Taking the three related concerns of development, ecology and gender, Staying Alive argues that there is an intimate link between the degradation of women and the degradation of nature in contemporary society. Viewing economic development as more often ‘maldevelopment’, Shiva outlines how science, technology and politics exploit and marginalise both women and nature.
This edition of Shiva’s ecofeminist classic includes a new introduction penned by the author. The introduction highlights the fact that the core message of Staying Alive—the brutalisation of women and nature and how this creates an unsustainable future—is sadly even more urgent today than when it was first written.
In 2006, the poet, her partner and their dog sat through the extreme winds of Cyclone Larry, a Category-5 cyclone that hit the coast of Far North Queensland. Located at the southern edge of the cyclone – the eyewall – with winds at their most ferocious, these poems explore the period before the cyclone, the event itself and the aftermath.
Earth’s Breath joins other Spinifex titles in the transition to an electronic format, and is among the fi rst to be released in the industry-created open standard ePub. Earth’s Breath will also be available in PDF, Mobipocket and Microsoft Reader formats.
Louise Newman, Getting Real contributor, speaks in a brief news story on ABC News about the dangers of the increased sexualisation of children in our society. You can view the clip on the ABC's website here.
This Saturday 20 March, Susan Hawthorne's book Earth's Breath will be featured on Poetica on Radio National. The show will run at 3pm, and be repeated at 3pm the following Thursday. You an also download the podcast after the event at the Poetica website.
22nd Annual Lambda Literary Awards: finalists announced
The finalists have been annunced for the 22nd Annual Lambda Literary Awards, honouring the finest lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans literature available in the United States. This year there are 112 finalists across 23 categories.
“This has been a record year for queer books,” said the 2009 Lambda Awards Administrator, Richard Labonté, who has been associated with the Lammys since their inception in 1989 as a judge and consultant. “The number of titles nominated and the number of publishers represented is in both cases about 10 per cent higher than last year.”
The clip is just one more thing catering to pornographic male fantasies, part of a broader cultural story being read by young people forming their understanding of relationships and sexuality.
Women, aka bitches, love being violent to other bitches. Girl-on-girl action, lesbian cliches. Nakedness. Voyerism. Exhibitionism. Objectification. And what's so counter-cultural about groin-emphasising costumes, shredded fishnet stockings and a leopard-skin body suit?
The other is "Self Love" at ABC's The Drum Unleashed website. Melinda talks about John Mayer's recent Playboy interview where he discusses pornography and masturbation, and talks about also the wider effects of pornography on boys.
Mayer's ode to self-love shows how pornography has influenced his attitudes to women. Impatient with women in the flesh, he has turned to the image of a woman for his habitual computer sex. Porn is shaping the thinking of younger boys as well.
Boys who watch porn are more likely to think sexual harassment is acceptable and less likely to form successful relationships when they're older, according to Australian researcher Michael Flood.
Stopping All Stations is a new spoken word eventto be held on the third Saturday of each month at the Station Street Cafe, 26 Station St, Nunawading. It will feature an eclectic mix of readers, presenting an edgy slant on the written word.
Jordie Albiston, multi-award winning poet and author of Nervous Arcs, will be the featured performer for the inaugural event on March 20.
Saturday 20 March 2010 2pm-5pm 26 Station Street, Nunawading $5 entry, lucky door prizes.
On Sunday 7 March, Spinifex authors Ariel Salleh and Lizz Murphy will be part of the Belconnen Arts Centre event Women, Words and Water, an all-day literary event features prominent female authors and performers from the ACT and interstate.
Ariel Salleh will begin the day with an opening address titled The Value of Tears. Ariel is the editor of Eco-Sufficiency & Global Justice: Women Writing Political Ecology(Spinifex Press, 2009).
Spinifex author Betty McLellan celebrated the launch of her book Unspeakable with Chantal Oxenham and Coralie McLean of Otherwise Publications at Mary Who bookshop on Townsville on 25 March 2010.
A new UK government report, entitled Sexualisation of Young People: Review has used Getting Real as a source text. The exectuive summary quotes from Betty McLellan's chapter, 'Sexualised and Trivialised': "How have sex, sexiness and sexualisation gained such favour in recent years as to be the measure by which women’s and girls’ worth is judged? While it is not a new phenomenon by any means, there is something different about the way it occurs today and how it impacts on younger and younger girls."
Diane Bell is appearing at Adelaide Writers' Week on Thurs 4 March, speaking on a panel entitled Fire & Water. At: Pioneer Women's Gardens, West Tent, 10.30am, free.
New Releases from Spinifex Press 
