From nolose-announce at nolose.org Tue Apr 22 08:10:55 2008 From: nolose-announce at nolose.org (nolose-announce at nolose.org) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:10:55 -0400 Subject: [Nolose-announce] Announcements! call for Workshop proposals! Keynote speaker! All kinds of good stuff! Message-ID: <34d5c7af0804220610x405e13d1i65096953240b1d8a@mail.gmail.com> *Big Fat Announcements! Please read all the way to the end!* I know it's been a little while since you heard from us. Well, you know, except for the conference announcement. We are so excited to be heading to NoHo this fall. We can't wait to see all of you. We have some exciting conference news, as well as some general announcements in this email. We are pleased to bring you the 2008 Call for Workshop Proposals. And stay tuned, because the next thing you are going to see from us is the conference registration and financial assistance applications. We have some exciting stuff going on with financial aid this year, and we look forward to sharing that with you. For the time being though, check this business out: *Keynote Announced:* We are thrilled to announce that keynoting NOLOSE 2008 will be the inspirational Geleni Fontaine. Geleni Fontaine is a fat, queer, Latina/o transperson living, studying and working in Brooklyn, New York. Former Board member of both NOLOSE and the Audre Lorde Project (the first queer people-of-color community center in the U.S.), Geleni is working to integrate her background in human rights and anti-violence activism with hands-on healing and empowerment work. *NOLOSE '08 Call for Workshop Proposals!* *NOLOSE '08 September 26-28, 2008 Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Northampton, MA* Fat and ?: More than Just Fat *Call for Workshops, Hands-on Activities, You Name It* This year, we are actively seeking workshop proposals along a theme:* Fat and ?: More than Just Fat*. We are all more than just fat; we all have multiple places in the spectrum of humanity that we occupy. How do we bring our fat to our other identities and bring our other identities to our fat? How do we make space for those that are different from ourselves in the fat liberation movement? How do we embrace and find value in the multiple identities, perspectives and backgrounds that we all bring to the table as activists and as human beings? The workshop possibilities are endless under this umbrella, so put your thinking caps on! We plan to have at least one workshop per timeslot that falls into the More Than Just Fat track. And a workshop in the themed track is more likely to get our attention if it has an element of "what we can do about it" rather than or in addition to just a discussion or academic presentation. Of course, there is still plenty of room for workshops that don't necessarily tie into the theme too, so don't be shy. Bring it on! Some ideas about what we are looking for: Hands-on, How-To Workshops - What are your special skills? Teach us! Examples might be: ? "Where All The Bargains At: Stretching Your Fat Dollar" ? "Dismantle the Patriarchy in 10 Easy Steps" ? "How to Alter Clothes to Fit Your Body" Guided discussions, caucuses and networking - Tell us what's on your mind that you feel merits a group discussion at NOLOSE. Examples: ? "Fat Folks of Color Caucus" ? "Supersized, Disabled and Brown: Where I Stand is All About Where I Sit" ? "Who Wants to Be Rich and Thin: Fat and Class" ? "Fat in the Academy" Presentations and performances - You name it! Like: ? Writers reading their work ? Musical/instrumental play time ? Improv performance Acitivities - Such as: ? Synchronized Swimming ? Scooter Races ? Crafts ? Movement and Dance ? Speed Dating Or or or... Really! What do you want to do at NOLOSE? Who do you want to talk to? What burning issue would you like to discuss? What is your special skill? What experience or knowledge would you like to share? What would you like to see happen at this year's amazing space? *Deadline for proposals is June 1, 2008.* All conference attendees (fat dykes, lesbians, bisexual women, trans folks, and our female & trans allies) are welcome to send proposals. While we are unable to provide stipends/compensation for leading workshops, and ask workshop presenters to please register themselves and/or use the NOLOSE financial assistance process, we will have small gifts for workshop presenters. Please keep in mind that we have a diverse crowd, so assume a broad range of sizes, physical abilities, ethnicities, nationalities and genders among your participants. We ask that people leading physical activity classes prepare alternate exercises for people using scooters, chairs and wheelchairs. Please indicate your plan to do this in your proposal. To send us your idea, please complete the simple form at the NOLOSE website . Any questions? Just ask programming at nolose.org or leave a comment here. * * *Brooklyn** Flea* Our good friend and dynamo NOLOSE fundraiser Deb Malkin has launched her new business, Re/Dress, selling vintage clothes in size 14 and up. You can check her out nearly every Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea-see her announcement at: http://bounce-n-jiggle.livejournal.com/568943.html. *And lastly, a call for submissions:* 2008 Call for Submissions Phat Girls in Search of a Pretty World: