Janice Formichella

An Evening of Madame Bovary with Lydia Davis (10/4/2010)

mandy — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Following a glowing introduction by translator and essayist Richard Sieburth, the acclaimed author Lydia Davis read several passages from her recent translation of Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel, as well as selections of her own work, at the 92nd Street Y’s An Evening of Madame Bovary. The poetic flow of the writing lends incredibly well to a live reading and the audience was spellbound. As a fan of the novel, I could have listened to Davis read from Madame Bovary for hours, and the event left me eager to purchase her translation so I could compare it to the one I had at home.

Davis told the audience that while working on her translation she read letters Flaubert wrote during the time he wrote the book. She was so taken by the letters that she wrote a collection of ten short stories based on them when she was finished. The collection, Ten Stories from Flaubert, was published by the Paris Review. Those of us in attendance had the wonderful privilege of hearing Davis read an excerpt from the collection. It was a wonderful treat for both fans of the timeless novel, as well as Davis herself.

An Evening of Madame Bovary did not end with the readings. Sieburth joined Davis on stage to engage in a conversation with the audience during a question and answer session. The discussion meandered through various aspects of the translation process, a topic that was of much interest to the crowd, but left me wishing more time had been allotted for questions about the novel itself.

On the whole, this event was great for those who are fans of the novel, and an eyeopening experience for those unfamiliar with Davis’ work. And as always, the 92nd Street Y provided ticket holders with a wonderful experience that was both educational and stimulating.

Written by: Janice Formichella, October 15th 2010

Birth Control on Main Street: Organizing Clinics in the United States, 1916-1939

beth — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Cathy Moran Hajo

University of Illinois Press

This past May, the birth control pill celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. News outlets all over the country covered the story, yet the early years of the birth control movement were seldom mentioned. A lack of academic research has led to the history of the early birth control movement being plagued by misinformation, myth, and appropriation by the right, particularly regarding the history of the movement’s founder, Margaret Sanger.

Birth Control on Main Street by Cathy Moran Hajo seeks to shed light on the history of a movement that was so successful that contraceptive access is something most Americans, even those on the right, take for granted.

It is the suffrage movement that is seen by feminists as the early movement to idealize, yet as Hajo points out, in reality, the birth control movement led to much more meaningful reforms. The birth control movement more directly allowed women to pursue careers and personal goals, greatly improved the health of countless women, increased women’s longevity, and led to societal sexual enlightenment, further equal rights, and allowed women to enhance their roles as mothers and partners.

While Birth Control on Main Street is about the movement as a whole (covering years 1916 to 1939), Hajo recognized the importance of providing a fact-based analysis of Margaret Sanger’s career to give a proper foundation for the rest of the movement’s history. As associate editor at NYU’s Margaret Sanger Papers Project, Hajo is the perfect expert to provide such an exploration.

What is perhaps most important for women to know about the history of the early birth control movement is that it was begun and maintained almost exclusively by laywomen activists. Men dominated the medical establishment at the time and were unsupportive of reforms that would encourage women to have fewer children. Control of the clinics remained with female activists for the first decades of the movement, despite their strong desire to work with medical professionals.

No comprehensive history of the birth control movement would be complete without a frank discussion of eugenics, and Hajo does a great job exploring both the realities of the eugenics movement itself and the actual ideologies that brought some birth control activists to involve themselves with eugenicists, including Sanger. Despite what some radicals on the right may say, for Sanger and most of her colleagues, the eugenic question of what made a woman “fit” to bear children was a question of environment, not race.

According to Hajo, the notion that early birth control activists were concerned with reducing the black population is highly misleading. In reality, states Hajo, the true shortcoming of the movement was neglect of the black population. Instead, the true study and focus should be on the unwillingness of early clinic activists to work with black communities at all. As is now well known, this was a conflict eventually overcome and the women’s movement became the most inclusive of social movements in U.S. history.

