Video Fridays: Charlotte Gainsbourg "Heaven Can Wait"

Charlotte's new album, Irm, was just released and its already becoming one of my favorites of this winter. This video is for the single, Heaven Can Wait, and features Beck!

Nurture Wins

I had been planning a post for the blog on nature vs. nuture in regards to mother/daughter relationships for about a month. My biological mother, the woman who gave birth to me as a child, died when I was eight. I was raised by another woman, the woman who I called Mom, and had noticed that I was turning out a lot like her despite our lack of shared genetic material. I had some insights on growing up without a woman around to whom you could look to in terms of how you would age, and other rather shallow thoughts. Then on New Years Eve, I lost my Mom, the woman who gave birth to me as an adult, and that essay got scrapped for this one.

This blog seems a fitting place for a tribute to her not only because, as noted below, she was a guest on WOW, but because she was a strong, amazing feminist. She taught me how to struggle against anti-choicers, how to never be told to be quiet and instead to raise my voice as loud as I could. She, with my father, taught me about equality and partnership. She introduced me to Carole King's Tapestry, a record she would listen to in the dark times of her 20s, which then became a record I listen to in my dark times. I am listening to it right now, in fact.

My mother was a single mother in graduate school in her 20s, took on a second child in her 30s and went back to follow her dream of being a natural healer in her 40s. Her patients will tell you that she was an incredibly gifted acupunturist. I can attest to that too, as she saved me from what could have been a fatal allergy attack with her needles. She practiced yoga and loved chocolate and the movie The Birdcage. She had the biggest heart, and the most beautiful skin, of anyone I've ever known. She was the first person I would call when I had good news to share, and the first person I called when I had my heart broken - and she always picked up the phone, even at 2:00 in the morning. Especially at 2:00 in the morning.

As I grew older, I could see my mother struggling with balancing parenthood with friendship with feminism, and I can tell you it is a delicate balance. She watched both of us, my sister and I, fall off our paths more times than I care to think about and loved us regardless. She pushed me to go to law school but embraced me when I told her I didn't want to go into a traditional field. We had a complicated relationship, like most parents and children do, but I always knew she was there no matter what.

Her death has brought back some of the nature vs. nuture discussion. I can't imagine this feeling any less...biological, for the lack of a better word. It feels like my cells have changed. I can feel a very physical change in me, beyond the void that is made by missing my number one support. I was already inspired by the woman who helped make me who I am, and I am now determined to live by her cherished credos "Be the change you want to see in the world (Ghandi)" and "Kindness is my religion (Dalai Lama)". There is no doubt in my mind that, at least in our case, nurture won.

Among the many swirling thoughts I have had over the last month, I have been so saddened that I did not get more stories from her about her experiences as a woman and feminist. We had just started entering the phase of our relationship where I would share with her my darkest fears, my rage at inequality both personal and more global and she would tell me about her own struggles. Those late night conversations are my favorite memories, and what I will miss the most. If missing is the kind of thing you can quantify.

If you still have your mom, I encourage you to get her stories. Bring her some chocolate and get her talking. And then hold those stories, and her, close to your heart.

Quote of the Week - Martin Luther King Jr

Today we remember the greatest American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CHIRPradio.org Launches Online Radio Station This Sunday!

The long wait is finally over, and after two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, the Chicago Independent Radio Project will launch an online radio station this Sunday January 17th at noon! Chicago's only non-profit, volunteer-run, music-, arts-, and culture-focused radio station, CHIRPradio.org will broadcast live from studios in North Center from 6am to 3am seven days a week, 365 days a year - a remarkable feat for a group of music lovers, radio veterans and media activists who built the station step by step, literally and figuratively, all by themselves!

Emily, Elizabeth and I have all been involved with CHIRP since it's inception, and believe that community radio stations are a crucial part of a thriving democratic society. With a handful of large media conglomerates controlling nearly everything on the airwaves, few alternatives exist where alternative viewpoints and music can be heard. Access to the airwaves is a feminist issue - women comprise 51 percent of the country's population, but own just 6 percent of full power radio stations, according to a report from Free Press. In contrast, low power FM radio stations are run by community organizations, and tend to have far more diverse leadership and membership. (Fun fact: All of CHIRP's officers are women!) As CHIRP continues to advocate for the expansion of low power FM radio, they're going online to serve the community now with CHIRPradio.org.

Not only have the three ladies of WOW dedicated many hours of our life to CHIRP in the last few years, we're going to be on air as well! I'll be on every Sunday from 3pm to 6pm, and Emily will be on every Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. Elizabeth won't be on air for now, but remains a CHIRP supporter too. We especially hope that those of you who listened to us on our previous radio station, WLUW, will follow us over to CHIRP and check out what we're up to these days!

Riot Grrrl History! Kathleen Hanna Papers at NYU Library

I have to admit that I felt a little bit old when I read that NYU Libraries had just acquired the Kathleen Hanna Papers as the first major acquisition in their Riot Grrrl Collection. Are we so old that riot grrrl now needs to be preserved in libraries? I guess so. But nonetheless, I think it's a great thing that Kathleen has donated her papers to be preserved for future generations of feminists. No one knows what might be in the papers yet, but it is presumed that they include some copies of her early zines Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill, and riotgrrrl, as well as correspondence and paperwork related to her long musical career in Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. You can bet that once the papers are sorted and cataloged, there will be a bevy of feminist scholars and women's studies students writing up a storm - and I can't wait to read it!

Witty Women: Quote Of The Week

"Always be smarter than the people who hire you."
- Lena Horne

Video Fridays: Aretha Franklin - Respect

In honor of Pat, here's some Aretha for you this Friday morning.

Remembering Pat

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the unexpected death of Pat Bickett, Elizabeth's mom. Pat was a truly unique individual who embraced the living of life in a way that few people do, and was always willing to have an adventure, learn about something new, and lend an ear and shoulder to her daughters. She will be missed very much.

One of the most special times that we shared was when Elizabeth, Emily and I invited our moms onto our radio show on WLUW for Mother's Day a few years ago - we brought some music about mothers and daughters and invited them to bring their favorite female musicians as well. I fondly remember Pat telling us about her favorite female musician of all time, Aretha Franklin, and jokingly getting offended when we said we'd brought music "from our moms era, you know, older" because she insisted that they were all still "hip". Those hours with our moms remain among my favorite in all of the hours of radio I've done over the last fifteen years.

On behalf of Emily and myself, as well as the Chicago community radio community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of Pat Bickett.

Photo: L-R: Kay, Emily, Jen, Colleen, Pat, Elizabeth

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

I wanted to be the first woman to burn her bra,
but it would have taken the fire department four days to put it out.
- Dolly Parton