[caption id="attachment_467" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Standing Rock Photo by Sky Yarbrough[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_484" align="alignleft" width="160"] Sky Yarbrough[/caption] Sky Yarbrough recently visited the tribe at Standing Rock.  She went to help them as they were overrun by the Dakota Access pipeline,Support is showing up in food, supplies and money.  At this recording, there are 10 different feeding stations to feed thousands of people.  The winters ahead, in North Dakota, are grim with temperatures at -45 degrees.  On Oct. 11th, the US government will meet with the Standing Rock Tribe on how tribal input can better impact government policy. To find out more information on Standing Rock, Facebook is full of resources.  You call search Standing Rock on Facebook and find lots of resources. I also found stories reported by Laura Flanders to be helpful.  https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=laura%20flanders%20standing%20rock The Standing Rock official tribe page provides updates and receives donations going directly to the tribe. They provide news releases to update people on the protest.  http://standingrock.org [caption id="attachment_485" align="alignright" width="156"] Sky and Mary[/caption] It's amazing that Sky and I can have a conversation and keep it under 40 mins.  The first time we tried to podcast, she gave me 2 hours of conversation to edit.  I have seen many strengths in Sky.  The passion in her voice, community and the next generation.  In editing the podcast, I found some of my words to be naive.  From this discussion, I believe the movement is bigger than Standing Rock.  Treaties and violations of the planet will no longer continue as they have in the past. Through the internet, justice is playing out in front of a world audience.

  Pulp Fiction arrived on the scene after World War 2.  With rising literacy rates, the publishing industry seized the opportunity to create books that had a high quality book cover and low quality paper for the story.  Thus came the term pulp fiction.  Lesbian pulp fiction sold to the general population of both men and women. It also provided a connection for lesbians unable to live openly albeit askew from reality. In this interview, Robin discusses the history of Lesbian Pulp Fiction.  With the stigma against lesbians during this era, Robin's curiosity unravels a secret world of authors and their stories. The following list of books in the interview and are a good introduction to the genre. Robin's favorites: Lesbian Pulp Fiction by Katherine V. Forrest The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith  This book will be released as a movie under the title "Carol". Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule We too are Drifting by Gayle Wilhelm Books by Valerie Taylor and Paula Christian Other Titles and Authors Mentioned in the Interview: The Ann Bannon Series- Available in book , digital download and audio at AnnBannon.com Spring Fire by Vin Packer Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

    [caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Sculptures by Tess Ridgel[/caption]   Tess Ridgel shares a wonderful coming of age story.  Unlike many of us, her mom was a lesbian.  When Tess was sadden by losing her girl friend, her mom had the insight to share what those feelings could mean.  She didn't encourage Tess to be a lesbian, but felt it was important for Tess to make her own choice. She now cuts down trees for forest fire mitigation.  In addition, she spends her time creating artwork and pieces of art and altars from choice pieces of cut wood.  She also creates wonderful paintings of pets and images that catch her eye. She  is a professional landscaper in Denver, CO.  You can find out more about her work at her business worksite:  http://www.oaksundesigns.com/ [caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="232"] Artwork by Tess Ridgel[/caption]  

  [caption id="attachment_305" align="alignright" width="300"] The Book Garden[/caption] Kasha Songer ran The Book Garden - A Women's Store, for almost twenty years in Denver, CO.  It was a hub of lesbian and feminist activity.  Coming from a small city in Illinois, she wanted a city that supported women's community in a safe environment.  Denver was just the place for her.  It was one of the leading places to live for lesbians in the country.  In the podcast, Kasha shares memories from her time at the bookstore.  We hear how the store started and served the lesbian community in Denver.  When asked for suggested book titles, Sasha said there were too many to mention.  However, her favorite author is Audre Lorde.  Years later, many of the women who gathered in the bookstore are still connected and gather around lesbian concerns.  

  My guest, Ronni Sanlo,  is a recognized authority in LGBT activism and higher education.  She is known for her writing, both on the academic and personal levels.  When she came out Anita Bryant was at the height of her political career.  Against the odds, Ronni made a significant contribution to equality and creating supportive environments for LGBT students in higher education. In this interview, we talk about the programs that are offered to LGBTQ students.  This is a new area to many listeners.  These services weren't a consideration, for us, during their college experience. Ronni also talks about her current projects.  While "officially" she could be considered retired, she lives a full life .  Her schedule includes: writing, consulting, speaking and publishing.  Below you will find the links to resources mentioned in the podcast. Ronni's books and documentary:   The Solider, the Avatar and the Holocaust, and The Purple Golf Cart, The Misadventures of a Lesbian Grandma, can be found at ronnisanlo.com Help with self-publishing, can be found at Purpledistinctions.com. A list of LGBT books, and their writers, she has helped to self-publish are at:  http://purpledistinctions.com/published_books.html *Here is a special link for you!  Enjoy her interview for her documentary, "A Letter For Anita" for the Tel Aviv Film Festival.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru3VKACa6AI.  It was one of my favorite resources for this interview.   The Silver Thread Celebration, January 12th-16th, in Saint Petersburg, FL.  Dr. Ronni Sanlo will be presenting her workshop on writing your memoir. This program has practical ways to get to started on writing your own story.  This is a gathering for lesbians over the age of 50, their friends and the women who love them.   Lesbians gather from around the country for speakers, seminars and nightlife on the Florida beach.  It's a great time to regenerate with a group of lesbians.  Registration and program information can be found at: silverthreadscelebration.org/.  This an incredible 5 days for seminars, rest and relaxation!!!