If there is one thing that is unknown about the early birth control movement, it is the actual work that went on inside the clinics. Hajo devotes a large part of the book to exploring the exact work, interactions between activists and patients, interactions between activists and birth professionals, the demographics of patients, the attitudes and ideologies of activists, admission requirements, and conflicts between local and national leaders. Birth Control on Main Street is the perfect read for any enthusiast, as well as any feminist activist who wants to know more about the collected history we share with our foremothers.

Written by: Janice Formichella, September 29th 2010

8: The Mormon Proposition

brittany — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Directed by Reed Cowan

Red Flag Releasing

Following the passage of California’s Proposition 8, a bill that constitutionally outlaws gay couples from legally marrying, rage and frustration was concentrated towards the Mormon Church for their supposed role in passing the legislation. Many suspected that church leadership in Salt Lake City had played a large role in financing and coordinating the campaign, yet until 8: The Mormon Proposition, the exact involvement and intention of the Mormon Church in passing the bill has remained ambiguous at best.

8: The Mormon Proposition exposes the deep seeded anti-gay bias within the Mormon Church and provides answers to questions about the church’s actual political involvement, something that has raised suspicion for decades. The film reveals a well-oiled and infinitely wealthy political action force operating largely under anyone’s radar, until now.

What surprised me most about the Mormon involvement with the campaign was discovering that church officials actually required church members in California to attend a special satellite broadcast from Salt Lake City regarding the ballot initiative.

Aware of its negative public image, leaders instructed church members to maintain secrecy about the broadcast. M. Russell Ballard, a top church authority, told followers to consider the broadcast “to be as though we were sitting in my living room having a confidential talk about a serious concern.”

Despite this sentiment, full audio of the broadcast was leaked, and shows leaders commanding members to give as much time and money as possible to help pass the legislation.

8: The Mormon Proposition has many heroes: current and former Mormons who risked social banishment to take a stand against their religion’s involvement with Proposition 8 and the potent anti-gay attitude of the church.

Shining among such heroes is Linda Stay, an active Utah Mormon and mother to Tyler Barrick, a gay California man in a long-term relationship. Stay’s own “coming out,” as she refers to it, was publicly taking a stand against Proposition 8 in order to support her son’s happiness and right to marry.

As an example of parents who uphold the church’s position the film introduces Marilyn and Fred Matis, authors of the book In Quiet Desperation: Understanding The Challenge Of Same-Gender Attraction. The description of the book states it is written for those who have loved ones suffering in “quiet desperation” with “same-gender attraction,” and how to “reach out with love” to such people.

The parents wrote the book shortly after the death of their son Stuart, who had spent his entire life trying to overcome homosexual feelings. Stuart’s “quiet desperation” led him to shoot himself in the head inside a Mormon Church house at age thirty-two.

In their book the parents write: “Each of us had an indescribable sense of peace after Stuart’s death.” When asked about their position on Proposition 8, the couple stated their only position was the position of the church.

The film does an excellent job portraying the many consequences that such widespread bigotry has on a community. Utah leads the nation in teen suicide, and studies show that a large proportion of victims are gay Mormons. Thousands of homeless teens occupy Utah streets, most fleeing intolerance by their families. The film even exposes the former use of frontal lobotomies in Utah to attempt to treat men “charged” with homosexuality

While the documentary paints a bleak picture of shocking faith-based bigotry, it ends with images of passionate masses, refusing to give up on the battle for equality.

Similar passion was exhibited in the civil rights struggles of the last century. Then, too, the Mormon Church lagged behind the rest of the country, not allowing members of color receive full privileges until 1978. The passionate masses will convince all viewers that the fight for gay rights will eventually be won, and that history will record the Mormon Church once again being on the wrong side of this civil rights battle.

Written by: Janice Formichella, August 28th 2010

The Invention of Monotheist Ethics, Volume I: Exploring the First Book of Samuel

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Hillel I. Millgram

University Press of America, Inc.

