Nervy Girl!

by Margaret McConnell
In a backroom at Powell's bookstore, a crowd of mamas, papas, and children waited noisily to hear authors read their work from Breeder, a collection of "Real Life Stories from the New Generation of Mothers."

This wasn't just any crowd of mamas and papas. This was a gathering of the "alternative" parents of our era and area. They were the single, married, partnered, teenage, middle-aged, straight, gay, omni-sexual, tattooed, attachment-parenting, baby sling-wearing, hip individuals of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. More specifically, they were the readers of Hip Mama magazine and the on-line family of the zine's website, eager to celebrate the opening ceremony of the first Hip Mama gathering, held in Portland, Ore. in July. I arrived at this event nine months pregnant, tired and laughing at myself for having thought, naively, that I'd have the energy for a four-day conference. After listening to months of well-meaning but unsolicited advice on pink and blue nurseries, trucks vs. dollies, and the "charming" incompetence of most daddies, I was there because I hoped to find a like-minded parenting community. Since I believe that both my partner and child will be capable of all they set out to do in spite of gender, I am often a misfit in office and neighborhood conversations about parenting. ...

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by Shanna Germain
Most funny stories aren't funny when they happen. I lived one of those two weeks before my wedding. While riding my bike to work, a mini-van blew through an intersection, causing me to break too hard. The next thing I knew, I was flying over the handlebars and giving the pavement a skin graft. As I lay facedown on the road, the woman kindly leaned out and said, "Are you okay? I really am a good driver." Of course, I was NOT okay. I was in pain, I was angry, and more than that, I was afraid I was going to have to do the aisle-walk with my arm in a cast and a gaping hole where my front teeth used to be. Pondering my impending death and ruined wedding (both equally bad), it felt as far from funny as possible...

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by Angela McKinney
On June 10 of this year, 16-year-old Amy Theberge organized a spoken word event at her local YWCA titled "The Worth of Respect." Her goal, stemming from a high school research project exploring feminism and gender, was to bring men and women of all ages together to celebrate the stories and experiences of women in her Vancouver, WA community. The result? A powerful weaving of testimonies, poetry and emotions.

"I wanted to create a safe place for voices to be heard and for feelings to be expressed," says Theberge. "That day, people in my community, some I didn't even know, shared experiences which were very personal, ranging from rape to death to childbirth to sexuality issues."...

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by Pollyanne Birge
Recently, members of an informal audience at In Other Words bookstore were bursting at the seams with anticipation for slam poet Alix Olson to grace the stage. Part activist, part poet, part comedian, Alix Olson uses satire and wit to charge the audience and invite them to, above all, laugh. In contrast to one of the worst (and most untrue) stereotypes about feminists, Alix uses humor to educate and motivate...

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by Jodi Helmer
The world's common language is laughter. It relieves stress, prevents negative tension, strengthens our stomach muscles, and makes us feel good. It has the immediate effect of lowering blood pressure, reducing stress hormones and increasing muscle flexion. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and is thought to have a positive effect on the body's immune system. By increasing the concentration of circulating antibodies and white blood cells in the blood stream, laughter helps combat foreign proteins raising our resistance to disease, thereby proving that laughter really IS the best medicine...