Resources

 Posted in FaT GiRL 2 — February, 1995

Title: Resources
Date(s) of creation: February 1995
Creator / author / publisher:  FaT GiRL
Physical description: Three zine pages with 3 narrow columns of listings and small display ads.
Reference #: FG2-062-064-Resources
Links: [ PDF ]

RESOURCES

Collected by Max Airborne

MEDIA FEAST

BOOKS & ZINES

The Ample Shopper is a consumer-ori­ented newsletter with a focus on goods and services for fat folks. $12/year to Amplestuff, PO Box 116, Bearsville, NY 12409. 

Belinda’s Bouquet is a fat-positive book for kids by Leslea Newman. I haven’t seen it, but I’m on the lookout for a copy. Ask your bookseller, or contact Alyson Publications, 40 Plympton St., Boston, MA 02118, (617) 542-5679. Belly Songs is a book of poems by Susan Stinson. It’s available from the author at XXXXX, Easthampton, MA 01027. 

BigAd is a well-established, bi-monthly magazine “for full-framed men and their admirers to communicate, meet, and share thoughts.” 20 of its 56 pages are personal ads! Fat Girl is getting there … Tell your fag pals to send $35/year or $6/sample to BigAd, PO Box 14725, San Francisco, CA 94114. 

Fat News is the newsletter of the Fat Women’s Group in London. Send ’em $5 for a subscription, c/o Wesley House,.Wild Ct., London WC2B SAU, UK. 

Fat!So? #2 is out, and girl is it faaaabu­lous! It’s got the incredible shrinking/expanding Oprah flipbook (need I explain?), an anatomy lesson on bellies, the Body Mass Index of fat culture, an amazing array of facts and tidbits about fat (did you know that 1 match = .26 calories?), Marilyn’s fiasco trying to buy an ad in Weight Watchers magazine, manifestos galore, and more! Send $3.50, or $12/year to Fat!So? PO Box 423464, San Francisco, CA 94142. 

The Fat Underground—the Original Radical Fat Feminists is a sourcebook that contains amazing historical infor­mation about the FU, including repro­duced literature, press clippings, and letters, collected by Largesse, our friend­ly neighborhood fat archivists. Send $7.50 per copy to Largesse, XXXXX, New Haven, CT 06534 (While you’re at it, include an extra .75 cents for a copy of Karen Stimson’s info-­packed pamphlet, “Fat Feminist Herstory.”) 

Food For Thought and Size Esteem are two small publications from Largesse, the Network for Size Esteem. One is a quarterly newsletter, the other a bi­monthly issue-oriented bulletin. You can receive both publications for $20/year. Largesse, XXXXX, New Haven, CT 06534. 

i’m so fucking beautiful—I’ve seen issues #1 and #2 of isfb, and I can tell you that this is an amazing zine, with rants, drawings, a list of fun things about fat, photos of Nomy (who is VERY cute, by the way), and a ton of important things for everyone to think about regarding fat oppression and self ­love. For issue #1, send 35 cents and a stamp; for #2, a buck and 2 stamps oughta do it. Nomy Lamm, XXXXX Olympia, WA 98502. 

The International No Diet Coalition Directory of Resources contains nearly 200 entries with complete contact infor­mation and descriptions of groups in the anti-diet, size-acceptance, anti-size­discrimination, anti-eating-disorder, and size-diversity movements. Profits are returned to the No Diet Coalition. $10/copy + $2.50 shipping and han­dling to Willendorf Press, PO Box 407, Shady, NY 12409. 

LFAN has a monthly newsletter with events of interest to fat dykes, announcements, a list of fat dyke email pen pals, a column for fat bisexual women, and organizing ideas and infor­mation. Send $20 ($5 – $10 low income) to: Helen Weber, 815 15th Ave. E. #4, Seattle, WA 98112.

Living Large is a bi-monthly apa (ama­teur press association) for folks who are fat and interested in talking about it. For those who don’t know, an apa is a subscriber-created zine: to subscribe you must contribute stuff, and part of the idea is that the contributors get to know one another by interacting through writing in the zine. It’s like a big ongo­ing conversation (plus more), and this one has been going on for two years! Kathleen sent a sample of the October issue, which is 87 pages (!), with 27 folks contributing. It has a hot cover photo of BJ, personal rants, clipped arti­cles and cartoons about fat, an extensive bibliography, and more. For a sample, send $4 to Kathleen Madigan, XXXXX, Elgin, IL 60121. 

