WBEZ radio here in Chicago conducted a phone interview with former "Jane" Judith Arcana on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Jane was the nickname for the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation. Jane performed an estimated 11,000 illegal abortions in Chicago before Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure.

You may listen to the interview below. Judith's portion is preceded by a news story about an anti-abortion march down Chicago's Michigan Ave.

You should also check out Judith's pro-choice blogging feature at Words of Choice.

One of our favorite Chicago women is the hardworking Gaylon Alcaraz, director of the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF), part of the National Network of Abortion Funds :

The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) fights to overturn economic barriers to reproductive choice. Through direct service and education/advocacy, CAF assists low-income women in obtaining safe abortion services by providing clinic referrals, negotiated discounts and financial assistance. While we are unable to directly assist all the women in need, we work to extend choice to all low-income women by making the issue of economic access a priority on the agenda of policy makers. --from the CAF Mission Statement

Along with the CAF Board of Directors and resourceful CAF volunteers, Gaylon helps bring reproductive justice to low income women.

In September of 2004 I lost a dear friend when Ruth Surgal died suddenly after attending a feminist conference. Ruth had been a leader of the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation, better known as Jane. You can read more about Jane on this website.

I was asked to speak at Ruth's funeral service, so today I'll share with you what I said on that sad day.

Do have some cool NOW stories to tell?

Would you like to sweep up the shards from that glass ceiling you broke and tell the world how you did it? How about that time you went to the big feminist demonstration and you were sure that the next day the walls of discrimination would come tumbling down? OK, maybe they just crumbled a little, but it sure felt good didn't it? What was your "Aha!" moment when you realized that being female was more than just sugar and spice and everything nice? How about the box of old leaflets and NOW chapter notes that you just can't throw away, but is starting to smell a little funny in your basement?

The NOW Oral History Project wants you.

UPDATE FRIDAY, February 8, 2008 : A very, very quiet day. Trudy isn't speaking much anymore and ice chip consumption has lessened.

We have sad news about Trudy Pax, one of our CWLU sisters. We received this information from Caring Bridge, which connects critically ill people to their friends, family, and associates around the world.

Several months ago, Trudy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Almost immediately, Trudy made plans to go to Europe to visit some close friends. Upon her return, she started chemotherapy. Although there is no 'cure' for pancreatic cancer, chemo treatments can help shrink the tumor, which can reduce pain, increase appetite, etc.

Please visit Trudy's own Caring Bridge webpage . You can read her journal, browse photos and leave guestbook tributes.

Trudy has a verse that she likes read to her before she goes to sleep at night.

On January 22, the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, NARALPro-Choice America is asking pro-choice bloggers to join them for Blog for Choice Day!

Blog for Choice Day provides us with an opportunity to raise the profile of reproductive rights in the blogosphere and the media, while celebrating Roe's 35th anniversary. Plus, it's a great way to let your readers and the mainstream media know that a woman's right to choose is a core progressive value that must be protected.

This year's topic: tell us, and your readers, why it's important to vote pro-choice. For more info, visit the Blog for Choice page.

Call for contributions for an edited essay collection on Marjane Satrapi’s works (film, literature, and art).

Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, was an instant success in France and the U.S. It has garnered numerous book prizes, and the animated film version was awarded the Grand Prize of the Jury at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Satrapi's other texts, including children's books, have been translated into numerous languages and published worldwide.

The proposed collection aims to examine Satrapi's works as literature, art, film and cultural phenomena, bringing diverse ideological and theoretical perspectives to bear on the intellectual and political issues that they raise.

Some of you may remember when the Herstory Project was contacted about being on the ABC TV show Wife Swap, when moms get to change families. They wanted a "feminist" and we politely ignored them.

Well apparently they found their feminist if the season premiere is any indication. For the terminally curious, you can see a preview here. It's feminist mom vrs. spoiled teenage beauty pageant princess.

Oh joy. 

I'm reminded of what Gandhi once said about Western Civilization,"I think it would be a good idea."