Shining a Light on Women’s Voices

Last weekend in Ojai, I was honored to be an attendee at the small (can I use the word boutique?) woman’s blogging conference, Creative Alliance ’10. There I met a yurt full of wonderful women who have integrated blogging into the thread of their lives.

But there are two specific projects (and the women making them happen) that I want to tell you about today. Both involve what I am calling “shining a light on women’s voices” by taking “blogging” off the little screen, and putting in it in an entirely different media, thereby amplifying the effect.

First, let me introduce Ann Imig of Madison, WI, who is the founder and National Director of Listen to Your Mother. Listen to Your Mother is a live performance, celebrating and expanding the meaning of Mother’s Day, consisting of mothers reading blog posts from the podium. I really can’t describe the effect of listening to these talented moms describing pieces of their lives, so I’ve put a recording right here for you to see.

Next year, for Mother’s Day 2011, Ann has scheduled her show in Austin, TX, Los Angeles, CA, Madison, WI, Valparaiso, IN, and Spokane, WA. Each show will have its own auditions. I urge you to attend, if you possibly can. I guarantee it will be a celebration of motherhood like none you’ve ever known.

Next, I’m turning the spotlight on Megan Jordan, of Gulfport, MS, and her literary print magazine story bleed. Again the content is women’s blog posts, but this time the medium is a beautiful (hold-it-in-your-hand) print literary magazine. As Megan herself says in her introductory Letter from the Editor: “Story Bleed aches for you to discover yourself where the lines between our stories bleed together, unexpectedly resonating.” I see it as another amazing example of how taking words off the Web, and putting them in a media with such different characteristics, changes the experience completely.

The preview issue is available for just $1.50 by clicking on the magazine cover in the right-hand column at the story bleed site.

I keep hearing in my head the words of Marshall McLuhan, “The media is the message” which were lifted from a book he published in 1964. Perhaps now I finally understand.