Women's Liberation Radio News

Shortly after holding up a sign at the women's march in Madison on January 21st 2017, Thistle Pettersen was defamed by hundreds of peers and colleagues in her community to the point of losing her regular music show at a neighborhood bar and almost losing her employment. This song was written during that period of backlash that lasted for about 10 weeks after the women's march. It is about taking care of yourself, soothing and guiding yourself towards the default setting of the universe which is love-of-existence and joy-in-being. Thistle's battlefield is media work/songwriting and her sword is the pen she uses to create feminist culture that aims for fierce & compassionate sisterhood and human rights for all. Resting from the battle and from the war on women is essential to our success. Thanks to all of the women who battle our oppressors to the point of needing to take deep pensive time to rest before wielding the sword again. Blessed Be.

After two years, Thistle Pettersen went back into the studios of WORT 89.9 FM, the community radio station in Madison, to interview Meghan Murphy LIVE on the Access Hour and to play a pre-recorded interview she did with Julie Bindel. Thanks to WORT's Access Hour for allowing these interviews to be broadcast from the station. Ms. Pettersen was banned from the station's premises in January 2016 due to transactivist complaints about her previous LIVE interview with Sheila Jeffreys in 2014 and the broadcasting of Ms. Pettersen's radio documentary of the Last Michigan Womyn's Music Festival in 2015. The ban was lifted in February 2016, but she did not feel comfortable going back to the station until 2018. Even now, there are staff and volunteers at the station who believe that what you will hear in this program, and in any of the programs that Ms. Pettersen produces is "hate speech." Thankfully, the mission of the Access Hour slot in particular, allows for differing points of view on women's liberation politics

This week I invite you closer into my personal life to walk through a remembering/honoring of the violent murder of my dog companion, Phoenix, eight years ago to the day. Gun violence is perpetual under male supremacy and this experience brought it to my hearth as it has come to so many women around the world, maybe even yours. I hope that this personal sharing touches and strengthens you and the entire Liberation Movement on the planet. If you want to read more of my personal walk through this experience, I invite you to gently read it at: http://phxlabyrinth.blogspot.com. Thank you for your kind ears. Play List: Wild Wolf (in background) Solitudes Manaus Tellu As Cold as it Gets Patti Griffin Stop Killing Us Lenelle Moise If it were up to me Cheryl Wheeler The Women Gather Sweet Honey in the Rock Howl at the Moon Cheryl Wheeler House of Bones Cris Williamson Song For Mia Liz Wright The Water is Wide Lucie Blue Tremblay Little Roo

On Monday, March 19th, WLRN's Thistle Pettersen will venture back into WORT 89.9 FM's studios in beautiful downtown Madison to play a pre-recorded interview that she did this week with Julie Bindel and to interview Meghan Murphy LIVE! This short clip contains a Feminism 2.0 question generated by a group of radical feminists following the build-up for the show. It will not be included on Monday night's LIVE broadcast. The show on Monday is meant to be a Feminism 101 introduction to what two leading feminists are thinking and doing as we continue on in this journey of the year 2018.

This is a one minute promo Thistle Pettersen recorded at the studios of WORT 89,9 FM in beautiful downtown Madison to get the word out about her interview with Meghan Murphy & Julie Bindel on March 19th, 2018.

WLRN's edition 23 on the #METOO movement and rape culture begins with world headlines presented by Sekhmet She Owl followed by "Hands Clean" by Alanis Morissette, a song about a 14 year old girl who was raped by a music exec . Next, you'll hear an interview clip of Jyssica Schwartz jyssicaschwartz.com/ talking about her new book coming out on March 14th called You Are Not Alone, inspired by the #METOO movement. The book is a collection of 56 stories written by women (and some men) about their experiences of sexual abuse and healing. Next, you'll hear interviews with Shelly Ruzicka & Rocio Caravantes of the organization Arise Chicago Workers' Rights Center followed by the song "Ni Una Menos" by Angela Leiva in Spanish. Rocio talks about her experiences as an immigrant worker and cases of abuse she experienced at work. Here is a video they made called Out of the Shadows www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH9cDcLzAQ0 that sheds light on the discussion of sexual harassment at the workplace. Finally, WLRN's Julia Beck round