But the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; For not by power shall man prevail. Samuel 2:2

The Invention of Monotheist Ethics, Volume I is the first in a two-volume series exploring the Book of Samuel and its significant role in the evolution from a largely pagan society to a monotheistic one. The book is especially geared towards readers who are new to studying the Bible.

Why study the Book of Samuel, and not start at the beginning, in Genesis? First, Millgram argues, it is a highly accessible biblical text. Samuel’s characters are dynamic and deal with matters very similar to our own. Furthermore, states Millgram, the characters are in constant activity, “there is rarely a dull moment.”

Second, the book is diverse in contents, characters, and issues. It is one of the only books in the Bible with several prominent female characters. The very first character we are introduced to is Hannah. At the beginning of the narrative Hannah is childless, and miserable because of it. One night in act of desperation Hannah prays, promising God that if he blesses her with a child she will dedicate the life of the child to him. Hannah gives birth to Samuel shortly after and eventually becomes the mother of six children.

Despite accessibility and diversity, readers may be most interested in Millgram’s most provocative argument; he is convinced that the Book of Samuel was written by a woman. One clue is that women’s roles in the book are not circumstantial (such as being mentioned only as the wife of a male character) but essential to the moral messages of the book. While the historical aspects of the narrative may not be damaged by removing the female characters, the book’s meaning, its moral components, require the presence of the female players.

To give further credit to his argument, Millgram provides details on the daily lives of women in ancient Israel and debunks certain misnomers, such as the belief that most women in ancient Israel were illiterate. The formation of Israel in fact coincided with the adaptation of the alphabet script, and it is not at all unlikely that more women were involved in writing the Bible than believed.

Throughout the book Millgram takes it for granted that the author of Samuel was written by a woman, an approach that is unique and noticeable to those who have previously studied the Bible. Given the manner that Bible stories permeate American society, such an approach can have an enormous positive impact on the psyche of American women, Christian or otherwise.

My favorite story from Volume One was the David and Goliath narrative. Because the story is largely seen as mythical, it is compelling to have the facts of the story articulated, including insights into the consciousness of David and the other main players.

While the book does in fact make the Book of Samuel more accessible to readers, there are long sections dealing with the politics and wars of ancient Israel that are dense and less accessible than other portions of the book. The Invention of Monotheist Ethics is also printed in a format that is academic and unfriendly to the more lay reader.

Unfortunately the volume ends before the introduction of Bathsheba, one of the most memorable women of the Bible. Her story and the rest of King David’s reign are included in Volume Two. However the book is a wonderful introduction to the Bible and a great source for those looking for an unorthodox approach to the book.

Written by: Janice Formichella, May 28th 2010

Wherever There's a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Elaine Elinson, Stan Yogi

Heyday Books

On June 16th, 2008 Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin made headlines as the first same-sex couple legally married in the state of California. The couple, who first met in the ‘50s, spent the majority of their adult lives advocating for equal rights for homosexual couples and lived to see their goal realized. Although Californians have fought the battle for same-sex marriage most visibly in the past ten years, activists such as Lyon and Martin have been addressing the issue of discrimination against homosexuals in California for several decades. Lyon and Martin’s story is just one of the many civil rights struggles highlighted in Wherever There’s a Fight, an anthology of activism in the Golden State.

Each story carries with it a delightful tinge of tension, and as I read I found myself anxiously awaiting to hear how ordinary citizens had confronted their various struggles. Elinson and Yogi, both writers with close professional ties to the California ACLU, document civil liberties struggles from abortion rights to workers rights to the right to dissent. The stories demonstrate how many Californians became lifelong activists after fighting for rights that so vitally affected their access to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Ed Roberts was such a person. Roberts was infected with polio as a boy, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. After his mother lobbied the local school board to allow her son to graduate high school (the principal had denied Roberts a diploma because he was unable to complete the district’s physical education and drivers education requirements) Roberts decided he would attend college to secure a meaningful livelihood. In 1962 he became the first severely disabled student admitted to the University of California at Berkeley, although the administration was unaware when they admitted him that the straight-A student was disabled. Thus began a fight for equal access and protection that Roberts would fight for the rest of his life that made California into the birthplace of the disability rights movement in the United States.

