The revolutionary moment

I spent the weekend in Boston at a conference so titled focused on the Women’s Liberation movement.  Between 800 and 1000 women and a smattering of men attended.  Of course it didn’t happen since no media bothered to report on it.For me it was exciting to see old friends from those heady days and also to put faces and voices to email friends with whom I have been corresponding, arguing, discussing, praising, exchanging ideas and information for decades.  The attendees were a mix of women’s liberation activists, academics who have studied us and young activists or young people interested or just curious.I did the convocation to a standing ovation, which felt good, of course, really good.  There were at least 60 or 70 panels and I went to as many as time and energy permitted.  Some were contentious, some were fascinating, some were boring.I cochaired a panel with alta, Kate Rushin & Louise Bernikow on the poetry that came out of and into the movement then.  We had a full house and ran over and had to stop abruptly when I realized the time and that Woody would be nine floors down parked in a no-parking zone to pick me up to return.  Kate talking about Audre Lorde, one of whose poems I read and one that Kate read, was very emotional for me.  I still miss her and she is missed.  My eyes burned.  I was a little embarrassed.It was one of those events that make you remember parts of your life vividly, to reexamine what you did and didn’t do and what impact if any it had on you or other people.  It raised issues not beginning to be resolved.  It issued a call to action that we would all do well to heed.  A lot of discussion focused on the constant erosion of rights we worked and agitated so hard to get for women, especially abortion rights. I would have attended even more events, but my untreated knee was hobbling me and every event was a distance from the last, strung out along Commonwealth Avenue from the B.U. bridge east and on the side streets.  the university tolerated our presence, but provided no honoraria, no travel expenses, no food.  We were pretty much on our own.   The two women who organized the conference worked hard and pulled everything together and were real heroes.oday, Sunday, I am back on the Cape and celebrating my birthday with Ira.  My actual birthday is tomorrow, but that being Monday, it wouldn’t be much fun. I do the laundry, work with my assistant, eat a very sketchy supper alone and then meditate.  So today he gave me some wonderful presents and he’s making a supper of lobster, cole slaw and corn plus a chocolate eclaire from the real French bakery in Wellfleet.  It has been a great day. We got lots of rain starting yesterday while we were still in Boston and all the snow has been washed away. It’s mild. This morning I started maincrop tomato plants and some marigolds. The cats are deliriously happy we’re back.  They all want lots of loving.  We have never in all the decades I’ve lived on the Cape had a March when we couldn’t plant.  We have nothing in yet but are hoping to get going this week.The conference was a wonderful and envigorating experience but now it’s back to work and start getting ready for the seder two weeks from tomorrow.