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In the lovely city of Milwaukee lies an amazing feminist bookstore called Broad Vocabulary. I had the pleasure of visiting the store this summer, on a fundraising trip for Bitch. It was truly one of my highlights: I love bookstores, I love feminist bookstores, and I especially love feminist radical bookstores like Broad Vocabulary. 

I guess I can't say I was too surprised when I heard the news yesterday that they might be closing -- feminist bookstores (and independent bookstores more generally) are closing left and right these days, the most recent one being Word Is Out in Colorado. 

Thanks to all of you, we've made our goal of 70 pieces of art for the auction next Saturday (October 25)!

Now, we need folks there to buy the art you all have so generously donated, to drink the beer that Captured by Porches has given and to eat the cupcakes that Portland gem, Saint Cupcake has supplied.

Please help us spread the word!

Bitch: It's a Noun, It's a Verb, It's a Magazine, Now it's a Cabaret!
Saturday, October 4, 2008, 8:00 p.m.
WARPhaus Gallery, 818 NW 1st Ave., Gainesville, Florida

Come enjoy artwork about feminism, sex, sexuality, sexism, gender...

This very kind person offered to host a benefit this Friday at El Rio in San Francisco (thank you!) back when we were in the middle of our fundraising crisis. We're thrilled and incredibly grateful that the event is going on as planned -- because it's ongoing support that's gonna keep Bitch thriving.  

Sounds like it's gonna be a great event. Please attend if you can!

El Rio, 3158 Mission St.

Friday, October 3rd, 9pm

In just 25 days, B-Word is not only bringing Judy Chicago out to Portland for our art auction - we are also planning a pretty kick-ass event that isn't your typical auction. We can have all the fantastic entertainment, stellar goodie bags, great local beer and food, and the best host{ess} around, but in order to raise the dollars we need to support Bitch, we need ART!!!

Revisioning and strategic planning are hard work for an organization. We at B-Word/Bitch have been thinking about this process for months, even years for some folks, but last Friday we formally began this journey and I have got to say, it is going to be a pretty great adventure these next few months.

Debbie is devoting an entire post to our process so I won't divulge more, but being in the planning process and looking at our strengths really solidified one of the reasons I feel B-Word/Bitch is so incredibly inspiring as a non-profit: Our supporters.

This morning in my in box was an e-mail titled, "An Open Letter to the South End Press Community." I clicked right on it, before I read my daily-headlines e-mail or the note from Debbie asking my opinion on a Very Important Matter—and even before I read the note from the boy I am currently most crushed out on. Because I am a member of their Community Supported Publishing program, which means I get a copy of every single book they publish as a thank-you for my monthly donation, and that's how much I love South End, the publisher of some of the most important political books being pubished today. Just to make sure you know.

If you're not already familiar with South End, you should get to know them right now. They are, as their letter notes, "the nation's only unapologetically radical, feminist, mission-driven, and majority women of color publishing collective." Their list is tremendous: big names like bell hooks, Vandana Shiva, and Howard Zinn, plus less well-known but no less important books from Incite!, Andrea Smith, Kristian Williams, and many more.

And they're in trouble, because Borders is in trouble, and the unfortunate thing about the publishing business is that the actual producers of actual content are generally at the mercy of retailers and distributors when it comes to our financial survival. Just like Bitch, South End is a nonprofit organization that relies on its community of readers to get how important media is to social justice and to back that understanding up with cold, hard cash.