Allegorical Athena
online
“Looking Glass” Xavia Publius
Spring 2013 Volume 18 “Sisters are Rising” Carolina Swift
Colgate University’s Women’s Studies Magazine a collection of work by students, faculty, and staff Thanks to Our Sponsors: Women’s Studies Africana and Latin American Studies ALANA Classics Division of Arts and Humanities Division of Social Sciences Division of University Studies Educational Studies Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies Native American Studies Office of Equity and Diversity Sociology and Anthropology Writing and Rhetoric And thanks to all who submitted pieces!
Editrix: Xavia Publius ’13 Spring 2013 Volume 18
Allegory — the representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form
Athena — Greek, virgin goddess of wisdom and the arts
Zeus, the king of the gods, chose Metis as his first wife. She was of all beings “the most knowing.” As she was about to give birth, Zeus swallowed her to prevent any descendants from robbing him of his kingly rank, for it was destined that the most brilliant children were to be born to the goddess Metis. With Metis nested inside Zeus, she gave birth, and the goddess Athena leapt from the head of Zeus, already adult, dressed with her armor.
In the most ancient account, the Iliad, Athena is the goddess of ferocious and implacable fight. She is also the goddess of Athens, the protectress of civilized life, of artesian activities, and of agriculture. Furthermore, she created the olive tree and invented the horse-bit, which, for the first time, tamed horses, allowing humans to use them.
Athena is usually accompanied by an owl and a serpent, which is frequently found at the base of her staff.
Source: Goddess-Athena.org
Contents Dear Readers, I proudly present to you the 18th annual Allegorical Athena. Created in 1996, the Allegorical Athena is a yearly gender-oriented magazine sponsored in part by the Center for Women’s Studies. Submissions are provided by members of the Colgate community, and include artwork, photography, poetry, prose, drama, music, and consciousnessraising activities. In order to provide for a wide range of mediums— and to make preservation easier— this volume of Allegorical Athena will also appear online. Some submissions can only be fully experienced in this online edition, and these are marked by an orange ‘online’ star. The online edition may be found at allegoricalathena.weebly.com Collectively, these literary and artistic contribuonline tions address issues that inform people of all genders, and provoke thoughts about gender, sex, body, and social issues, and the way these intersect with a multitude of other identities. I hope that you can relate to these purposes, embrace them, and reflect upon the issues that are herein set forth. As always, the ideas, words, opinions, and images portrayed in this edition do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the editrix, the sponsors, or Colgate University, but rather, the beliefs of the contributors themselves. This enables the showcasing of a diverse range of topics, as well as a multitude of unique, honest, and powerful voices. So, openly embrace this magazine. Consider the words of the Colgate community and allow yourself to evaluate the reality that surrounds you. Read, think, and reflect upon what’s inside. I hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely, Xavia Publius
Sisters are Rising Carolina Swift..........................................Cover This is Everyone’s Fight! Izzy..................................................1-3 Superman Haley Fleming..............................................................4 Stereotypical Misconceptions* Drea Finley.................................4 Where We Were; Where We Are; Where We’d Like to Be Brothers of ΘΧ...............................................................5-7 We are Rising April Bailey, Samantha Sloane, Courtney Jackson, and Mikhaila Redovian..................................8-10 A Feminist Tour of Colgate* Students of WMST 470..........11-13 Crutch Hayley Fager...................................................................14 We Need Feminism Because… Students of WMST 202...........15 Obligation Yellow Shabazz.........................................................16 Elevated Humour Xavia Publius...........................................17-18 Yellow Heat Hayley Fager...........................................................19 Marriage and a Career David Haimes.......................................20 Open April Bailey........................................................................20 My Crown Che Justus.............................................................21-22 Chicken Dinner Haley Fleming..................................................23 “Chicks” Andrew Hoadley..........................................................23 The Markiad Xavia Publius...................................................24-25 Strong Man Hayley Fager...........................................................26 In the Spare Room Quincey Spagnoletti...............................27-28 Parents Do Care Hayley Fager...................................................29 Run Away Hayley Fager........................................................29-30 Fewer Lifeboats Riana Lum........................................................30 Don’t You Place Me* Che Justus and Ninja..........................31-32 Untitled Savannah Brown......................................................33-34 Things He Said to Me Anonymous.............................................35 The Power Ryki Levine...............................................................36 Peace Be Unto You Xavia Publius.........................................37-38 project [verb] Abi Conklin...........................................................39 Death By... Anonymous...............................................................40 Looking Glass* Xavia Publius................................................Back *= Featured in full in the online edition at allegoricalathena.weebly.com
