marlene mountain
letter essays
december 1992

 

women's studies

dear gloria 12/31/92

I'd planned to get this packet to you before solstice--but the enclosed 'books' were much more trouble than I anticipated. A little late here's your solstice card and a few others.

You mentioned that you've 'taught' something about shetrillogy: an owom, maytreearchy and womocreativa with the 'mad/up words' and 'wom words.' I recently computer-typed the story on 20 double-spaced pages (including the title page) and had black and white slides made. I've not been able to project them, but I believe they're OK (unless the apple imagewriter has blurred the 'i') or it all looks too dotted. I thought it might be interesting to project the story while you or a student read it aloud. Would you like to give it a try? I'm enclosing the story with this packet and sending the slides separately.

Actually I'm trying to find ways to generate some money if at all possible with some of my things. I may have told you that I have several booklets in mind. The cross words painting series. It would be interesting if a woman could write a paragraph or two or three about the words in a painting, 13 paintings, 13 women. (Or if you would like to write about them.) We could include blank grids in the back for students/readers to create 'cross words' of other words they come up with. It could be an assignment.

Something could be done with the great mad mother earth paintings plus glad. Again, students could come up with something, maybe make up another story using words from the paintings/story, and with words they come up with. Somewhere I have related words that--I should probably try to create an index--didn't get into the paintings/story: egotesticle, cuntata, homo idioticus, matrilogical, whitemenority, pricktriarchal shituation, mengate, etc.

Something with the female alphabet, womocreativa, the captions about haiku to famous art and Dore's bible illustrations, the intimate posters as a booklet. Maybe I've become too introverted and none of this has anything to do with the 'real' world. Having a small copier--in my small living room--stimulates an idea of that and one of this. However it's not good for 2-sided copies nor is my Apple IIc with dot printer good for much (lots of frustration with them). But I would be able to get some things copy/camera ready.

For some time I've wanted to test my stamina and patience. I've now found them somewhat lacking. I used to be able to push and push to get several things done at once with tons of details. The last couple of weeks I put together the enclosed booklets (12 of each)--I am not a writer so every word/sentence wears me down. I peaked into other sketch books and noticed that there other potential booklets of painting series.

If you have any time and any energy maybe you could let me know if any of the things mentioned might be of interest to women's studies. You're also welcome to say, 'no way, introverted jose.'

from the mountain

 

back to 'letter essay contents'