As the fight for civil rights becomes more visible, and more progress is gained, perhaps a second edition of this wonderful book will include some exciting new stories. I can’t wait!

Written by: Janice Formichella, January 13th 2010

Chica Busca Chica (Girl Seeks Girl)

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Sonia Sebastian

Wolfe Video

For all those who have complained about the suburban whiteness of The L Word, meet Chica Busca Chica (Girl Seeks Girl). Chica Busca Chica is a new Spanish television show with a lesbian perspective. Although obviously inspired by Showtime’s The L Word, Chica Busca Chica is a pleasant inclusion in a genre that likes to paint lesbians as being almost exclusively white, skinny and beautiful and living perfect, power lesbian lives.

Meet Monica, a former Judo champion with self-destructive tendencies that cause her to ruin relationships. Then there is her former roommate Carmen, the token straight friend in the group, who is struggling with her relationship with the cheating Jorge. Monica’s current roommate is Ana, the innocent girl from the country who leads the audience on hilarious escapades as she attempts to learn about the wide world of lesbian sex and culture. Finally there is Nines, the flirtatious and confident lesbian who uses her sex appeal to get what she wants.

Chica Busca Chica is also the name of the lesbian nightclub in Madrid where Nines tends bar and the group hangs out. Many scenes find the women at the club getting tipsy over many less-than-successful quests as the twenty-something women navigate careers and relationships.

Above all, this show is fun to watch. Much lighter than The L Word, and with more lovable characters, Chica Busca Chica is truly a feel-good show, with hilarious scenes and situations. One memorable scene finds Ana on her first date. Apprehensive about making a good impression, Ana decides to cook for her date and a friend advises her to cook something exotic. The friend suggests something with curry. The next scene finds Ana serving her date canned sausages with copious amounts of curry, so much that her unassuming date is unable to eat it.

Of course Chica Busca Chica does include the predictable storyline of the overly confident, overly sexy lesbian (Nines) who becomes attracted to the straight girl (Carmen) who is trapped in a dead-end relationship with Mr. Insensitive. The sexual tension rises between the two women until it becomes obvious that it is only a matter of time until the two find themselves in bed together. Unfortunately, the season ends before the love triangle reaches that point.

Apparently the formula for a show about lesbians is a rigid one. Each episode of the award-winning show is a half-hour long and includes English subtitles. The show is for anyone who is looking for something different and fun in their pop culture portrayal of young lesbians.

Written by: Janice Formichella, January 12th 2010

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:03:00 +0000

By Eli Clare

South End Press

The best resistance literature describes a specific moment in history and is written within the context of an organized movement. As the disability movement gains more exposure and support, Eli Clare’s Exile and Pride will join the list of classics among resistance literature. Clare’s bold yet gentle narration of his experience as a disabled American gives readers an inside look at the consciousness of the movement.

Exile and Pride seeks to discover and explore how the disabled community can create pride, what words or symbols demonstrate this pride, and which collective or personal histories should be celebrated rather than simply witnessed. As a transgender individual with cerebral palsy, the activist also explores the various ways his body has been stolen and abused, and how such abuses can be avoided in the future by a revolution in the way mainstream society views and treats disabled individuals.

My favorite part of the book is the chapter titled “Freaks and Queers,” in which Clare provides readers with a history of the American “freak shows” that toured the country through the beginning of the twentieth century. Clare explores the lives of those who were exploited and who made a living off being known as a “freak.” Clare speaks about, and sometimes to, such people with a touching, yet bold, sensitivity that he has come to be known for. He also introduces his audience to a time and place that few who do not read Exile and Pride will ever ponder.

