Meg Rayford

Leading the Way: Young Women's Activism for Social Change

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:01:00 +0000

When I read Leading the Way, I felt the same way I did the first time I read Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards or Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation by Barbara Findlen. I felt inspired, challenged, and optimistic about the future of feminism. I felt I had a road map of feminist ideas I could apply to my own life, and I knew I had incredible, real-life examples of women creating social change in their lives.

Leading the Way is a collection of essays straight from the pens—and hearts—of twenty-one young women activists. Their personal reflections are honest, illuminating, and sometimes raw. What makes this collection unique is that the authors all share a common experience in their feminist journeys: participation in the Rutgers University's Institute for Women's Leadership certificate program. The program is directed by the collection's editor, Mary K. Trigg. Trigg handpicked the authors and essays in this collection, and her choices represent a diverse, creative group of women who are applying the knowledge gained in the program directly to their lives.

Trigg also wrote the book's "Introduction," which provides a clear vision of where feminism is now, and where it is likely to go tomorrow. I found it to be incredibly informative and the perfect starting point from which to explore the numerous feminist issues contained in the consequent chapters. Contained in those chapters, the reader will find stories by women who are Latina, Muslim, gay, straight, White, African American, Asian American, musicians, writers, and much more. The women's stories are about their careers, relationships, academic studies, and communities. The women are doing amazing things with their lives, such as teaching English to young people in Kenya, promoting films created by women, and working as a nurse in Brooklyn.

For those who claim that women in their twenties are disengaged from feminist thought and activism, Leading the Way provides the proof that the new generation of young women are taking their leadership and their feminist activism seriously. These women are directly applying feminism to their lives, and their essays will move your toward creating more time for feminist activism in your own life.

Written by: Meg Rayford, April 17th 2010

Briarpatch Magazine (Jan/Feb 2010)

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Edited by Dave Mitchell

Turning through the pages of Briarpatch Magazine, I was offered a glimpse into Canada's progressive social movements. Reading the Responsibility to Protest issue, which is also available online, gave me a crash course in several progressive ideologies I wasn't familiar with, and I was able to explore some familiar issues that are close to my heart as well.

Briarpatch covers a lot of ground. The headline story, "Mass Protests & The Future of Convergence Activism" by Jane Kirby, gave me a crash course in what's happening on the streets of social activism while "From Invisibility to Stability: Transgender Organizing for the Masses" by Mandy Van Deven introduced me to the interplay between transgender issues and poverty. I work for a nonprofit that addresses the global water crisis, so "Water Fight: First Nations' Water Rights in the Thompson Okanagan" by Hannah Askew provided me with fresh insight into Canada's own water struggles.

Especially illuminating were the pages devoted to suggestions of how better to spend the $6.1 billion price tag of the recent Vancouver Olympic Games. "Boosters' Millions" by Dawn Paley and Isaac Oommen, offered solutions in education, transportation, and housing that could take British Columbia well beyond the entertainment value of the two-week games if the Canadian government would spend the public money on more sustainable initiatives. "Selling the Olympics in the Schools: Government & Anti-Olympics Groups Take Their Messages to the Classroom" by Jenn Hardy offered timely and relevant insight into another side of the Olympic Games. Needless to say, I got a lot out of this issue.

My favorite article, though, was about my favorite social issue: feminism. I could readily relate to "When We Were Feminists" because, as someone just entering her thirties, I often observe my own feminist ideas fading, changing, and even burning brighter as I move through different phases of my life. Author Penelope Hutchison looks back at her progression from a founding member of the Radical Obnoxious Fucking Feminists (ROFF) in her undergraduate days to a forty-something professional who recently reunited with ROFF's other members. Hutchison reveals that the once radical change-makers have mostly tucked their feminist ideologies away to pursue careers, relationships, and families.

The article made me question my belief that if I support the feminist issues I care about, and if I work hard to allow my feminism to be exemplified in my actions, then I will always be a feminist no matter what work I'm doing or what lifestyle I'm leading. It's difficult for me, at thirty-one years old, to imagine dampening my desire to improve the lives of women because I've recently gotten married or plan to have kids within the next couple of years. In ten years, I don't want to look back and wonder where my former feminist self has gone. I hope my role as a feminist activist can co-exist with my roles as nonprofit professional, wife, M.B.A., and mother.

_Briarpatch Magazine__ _did exactly what I was hoping it would. It gave me fresh perspective on issues I'm already familiar with, and it introduced me to new lines of thought and new ways to apply my social activism.

Written by: Meg Rayford, April 16th 2010

Fabriclive 48

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Filthy Dukes

Fabric Records

I was excited to review this album because I'm fascinated by the creative endeavor of mixing existing music together to create something entirely new. I'm a musician, but I know very little about being a DJ—I had heard that no one mixes like the Filthy Dukes, and that their albums were the next best thing to being at one of their events. So, I was intrigued—but I have to say that I expected more.

Fabriclive 48 sounds like a night of London clubbing minus the sense of discovery that often accompanies listening to talented DJs mixing it up. These guys are known as DJ demi-gods, but the album lacked the originality I expected from artists who are adept at creating "in the moment." Maybe the guys got a little lost without the dancing crowds to guide them. Or, perhaps the creativity of DJs and the energy of the dance floor share a symbiotic relationship that just can't be replicated on a recorded album.

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of what I consider to be an important aspect of a DJ's craft—discovering deserving underground groups to introduce a fresh sound to the club masses. There's not much surprise here; the Dukes rely on what could be called a "standards" list of the genre. Maybe I'm being harsh, as few would complain about the stellar list of artists included on Fabriclive 48. I just expected a few uncovered gems to be sprinkled among a group of artists that even I—a music fan with an admittedly meager understanding of the new disco genre—am already acquainted with. I was expecting some exposure to some up-and-coming groups or even artists who have created a new sound.