So. . . this may sound a bit controversial, but if you knew me then you’d understand that controversy is who I am at the core. But, not controversy for controversy’s sake but rather to engage in a stimulating and very necessary discussion. With this in mind, why don’t we have a woman nun as a pope? I never really hear about nun’s sexually or physically abusing children? Do nun’s not also be as pure and chaste? Nun’s have somehow manage to fight off their sexual urges and avoid harming little children. To what extent do lifelong traditions outweigh the safety and protection of the people? This leads to questions of gender roles within the Catholic Church, which are pretty restrictive as they stand. But, this stems to a broader question of to what extent do we allow religious or other large dominant and powerful social organizations to continue with practices that are detrimental to our society? Maybe if you believe having a woman pope is too unlikely, what about setting up other precautionary measures to protect small children. For instance, isolating the Pope from children and actually prosecuting those popes and priest or any clergy person who wrongfully assaults children and people. Yet, these groups of religiously powerful people receive immunity. In our society all types of people receive immunity, the law seems to work differently if you are a politician, celebrity, or even high school football player as can be seen recently in Steubenville, OH. However, this is nothing new. The law works differently if you are White or Black, wealthy or poor, heterosexually or homosexual, transgender, or queer identifying. The law in theory is suppose to make it so groups traditionally oppressed i.e. people of color, people who identify as gay,
and women are treated not simply fairly, or equally, which I admit is a long shot, but justly under the law. Where is the justice when people are constantly and systematically being oppressed and exploited under the law generation after generation? I have come to the belief that there are people who are absolute jerks, there are people who are ignorant, there are people who don’t care, but our government should not be one of them. Our government and larger social systems in society should not allow privilege to a small minority that exists off of the oppression and labor of the majority. No one should be a second-class citizen and for this to happen we must steer our attention away from equality and individualism. We must aim for equity and equity for all. Equity takes into consideration the unequal playing field that we live in and understands that the flipside of privilege is oppression and takes this into consideration when looking at the systemic experiences of people and the lack of access to opportunities, which greatly limit their success and yet are the foundation of success for others. Equity looks at all the bad –isms and –ias that exist in the word, racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia to name a few and realizes that this a predominant in our culture today and for a very long time and can affect entire community’s and groups of people to the extent that they are inhibited from gaining power and constantly must struggle to gain rights that they inalienably deserve. America has given us this nice story of the American Dream and has encouraged us to work hard and with that we will succeed. But, what does it say that innocent people are dying simply because of their race, ethnicity, culture, religious beliefs, gender identification, or sexual orientation. What does it say about our society when the government doesn’t have it’s shit together and people died in Hurricane Katrina as a result. When we live an era so
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This is Everyone’s Fight! Izzy
Superman full of violence that a bill on gun reform cannot be passed to more effectively help everyone. When there are states that do not consider violence against a person for being gay as a hate crime. What does it say when people feel more sorry for the lost opportunities of ‘promising young men’ who raped and young woman and instead blame her for ‘uncalled for behavior.’ There is so much wrong with society, but so much can be fixed on a structural level. I personally really don’t trust people and believe that change must happen on a structural level in order to make long-term impact. We can educate our community about these various issues; we can provide more resources for those who need it. We can call for Congressmen to stop playing the game of politics, which in my opinion with the past ‘sequester’ and the $85 billion dollars that are being cut, clearly shows that they don’t give a damn unless it comes to be their dollar. In that case, we need to start cutting their salary and maybe just lower the salary altogether until we can get people who really care about more than just money. We need our government to be more effective and less bureaucratic and this goes across party lines-Democrats don’t have it all right all the time either and the core philosophies and beliefs of the Republican party need to be analyzed carefully. Either way, ideals and philosophies are nice, but what really counts is action. We need to focus on the collective and what makes society function as it does. We need to reexamine policies and institutions that disproportionately affect one group more that another—both in terms of privilege and oppression. So whatever field or work you got into after graduating from Colgate whatever direction or path you chose to go, wherever life takes you, keep this in mind. This is everyone’s fight.
