took me to task and made me re-think what I think. By the way, I’m not white. Thank you, Elizabeth.

Margaret, Sleepless in Montana

Dear Krista:
All the baby boomer feminists in my life keep saying that our generation is L-A-Z-Y. Thank you for your bold, smart, and brave zine. And congrats on the publication of your new book. I’ve already read though half of it and love it. Thank you for including women who don’t usually get included in books about feminist issues.

Tammy Baker, no relation to Jim Baker J

Dear Krista:
I’m a working class female. I never really thought much about feminism, or at least anything I associated with the word “feminist.” I totally relate to the women of your zine, especially Alia Levine, you, and Kimberly Springer. In the past when I’ve read feminist writings (in my junior college), I found it to be inaccessible, complicated and too far from my own experience and beliefs. It’s great to see our generation of women talking in ways that everyone can understand and about issues that affect all women’s lives. Thank you, STP writers!

Veronica, a Jersey blue-collar gal.

Dear Krista:
I love your use of humor and satire. Thank you for challenging the stereotype that feminists are serious all the time. It’s important to be serious some of the time, especially with important issues, but I also like to see the use of humor when talking about homophobia, xenophobia, racism, etc. Thanks, Alia and other STP writers, for the laughs! Several of us read your zine at work…on our breaks of course!

Heidi Swanson, Canada

Dear Krista:
Sexing the Political is one of the best sites on the web. Thank you to all the writers for sharing their ideas and experiences. Ashley Sovereign’s collage moved me to tears. We don’t talk about miscarriage/stillbirth enough in this society. I lost an eight-week pregnancy several years ago. Ashley’s work made me start writing and doing some artwork of my own to work through this loss. It’s as though I lost my baby yesterday, but her collage, Grief, helped bring it all to the surface so I can work through it. As an Asian-American woman, I’d like to see more work from women of color. Maybe I’ll send some of my art your way and encourage my friends to do the same.

Margaret, New York City

Dear Krista:
I love your essay, “A Radical Language of Choice.” You are right-on to challenge the way we talk about abortion in this country and to make room for the grief and sadness that can (and often does) accompany the abortion experience. Thank you for being a bold voice in these anti-abortion times. I had an abortion five years ago. Your essay gave me the space to mourn that experience (even though I would do it again because I needed to). I forwarded your column to my mother. She read it and loved it. We never talked about my abortion, but I plan to tell her about it someday. Thank you forng the door for me to do so. I did a web search on “abortion,” and found so many mean, shaming things. Thank you for the empowerment.

Name withheld, Kansas City, Kansas

Dear Krista:
I’m a guy who is learning about women’s issues and starting to question the way I was raised in the culture as a male. I really like Melisse Gelula’s essays. Her writing is great and she makes excellent points. I’d like to see more men write for your zine, too. A male friend of mine told me about Sexing the Political. We learn a lot from reading the essays. I also like that you talk about other issues besides women’s, like 9/11 and same-sex relationships. Would you ever consider doing a feminist zine for men?

John Albertson, Texas

Krista responds: No, I wouldn’t. Life in toddler-ville keeps me way too busy to take on any other projects. I suggest you start your own zine, or at least collaborate with others who share your interest(s). It’s not as difficult as it seems, especially if you have support from friends and colleagues. I couldn’t edit and publish this zine if it weren’t for the writers, volunteers, and web designers, who generously contribute their time and energy. Good luck!

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