WomanSpirit explained

WomanSpirit
Frequency:Quarterly
Circulation:3,000
Firstdate:1974
Lastdate:1984
Based:Wolf Creek, Oregon
Language:English
Website:http://www.womanspirit.ws/
Oclc:3113446

WomanSpirit (Fall 1974 - Summer 1984) was a lesbian feminist quarterly founded by Ruth and Jean Mountaingrove and produced collectively near Wolf Creek, Oregon. It was the first American lesbian/feminist periodical to be dedicated to both feminism and spirituality.[1] [2] Many of the contributors to WomanSpirit were, or became, well known within the women's spirituality movement.[3] It had 40 publications, covering topics such as ecology, goddess myths and rituals, feminist theory, and divination. Its submissions included articles, photos, letters, book reviews, artwork, and songs.[4]

History

See also: Oregon Women's Land Trust. WomanSpirit was founded by Ruth and Jean Mountaingrove in 1974, who had a vision for a magazine that was "international and radical feminist. We wanted a cultural revolution—a total reordering of institutions and values. It was to be a modest magazine with grand goals."[5] In 1978, they bought and moved to Rootworks, their lesbian land. From 1979 to 1984, they produced Womanspirit in the barn they built ("Natalie Barney"). Women who came to work on the different issues could stay on the land for however long they needed to or could.[6]

Impact

At the height of WomanSpirit's circulation, it was distributed to 91 women's bookstores, 10 countries, and had over 3,000 subscribers. The existence of Rootworks and WomanSpirit has been credited by many women for bringing them into rural Oregon to participate in the women's land movement.[7]

After it folded, Jean Mountaingrove suggested that an index be made and Christine Menefee offered to make one.[8] It was published in 1989[9] and is out of print, but has been useful for researching feminist and women's history.

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Long. Linda. Gage. Carolyn. Carolyn Gage. 2008. A Lesbian Archivist Discovers A Hidden Literary Treasure in Southern Oregon. The Lambda Book Report.
  2. Encyclopedia: Womanspirit. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues. Routledge. Christ. Carol. 2000. Carol Patrice Christ. Kramarae. Cheris. 2050–2051. 9780415920889. Spender. Dale.
  3. News: The Land Within. Griffin. Wendy. 3 January 2018.
  4. Web site: WomanSpirit. 2008. WomanSpirit. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918073425/http://womanspirit.ws/. 18 September 2017. live. 3 January 2018.
  5. Book: Circles of Power: Shifting Dynamics in a Lesbian-centered Community. Summerhawk. Barbara. Gagehabib. La Verne. New Victoria. 2000. 9781892281135. Norwich, VT. 68. 3 Political Circles: Shaping a Community's Response.
  6. Book: Lesbian Land. Mountaingrove. Ruth. Mountaingrove. Jean. Word Weavers. 1985. Cheney. Joyce. Minneapolis, Minn. 125–128. Rootworks. 85016866. Ruth Mountaingrove.
  7. Burmeister. Heather Jo. Rural Revolution: Documenting the Lesbian Land Communities of Southern Oregon. 2013. Masters. Portland State University. 10.15760/etd.1080. free.
  8. Web site: The WomanSpirit Index. Menefee. Christine. 2011.
  9. Book: Menefee, Christine. Womanspirit Index: Your Comprehensive Guide to the Decade of Women's Spirituality, 1974-1984. 1989. 978-0962103513.

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