INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

WBAI CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, IN A CONVERGENCE OF SONG, STRUGGLE AND SOLIDARITY

TUNE IN THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 8TH FROM 3PM TO 10PM, AND JOIN US FOR A GATHERING OF WOMEN HOSTS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, PERFORMERS, ARTISTS, POETS AND STORYTELLERS

New York, NY – International Women's Day 2014 on WBAI Radio is hosted this year by Mary Ann Miller, From The Women's Desk.

**Opening Ceremony: Mary Ann Miller, Kathryn Davis, Lorraine Currelley of The Harlem Arts Fund, Writing For Peace and Pearls of Wisdom Storytellers, and Cynthia Parsons McDaniel presenting 'The Least Known Actress In The World.'

**US Representative for New York's 12th congressional district Carolyn Maloney. In a phone conversation with Mary Ann Miller, to speak about her plans to re-introduce Equal Rights Amendment legislation.

**Andrea Katz with WBAI intern Aurelie Diese. Hosting a segment on the state of affairs of feminism, as well as cultural demands on ethnic communities of younger women. Several guests will call in from the Barnard Research Center on women, along with an African American female artist whose work deals with these issues, and representatives from the younger Moslem community.

**Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi. The NYC based Italian, artist, will discuss her current exhibit Material Puns, at the International Fine Arts Consortium in NY.

**Naomi Brussel, co-host of Out-FM. In a conversation about lesbians in the Philippines, and same sex adoption issues.

**Heart Of Mind host Kathryn Davis. A segment about the plight of young black women today.

**Medea Benjamin of CodePink, just returned from Egypt. Where she was imprisoned and brutalized by Cairo police on her way to join a delegation traveling to Gaza in Palestine for a women’s conference. She is expected to phone in.

**West Coast Poets On The Air

*Judy Juanita: Her poetry has appeared in 13th Moon, Painted Bride Quarterly, Lips, Crab Orchard Review, Croton Review and Obsidian II. Her plays have been produced in Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, LA, and NYC. Juanita's first novel was Virgin Soul, a coming of age story whose protagonist joins the Black Panther Party in the sixties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her collection of essays, Labyrinthine: Essays On Becoming A Novelist, was published last month by EQD Press in Oakland.

*Lynne Bronstein: She is a writer, journalist, and poet who lives in Santa Monica, and writes about social consciousness, sisterhood and sexuality. Her books include Border Crossings, Thirsty In The Ocean, Roughage, and Astray From Normalcy. Bronstein has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize for poetry in 2014.

*Julia Stein: An LA fiction writer and poet, Stein has published seven books of poetry. Her latest collection is What Were They Like, about
bringing peace after ten years of wars. She will be reading poems from Walking Through a River of Fire: 100 Years of Triangle Fire Poetry, in honor of the 102nd anniversary of the worker tragedy.

*Karen Kevorkian: She is a fiction writer and poet whose work has appeared in numerous magazines. Including Antioch Review, Fiction International, 5 Fingers Review, Hambone, Los Angeles Review, Massachusetts Review, Mississippi Review, Rio Grande Review, River City Review, Third Coast, and Virginia Quarterly Review.

*Carol Dorf: She is poetry editor of Talking Writing, whose most recent issue honors Muriel Rukeyser. She also teaches mathematics at Berkeley High School. Dorf's poetry has been published in Spillway, Sin Fronteras, The Mom Egg, Composite, Occupy SF, Fringe, About Place, The Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Scientific American, Maintenant, OVS, Best of Indie Lit New England, and elsewhere.

Keiko Amano: She states, 'I have been writing since my mother died in 1996. Growing up, she forced me to practice the traditional art, Ocha (tea ceremony), but I rebelled against it and all the outmoded boring Japanese customs. My first memoir revolves around this major conflict between Mother and me starting in 1957 in Yokohoma, Japan.' Amano will read from her work, The Immediate Theater.