Clare uses the exploration of the freak show as a backdrop for exploring the larger issue of language, labels, and the process of “reclaiming” that so many oppressed communities undertake. The disabled community is of course no different. While embracing the terms cripple and queer, Clare pushes back on the use of the word freak and uses his unique brand of storytelling and personal narrative to explain the reasons why. It is Clare’s contention that freak not only implies self-hatred, but also reinforces historical lies and abuse of the disabled, such as those perpetrated by the freak shows.

I think one of the defining characteristics of resistance art is that it effectively raises the awareness of those in the mainstream. From the history of the freak show to Clare’s personal experiences and lyrical narratives, the book does just that.

For instance, although I have never watched it, I also never realized the annual Jerry Lewis marathon was a source of such anger and irritation for so many disabled individuals. I am also thankful to know about the “medical model of disability,” one that paints disabled people as being sick, and waiting for a cure, one that forces many to obtain non-medical, adaptive equipment from a doctor instead of a website. It is awareness of such issues that will bring the cure to ableism that Clare and millions of other disabled individuals and allies seek.

As a severely disabled individual who also has advanced degrees and has authored two books, Clare may be seen as “transcending” his disability. However Clare adamantly rejects such notions and instead envisions a world where people such as him as seen as full participants in mainstream society. Such a vision requires inclusion, not celebration, of those with “special needs” who live full lives. Clare turns his nose up at the insistence of mainstream culture to find “supercrips” who have “overcome” their disabilities.

Of particular interest to Feminist Review readers is Clare’s analysis of the line between being “a sexual object and a sexual subject” in the chapter “Reading Across the Grain.” I have never read such a poignant analysis of the subject that so few, even in feminist academia, fail to recognize. Clare gracefully describes how the media and the pornography industry have led women to believe that being objectified is a manifestation of their own sexuality. The confusion between self as object and self as subject has created a culture where violence and degradation are accepted forms of sexual expression. Unfortunately, as Clare points out, feminist debate over the topic of pornography and sexual expression remains polarized.

As an individual with disabled family members, I read Exile and Pride in a quest typical of those in the mainstream that Clare expresses frustration over. I read the book in an attempt to come to some understanding of the world in which those different from me live in. What I was reminded of and what I now seek to make a part of my own deeply ingrained consciousness is that those different from me don’t live in a different world. We all live together in the same world, but with vastly different realities. As feminists our role is to remember and expose these realities.

Written by: Janice Formichella, January 11th 2010

Afro-Punk Festival (7/3-7/12/2009)

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Brooklyn, New York

In preparation for writing this review I watched the Matt Davis' documentary that inspired BAM's Afro-Punk Festival. Afro-Punk is a movement that gives “a voice to thousands of multi-cultural kids fiercely identifying with a lifestyle path-less-traveled,” particularly those who are into indie, punk, and hardcore music. The film is an insightful look at a topic that I had never really considered: what it is like to be an African American who is involved in a scene that is overwhelmingly White.

Afro Punk (the film) provides a peek into the internal conflicts Black people face by being one of the only people of color present in these musical and artist communities. Throughout watching the film I found myself wishing more young White people could hear these feelings, and was glad the Afro-Punk Festival would provide a way for New Yorkers of all backgrounds to come together. I had the opportunity to attend some of the Brooklyn events, and though most of the music was new, the introduction through both street fairs and the website was welcome.

I was familiar with The London Souls, so I enjoyed seeing play on July 5th. They played a great set of the bluesy yet danceable combination I adore. In true punk style, the festival was diverse and included an impressive range of voices, including many women. One honorable mention is Joya Bravo. You just can’t beat a musician who combines rap and violin. Her artistry is truly unique.

