Sondra
There's much to choose from in bell hooks -- but I think a great place 
for your discussion group is "Talking Back" Chapter 4 (especially, but 
since they're short, through to 8)-- it specifically makes the 
connections between literacy and feminist activism -- especially as 
feminism has moved from the kitchen table into the academy!
Mev

On Monday, June 19, 2006, at 02:45  AM, Cuban, Sondra wrote:


> Dear all, I'm glad this idea of a reading group sparked so many 

> wonderful ideas, and Mev's experience and wisdom and materials are 

> really a good place to start. With the group I have, we are just 

> reading chapters in books and articles. The main reason is people's 

> time. Although we only meet once a month, reading a chapter or article 

> doesn't feel overwhelming to people and so it seems that more people 

> are attending. On the other hand, I am hoping we can 'graduate' to 

> books, but I'm really interested in all sorts of reading, including 

> lyrics of women's songs, poetry, etc...many of the genres in WELEARN 

> materials. Yes the women's studies quarterly 2004 issue on women and 

> literacy is fabulous. I highly recommend it. And I also recommend 

> Jenny Horsman's Something in my mind--a page turner! We will 

> definitely be reading chapters from these two. we've only met 3 times 

> and are meeting a 4th time next week. So far so good. People want to 

> meet during the summer, so we'll continue onwar

>  ds through the summer.

>

> So far the ones we have read are:

> Kathleen Rockhill, "disconnecting and sexuality: speaking the 

> unspeakable in the classroom (1993) in Lankshear and McLaren's 

> Critical Literacy (this is a brilliant piece that challenges so many 

> concepts in the literacy world and she is reflexive, talking about her 

> own experience of abuse).

>

> Anna Robinson-Pant's "Illiterate woman" in women, literacy, and 

> development (ed, Robinson-Pant), 2004. we also plan to read Chizu 

> Sato's piece in that too.

>

> Sheryl Gowan and Jennifer Bartlett (1997), "friends in the kitchen." A 

> chapter in Hull's edited book, changing work, changing workers..."

>

> Our next piece is one by bell hooks (any suggestions?)

>

> And we plan to read Jenny Horsman's book, "too scared to learn." and 

> the Lorna Rivera chapter in Women's studies (2004) , and a chapter by 

> Kathleen Weiler on Freirean pedagogy from a feminist viewpoint.   we 

> will also read The oakland readers series on women, enterprising women 

> (Marilyn Martin-Jones), a chapter by Jane Mace in her book, playing 

> with time, Bonny Norton's chapter on literacy and gender,  Jean Barr's 

> work on liberating knowledge: research, feminism, and adult education, 

> and the women and literacy change agent issue.

>

> If you have others, please say! There are a number of women in the 

> group who are interested in domestic violence issues w/literacy so I 

> am attempting to get more of those.

>

> It's also important to have broad representation across countries, 

> different viewpoints, and across social class, ethnicity, race, and 

> other factors, like ESOL, learning disabilities, etc..

>

> Also, yes, I am interested in an online discussion on WIKI or on this 

> listserv. If you do it on a WIKI, can you have a space for synchronous 

> discussions? if so, perhaps you can have a "live chat" I don't know.

>

> Later, Sondra

>