**Performing artist Elizabeth Ruf Maldonado. Presenting a feature segment about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and Occupy Wall Street. Including dramatizations of a monologue by Clara Lemlich organizing the young workers, and as a Wall Street Occupier singing the OWS anthem, Guitarmy. Which Maldonado wrote as a tribute to the Triangle martyrs and Pete Seeger. The phoenix rises from the ashes.

****Earth Mum interviews Pearl Means. Widow of the late Native American rights activist, Russell Means.

**Closing Remarks: Janet Coleman of Cat Radio Cafe.

Ono Yoko

路上小心一路平安

(路road  上top  小small  心mind   一one  路road  平smooth or flat  安secure)

I've been watching Yoko Ono's interviews and happened to come across the above words on my Chinese FB friend's post.  I thought it sums up my feeling about Yoko and also anyone's life. 

I watched her on David Frost's show for the first time and saw young and free-spirited Yoko, and when she said, I'm mad at you, David, I think it's because he has invited a belligerent man and woman purposely to create heated discussion with John and Yoko.  I saw Frost's shoulders tightened when he replied no to Yoko.   How much courage she had to muster up to that point in her life and before the television camera as an artist who is deeply rooted in totally different culture. Most of us try to avoid confrontation almost at any cost, especially women.  I felt pain watching her on Dick Cavett's show.  A lot must have happened between those shows, I thought. She seems not herself.  John keeps talking, and Cavett's eyes swim past Yoko and hardly look Yoko directly into her eyes. She no longer quips much or challenges the interviewer.  She is mostly quiet. 

But I also watched her video オノ・ヨーコへの質問　1/3 – 3/3  for the first time.  What a relief!  This sums up my thought 路上小心一路平安

The photo is my mini rose that has survived.  It is related to my recent water-bill mishap, but what a joy!

"Who is Don Quixote?" by Lo Shih-Tung

I had someone take this photo a week ago without having any plan like blogging.  But I’m glad I did.  It’s always something.  While surfing Facebook a few days ago, I saw a photo of Andy Warhol and Pat Montandon on her wall.  It reminded me of my photo with Lo Shih-Tung.  Pat is a writer, and we’ve been bloggers on Redroom.com.  I liked her photo, and I thought Lo Shih-Tung could be next Andy Warhol!

On March 16th, I was invited to the opening party of Lo Shih-Tung’s contemporary, installation-type of arts by a friend of mine, Mrs. D.  Mrs. D is very important in this story as well as the artist or Andy Warhol.  I would get to Mrs. D later on, but as a volunteer, she was helping to prepare for the party.  That party was free of charge and refreshments included foods and Taiwanese beer and tea which I didn’t know.  So, I had a dinner right before I headed out to the BankArt Studio NYK building at the Yokohama Harbor.  The water and the main entrance of the building was probably 100 feet or less.  Yes, it was a neat location.  It used to be a warehouse owned by Nihon Yusen. 

 After the party, I browsed the lobby, paged through their many beautifully designed fliers and pamphlets, sat down at the largest table, and waited for Mrs. D.  It was 9:30 pm.  She came out saying she was starved.  She ordered a dish of Thai Curry from the lobby café and a cup of coffee for me. 

              “Why didn’t you eat the refreshment?” I said, “They had plenty of foods.”

              “We were told not to.”

              “That’s not good.  They should feed the helpers first before they start working.”  I imagined how humiliating to be hungry while serving foods.  How could  we help in empty stomach?  I wouldn’t recommend it.  The volunteers had probably been working since the lunchtime.  I felt sorry for Mrs. D.

              At the table, she ate her curry while I sipped my coffee.  More volunteers gathered at the table. 

“Am I relieved to find out “Don Quixote” wasn’t what I thought it to be.”  I referred to the title of the exhibition, “Who is Don Quixote?”  The title meant one of discount grocery chains in Japan, not the famous character from the classical French novel.