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Haley Fleming
online
Stereotypical Misconceptions Drea Finley
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Where We Were; Where We Are; Where We’d Like to Be Brothers of ΘΧ
In reference to the Maroon News article, we drew a couple images depicting what the women said they experienced, as well as other negative cultural aspects of Colgate's Greek life scene. We drew a person vomiting a multi-colored substance, in reference to the contests that people would have, earning points for accomplishing particular tasks to vomiting. We also drew a female figure inside of a circle with a slash through it to represent the hateful attitudes expressed toward women at Colgate in the 1980s. Finally we also included a picture of a female walking down Broad Street to the downtown area while simultaneously being judged by a group of men. We depicted the men holding up a sign that said "10" on it, which was to rate her attractiveness. The women who wrote the article said that they experienced this kind of objective treatment when going out at Colgate.
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[In preparation for the final action planning session of Theta Chi's Seminar Series, the participating brothers were asked to read the 1984 Maroon News article "The Writing is on the Wall." They reflected on whether they considered the Colgate campus in a different place now in terms of gender and sexuality and then drew pictorial representations of where Colgate was, where Colgate is now, and where they would like Colgate to be.]
Our picture in the top left depicts someone being denied entrance to a party, symbolizing the exclusivity of fraternities and Greek life as a whole. Top right shows an action that we took this year in Theta Chi, choosing to eliminate 'chirping' or the practice of sitting on the front porch at night and calling out to passers by. Below that, middle right, is meant to symbolize the poor treatment of and objectifying of women, particularly with regards to their physical appearances. To the left, middle left, is a drunk male leading a drunk girl into his room, symbolizing the often blurry line between consent and sexual assault, particularly with the introduction of alcohol. Below that, bottom left, is a person chugging a bottle of alcohol, meant to symbolize rampant binge drinking and general disregard for health when it comes to alcohol intake. Finally, lower right depicts a door with 'fag' written on it, in reference to the incident on campus earlier this year of the coming out doors being defaced. We meant for that to be a two-fold depiction, showing not only the hate towards and perhaps lack of knowledge of the queer community here at Colgate, but also the reaction across campus in response, which we felt was swift, handled very well, and showed that there is a strong contingent of allies and defenders of the queer community.
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We are Rising April Bailey, Samantha Sloane, Courtney Jackson, and Mikhaila Redovian 33% One third. Two of every six. Three of every nine. One in three. Your sister. Her mother. His girlfriend. One in every three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, back, side, together, back, side, together spin.
This drawing represents our ideal vision for the Colgate community. We came up with the ideas after reflecting on the MaroonNews article, “The Writing is on the Wall”, as well as our current campus atmosphere. Although poorly drawn, the image is meant to represent people of all creeds, colors, beliefs, sexual preferences and gender identities brought together through their college experience. The two most important features are that: 1) the characters are all communicating and 2) the sun is out. We believe the biggest cause of danger and ignorance on this campus comes from an inability or unwillingness to communicate with others. Specifically thinking about males on campus, we would ideally like to see more interaction with other gender identities during the day, rather than only within a 'going out' atmosphere.
I loved to sit in the cafeteria watching you with your eyes closed choreograph your own toes: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, spin. Like a hurricane, he landed hard in your path when I wasn’t looking. The storm in his heart sent him spiraling out of control. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 She looks up from the floor under his angry words, caught by his angry fists. 1, and his hands twirl around your back.
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2, and his body twists in yours. 3, and you say you won’t dance anymore. But even though I don’t feel the pain that stops your toes from singing twists, I see the pain in your eyes too scared to close, and I feel the hurt in your tears on my shirt. And I just want to see you dance again. Dance because you’re you. Gaining now, rising faster, Dance because you’re me. She leaves her bruises behind, Dance because we’re rising. Shedding scars as she ascends, Dance and then we’re free. Melody! once overpowered by his rage, now rings within her ears. The tune that she’s been missing fills her now with the love he could never give her. And so she rises leaving him behind. Dancing now, spinning fast, everything falls away.