Playlist: Cradle song Kitka (In background) Ten Mile Stilts Wailing Jennys Lullaby Dixie Chicks Ooo Child Beth Orton Sweet Wonder Carolyn Hillyer Diamond in the Rough Shawn Colvin Nature Song Sweet Honey in the Rock I Love to Laugh Sweet Honey Bird Song Heather Masse Tuwe Tuwe Sweet Honey Oh My Goodness Look at this Mess Sweet Honey Spring Tracey Chapman Be Careful Cris Williamson Feral Children Beth Orton Motherland Cris Williamson This week on the Music Hour, we'll be celebrating the Divine Girl-Child. While living in rape culture is dangerous for all females, it is especially perilous for our girl babies, toddlers and children, so I wanted to remember them this next hour. Those of us who have survived girlhood and those who are still fighting to survive all over the planet: may these songs move you and radiate out through time and space to protect and comfort all girls, past present and future until male supremacy is eradicated. Blessed be.

You are in for a special treat! Start off the hour with the musical selection “Dandelion” by Heather Maloney and then be intrigued & inspired by the first interview clip featuring Linda Conroy, conference founder, speaking with Thistle Pettersen. After a brief musical interlude of “The Spirit of the Plants” by Lisa Thiel, you’ll hear how YOU CAN WIN A FREE TICKET to the conference followed by interview excerpts with conference keynote speaker, Isla Burgess from New Zealand and author of “Weeds Heal: A Working Herbal” and “Notes from a Biophilic Garden: Reconnecting People, Plants and Inscape” released in 2017. After the excerpt with Ms. Burgess, enjoy Thistle’s song “We Are More” before being reminded again of how to win a free ticket to the conference. After that, hear an interview excerpt with Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, world-renowned doctor & herbalist, in which she talks about her offerings at the conference as another keynote speaker. Then hear the song “Corn Mother” by Lisa Thiel before enjoying the final in

This week, we're keeping things simple, streamlined, for our women's liberation music hour. Simple and streamlined, yet elegant and deep. Featuring talented composer Mary Watkins and readings from the classic novel, The Wanderground, by Sally Miller Gearheart, we will take a journey with sound and story guided by these two sisters of the revolution. Here is an introduction to these two women of power: Ms. Watkins is the recipient of several granting foundations such as Meet the Composer, National Endowment for the Arts, Gerbodi Foundation, Zellerbach Family Fund and Calfornia Council for the Arts. She is an eclectic composer. She is also a pianist, arranger, recording artist and record producer. Much of her music reflects a love for many styles of music whether jazz, gospel, Latin, country, rock, classical or pop. She has composed for solo piano for both adults and children, wind ensembles, string quartet, chamber and full symphony orchestra. She has also composed for theater, dance and film, songs for solo

Anya Robyak has worked in Early Childhood Education for almost 20 years as a classroom teacher, researcher, consultant, and college instructor. She shares ideas on how teachers and parents can work together to enhance the equity of our children’s lives. This podcast features the key question: should we say the F-word in the classroom?

You have until midnight on February 14th, 2018 to pre-order this fabulous shirt! Listen to the PSA for instructions on how to get in on this wonderful opportunity to support the design work of Ms. Kacie Mills, the winner of WLRN's 2017 t-shirt design contest AND to support the We Want the Land Coalition, the group seeking to purchase the Land the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival was on for forty years.

