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Events for Women’s History Month 2015

February 24, 2015

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Events for Women’s History Month 2015

Starting March 10: poet Erin Belieu, film on mothers in prison, panel on female explorers/adventurers

February 24, 2015

Johnson State College is observing Women’s History Month in March with several events that are free and open to the public. They include:

  • Tuesday, March 10: Author Erin Belieu will read from her work and discuss the importance of women’s voices in a lecture at 5:30 p.m. in Stearns Performance Space. Belieu is co-founder of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts and co-editor of The Extraordinary Tide, which features the work of contemporary American Women poets. She is the author of four books of poetry: Infanta (1995), selected by Hayden Carruth for the National Poetry Series; One Above, One Below (2000); Black Box (2006), a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and Slant Six (2014). Belieu is a professor in the MFA/Ph.D. Creative Writing Program at Florida State University.

  • Monday, March 16: The 2011 documentary film Mothers of Bedford, which follows five imprisoned women trying to remain connected to their children, will be screened at 6 p.m. in 207 Bentley Hall. Eighty percent of women in U.S. prisons today are mothers of school-age children. Filmmaker Jenifer McShane spent four years visiting Bedford Hills prison in New York and following the women and their families. A mother herself, McShane was drawn to the universal themes of motherhood and the staggering power of the mother-child relationship.

  • Tuesday, March 24: A panel discussion on female explorers and athletes will be held at 4 p.m. in Stearns Performance Space. In conjunction with this year’s first-year common reading experience, Tori Murden McClure’s A Pearl in the Storm, the discussion will address the challenges and joys of being a woman and an explorer/athlete. Panelists include Jan Reynolds, adventurer, explorer and author of 14 books, including High Altitude Woman; Kasie Enman, a world mountain running champion; and Jessie Donavan, a professional triathlete and Ironman champion​. The three women, who also are mothers, will consider the ways in which they challenge cultural expectations of women and will address questions such as: Why are women often considered outsiders to adventure and competitive sports? Do women bring unique strengths to these disciplines?

For information, contact Emily Neilsen, 802-635-1408 or emily.neilsen@jsc.edu.