that one number could've been me. So many experiences lie in that statistic but we fail to look underneath I have never been assaulted. I have never been raped. I have never been beaten. I have never been hit…..not once not yet. But 1 in 3. And I can feel that number like an expiration date on my skin, a tattoo on my arms growing darker each day they go without bruises; has my time come? Will it be today? Will it be at a party while I’m having fun? Or walking home when the day is done? Or while I'm hiking under the sun? Will it be a stranger or a loved one? Will he use drugs or simply a gun? Will I have time to run? Because 1 in 3 And I am 1 of 3 sisters So tell me… has our time come? When you feel alone, close your eyes, take a deep breath baby girl I see you hurting, you need a shoulder to cry on, You need an ear to listen I promise to be that friend, my support is not limited. There's pain in your voice And strength in your steps We are stronger than this
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1 in 3 Just to think
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A Feminist Tour of Colgate online
Students of WMST 470
Colgate Symposium on Abortion (1973): In 1973, the year the courts ruled on the case of Roe v. Wade, a panel to discuss the legal and medical issues surrounding abortion was held in Lathrop Hall. The lack of women on the panel sparked feminist criticism and signified the rise of a feminist consciousness in a traditional men’s college that would continue to grow throughout Colgate’s history. Colgate Cemetery (1838): While some locations on Colgate's campus speak to the institution's more recent history of racial, gender, and sexual reform, the cemetery is a location that still reflects the white male elite legacy of Colgate University. As the case with any cemetery, it is decades behind in acting as a symbol of progress especially when women represented in it may be listed as the wives of significant male contributors to the institution.
Title IX Compliance (1976): Before women were allowed to be students at Colgate, coeducation was seen as a potential threat to the integrity of Colgate male athletics. When varsity female athletics were integrated at Colgate, there were unsuitable facilities, lack of resources available and a general feeling of inferiority leading to 5 female varsity athletes suing Colgate for Title IX violations. Ultimately the decision was made in favor of Colgate since there were no Title IX violations found in the Colgate Athletics Department, but the event did raise awareness about the oppression female athletes felt at the time.
ALANA Cultural Center and Harlem Renaissance Center (1970; 1982): Resulting from protests headed by the Association of Black Collegians in the late 1960s, ALANA and the HRC stand as living monuments to the power of student drive for diversity and inclusion at Colgate. The placement of these buildings on the outskirts of campus as well as the lack of information available on Cheryl D. Balltrip (pictured, center) are indicative of marginalized or buried exclusionary histories at Colgate.
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Crutch Hayley Fager Colgate’s First Sorority (1980): The presence of Bolton House in the 1970's, the first all-women residential community, indicates there was a desire and demand for such communities soon after co-ed integration. It took ten years (1970-1980) for the first sorority to appear on campus (Delta Nu), despite assurances that 'it would never happen’.
His strings wound you tighter Piercing the drum of my inner ear Swimmer’s ear. The dull nagging Of a dagger in my brain. Don’t belittle my epiphanies. My symphonies of self for Everyone to see. For me to believe You are a self-fulfilling prophecy Dragging me into me.
Cutten Hall Activism (1981; 2001): Mary Shea founded the Women's Resource Center in Cutten library in October of 1981 in order to provide a safe place for women to discuss various issues pertaining to life on campus. The controversial nature of George B. Cutten's racist ideals led students in 2001 to petition the renaming of Cutten Hall; despite the noble intentions behind the petition, some professors argue that changing the name of the residence hall would in fact serve to hide Colgate's past and, thus, stifle healthy conversation on the matter.
Center for Women’s Studies (1994): The Center for Women’s Studies opened in the basement of East Hall in 1994 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary there next year.
I’ve never known if what I write is good because you have never told me. I understand that that is bad. Hope optimism, It is my crutch. It is my downfall, And it is from me. It is my downfall And it is from you. From your soft eyes your hands your touch on my cheek That is my downfall My splintered crutch A batter shattering a bat of wood. Up at the plate I did get nervous often. Counting cracks in the sidewalk Til my mama dies. Looking at your lips Wasted on food and drink. The perfect lips That kiss my cheek and part to show your Big fat teeth.