This week on the Women's Liberation Music Hour, Phoenixx features ideas and words of Janice Raymond, author of A Passion for Friends, amidst an hour of music that celebrates Gyn/affection. I hope you enjoy and are moved and inspired to deepen your female friendships as they are truly political! Song List: (in background)Praise Her Shawna Carol The Woman in Your Life Alix Dobkin All That You Have is Your Soul Tracy Chapman Womyn Copper Wimmin Sister Cris Williamson This is our Clan Carolyn Hillyer Circle of Women Nalini Family of Women Linda Shear Woman Loving Women Teresa Trull Never Gonna Be Your Bride Carrie Rodriguez As Cool as I am Dar Williams I Come from Women Amy Carol Webb Sisters in Struggle Lesbians on Ecstacy Golden Girls Cynthia Fee Side note: Cris Williamson/Teresa Trull/Barbara Higgbie are performing along the East coast at the end of March! Details I know most about is their show in Carrboro, NC on March 30 at The Arts Center. Tickets are available through the ven

WLRN's 2018 Valentines Day Edition on the Politics of Love & Sexuality begins with world headlines written and delivered by Jenna DiQuarto before featuring When You're Gone, a moving song about love by the late great Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer for the Cranberries. After this song, hear excerpts of an interview WLRN's Sekhmet She Owl did for this edition with legendary lesbian feminist, Bev Jo. https://bevjoradicallesbian.wordpress.com This interview segues nicely into the first of three mini-commentaries Sekhmet presents on lesbian relationships, heterosexual and bi relationships and friendships among women. Hear excerpts of an interview Thistle did with WLRN's Julia Beck, a reporter for the collective and staunch woman-loving-woman. Then, be moved to tears by listening to the song Harmless Love by Ferron. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJUP8hNbAHY Edition 22 concludes with excerpts of an interview Feminist Current's Meghan Murphy did with Meagan Tyler last month on the patriarchal nature of sex the

WLRN's Thistle Pettersen was able to connect with Venice Allan on January 22nd to talk about her recent suspension from the UK Labor Party. Ms. Allan is accused of bullying and harassment of Labour Party officials and trans-identifying males. These people include Heather Peto, TIM running for MP and already on the Labour Party's All Women Shortlist, Lily Madigan, Women's Officer, Jon Lansman, recently elected to the National Executive Committee, Paris Lees, a trans-identifying male activist, Eddie Izzard famous cross dressing British comic and CLITORIS, an unknown ‘cis’ councillor bloke from Anne Ruzylo’s constituency. Ms. Allan was also targeted in an open letter from some Irish feminists that you can see in the link below. They do not want her to come to Ireland on the We Need To Talk Tour that is slated to have an event on February 14th. https://feministire.com/2018/01/22/an-open-letter-to-the-organisers-of-the-we-need-to-talk-tour-from-a-group-of-feminists-in-ireland/amp/?__twitter_impression=true Ms.

This week, in honor of two old strong female activists of social and racial justice, I dedicate this hour of music and spoken word to Jackie Anderson of Chicago and "Jan" of South Jersey. Please read of Jackie Anderson's life of service to Lesbians and other oppressed peoples: PASSAGES Activist, professor Jackie Anderson dies - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News - Windy City Times Songlist: Miss Celie's Blues Suede Barely Blue Wild Things Cris Williamson The Changer and the Changed Fannie Lou Hamer Sweet Honey I'm Every woman/Respect Aretha Franklin Great Diva Classics No Man's Mama Carolina Chocolate Drops Leaving Eden The Magdalene Laundries Cris Williamson Motherland By Way of Sorrow Bearfoot Cry, Cry, Cry Oughta Be a Woman Sweet Honey Breaths Still Gotta Get up in the Morning Sweet Honey Still the Same Me Four Women Nina Simone The Best of For Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash Joy Harjo Weaving the Strands Yesterday's Lessons Sharon Isabel Any Woman's Blues Woman Slaughter Pat Parker Any

Greetings and Happy New Year! The team at WLRN is proud to share our first podcast of 2018, Edition 21: Ancient Gynocentric Societies. Photo of Babylonia, goddess Ishtar or Ereshkigal 'Queen of the Night' 18th C. BC by monopthalmos on flickr. This edition focuses on the developments and relics of woman-centric societies throughout history. Our guests Max Dashu, Riane Eisler, and Starhawk shared what they know about the herstories of woman-centric communities. Now is the perfect time to set a feminist resolution for the year ahead: let us move forward in strength and sisterhood toward a more gynocentric future! This month’s podcast starts with a friendly introduction by Amanda. Next comes WLRN’s world headlines written and read by Thistle. “Night Woman” by Carolyn Hillyer’ segues into Sekhmet SheOwl’s interview with Max Dashu, founder of the Suppressed Histories Archives. Then we hear excerpts from Julia’s interview with Starhawk, ecofeminist witch and founder of Reclaiming, an activist branch of modern

