D.I.Y. Feminisms: Libraries, Archives, & Creative Activism

What do zines, blogs, pussy hats, yarn bombs, and protest signs have in common, and how are they feminist? D.I.Y. feminism is a term used by scholars to describe and define the ways in which feminists communicate and elevate ideas through independent cultural production that resists mainstream representations. D.I.Y. feminist material culture takes many forms, including zines, blogs, protest signs, art installations, craftwork, tarot and oracle decks, posters, collage, etc. The Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection of Tulane University collects, preserves, and makes available resources that document the history of women and gender, including LGBTQ+ activism, second and third wave feminist activist movements, feminist zines, feminist tarot and oracle decks, and women’s political campaigns. Students will engage directly with feminist forms of memory keeping and cultural information production through the collections of the Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection, while thinking critically about the role of creative media in the formation of intersectional feminist identities. The week will culminate with the creation of a class zine as a tangible record of our shared experience, as well as a portfolio of creative D.I.Y. feminist media produced by students throughout the course.