Cunt: a declaration of independence (notes)

Musico, Inga. 2002. Cunt: a declaration of independence. Seal Press.

-First book to make a difference in my life in college and change my entire way of thinking. Good societal (de)construction of the female uncleanliness and genderization.

Note: All my commentary is (in parentheses), as I prefer to engage with my notetaking instead of just blindly copying down items of interest from a book.

Call to action:
*DIY: Create a Cuntlovin’ Women’s Art Movement w/in own community to define your own art. (lots of work, totally worthwhile idea and so empowering)
* DIY: Challenge herself to only read books written by women authors, only look at photos taken by women, only art created by women, only films directed by women, only screen plays done by women.

Links: http://www.guerrillagirls.com/

pp.20-21:
Menarche party "for the newly menstruating" honoree wore red dress, her mother made a red cake and womyn brought her gifts wrapped in red paper
1995 interview w/ Barbara G. Walker

pp.22:
Pippi Longstocking as nation’s Covergirl(another book to buy again)

pp.23-24:
Align yourself w/ the moon by noticing her and knowing where she’ll be in the heavens wherever you look. (after doing this, my period began to usually land on the full moon)

pp.26:
Luna Press Lunar Calendar. Dedicate day of first blood as a time for herbs, tea and chocolate, a time to be quietly with womyn. (also luna sea sponges and luna panties-washable)

pp.31-32:
sea sponges, ~$1.59 each-instead of tampons. Keep clean by washing really well with hot water and mild soap before reinserting. Boil and allow to dry before storing in a cotton bag. Always boil before using again. Note: When sea sponges are full, they leak. Super important to keep clean. Use for a few months then discard for new one.

pp.39:
Who are: Toni Childs, Sade, Toni Morrison(all artists, muscians)

pp.49:
Reflexology? Where do you massage pregnant womyn to help encourage a natural abortion? What herbal tea recipes help? Musico used “imaging”-direct and absolute concentration- for 8 days, along with herbal tea and massage to naturally abort.

pp.60:
Naturopath: Holistic medicine. (I have been looking into these processes in order to incorporate a feeling of wholeness) Documentation of diet for a week and get entire family and personal medical history for the Naturopath. Naturopath being the individual well versed in Holistic medicine.

pp.70: Books to look into:
A New view of a Woman’s Body
pp.78: Queen, Carol “Real Live Nude Girl” 1997 Cleis Press

pp.86: Kinnie Starr “Buttons” song.

pp.87: Diamanda Gala’s vocal composition- Sheri X
inspired in part by Aileen Whornos(sp?)- a female lesbian prostitute who was/is a serial killer.

pp.99: Free box? (interesting idea to establish in other places or apt. buildings)

pp.101: Wilhelm Reich- male psychoanalyst- good. (why?)

pp.102: “Reichian Therapy” (?)

pp.108: More books: Our Bodies, Ourselves

pp.110: Dr. Jocelyn Elders (who is she and why does she matter in this book or ever?)
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joycelyn_Elders When I googled her name, Wikipedia offered this information on Dr. Jocelyn Elders:

Elders earned a B.S. in biology, an M.D. degree, an M.S. in biochemisty, and, after her term as Surgeon General, a Doctor of Science degree. Starting in 1967, she was a professor at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. In 1987, Governor Bill Clinton appointed Elders as Director of the Arkansas Department of Health. In 1993, as president, he appointed her U.S. Surgeon General. She was the first African American to hold the position. Controversy followed her comments about drug legalization, contraceptives, and masturbation. As a result, Clinton fired her in 1994, and she returned to her career as a professor.

pp.112: Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power” 1984, pg. 54 (my first experience with Audre Lorde.)

pp. 113: Women+Sex Stores
Toys in Babeland, Seattle, WA
(still current and open, I was there a few months ago)
Good Vibrations, San Francisco, CA
It’s My Pleasure, Portland, OR
(small but good erotica selection, and softcore style of sex toys, has moved a few time since I’ve been there)
Eve’s Garden, NY
A Woman’s Touch, Madison, Wisconsion
Ruby’s Pearl, Iowa City, Iowa
Grand Opening! Brookline, MA

pp.115-120: Cunt Book Wish List:
1. Playboy for Women About Sex. Joani Blank
2. My Gender Workbook. Kate Bornstein
3. Cunt Coloring Book. Tee Corinne
4. Exhibitionism for the Shy: Show off, Dress up and Talk Hot. Carol Queen
5. The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Barbara G. Walker
6. Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth and the Politics of the Body. New Paths to Power and Love. Riare T. Eisler
7. A New View of a Woman’s Body: A Fully Illustrated Guide: $20
8. Femalia. Joani Blank –Cunt Photos
9. Sex for One: The Joy of Self Loving
10. The NEW Our Right to Love: A Lesbian Resource Book $14 –ed by Ginny Vida.
11. Herotica: A collection of Women’s Erotic Fiction Vol. I-VII

Videos: Femme Distribution # 800 456-LOVE free catalog with self addressed, stamped envelopes.

pp.206: 1997 Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (I have never, never been. Why haven’t I been?) weeklong world created w/ women. Only men change Porta Potties. “can change a lady forever”

pp:207: Zora Neale Hurston, Leslie Marmon Silko, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Diane Arbus, Maya Linn, Kathe Kollowitz.

pp.208: Musico decided to challenge herself to only read books written by women authors, only look at photos taken by women, only art created by women, only films directed by women, only screen plays done by women. (compelling challenge to attempt. I attempted the same idea, and failed very quickly. It’s a very eye opening experience to realize almost all mainstream media, mainstream anything is produced by men, for men.)

pp.209: Me’shell Ndege’ Ocello, Flannery O’Conner(Author of Well of Loneliness), Louise Erdrich.

****Call to Action: Create a Cuntlovin’ Women’s Art Movement w/in own community to define your own art. (lots of work, totally worthwhile idea and so empowering)

pp.211: Remedios Varo

pp.212: The Guerrilla Girls(mission statement) “Show that Feminists can be Funny” (response to the article, Why Women aren’t Funny, by the writer from Vogue, Christopher Hitchens) http://www.guerrillagirls.com/

pp.214: Recipe for starting activist group in your own town:
a. Pictures
b. Words
c. Reproduction and distribution system
d. Women friends with imagination, focus and motivation.

Disburse revenue into the women’s art world:
a. Buy BB tickets (buy women’s sports tickets)
b. Go to the theater
c. Buy cd’s and books by women(check out jill sobule’s new way of distribution)
d. Buy videos made by women

pp.215: WHO MAMMON IS:
(Mammon is the god of money who we all worship and have to pay homage to.)

pp.216: “two ways to make money in capilalist patriarchal settings:
1. Fuck other people over faster than they do you.
2. Whore.”

pp.218: No Matrifocal Mafias (Mafias with a focus on matriarchal value, or led by a woman) “I am a shareholder on this patriarchy’s land”

pp.220: Singers: Nina Simone, Shonen Knife, Sine’ad O’Conner, Yma Sumac.

pp.221: Musico’s sister told her, “Your face gets all ugly when you’re bitter.”
Kathleen Gasperini publishes the magazine WIG(Women in General)

pp.222: Other Magazines: Bitch, Bust, Hues (all feminist magazines)