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Obligation Yellow Shabazz
We Need Feminism Because... Students of WMST 202
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I am an autonomous individual I exist only for me I have exchanges with people And I do favors for friends With no intention of getting anything in return So why is it okay for people to expect sex from me As if buying a drink is equivalent To giving me All of myself My vulnerable being To You Why is there social stigma In saying no When you are honoring yourself And respecting how you feel Why then can’t everyone expect respect? Instead they expect compromise No not compromise but for you to bend to their will To allow your expectations to turn into their affirmations I challenge you Never to oblige someone in their disregard for your feelings Instead you should have an obligation To yourself first And then to those around you To let people choose for themselves And not impose your will on others To communicate and express your feelings And allow others to do the same You have an Obligation Not sexual in any way but an Obligation to speak up for your wants and desires And to let others know there is no Obligation of sexual contact Only an obligation of consent Allegorical 16 Athena
Elevated Humour
Xavia Publius
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Yellow Heat Hayley Fager
Marriage and a Career David Haimes
Sarcasm is Shallow You draw out my flaws grabbing the Meat of my stomach, The padding to protect. Better stoned than dead. The sensitivity of a raw skin graft Replacing one part with another. Prodding my skin Poking the newly formed wounds Healing Awake OUT Of my mind. Rip off the bandage prematurely and leave me unsatisfied. Confused by my crying eyes My wandering lies Meandering my logic around mounds of insufficiencies. Embrace the uncertainties And rise to a higher level of being Where you alone reside Unchanged by the churning tides. I’m stuck in a freight elevator on the basement level With a woman wearing bright teeth and blue mascara And a man who shows the signs of your gluttonous feasts. Slimy hands and plump, bulbous fingers, A varsity ring from high school on every other one, And one for your college degree. The bulging folds of your neck, Evidence of your selfish plate. A heater behind a grate. Allegorical 19 Athena
Open April Bailey Palms out I pressed my palms into his Our skin shivered as it touched, our molecules vibrated together And he said, “We are one.” I said, “Can we be many?” He said, “It is already done.” I said, “I can only be many” He said, “You are chaste Like white bows and Sunday mornings You are pure Like Princesses and Knights” But there is something bestial inside of me She howls and the moon because it is white! Am I the bride? Or the monster? Does he know which one to fight? My palms are open And they are wide Wide enough for many
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My Crown Che Justus
This year, I made it a habit to start referring to my hair in its unruly state as my “crown.” And that’s not because I have some mixed up notions about my roots making me somehow closer to African royalty. No - as far as I’m concerned, my roots don’t need to extend any deeper than the clay red dirt of Alabama where I left my final strands of chemically processed hair. I can remember so distinctly sitting in a classroom before the day had even begun during my final semester of high school and letting my best friend at the time run her clippers over my scalp, feeling lighter as palmfuls of my Self fell into the trash bag covering my lap. So it’s been four years since I “big chopped,” but I don’t think I’ve really felt natural until this year. The Sunday after I shaved my head for the first time, I lost count of the number of times family members came up to me and asked with that Baptist concern, “Why would you do that to yourself? That long, thick beautiful hair - why would you get rid of it? Are you feeling alright?” And as freeing as cutting off those expectations of femininity-as-usual felt, I found myself pasting on all that well-ingrained self-hatred my folks shot at me. Our hair isn’t beautiful unless our scalps are burned by chemicals, curlers, and hot combs. Our hair isn’t beautiful unless my mother and a rat-tail comb are fighting my tangles as I sit between her legs. Our hair isn’t beautiful unless I waste half a day twisting each strand until it coils in on itself. So instead of growing a crown, I kept shaving my head. Using the harsh upstate winters as my excuse. But December of 2011 was the final time - I promised myself - I would let someone else’s clippers graze my scalp. There wasn’t any particular reason for it other than I was simply and deeply tired. Since I’ve been allowing my crown to grow, that self-hatred is still flung at me, but I don’t carry it anymore. I don’t have the strength for it anymore. Instead, I carry the first time someone told me my TWA reminded them of Audre Lorde and not being sure whether they were praising me or cursing me and not particularly caring. I carry instead the image of being in Downtown Birmingham and having a homeless man acknowledge me with a smile and a solidarity fist. I carry the poem a woman gave me because my fro reminded her of Angela Davis. I carry the satisfaction of knowing when I sit between my mother’s legs as she tangles yarn braids into my strands, she has to deal with me and not a more manageable and watered down version of me. I carry the comfort of knowing that no one else’s hands know my strands better than my own. I’ve fallen into the habit of calling my hair my “crown.” But that wasn’t something I inherited or passed on to me with great glory and fanfare. That was something I had to take.
