“Sinister Wisdom”

The link arrived in my mail—archive of all seventy-five issues of “Sinister Wisdom”— dating back to July of 1976. I quickly looked through the first two issues and the names of the writers. The past and present joined together. There were names of women who  were at the forefront— who wrote about the difficulties of being a woman , especially a woman who lived a different life style. Familiar names, remembered causes. Powerful writing. Sinister Wisdom still exists, better paper, different names, — but still powerful words. We have come a long way and yet some of the issues talked about are still relevant.

I recalled listening to Audre Lourde condemn Boston for its racism.

Issue 22/23 A Gathering of Spirit was devoted to Native American Women writers. Some wonderful poetry, some poignant stories. Some stories that don’t change. We still pollute their lands.

    “They say no one died.
      Tiny desert flower
      micro beetle bug
      are they not life?
      Their bag of bones
      blown into the wind
      captured in white dust storms
      washed down polluted rivers
      are they not dead?”
               Terri Meyette


And if you open Issue 35 1988 you will find a poem I wrote under my first and middle name: Linda Frances. I taught in a public school in a conservative town and couldn’t chance losing my job.