Voices of Feminism Oral History Videos
Dorothy Allison (5 parts)
Because Dorothy Allison has written extensively about her childhood and early family life, this oral history focuses on Allison's political activism and involvement with feminism, beginning in Tallahassee, FL in the 1970s. She recounts "finding the movement" at Florida State University through the Women's Center and her parallel life in the bars, among butch-femme dykes, and her struggle to integrate the worlds of middle-class politics and working class erotics. Allison describes her myriad connections to the women's movement-from being a founder of Herstore, a feminist bookstore, to Quest, to the anti-violence movement, to Conditions, and the Lesbian Sex Mafia. Throughout, she offers an uncompromising assessment of feminism's triumphs and failures, particularly through the lenses of class and sexuality.
[Read Biographical note]
View transcript (62 pp.)
Notes on access and use:
- This content is provided for educational and research purposes only. Files may not be copied or downloaded. To order digital files, please contact the Sophia Smith Collection. See Duplication Services for more information.
- All oral history interviews on this site are copyrighted. For more information on copyright, permissions, and how to cite interviews, see the VOF project home page.
- With the exception of a few restricted portions, these videos have not been edited. Video quality is entirely dependent on the conditions of the interview.
- Some interviews are partially restricted or closed.
- Videos and PDFs may take several minutes to load depending on your internet connection.