I was disappointed in the way the independent film segment of the festival was handled. Although I could not find any prices for the movies on the BAM website, which said all of the festival events were free, my friend and I were told we had to pay $11 when we arrived at BAM to see Two Towns of Jasper. Since I had already seen the film on PBS, we decided not to pay for a second viewing. The closing block party included one of the most impressive street fairs I have ever attended. Each vendor was different from the last, and offered a variety of goods ranging from high quality clothing to housewares to crafts of all types. My favorite vendor, L.U.R.E., sold mobile art. Perfect for any urban travel enthusiast, get your art fix with colorfully decorated suitcases, hat bags, purses, and more.

On my way out of the block party I stopped by to speak to a woman from the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership. We spoke about the festival and after I told her how much I was enjoying it I was told that the Partnership is going to be sponsoring a series of similar street fairs in the same area this September. I can’t wait!

Written by: Janice Formichella, July 20th 2009

The Stoning of Soraya M.

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:02:00 +0000

By Cyrus Nowrasteh

MPower Pictures

The Stoning of Soraya M. is a shocking and heartbreaking story of female oppression. The film, adapted from the 1994 book by the late Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, is based on a true story. Sahebjam learned the story of Soraya M., and started writing her story, just six months after her death.

The film sets a dismal tone from the very beginning as viewers learn about the violent and humiliating marriage in which Soraya is trapped. Soraya stays with her abusive husband because she lacks the financial resources to raise her daughters without him. When Soraya’s husband fails to force her into a divorce that would free him to marry a fourteen-year-old girl, he begins plotting with other men in the village to falsely accuse her of adultery, and subsequently have her stoned.

Viewers will remember the stoning scene for a long time; it begins slowly, but accelerates with violent language directed at Soraya. Many viewers may have a hard time watching the stoning in its entirety, due to the knowledge of Soraya’s complete innocence combined with the brutal manner in which she is treated, even by her own father. However, viewers need to be cognizant of their own privilege in being able to cover their faces and turn away from the violence. Soraya, her hands bound behind her back, had no such luxury, nor do the countless other victims of this type of violence.

Theatergoers may be disturbed to know that the filmmakers drastically modified the stoning scene from the original version in the book to make it viewable by the general public. The stoning is, in fact, portrayed technically incorrect. The custom is to bury a man to his waist for stoning, and a woman to her shoulders. The film portrays Soraya as being buried to her waist.

Anger was my strongest emotion after watching the film. I was angry at the male characters in the film because Soraya was a real woman. I was angry on behalf of other women who are also forced to witness and suffer the same brutality.

While the film is heartbreaking, it does not end without a message of hope. Soraya’s aunt Zahra exclaims that “the world will know” what has been done to her niece, and her hope and desire to tell Soraya’s story is touching. The emotional climax has been building so much by this point that what may otherwise seem clichéd can instead prompt the audience to celebrate the victory along with her—for Zahra successfully told her story to a journalist from outside of the community. The book and the film would not otherwise exist.

Although the film is tragic and ends with only a sliver of hope, people who have viewed the film have already begun to act to ensure that Soraya’s death is not in vain. This summer activists all over the United States will use this film to speak out against similar abuses taking place daily all over the world. One of these activists is Irshad Manji, who is launching a new website that will provide those touched by the film with opportunities to get involved in the efforts all summer long.

Written by: Janice Formichella, June 19th 2009

Making Marriage Modern: Women’s Sexuality from the Progressive Era to World War II

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:09:00 +0000

By Christina Simmons

Oxford University Press

Making Marriage Modern by Christina Simmons explores the many changes to marriage, courtship, and women’s role in society that took place following the Victorian era until World War II. Using a variety of sources such as “marriage manuals” and popular fiction, Simmons follows the progressive efforts of social reformers during the period.

The evolution of marriage from the Victorian standard of “separate spheres” to the more equalitarian partnership model today was far from an organic process. Instead, women’s rights activists, doctors, and others deliberately set out to not only change mindsets about women’s role in the family and society, but to present actual marriage models for couples to adopt. The goal: to redefine marriage to fit the new, independent spirit of the 1920s.