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The Markiad Xavia Publius
Chicken Dinner Haley Fleming
“Chicks” Andrew Hoadley
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Father they called him, the man who once friend now foe I consider. “Forth now go, o my son. Blaze your hero path in the bright world shining beyond the gates of our Privil’s Edge, where your call is sounded in wingèd refrains. Make proud your withering father, old man sending his seed without for to strengthen his kingdom. You my son are the next great hope of your shimmering lin’age.” Beaming these words he spoke unto me, and I answered in terror: “Father! Did you not say that the lands on the outskirts of Privil’s Edge were wild and untamable?” He replies, “hush now my dear boy! You are Mark, royal blooded new hero. All of the world is yours for to take and to keep in the name of the king who did sire you. Fear not what may befall you beyond the gates of our bastion! Every being on Earth is yours to meet and make use of.” Thus I: “How, o my father? How do you guarantee safety? I have no tools I may wield upon the monsters I meet there!” “Weaponless certainly Privil’s Edge never would send you to conquer! See here treasures invaluable for your journey beyond these walls! Coarse hide of a bushman tailored from slavery’s flesh mill. Cloak of the unmarked, dyed in the rapèd blood of a virgin. Sword forged from bone of the flaming faggot and thus is there magic: round him who bears it a heterosexual force field it creates. Alchemic gold do you have in your coin purse. With it all things are made available to you for sale. A telescope called the Gaze shall give you power over all things that fall into its path.” Took I all of my father’s gifts with a trembling grav’ty. Sensing my apprehension he chuckled and thus said to calm me: “Fear not, Mark, o my Son! For you shall be nobly victorious. Take heart! Rarely adventure does call a hero to wander!” Suddenly was I whisked away followed by clamouring people, joyful citizens who call Privil’s Edge home. They did send me off with tidings of beautiful futures to come at my return. One small wave did I nervously give them, city gate op’ning. Thus past the threshold the gate did snap shut and I took in the landscape. Horrid creatures with scars upon scars dotted foul outstretched wasteland. Shivers o’ertook me and gingerly did I dare take my first step. Howls came rushing from inhuman forms that were writhing before me. As I looked down I discovered that I was now standing atop one. Gaze I turned toward the downtrodden creature. But thus the form spoke: “No use here for a telescope; already you can see all things. Mark of Privil’s Edge here comes a conquering. All hail our hero!”
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Thus she laughing, and I quickly don the cloak of the unMarked. More of her sarcastic chuckles ring out cacophonous. Then she, “Ah yes! Hide your Mark if you wish to traverse this land safely. I will not tattle that I can still see you beneath your disguising.” Shaking I dare to ask, “how do you understand all of my thoughts?” Sweetly replies she, “O Hero, you are nor first nor last come hence seeking glory and pride of the Father. Brandish your weapon.” Fear overtakes me and fumbling I try to unsheathe the bone sword. Even more does she laugh at my efforts and thus says she: “Hold! Hold! Who do you think you’re fooling? My child you are not a hero! Here. Let me show you what I think your quest beyond Privil’s Edge is Take these goggles and wear them, for I think this is your journey. For some reason, I trust her and take the goggles that read thus: “Once placed firm upon one’s eyes I am not easily removed. See through me, and find truths beyond all your wildest nightmares.” Hesitantly I put them on. Screams come out of my own mouth. These poor creatures are human, writhing in sheer desolation! People of so many forms, shapes, histories stretched out before me. Tears fill the goggles. I drain them quickly and process these visions. “How came they to such a state? What monster has ravaged these people?” “You. You, Mark, and the people of Privil’s Edge are respons’ble. Heed these words if you hear no other in all of your life. The foundation on which Privil’s Edge is built is the blood of all those people before you and those who came long before them. Dare you now wear the cloak of the ‘unmarked’, knowing its prov’nance?” Dizzy, I remove the cloak of the unmarked and hold it outstretched towards her with shaking seriousness. “Take it. Please, just, take it.” She stares. “Rarely in the history long o’ Privil’s Edge has one offered retribution—however small— willingly as you do in this gesture.” “I don’t want it or anything on me. Here take the sword and the Gaze and the cloak and the hide and the money. Nothing my father gave me is truly mine to take claim of.” Smiling, she reaches for me and gently touches my shoulder. “Thank you, Mark, you are now a hero of those of the Margins. Long your journey shall be yet, for Privil’s Edge still stands mocking. But all things shall in time come to pass for the best for all people. Keep those goggles. They are yours. Worry not; I’ve my own pair. They shall continue to show the poisons that Privil’s Edge gave you.” Open I splay my arms in invitation to hug her. “What is your name, o friend, that I may address you more prop’rly?” “You may call me Clarity, that way when you are called homeward, you may remember all you have learned with Clarity’s goggles.” “Home? Why would I return to that fortress now that I’ve seen it?” “One does not ‘leave’ Privil’s Edge so easily, Mark, but take comfort; Wisdom smiles warmly on ze who ALL humankind champions.”