NAAFA (the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance) has a book service with a pretty compre­hensive list of fat-positive books, publi­cations and pamphlets. To get their list­ing, write NAAFA, PO Box 188620, Sacramento, CA 95818, or call (916) 558-6880.

New Attitude is the quarterly newsletter of the NAAFA Fat Feminist Caucus. $20/year to Carole Campbell, Treasurer, PO Box 1154, New York, NY 10023.

One Size Does Not Fit All, by Beverly Naidus, is a book of original art and collage exploring women’s struggles with weight and food. $15; check your bookstore or order direct from Aigis Publications, 1449 W. Littleton Blvd. #200, Littleton, CO 80120, (303) 730-6232. 

Pasty is a great zine by a fat dyke from Seattle. The one we received contained listings of fat-girl catalogs, a list of pink things, a story about a sex parry, and more. Send $1 to Sarah-Katherine, XXXXX, Seattle, WA 98112. 

Room to Grow is a booklet of “nine poems of size” (good ones, too!) by Karen Stimson, a fat radical feminist writer and activist. Send $5 to Largesse Presse, XXXXX, New Haven, CT 06534. 

Rump Parliament Magazine—We haven’t seen this because the editor refused to trade with us (after we sent her a free copy). Hmm. My friend Joyce sent me this: “Rump Parliament is dedi­cated to size acceptance activism. Each issue features articles, discussion columns, activist-oriented fiction, and news of interest to people who believe that ‘fat’ is not a four-letter word.” Single issues are $6, a I-year sub. is $24. Lee Martindale, XXXXX, Dallas TX 75218. 

Sisters of Size is a Lesbian fat activist group/newsletter in Seattle. Send $5-$10 for a subscription to Robin, XXXXX, Seattle, WA 98114. 

Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes by Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Norkin is available. It features over 40 fine-art photos of fat women, with writing about fat oppression and fat liberation. See review elsewhere in this issue. Check your bookstore or call Books in Focus at 1-800-463-6285. 

MUSIC 

This Heavy Heart is an album of folky fat runes written and performed by singer/song­writer/fat dyke activist Cynthia McQuillan, Jane Robinson (both of the group Midlife Crisis), and friends. This is a really creative bunch of songs, with excellent vocal har­monies and guitar, as well as various other instruments. They’re complicated, funny, political, and uplifting. “The theme of this collection is self-image, perceptions and rela­tionships, and it is dedicated to every woman who doesn’t quite fit into the expec­tations of our society.” Send $12/cassette or $17 /CD to Unlikely Publications, XXXXX, Berkeley, CA 94707. 

Look out for Music for Fat People, a punk compilation from FatWreckChords in SF. 

FILM & VIDEO 

Keep your eyes peeled for Heavyweights, a new movie about a fat-pride summer camp for kids. We can’t promise it’s really fat-pos­itive, but it sounds worth checking out. 

Rent The Pajama Game (1957?). Watch it. Even if you hate Doris Day and musicals, loathe pajamas and long johns, watch this movie! All the gritting your teeth will be worth it when you see middle-­aged fat girl Reta Shaw dispense romantic advice, sing, and DANCE. When was the last time you saw a fat girl dancing in a major Hollywood movie? The only other time I can think of is the more recent Strictly Ballroom, which has lots of great dancing and several fat girl characters. They do dance, but for fat girls dancing, nothing’s quite the same as the Pajama Game! —April 

Throwing Our Weight Around is a video about fat liberation from BAFL, XXXXX, Cambridge, MA 02142.

(turn the page, there’s more .. .)

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Fat Lip Readers’ Theater: An Invitation to express yourself. Join us for a thoroughly delightful afternoon of socializing, noshing, and writing. No experience required in any of these areas. We are all enormously creative women with much to say and write about our lives and living in our bodies (some of us just need a little nudge). No charge, please wear no scents. Sun. Jan. 22, 1-4 pm, Oakland, CA location; and Sun., Feb. 26, time and location TBA. For info and RSVP, call Susan at XXXXX. 

International No Diet Day is May 6. Help spread the word by wearing a t-shirt or but­ton. Get them from Lynn Meletiche, XXXXX New York, NY 10029, (212) XXX-XXXX. 

Largesse, the Network for Size Esteem, maintains a library of archival material on fat liberation dating back to the beginnings of the fat feminist movement in the early 1970’s, as well as a computer database cata­loguing resources in dozens of categories. They invite contributions and offer free referrals, printouts from their database, and research assistance. WOW!!! Largesse, XXXXX, New Haven, CT 06534, (203) XXX-XXXX phone/fax (call weekdays between noon and 8 pm EST).