This week for Deep Winter’s Women’s Liberation music hour, I feature songs from female musicians of various parts of the world. All but the first one are either purely instrumental or have lyrics that are not in English. I hope my selections will help to shift your consciousness away from the ordinary, bringing the deep calm of yourself as Female and all the expansiveness and connectivity to Her and Her beneficent Life. Photo Credit: Hamid Sardar-Afkhami Girl-child is of theTsaatan (Dukha) Reindeer Nomads from the Mongolian North Play List: In background: Siber-Shaman Sainkho Namtchylak Naked Spirit Into the Dark Melissa Etheridge Breakdown Moon Chant Aco Takenaka Moon Chant Embers Helen Jane Long Embers Collage of Koleda Carols (Bulgarian) Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble Evening Star Shaman Weavers’ Dance Carolyn Hillyer The Wyched Wombe Trollobundin (Live) Eivor Palsdottir Rain Foryar, Min Modar Eivor

WLRN's Thistle Pettersen got to sit down with Riane Eisler, a prominent scholar who influenced Ms. Pettersen's thinking greatly in her youth. Dr. Eisler contributes much to conversations past and present about the status of women and how radical and lesbian feminists are on the cutting edge of the movement for a more humanitarian and just society. Riane Eisler is an eminent social scientist, attorney, and women’s human rights activist who pioneered the recognition of women’s rights as human rights. She is best known for her writings, including the international bestseller, The Chalice and The Blade, translated into 26 languages and now in its 57th US printing, with a new epilogue. She founded the first center on women and the law in the United States, wrote the Equal Rights Handbook on the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, and is the author of other award winning books as well as hundreds of articles and book chapters. Dr. Eisler is president of the Center for Partnership Studies (www.centerforpartnership.

This week I’m foregrounding music that quiets. Even though we all have both individual and collective fights against male supremacy, we need time to rest, replenish the reserves. And I know how often it feels like there’s not time for that. When we are working 40+ hrs a week, have families and loved ones who need our attention our energy; when the Liberation front needs our fuel...after all, male supremacy and injustice does not sleep! How can we dare to rest? We dare to rest to keep our sanity! So, this hour is to inspire the necessary quiet for our bodies and our psyches. I hope you are fed. As always I welcome your feedback and suggested music: feministwomyn11@gmail.com. Thanks for your encouragement; it keeps my fires going! Blessed be, Phoenixx Playlist: Winter Susie Suh Icicles Patti Griffin Draw us Down Carolyn Hillyer Night Woman Carolyn Hillyer Inanna Suzanne Sterling On the Other Side Gabrielle Roth & The Mirors The Cave Beyond the Cave Carolyn Hillyer Hawaiian Healing N

Think of the first song you ever heard. Was it the lullaby your mother sang at night? Perhaps it was some wind chimes tinkling in a storm. No matter the tune, music resonates with our souls far deeper than any writing or speaking ever can. Music, that unique organization of sound in time, is the oldest art. Before notated language, women spoke our herstories to the beat of drums. Thrumming on taught skins and hollowed logs sent messages into our bones. We breathed life into pipes that trilled the melodies of now forgotten times. We used our lilting voices to recant folktales and frights, the lessons of our lives, and funny tales of fluky passerby. Melodies, like recipes, can retell herstories, bridge social divides and unite minds. Pulsing chants can rally warriors while charming hymns can heal those wounded spirits. In our current time, these singsong rhymes are claimed and maimed by male supremacy: men relegate women musicians and our works to the background of the industry. Well, the women of WLRN say FU