News about Feminist Books and Bookstores

How do we find out about feminist books, bookstores, and publishers
now that Feminist Bookstore News no longer exists?  That question
gave rise to several informative suggestions on WMST-L in October
2002.  For additional WMST-L files now available on the Web, see the
WMST-L File Collection.

> On Thursday, October 10, 2002, at 07:31 AM, Carolyn Gage wrote:
>
>> Is there any publication or website that, in any way, attempts to fill
>> the gap left by the closing of Feminist Bookstore News?


As you may know, I used to write the university press column for
Feminist Bookstore News. I currently continue to keep the column active
on the internet as Feminist Academic Press Column -
<www.litwomen.org/fapc.html>. I DO post here when a new column is
available (and I know I'm overdue and hope to have a new edition up in
the next few weeks -- it's a labor of love so I do what I can). Tee
Corinne continues her column of art books reviews in a column call FABB
which she posts here - and I have also started making it available on
the website as well.

I also used to coordinate the Women's Presses Library Project - a
collaboration of feminist and women's presses. For a variety of
reasons, it has suffered neglect over the  past few years. I have been
formulating a way to reinvigorate the project with a new look, new
members and new goals but I have been generally wondering if anyone
would be interested in such a web-based resource center. I'd like to
know before I put much effort into it. I have been forming a letter in
my head to you and to feminist librarians I know - and Carolyn's
message has jump-started my thinking.

So I ask you all on this list...Would a central location website that
lists women's press titles be of interest to you? what would you want
on it? Should it be as inclusive as what Carolyn is missing? (I had
been thinking of focusing on women-owned women-centered and/or
independent/alternative presses because they have so much less
visibility than the larger general commercial publishers.) I can use
your opinions when I approach publishers with the proposal.

This discussion  may not be entirely  appropriate for the list, so
please send messages directly to me and I will offer a synthesis later.

Thanks.
Mev
____________________________________
FAPC / Feminist Academic Press Column

Mev Miller, Ed.D., Editor
160 Gano St.
Providence, RI 02906

wompresses  @  litwomen.org
www.litwomen.org/fapc.html

We (Office of the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies
Librarian) publish NEW BOOKS ON WOMEN & FEMINISM twice a year, which is
a subject-arranged and indexed bibliography of books in English
published anywhere in the world and by any publisher (feminist, small
press, trade, university presses and university departments and
institutes, organizations, government) covering all non-fiction
categories about women/feminism/gender, plus poetry, drama, and
translated or academic editions of fiction by women. NEW BOOKS ON WOMEN
& FEMINISM is available online in the commercial database WOMEN'S
RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL (Biblioline), from NISC, or in print by
subscription. Subscribers receive two issues of NEW BOOKS, plus four of
FEMINIST COLLECTIONS: A QUARTERLY OF WOMEN'S STUDIES RESOURCES, and four
FEMINIST PERIODICALS: A CURRENT LISTING OF CONTENTS. For subscription
details, see
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/wsperpub.htm or
email me (pweisbard  @  library.wisc.edu). While NEW BOOKS ON WOMEN &
FEMINISM does not replace the wonderful and informative columns and news
of the feminist bookstore world that were the heart of FEMINIST
BOOKSTORE NEWS (and we miss it, too!), it is a way to scan lists of
what's been recently published.

If you are specifically looking for books by feminist presses, you may
find our page
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/books.htm useful,
since it has links to individual feminist presses, as well as to Mev
Miller's excellent columns reviewing feminist academic presses and Rose
Norman's site "Keep Women in Print," about feminist bookstores and
presses.

Sincerely,
Phyllis Holman Weisbard
University of Wisconsin System
Women's Studies Librarian
430 Memorial Library, 728 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
608-263-5754
pweisbard  @  library.wisc.edu
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/


Carolyn Gage wrote:

> Is there any publication or website that, in any way, attempts to fill the gap 
> left by the closing of Feminist Bookstore News?  I am looking for a resource that 
> posts titles and informations about new books by, for, or about women.

I would also suggest trying the websites of individual feminist bookstores
as they most likely put out newsletters or lists of new titles. I also
recommend Rose Norman's site for locating feminist bookstores. Here in
Vancouver, BC I sell books at Women In Print Bookstore and we put out our
own newsletter which can be found at www.womeninprint.ca - it does not
replace Feminist Bookstore News but does attempt to keep our customers
up-to-date with the latest feminist titles.
Kim

--
Kim Snowden
PhD Student
Women's Studies and Gender Relations
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
klsn  @  shaw.ca
-----
Co-editor, thirdspace
www.thirdspace.ca
kim  @  thirdspace.ca
_________________________________

"What's to be done with all this abandon?"
- Janice Kulyk Keefer, "Roses, roses," _Marrying the Sea_

I maintain a website "Save Women in Print" that includes links to feminist
booksellers and publishers.  http://mortonweb.uah.edu/wip.
I have a space there for posting new releases (just posted the one
mentioned here about *This Bridge We Call Home*), reviews of new books, and
news about feminist publishing and bookselling.  I have been working on
this in conjunction with a group of women writers who hold a conference
every spring, and I have been in touch with many feminist booksellers and
publishers.  I have links there to the *Women's Review of Books* article I
published last fall, and also a similar piece for *NWSA Action*.  The
situation is bad and getting worse.

The Feminist Bookstore Network also has a website, but has had difficulty
keeping it maintained.  The list of bookstores was updated last fall, but
recently the domain name lapsed and someone bought it ought from under
them, so when you go to that site you don't get their webpages any
more.  They are working on that.

If there's some way my website can be made more useful, please let me know.
Feel free to send me links to news articles or book reviews.

Rose Norman
U of Alabama in Huntsville
normanr  @  uah.edu

I've just updated my "Keep Women in Print" website to include the latest
news about both Firebrand Books and Papier-Mache Press returning to
life.  In a time when we are losing feminist publishers and booksellers,
this is wonderful news.  Please let me know of any news that would be
appropriate for this website.
http://mortonweb.uah.edu/wip/

Rose Norman
U of Alabama in Huntsville
NormanR  @  uah.edu