A Theater Games Workshop for Fat Women will be conducted by 4 Big Girls in April or May, 1995. Through the use of movement, voice, and relaxation, they’ll explore self-esteem, personal power, sexuali­ty, and body image. No theater experience is necessary. Interested in participating or have suggestions? Send a SASE to 4 Big Girls, XXXXX, Seattle, WA 98111.

Submissions needed for an anthology on body image and identity in the queer com­munities, especially work about the relation­ship between appearance, body, and queer identity. How do you feel about your body? SASE for guidelines to Dawn Atkins, XXXXX Iowa City, IA 52244, or e-mail datkins@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu. 

Let It All Hang Out Day (LIAHO) will be celebrated next June in San Francisco (the week before Pride), and will have a float in the SF Pride Parade. LIAHO was started in response to one of those letters written to the local press by some yuppie woman who was sick of seeing all those fat, hairy, nearly naked dykes (gasp!) out at public events. Soon after, a bunch of fat, hairy, scantily ­clad dykes got together and started a yearly party on 17th & Castro. In 1992, their float at the Pride Parade won “Most Outstanding Float” in the Outrageous category. LIAHO has been sleeping for two years, and is com­ing out of hibernation to prepare for June. Fat women who work on the float get to ride on it. Call (415) XXX-XXXX. Fat, hairy dykes … alive in ’95! 

Making Waves is a supportive recreational swim group for women over 200 lbs, meet­ing every Sunday from 11 am-1 pm in the East Bay. The first Sunday of each month is Friend Swim for women of all sizes. Swim fee is $3 – $5. For info., call Linda at (510) XXX-XXXX.

Wanted: fat-positive writings and art by fat dykes for inclusion in a big, fat anthology. Preference will be given to non-fiction. If you don’t write, send your thoughts on cas­sette tape. The deadline has been extended to Feb. 15, 1995, so pull out that stuff you’ve been meaning to submit girls, and stick it in the mail! I’m sending my cartoons right now. Mev Miller, XXXXX, Minneapolis, MN 55403, (612) 872-8307. 

ORGANIZATIONS 

The Body Image Task Force is a task-orient­ed group that fights size discrimination and looksism and promotes positive body image for all sizes through events, workshops, actions, and public speaking. They need vol­unteers and student interns. Contact them at XXXXX, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, (408) XXX-XXXX.

Boston Area Fat Liberation (BAFL) is a group of fat dykes and feminist fat activists in the Boston area. Find them at XXXXX, Cambridge, MA 02142, (617) XXX-XXXX.

Fat is a Lesbian Issue is a New York-based, fat-positive, anti-diet discussion group that helps queer women learn to accept their bod­ies at any size. They meet monthly to talk about food, clothing, healthcare, sex, exer­cise, self-esteem and other issues chat impact fat lesbians and bi women. They meet on the 2nd Sunday of every month at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, 208 W. 13th St., in Manhattan. For more info., call Susan at 718-XXX-XXXX; or Gail and Shira at 609-XXX-XXXX.

Fat Lip Readers’ Theater is a women’s per­formance collective that has been creating and performing work from a fat liberation perspective for more than a decade. To get on the mailing list, submit work, or inquire about membership, contact: Fat Lip, PO Box, 29963, Oakland, CA 94604.

FLAB, the Fat Lesbian Action Brigade, is a New York-based activist group that fights for the visibility of fat lesbians within the queer community, the fat-acceptance movement and the world at large; works to discredit and destroy the multi-billion dollar weight-loss industry chat threatens our survival; and cele­brates the beauty and sexiness of fat women. See Fat is a Lesbian Issue above for meeting times and contact info.

LFAN, the Lesbian Fat Activists Network, is an affinity group for size-friendly Lesbians of all sizes. To join and receive their monthly newsletter, send $20 ($5-$10 low income) to: Helen Weber, XXXXX, Seattle, WA 98112. 

For all you computer nerds who cruise the internet, there’s a big-folks email list. You can subscribe by sending email to big-folks­request@abstractsoft.com. There’s also a fat-­acceptance list; subscribe by sending email to majordomo@world.std.com, with the words “subscribe fat-acceptance” in the body of the message. Some news groups are: soc.sup­port.fat-acceptance, alt.support.big-folks, alt.personals.big-folks, and alt.sex.fat. 

The Fat Women’s Group is based in London. Write to them at: Wesley House, Wild Court, London WC2B SAU, UK. 

Los Angeles/Long Beach area Fat Girl rap group forming soon. Contact Sciara at (310) XXX-XXXX.

FaT GiRL 2 Pages