Menstruation Narratives

Things to consider in your narrative:

Consider a menstruation memory, whether it be your first memory or one that was formative to how you relate to menstruation:
What happened? How did you feel?
What about this experience is important to you? Did it shape the way you feel or felt about periods?
If the experience you want to describe is related to your first period, how did you know it was your period?
What did parents/friends tell you about it beforehand?
Was there secrecy surrounding the events in your narrative? If you told people about it, how did they react?
Were there any cultural traditions or rituals involved?
Was the experience how you would have liked it or would you have wished that it were different?
If the experience you are describing is not your first menstruation experience, what is it about the experience that makes it important to your relationship with menstruation?
The idea here is to speak about a formative experience you had with menstruation and take ownership of it (e.g. menarche (first menstrual cycle); there will be a space to speak about their current menstruation situations later on.
If you feel that you are unable to respond to this prompt, please come speak to us.



Bring notes with you. 1/2 page double-spaced equals a minute of talking time. We'd like if everyone could prepare a few minutes worth of talking.

One more thing...

P.S. If you haven't heard about the panel Kayla and I organized, there is a discussion next Tuesday in the SU Ballroom about T-Pain coming to RIC in a couple weeks, censorship, sexism, racism, and media representation of women and black men. The debate is from 4-6. Kayla is moderating the discussion, I am speaking on the panel and Kevin might be speaking representing Anthropology, Lesley Bogad (yay!) is on the panel, Marco McWilliams is on the panel, we are inviting T-Pain....it will be great. Be there!

Saturday...

I have sent a mass text with instructions for body image presentations. I am posting the assignment here in case anyone loses it.

For Saturday morning, please work on a body image project and come to section with a well thought out, physical manifestation (through movement, art, poetry, speech, photography, etc.) of what you are working on and be prepared to talk for five minutes about it. What you bring in doesn't have to be complete if you don't want it to be because we will revisit this later on, but it should be enough to represent your relationship with your body/body image. For inspiration, think about how your body *works.* What does it do for you, every day? How does it privilege you? Do you love it? Hate it? Take it for granted? How do you view yourself in the mirror? How do you think others view you? How do you want them to? Have you battled with body image "issues" or eating disorders? Dig deep...reflect. Remember previous exercises when you have said you wished you had thought about it more, and take the time to re-learn yourself and care about this aspect of you this week.

If anyone feels uncomfortable with having food at the workshop on Saturday, please text/call/email us so that we can let everyone know the brunch is a no-go and we are putting it off. In the past, some participants have found food triggering in this context and requested it not be present.

For the project...be creative! Take risks. In the past, people have put on performances in which they apply their makeup and go through their daily routine while speaking, made dance videos, taken off all their clothes and spoken about it, written on themselves and spoke about it, created visual art, written monologues, talked about a big transformation, performed strip teases, etc. You have unlimited options so please, have fun&&&do ya thang.
K&D

SATURDAY HERE WE COME!

For some mid-week inspiration.

I Am Becoming

by Jayne Relaford Brown

I AM BECOMING
the woman I’ve wanted,
grey at the temples,
soft body, delighted,
cracked up by life
with a laugh that’s
known bitter
but, past it, got better,
knows she’s a survivor­
that whatever comes,
she can outlast it.
I am becoming a deep
weathered basket.

I am becoming the woman
I’ve longed for,
the motherly lover
with arms strong and tender,
the growing up daughter
who blushes surprises.
I am becoming full moons
and sunrises.
I find her becoming,
this woman I’ve wanted,
who knows she’ll encompass,
who knows she’s sufficient,
knows where she’s going
and travels with passion.
Who remembers she’s precious,
but knows she’s not scarce­
who knows she is plenty,
plenty to share.