“I’m glad you made it.”  Mrs. D kept saying it.

The leader of the exhibition and the artist also came to the table.  Before I knew it, I was in the middle of their meeting.  I felt I belonged to this group.  I love arts and artists anywhere.  Because I felt comfortable, and everyone seemed friendly, I raised my hand at the end of the meeting.

“What kind of project would you like to work on next?”  I said to the artist.

“I want to make a Kurosawa-Akira-like movie based on the Don Quixote shop at Hinode-cho.”  Hinode-cho is quite crowded, hustle-bustle kind of town in Yokohama.

“If “Don Quixote” allows him to do it,” the leader next to the artist replied with a smile.  He must be Mrs. D’s boss.

I smiled back.  A few people said something here and there looking at Mrs. D and me.

“Did you understand what he said?” Mrs. D whispered to me.  “He meant the artist might not be able to pursue his project because of me.”

“Why?  What have you done?”

“I was asked to get some Don Quixote’s uniforms just for the opening night.  One of my children became ill, so I couldn’t travel to Hinode-cho.  I went to a local Don Quixote shop instead and explained our needs.  The manager there looked at the flier of the exhibit which I handed out to him.  He spotted the logo of their shop all over on a page of the flier.  One thing led another, and he reported it to the corporate office.  As the result, my boss had to make his apology trip to the corporate office in Tokyo.”

“Good Grief!”  I fumed.  “It’s a non-profit art project.  If it becomes commercially successful, that’s different matter, but still the businesses will only benefit from the exposure.  Do you think Campbell Soup sued Andy Warhol?  I don’t think so.  It can be a win-win situation.  Why should your boss go apologize?  If I were him, I would have charged the ads money instead!  The artist could have chosen other store like ‘Matsumoto Kiyoshi’ or something.  There are plenty of innovative stores to choose from.”

  Here is an excerpt from Lo Shih-Tung’s essay on the flier.  “My curiosity was kindled by the shop’s somewhat exaggerated name, while its crude layout and silly appearances fascinated me deeply.”

That’s honest.  I like it.  Then, he continues:

“Ultimately, it comes down to just laughing the whole matter off, or to viewing it as a modern fable…..”  

  In his essay, I see direct and straight assessment of the ultimate consumerism.  Then, yesterday, I was in Sakuragi-cho and needed to walk to the Hinode-cho station as often I do to clear my mind and eyes.  I usually walk past Don Quixote because the thought of entering the store gives me headache.  I like peace and quiet. 

But because of Lo Shih-Tung’s art, I went in to check things out.   Merchandises were packed in the small store from the floor to the ceiling.  I held my backpack in my hand and close to my body and stepped through each aisle trying not to touch their products behind me.  I wondered what Andy Warhol would say or create out of this experience.  Maybe, he would make many Hello Kitty goods pictures instead of Campbell Soup cans.  I also thought what would happen to such crowded store if a big earthquake erupted and a tsunami hit.  The store must be heavily insured.  It was an interesting cultural experience because in the U.S., I didn’t think the store could pass the fire department regulations.  I bought a package of hot cocoa, and I was happy.

As for Mrs. D, she is an aspiring actress.  I’ve been trying to persuade her for more than a few years that she learns the main role of my play originally titled “Yesterday.” 

“That role has too many lines,” she said. 

“Well, you could be missing a chance in life time.  I’ve been rewriting it and plan to send out to Seinen Gekijo (Young People Theater).  The deadline is the end of March.  If they pick my play, you’ll be sorry.”  I winked at her.

Her eye lids drooped.  She looked exhausted after her long day.

I support arts and artists as my mother also had done all her life.

Congratulation to Lo Shih-Tung on his new art exhibit “Who is Don Quixote?” http://www.bankart1929.com/news/2012/03/2011lo-shihtung.html

Best Wishes to Mrs. D for her career.

Good luck to all of us including me.