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Strong Man Hayley Fager You write me better You cut me down You sit on my hat Boy, you make me frown You grab my side You tickle my toes You know my face You play with my foes It was a pleasure sitting next to her. A fresh scrape on new cement. I watch it bleed and feel it burn. Blood drips down my shin Hairs on the back of my neck stand up I feel my skin breath The pounding flesh Heart beats in my knee Dry balls of flesh Bleedings never felt so good No, bleedings never felt so good Bleedings never felt so good I didn’t know it ever could. You turn me into an angel A babe that can do no wrong Nothing I say can hurt you Ain't no power in my song. It feels good when you're bad The way it never should. I feel full when you're mean The way a strong girl never would. Allegorical 26 Athena
In the Spare Room Quincey Spagnoletti
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Parents Do Care Hayley Fager When I was my mother, I dreamed I had no hair. Masses of cars engulfed me, I couldn’t keep a stare. I curled up in the closet Tried to make my life unfold. I made my face so timid My lips nearly went dead cold. When I was my father, I cut a pair of dice. I laughed until my face turned red I laughed until I cried.
Cutting the tomatoes for dinner, Carelessly searing the onions on the stove; Proud to have a purpose. The boys knew she was beautiful The trouble came when she knew it too. Bloated with the kill of the day Never fighting the order predators away. She won their praise with ease. The full moon takes away your sleep As you shiver and shake and pray for a breeze.
Fewer Lifeboats Riana Lum
I told jokes to my brother, And pointed at passersby. I laughed at that man’s britches, And marveled at that fat lady’s thighs.
Run Away Hayley Fager I see you drawing a picture of me with my eyes closed Sweat glistening on the top of my nose That was when I was proud and my feet were bare. Proud to be alone Like a schoolgirl run away from home. Left her lunch at the door, Her clothes lying on the floor. Like a pregnant woman Allegorical 29 Athena
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Don’t You Place Me online
Che Justus and Ninja A queering of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen
Verse One a woman's damned if she do a woman's damned if she don't language constructs to restrict that's what Lakoff thinks some other scholars concurred and sought to prove we prefer a discourse that, at best, devalues femininity
when interaction takes place and folks want to keep face they tend to uphold heteronormativity Bridge Two you don't think it clever and we can do no better all these theories useless here, let me help you through this CHORUS!
Bridge One you may not be convinced words are that important "sticks & stones, whatever" but let me tell you better CHORUS! HEY, YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT YOU JUST PLACED ME IS IT 'CAUSE LANGUAGE HAS BIAS, MAYBE YOU THINK IT OVERSENSITIVE BUT YOU'RE JUST LAZY IF SOCIETY'S GENDERED, THEN LANGUAGE MUST BE
Bridge Three the ways we communicate shape how we see the world and determines who's voices will be heard pay attention to the dialogue around you it can really start to shift your point of view ENDING CHORUS! SO GET TO KNOW ME BEFORE YOU PLACE ME LET YOUR LANGUAGE REFLECT INCLUSIVITY YEAH, IT'S A LOT OF WORK BUT DON'T BE LAZY AND DECONSTRUCT THE KYRIARCHY!
Verse Two it's not any different for men or anyone else who exists real-world power suppresses abject identities Allegorical 31 Athena
Allegorical 32 Athena
Untitled Savannah Brown This piece has grown out of my interest with human anatomy and the discourse between erotic empowerment and pornography. It explores sexual fetishism, bodily experimentation, and the enactment of fantasies that define our complicated cultural landscape. We try hard to separate the “primitive� and human nature, but there is a strong connection between the two. My personal involvement through the process of self-casting and hand mixing the coloring of the pieces was very important. As, artist, Marc Quinn often states he uses his own body to understand 'what it means to materially exist in the world'. My natural impulse to use my own body in my work allows me to push my own personal boundaries and the comfort of others. This piece explores disjunction and reconfiguration and their link to the fetishization of the body,
Allegorical 33 Athena
seduction, death, and violence. It tiptoes along the line between the seductive and the dark. I am concerned with the way both color and texture can be used to evoke emotion. Each piece is cast from my body and each color specifically mixed. The life-like material of these amorphous figures has a grotesque but captivating element. I want to create an uncomfortable and anxious environment for the viewer, forcing them to look inward and reflect on the nature of obsession, sexuality, and the social structures that inhibit a freer sense of imagination.