Even though the playlist felt a bit redundant, it does offer a wide variety of artists. From disco to techno, the lineup includes Popof, Zombie Nation, Muzaja, Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, and WhoMadeWho. On a more positive note, the album does provide a studied example of the electronic indie genre. Fabriclive 48 would make an awesome soundtrack to most any party, but the musical adventurer may want to look elsewhere.

Written by: Meg Rayford, December 31st 2009

The Last Thing You Forget

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0000

By Title Fight

Run For Cover

Title Fight's The Last Thing You Forget is one of the best punk albums I've heard in a while. Incredibly catchy, energetic, and addictive, I'd recommend listening to it on the Metro on your morning commute. It screams of being young and feeling alive. You'll feel like you can conquer the world.

"Symmetry" is rapidly guitar-driven, with perfectly controlled yells augmenting the already fantastic vocals. The varying tempos of "Memorial Field" complement its biting lyrics," You said the words in my mouth were more alive than I was." "Loud and Clear" is amazingly melodic; it's close to being the perfect post-hardcore punk song. I love the muted vocals in the background toward the end. "Neck Deep" features overlapping vocals reminiscent of Taking back Sunday's "Cute Without the E."

However, for those looking for something new, this may not be your album. Title Fight makes no attempt to reinvent the wheel. They hold steady to the predictable formula established by melodic hardcore bands of the '90s, transitioning through the various tempos with the standard culminating guitar riff present in most songs.

This is not to say that "nothing new" is a bad thing. Sometimes predictable is good, if the predictable is exactly what I'm looking for. I was in late high school and college during melodic hardcore's heyday, so this album could very well have been the soundtrack to my formative young adult years. This genre of music has a way of instantly energizing the listener. The guitar riffs are uplifting, and yet there's a sense of rage in the vocals. Combine this contradiction of sound with a simplicity of structure, and you've got punk perfection, and Title Fight gets you there. Whether you're looking for a bit of nostalgia, or a solid example from the genre, Title Fight's latest effort gets a solid "A," and I had a lot of fun listening to it.

Written by: Meg Rayford, December 30th 2009

Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:49:00 +0000

By Kaya Oakes

Holt Paperbacks

I’ve always thought of indie culture as the marriage of individuality and community, and of course, a celebration of the do-it-yourself (DIY) morality that is ingrained in our society. However, some of our most creative pioneers are often obscured from mainstream art, music, and literature. Kaya Oakes’s Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture offers a well-researched history and analysis of the DIY movement and the creative brilliance this community has generated. An engaging and remarkably informed cultural survey, the book examines the development of independent culture in the United States from the Beats and the Diggers through the current explosion of user-created content on the web.

Oakes presents indie culture as a deserving slice of American cultural history, offering an accessible academic portrait of icons such as Mike Watt of the Minutemen and poet Alan Ginsberg. She defines the often hard-to-peg genre of indie culture skillfully and provides major examples in the fields of art, literature, and music. A historical overview of indie culture is followed by chapters surveying the different areas of indie culture including independent publishing, music, zines, and crafting.

As someone who grew up in the post-punk years, I appreciate the detailed background Oakes provides because it gives me a better understanding of how the indie rock bands I love today, as well as their labels and distributors, progressed from the independent communities of earlier decades. And, as a crafter, I enjoy learning how independent culture has given rise to the online crafting communities and knitting collective I participate in today. My favorite quote from the many personal stories Oakes shares throughout the book comes from Handmade Nation’s Faythe Levine. When asked to reflect upon her first forays into independent culture, Levine refers to zine making as “my gateway drug to realizing that I would do whatever I wanted, and by myself.” This perspective really sums up DIY culture for me, as it is empowering to take the reigns of creativity into your own hands and realize you can truly participate in the independent cultural community.

Written by: Meg Rayford, October 3rd 2009

Mortal Plush: I Am Not Your Toy (08/2009)

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Art Whino Gallery

National Harbor, Maryland

As soon as I walked into the gallery, I became a former version of myself: a little girl who was absolutely giddy upon seeing so many wonderful stuffed animals. Each lovely creature was mounted and labeled (it is an art gallery, after all), but I wanted to reach out and touch them all, as though they were living creatures, like I used to believe my stuffed animals were.

The pieces were exquisite. With masterful detail, each artist had projected precise human emotion onto their works of felted wool, cloth, or other fiber art medium. Ranging from haunting to delightful, these creatures beckoned gallery visitors to step into their whimsical worlds while simultaneously inspiring awe at the sheer artistic ability that went into many of the works.

Numerous pieces were sold, and prices ranged from $10 to $700. Artists were not only from Washington, D.C. and Maryland, but from a dozen states and another half-dozen countries. Some of my favorite artists were Kit Lane, Kerry Flaherty, Claire Streatfield of Fur Will Fly, Diane Koss of Cutesy but not Cutesy, Chelsea Bloxsom of Love and a Sandwich, and Sharon Baldwin of Pepper Stitches. Another of my favorite artists curated the exhibition: Tobiah P. Mundt of Licorice Tree. Sculpting creatures named “Octobunny,” “Madame Hoof-n-Foots,” and “Ulric: Sexy Beast” from felted wool, Mundt gives her creations a dissonant combination of innocence and eeriness that I loved. Mundt, an architect by profession, has been needle felting for two years, and her work can be seen in the upcoming Seattle show Plush You.

Written by: Meg Rayford, October 2nd 2009