Journal Review

Sinister Wisdom: A Journal for the Lesbian Imagination in the Arts and Politics

When I chose to write my journal review on Sinister Wisdom, I have to admit, I selected it because of itÕs catchy name. When I looked for the journal on the shelves of our growing library, I grabbed the latest issue we had, which happened to be Spring Ô98 and was disappointed to see that the great majority of its content was poetry. Although I blamed our library for not having anymore current issues available, once I took a closer look at the issues of a few years back I realized that the reason was not due to our scanty library, but the journalÕs own decline in content and contributions from their lesbian readers. Wanting to read current issues, but more importantly, an engaging subject, I turned to their 1994-95 volume and as soon as I cracked it open was pleasantly surprised by the contents of their discussions. I focused on four issues, spanning from Summer/Fall 1994 to Summer/Fall 1995 ranging from #53 Old Lesbians/Dykes, a special issue which gives emphasis to lesbians over 60 and the stereotypical images which still persist in society about them to #54 Lesbians and Religion: Questions of Faith and Community, and #56 On Language which evokes many responses on issues of power and privilege, addressing the questions: Who gets to speak for us? What is the importance (or non-importance) of being bi-, tri-, or multilingual? Or, more specific, what does it mean to define yourself and your experience in the language of an oppressor? Yet in all these very educated questions, the journal leaves them open enough to be answer not only in some sort of intellectual discourse but also in fiction, poetry or even art work, basically anything they can print on a page.

The issue on Old Lesbians contains a lot of personal anecdotes and a couple of interviews on with the original co-founder of Sinister Wisdom Catherine Nicholson. It was interesting to read on under what circumstances the journal came about and who the women are behind it all. In 1976, having quit her tenured professorship in a fight against sexism, Catherine Nicholson joined the Drastic Dykes, a local lesbian ÒterroristÓ group. Nicholson explains how their original purpose for the journal was to expand the consciousness of lesbian women Òa sort of bursting out, kicking over the traces, sticking out our tongues at the fathers, the brothers, the bosses...It was a time of naming the enemy: men and menÕs institutionsÓ (pg. 11, SW #53). According to Nicholson SW , in the beginning emphasized on feminist process. The journal has been published since the summer of 1976, and after reading what Catherine Nicholson had to say about itÕs conception, it is not hard to trace itÕs decline in the past few years.

Out of that issue on Òold dykesÓ, and aside from the interview with Catherine Nicholson, I found this one essay by a 67 year old lesbian, Vashte Doublex the most interesting. It is titled ÒAgeful Equals RagefulÓ and she talks about being invisible first Òas an immigrant, then as working class, as a woman, as a wife, as a lesbian and now as oldÓ (pg. 83, SW #53). She illustrates how women her age are supposed to find some sort of inner peace and be less aggressive, yet she feels that a little bit of rage keeps her on her toes and how she is grateful for having maintained it. She explains how she channels her rage by editing a newsletter for old lesbians titled We are VISIBLE . I found her perspective on growing old the interesting of those I read.

The next issue titled ÒLesbians and Religion,Ó originally called Òfuck xmasÓ, is difficult to summarize. It focuses on religionÕs importance in helping us define ourselves and how difficult it is for some lesbians to reconcile their religious believes with the rest of their lives without turning to the new age mumbo-jumbo stuff. This is my very loose interpretation of all the important points made in the issue. In particular, I liked the essay ÒWhite ChristmasÓ by Juliana Pegues where she talks about being born under a Catholic-Cantonese-Buddhist household and how she had to deal with the fragmentation her religious beliefs and her difficulty in distinguishing what was hers to reclaim. ÒGrown now, my sister and I neither believe in God nor feel informed enough to practice Eastern religionÓ she adds (pg. 16 SW #54). She explains how through feminist process she was able to understand her anger and identify her internalized racism. ÒI am an Asian dyke in the tradition of Nu Shu,Ó she concludes. In this issue, there was also an essay from an Appalachian dyke, a Jewish lesbian Buddhist, and a Chicana of Mayan descent all with similar stories.

Issue #55 was an open topic and the final one produced under their existing publisher and editorial group. This bit of information included in ÒNotes for a Magazine,Ó their editorial responses, seems to address the current decline of the journal. Although SW was the longest lived lesbian journal in the United States, I think itÕs degeneration can be blamed on both, lack of support and submissions from their audience of lesbian women, the change of management and a number of financial difficulties. This issue was filled with poetry and random personal essays which I did not find particularly intriguing, thus, I will move on to a more interesting issue, #56 On Language.

In this issue, I found two pieces very enjoyable, one was by a Chicana woman Elisa Lucero entitled ÒEscucha! La Voz de AztlanÓ. She talks about ChicanosÕ anger towards the Spaniards, but their love and pride for the Spanish language. ÒI can still understand the importance of claiming the SpaniardsÕ language and teaching it to our children. Perhaps itÕs one way of showing our strength and advantages. Even though it is the language of our conquerors, it identifies our cultural heritage and we can take pride in itÕs beautyÓ she explains (pg. 23 SW #56). The other piece is an interview with artist Fan Warren ÒLike That, Like That, Like That That There: Art, Language and CultureÓ about the instillation she and Mexican artist Celia Rodriguez, were commissioned to do for the Gorman Museum in Davis, CA. ÒThe instillation piece is about the relationship between Africans and the indigenous people of this continentÓ explains Warren. The interview takes a glimpse at the art of an African American woman and her struggle for recognition as well as her understanding of how art terminology limits her artistic expression by putting other peopleÕs terms to describe her own personal vision. Fan Warren tells of her influence of Black Folk art in her own work and her role as a Òlesbian artistÓ. In this issue of Sinister Wisdom there is also is a page dedicated to future issues. There was supposed to be one for the Summer/Fall Ô98 (which I donÕt think was ever published) which would have focused on sexuality. In the editorial of the last issue available at our extensive library downstairs, the editor explains the current state of the journal and itÕs grim forecast. I hope that this journalÕs existence does not fade into obscurity at itÕs young age of 22, but I guess in lesbian journal years, this oneÕs an Òold dykeÓ.