Although many of the ideas espoused by so called “sex radicals” failed to fully catch on until the second wave of the women’s movement in the 1970s, their efforts were not in vain. Access to birth control, more freedom to chose a mate, a growing understanding about sexual health (including a widening of the language used to discuss the topic), loosening of anti-miscegenation laws, opening of the workforce to include more females, and increased equality between couples were all results of the "radical" efforts of the period, however antiquated they may seem to us today. Some of the concepts presented were simply too radical for the time. Furthermore, sex radicals found that while many were willing to accept changes to the status quo in theory, practical issues such as childcare and sharing domestic responsibilities—issues that still plague modern marriages—required too large an adjustment for immediate adaptation by society as a whole.

Simmons avoids a common mistake of women’s studies scholars of generalizing circumstances using the perspective of white, upper class women and families. Instead, she compares and contrasts the experiences of white and black couples giving special attention to the efforts of black activists and influential authors such as Nella Larsen. Simmons gives particular attention to the experiences of young black women using a variety of popular fiction as a tool for describing the psyche of such women during such a dynamic and transitional period. I was pleased that Simmons focused on authors such as Larsen and her book, Quicksand, which tells the story of a young mixed race woman attempting to “find herself” in a society that so fraught with oppressive stereotypes of young black women.

Making Marriage Modern is particularly relevant in an era when marriage is again in the process of being redefined. It is encouraging to think that those of us fighting the battle for gay rights are facing challenges similar to those from this era who fought for more privacy for couples, the right to marry across class lines, access to birth control, and the right to interracial marriage, complete with a mixture of victories and losses along the way.

Written by: Janice Formichella, June 18th 2009

Orgasmic Birth

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Directed by Debra Pascali-Bonaro

As an aspiring doula and having grown up with a mother who was a licensed midwife, I have seen a myriad of birth videos. I would honestly say, however, that Orgasmic Birth is the best and most enjoyable birth video I have ever seen.

The overall purpose of the film is to encourage women to view birth as an organic process in which they are able to exercise complete control. Stories of several couples are presented to provide proof that this is indeed a possibility. Orgasmic Birth does a wonderful job of including stories and labor experiences that are as intriguing as the title.

The first couple we meet is having their baby in their backyard. In the post-labor interview the father explains how much he enjoyed telling his friends that his baby was born “On the deck, 3:00 p.m., on a Sunday.” I was instantly intrigued.

Although the birth scenes in the film were idealized in that they happened in pleasant circumstances (imagine that), I appreciated that the filmmakers did not hide the reality of the process; it can often be long and, yes, painful. Despite these dynamics, birth is something that most women are capable of.

By this point you are perhaps wondering about the orgasmic connection to the film. While I do not want to ruin any of the particularly climatic portions, I assure you that the title is not just for shock value (as some people I have spoken to have assumed). The professionals in the film tastefully describe the manner in which birth is simply a part of a woman’s sexual life. There is more to this than mere theory; women experience the highest levels of oxytocin during labor, and as a result, twenty percent of women have an orgasm sometime during the birth process.

The film does an extraordinary job providing an alternative perspective to the traditional view of birth in the United States and does emphasize natural home births. However, this is done in a very nonjudgmental way, which is evidenced by the variety of birth professionals in the film, including some hospital practitioners.

As is common in current birth videos and literature, the issue of cesarean sections was thoroughly explored in the film. This is done not so much to criticize specific practitioners or women who have had the procedure, but to promote the empowering ideology on which the film is based. The information given is also clearly meant to educate first time parents, and I found it valuable.

Orgasmic Birth is a groundbreaking film exploring that is sure to not only change the way birth is portrayed in educational films, but also the experience of expectant parents who have the opportunity to view it.

Written by: Janice Formichella, April 10th 2009