By: Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz
On October 15, 2020, the NYU Division of Libraries co-sponsored an event to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Lesbian Herstory Archives (LHA).
Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, associate dean for Teaching, Learning, and Engagement, has served as co-coordinator of LHA for more than 10 years and co-edited a special issue, Number 118, of Sinister Wisdom Journal: A Multicultural Lesbian Literary & Art Journal, celebrating LHA.
The anniversary event drew 344 attendees (and 600 RSVPs) to hear the issue’s contributors read from their work. The Journal and CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies also co-sponsored. Shawn reflects on the event in the Lesbian Herstory Archives blogspace, from which these impressions are drawn.
A slideshow from photographer Morgan Gwenwald: black and white images of a timeless past that held lesbians behind banners, seated around tables, in embraces, cataloging books, shouting, laughing, and together, in community. This was how we began the launch of Sinister Wisdom 118: Forty-Five Years: A Tribute to the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
We were welcomed by Julie Enszer’s introduction to this herstoric journal, greeted from a Zoom confusion of mass entry, as the Zoom room of 267 lesbians grew to 344 (and apparently a long wait at the door for those struggling to enter).
Joan Nestle Zoomed from an Australian morning, her partner by her side, and read to us her notes for this special issue, followed by her reading of both Ann Allen Shockley and Naomi Replansky’s work of memory and salutations.
LHA founder Deborah Edel read “How the Archives Got Its Name,” which opens with: “Memory is a strange thing.” Deb’s piece articulates how nomenclature is a community’s prerogative. To the surprise of many, the word Herstory was contested, while regarding the word Lesbian, “there was no disagreement.”
Ellen Baxt, of the Little Rainbows program for babies and children, read from her piece, “Bringing the Newest Generations into the Archives.” An arrangement of full-color photos showed large bright eyes staring at storytime mamas from blanket forts by the bookshelves.
Saskia Scheffer, one of the photo editors, conversed with longtime friend Linda McKinney, owner of the jacket on the cover. Linda recalled her introduction to LHA by beloved coordinator, Irare Sabasu, and other chance encounters with that jacket.
Elana Dykewomon was next. Her contribution, “It’s all Herstory Now,” was a retrospective of her life. She reminded us that LHA “believed that lesbians were worth time and space, were worth love, were worth a library.”
Lucinda Zoe read to us from “Sleeping with Joan (A Multigenerational Collection Development Memoir Tale),” in which she unveiled the many women for whom she caretakes, and that even after their passing, how arriving at the doorstep of LHA was not disconnected from the funerals, wakes, memories/eulogies, photos, memoirs… Ashes Ashes Ashes.
Stefani Echeverría-Fenn: “The fire cannot consume us. We take it and make it our own.” Her piece was part dyke-of-color reclamation, and part ode to Flavia Rando, who invited her to the space.
MP ended the readings with her poem that found itself in the walls of the building, within her own body, and as an homage to a homecoming. “...we exist, our bodies are ours, we are/Dykes, and we sit. We sit here, too.”
Before the programming ended and we danced to Leaping Lesbians, Julie led us in a song, the “L-Word,” where spotlighted screens caught hands waving in the air in celebration. Joan reminded us that when LHA began, we were told we couldn’t do it. Paula Grant, an LHA co-coordinator followed Joan to give the last word, echoing Elana, that if we have to do it again, we'll do it again.
Happy 45 years, LHA.
View the event using the following links.
The New York University Division of Libraries is a global organization that advances teaching, learning, research, and scholarly inquiry in an environment dedicated to the open exchange of information. Stay connected, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
0 Comments.