mnsss506 Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project, 2010- 2011 Finding Aid Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College Northampton, MA
2010

Sophia Smith Collection. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 12.0. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. July 22, 2011 Finding aid written in English. Collection Overview Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project2010-2011 MS 661 8 boxes (5 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College Northampton, MA
Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project is a collection of life histories of women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, woman-identified-woman, queer, or who prefer not to identify with sexuality categories. The project provides a complex and nuanced collective story of American lesbian history and experience. Narrators include grassroots activists and political organizers; educators and academics; musicians, writers, and artists; as well as community and religious leaders. They come from a variety of class, ethnic, racial, social, and geographic backgrounds. Interviews cover childhood and growing up experiences; education and employment; activism and politics; family, identity, relationships and community. Project History

Interviews were conducted by Smith College students in Kelly Anderson's "Documenting Lesbian Lives" course in the spring of 2010 and 2011. Students were trained in both United States lesbian history and oral history techniques and protocols.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project is a collection of life histories of women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, woman-identified-woman, queer, or who prefer not to identify with sexuality categories. The project provides a complex and nuanced collective story of American lesbian history and experience. Narrators include grassroots activists and political organizers; educators and academics; musicians, writers, and artists; as well as community and religious leaders. They come from a variety of class, ethnic, racial, social, and geographic backgrounds. Interviews cover childhood and growing up experiences; education and employment; activism and politics; family, identity, relationships and community.

Narrators include:

Martha Ackelsberg Michelle Barale Terry Boggis Chris Collier Alix Dobkin Deborah Earley Wendy Essery Jan Everhart Deborah Faison Julie Flachs Peggy Gillespie Ann Hackler Andrea Hairston Lori Harris Annie Lanzillotto Rebecca Lukens June Millington Betty Morningstar Carole Oglesby Cody Penotte Catherine Pittman Judith Plaskow Bet Power Holly Richardson Peggy Shaw Ellen Shumsky Laura Sullivan Rabbi Toba Spitzer Jay Toole Jennifer Walters Kate Wolfe

View full transcripts online at the project Web site.

The oral histories are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection, with the following exceptions: Small portions of the interview of Jay Toole are closed and have been removed from the transcripts. The audiovisual portions of these interviews are closed. The transcripts of Wendy Essery, Andrea Hairston, Holly Richardson, Cody Penotte, Catherine Pittman, Bet Power, Ellen Shumsky, and Laura Sullivan, and are not available online. Researchers may contact the SSC for a copy. The interview of Laura Sullivan is closed except with permission.

Original videotapes and master copies are closed. Viewing copies are available on DVD for all except Sullivan.

Partially restricted access - contact the Sophia Smith Collection for more information.

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to all of the oral histories. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Requests for permission to publish quotations should be addressed to the Sophia Smith Collection and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

 Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

 Additional Formats

Videotapes have been copied to DVD for research use. Full transcripts are available on the SSC Website.

The Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project was donated to the Sophia Smith Collection in 2010, and additional materials in 2011.

Processed by Burd Schlessinger, July 2010.

Bisexuality -- United States -- History -- 20th century Lesbian artists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources Lesbian feminism -- United States -- History -- Sources Lesbian mothers -- United States Lesbianism -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Lesbians -- United States -- Biography -- Sources Oral histories Ackelsberg, Martha Michelle Barale Boggis, Terry Chris Collier Alix Dobkin Deborah Earley Essery, Wendy Jan Everhart Faison, Deborah Flachs, Julie Gillespie, Peggy Hairston, Andrea Hackler, Ann Lori Harris Annie Lanzillotto Lukens, Rebecca Millington, June Betty Morningstar Carole Oglesby Cody Penotte Catherine Pittman Plaskow, Judith Bet Power Richardson, Holly Shaw, Peggy Ellen Shumsky Laura Sullivan Spitzer, Rabbi Tobah Toole, Jay Walters, Jennifer Kate Wolfe

The Sophia Smith Collection The SSC holds the papers of the following: Martha Ackelsberg; Carole Oglesby; Judith Plaskow; Ellen Shumsky; and Women's Music Collection (June Millington).