Hot Lil' Fat Chicks Speakin' Out! Phat Girls will explore plus size women's private and public journeys with weight. In this original collection, we will express our diverse experiences and memories of how our weight and self/body image have shaped us as women?from childhood to adulthood. Phat Girls will illuminate the successes achieved and the challenges met by women negotiating a desire for self-love and acceptance of our selves/bodies within an often "thin obsessed" and "thin accessible" society. We all have diverse paths and histories, cultures, relationships and ambitions, but one thing most of us do in the morning is look at ourselves in the mirror! Phat Girls is interested in your story?what YOU see, think, hear or imagine when YOU look at your fabulous you. Who do you see looking back and what message(s) does she give you about how to live your life? Who to live your life with or for? What message(s) does your self-image give you on how to navigate through your community as a female, student, professional, an occupant of public spaces for instance on the public transit, at a restaurant, a social or at a movie theatre? The spaces and roles we occupy in our lives are endless! What messages do we get from society (or from those negative nagging voices in our own minds) about how we should look and about how to achieve 'real' success? How do all of these factor into our perceptions of our bodies? Every "fat girl" has her own story. There is no one story that rings true for all of us and this is exactly what Phat Girls will capture. It's a platform for you to tell your story, to share your ups and downs in the hopes that maybe your words might inspire another woman to share her own. Through sharing there is healing and more so empowerment! Phat Girls contributors will reflect the stories of women from different race, class, ability, sexual identity, religious, geographical and education backgrounds. Your submission to this anthology can take several forms: ? Short stories (non-fiction) or "fiction" based on your life stories with fictionalized characters ? Monologues (one-person plays) ? Reflective Essays (academic and non-academic) ? Response Papers (for example, your reaction to a particular ad, conversation, experience with weight discrimination or topic i.e. Fat Suits in Hollywood; Beauty Pageants or "Makeover" TV Shows etc.) ? Memory Work (for example, writing a story about the first time you ever thought you were fat; writing a story about a particular body part and what it has meant to you over the years) ? Comic Strips ? Visual Arts (photographs of paintings, collage art (visual or words) etc.) ? Photo essays ? Poetry/Spoken Word ? Other (Phat Girls is open to receiving your creative submissions that are combinations of the above) DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: September 1, 2008. Please send by mail only. Late submissions will NOT be considered. MAIL TO: Phat Girls Anthology C/o Jill Andrew 2620 Eglinton Ave East PO Box 42503 Toronto, ON Canada M1K 2S0 Contributors 18 years and over are welcome. Submission maximums should be no more than 3,000 words (12 page max.), DOUBLE-SPACED, single-sided, 12 point font. Include a contributor's bio of 100 words or less. Please remember to save an electronic copy of your submission should it be selected. Mailed submissions will not be returned unless there is a self-addressed stamped envelope enclosed with your submission. Please ensure you weigh your package beforehand at the post office to ensure you've got sufficient return postage. All visual contributions (pictures, photo essays etc.) must be sent on a disc (high resolution Jpegs only) along with hard copies of each of the visuals. Please include an SASE with adequate postage, otherwise we cannot return this material to you. Poetry/spoken word contributions please send a maximum of 6 completed prose. Individual contributors are welcomed to submit multiple submissions but do note that in the hopes of having as many diverse voices as possible, likely on 1 submission per chosen contributor will make the final project. All submissions will be read thoroughly. If selected for the Phat Girls anthology, there may be additional editing required. At that point, the *author(s) of the submission will be contacted directly for input. *Multiple authors per submission are permitted but the same word count still applies. Here are a wealth of general topics and questions to help you start brainstorming your submission(s): Topics: ? Body Image, Size Acceptance and Friendships ? Body Image and Intimate Relationships (dating, intimacy with the lights on or?off?) ? Weight Discrimination, Body Image or Acceptance in the Health Care System ? Perceptions of Health or Illness and Weight ? Surviving Illness through our Bodies ? Weight Discrimination in Employment ? Weight, Body Image and Fashion, Entertainment, Media & Pop Culture (Music, Music Videos, Magazines, Facebook, MySpace, Blogs, Advertising etc.) ? Fat Representation in the media (film, TV, print etc.) ? Size and Consumerism ? Cosmetic Surgery, Body Modification and "Beauty" ? Beauty and Ageing ? Body Image and Race, Body Image and Ability, Disability, Body Image and Sexuality (sexual identity, sexual orientation etc.) ? Size & Gender, Gender Roles; Size, Weight and "Performing" Gender through our Fat Bodies ? Body Image, Compulsory Heterosexuality and the Construction of the 'Feminine' and the 'Masculine' "Ideal" ? Multi-racial views on Body Image, Beauty and the Desire for (or rejection of) a 'Western' "Mainstream" standard of beauty ? Body Image, Fat Phobia and Acceptance in the Everyday World ? Fat bodies, Tight Spaces ? Fat Activism (performance groups, advertisement campaigns, community activism, zines etc.) ? Body Image & the Arts (visual arts, exhibitions, photography, literary work etc.) ? "What I absolutely LOVE about my body?" ? Memories of Body Image or Fat Issues in the Home and How These Have Informed Your Sense of Self Today (meal times, family traditions, experiences with childhood abuse or neglect, sibling rivalries etc.) ? Body Image & Poverty ? Globalization & The Female Body ? Psychic & Physical Trauma(s) (i.e. emotional, physical, sexual abuse etc.) and Eating Problems ? Fat Bodies and Violence Against Women ? Body Image, Fatness and Weight Issues in Public Spaces (i.e. experiences in theatres, public transit, restaurants, malls, fitting rooms etc.) ? What's in a Name? Body Image? Body Consciousness? Eating Disorders or Eating Problems? What's relevant to you? ? Weight and Accessibility ? Body Image, Fat Acceptance and Education (size discrimination in schools, assumptions made about you because of size/weight etc.) ? Weight preoccupation and Food ? Smokes, Alcohol, Drugs and Our Waistlines ? Eating Problems (under eating, overeating, control/loss of control etc.) ? Feeling "outside of" or void of a/your body ? Weight & Fitness ? Body Image & Sports ? Fat & Feminism ? Fat is Beautiful ? FAT & FABULOUS ? A Historical Look at Fat when Fat was "in" ? Being Fat Across Borders: What are the beauty ideals around the globe? ? Other topics related to your experience(s) as a "phat girl" speakin' out! Questions: ? How or has your weight (or your perception of your weight) altered moments in your life that otherwise should have been pure joy and satisfaction (i.e. dreading taking pictures, saying no to outings because you didn't know what to wear etc.) ? How do you resist the "beauty myth" on a daily basis? Or do you? ? How do friends, family or intimate partners 'react' to your fat body? ? How do we as 'fat' women construct our sense of self and of community? How are we inspired to love ourselves despite the fact that the world is so thin obsessed? Share your secrets! ? What is?a "good" body? ? Have you ever had an experience with fat on fat discrimination? ? What does being a "fat girl" mean to you? What does the term "fat" mean to you? When did you first realize that you were fat? When did you first realize what "beauty" was? ? Have you ever found yourself playing into 'fat stereotypes' in order to 'survive' or to 'save face'? ? What part of your body do you absolutely love and why? ? Which parts do you absolutely detest and why? ? What don't you see when you look in the mirror? ? How or has your sexuality (or sexual identity) been influenced by your fat body? ? How has your body influenced (negatively and/or positively) your career, career choices (or lack thereof), access to opportunities etc. ? Are you a sexy woman? What makes you a sexy woman? And if not, should you want to be, how might you get there? About the editor: Jill Andrew CYW, BA (Hons.), BEd, MA (Sept '08) is an award-winning national columnist with the Metro Toronto Daily Newspaper and still enjoys livening things up as a teacher, women's/youth advocate, performer, entrepreneur, events host and public speaker throughout the city. Jill is the founder and producer of Curvy Catwalk? Canada 's first and only annual "plus size" fashion fundraiser increasing body image/eating problems awareness and funds for Sheena's Place & NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre). Annually on December 24, Jill also organizes with friends and media/activist colleagues the JAM (Jill Andrew Media) For Hope Homelessness Initiative providing food and clothing necessities to those in need. Jill's on-air and print appearances include the Toronto Star, NOW Magazine, Passion Magazine, Sway, Vervegirl Magazine, GRAND, City TV, OMNI, CP24, CBC Radio, Global, ET Canada, HGTV and more. Jill is a member of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) where she has won two national awards for Best Editorial and Best Column, the Black Business Professional Association (BBPA) and the Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) Vanguard Philanthropy Group among others. Jill loves to socialize, is obsessed with cats and still believes her lottery jackpot is just around the corner! Jill is completing her Women & Gender Studies Masters degree at the University of Toronto and one day plans on hosting her own TV talk show. Jill Andrew is also the recipient of the 2008 Michele Landsberg Award. The national award, presented by the Canadian Women's Foundation (www.cdnwomen.org), recognizes young women 30 and under who are outstanding feminists in the area of media and/or activism. Jill currently resides in Toronto , ON Canada . For more visit www.jillandrewmedia.com or www.curvycatwalk.com * * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nolose.org/pipermail/nolose-announce_nolose.org/attachments/20080422/bb965044/attachment-0001.html