Allegorical 34 Athena
Things He Said to Me
The Power
Anonymous
Ryki Levine
Work for it. Gross. You started it. I’m over it. I’ve moved on. I care about you like I care about anyone else. I didn’t realize how attached I was. Whether or not we’re in a relationship, you’re special to me. It was perfect. Sometimes it’s perfect. Dunno. Why are you so nice to me? You have a nice butt. We aren’t the most attractive people in the world. I’d think, ‘this girl is crazy.’ Needy. I deserved it. I made a mistake. I’ll always be your friend. You’re the only girl I want to do this with. You. And Me. Right now. Am I going to date you? No. Yes. No.
Allegorical 35 Athena
Allegorical 36 Athena
Peace Be Unto You Xavia Publius My dad drove me to school for the last time. It’s my last semester in college and for the next four-and-a-half hours it’s just me and my dad, alone. I used to get anxious in situations like this. But in the past few years we had gotten a lot better. We spend the majority of the trip talking about his stories from college, all the crazy shit his roommate did, his past relationships, the time he and mom broke up and how they got back together. I learn more about my parents in two hours than I had in 21 years. But being my dad, he always brings it back to religion. I normally zone out when he takes it there, but I eventually realize he expects a response. After struggling through yet another argument about beliefs, he says, “I’m not trying to convince you of anything, it’s just as a parent, I wanna know that you’re at peace.” And that sentence has kept me up at night for months, because I’m not at peace, and I’m not sure I ever will be. I’ll be at peace when I can walk down the street and not worry about whether I’ll get read and subsequently harassed. I’ll be at peace when I can walk uphill, or run, or do anything without having to worry about my tuck coming out. I’ll be at peace when I don’t dread lab work or refills because insurance will cover my ‘disorder’.
I’ll be at peace when I can fill out a form without having to identify a sex/gender, without fear I’ll get called out for “lying”. I’ll be at peace when this fucking facial hair disappears and never comes back. I’ll be at peace when I can apply for a job or grad school or a part and know I’ll be turned down because I’m not good enough, not because I’m transgender. I’ll be at peace when everyone forgets my old name. I’ll be at peace when the man I fall in love with can ask me to marry him and not have to worry about what state or country we’re in. I’ll be at peace when my parents are just as accepting of that future partner as they are of my brother’s girlfriend. I’ll be at peace when I can afford girls’ clothes instead of the clothes I’ve worn since I was a boy. I’ll be at peace when people give a damn what I have to say and give me the space to say it. I’ll be at peace when I can relax around my friends and not worry about when they’re gonna leave me. I’ll be at peace when everyone stops calling me ‘he’. I’ll be at peace…when, exactly? If you could tell me that, then maybe I wouldn’t zone out.
Allegorical 37 Athena
Allegorical 38 Athena
project [verb] Abi Conklin
THIS IS SERIOUS. I WON'T BE GOING HOME UNTIL LIKE AFTER MIDNIGHT. IT'S JUST SITTING. WAITING. WANTING. WISHING. TO DESTROY MY SOUL. KARMA. IT'S COMING... TO RAIN HELLFIRE DOWN ON MY SOUL, A SPIRIT SO BLACKENED BY DEEDS DONE IN MOMENTS OF SELFISHNESS. WHAT DOES ONE DO FOR THE COMING FUTURE? A DEMISE THAT WILL TRANSCEND THE SEVEN LEVELS OF HELL. A SENTENCE SO GHASTLY EVEN THE GRIM REAPER WOULD RECOIL IN FEAR. WHAT DOES ONE DO? WAIT. WAIT.
Death By...
WAIT.
Anonymous
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? BUT WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. UNTIL ONE DAY. WHEN ACCEPTANCE BECOMES AN ESCAPE. WHEN THERE IS NO MORE FEAR FOR WHAT IS TO COME. ONLY LIGHT. LIVING IN DARKNESS. WAITING FOR THE LIGHT.
Allegorical 39 Athena
Allegorical 40 Athena