Amazons International # 71 ************************** Contents: Sherri Inness: My new book: Tough Girls Thomas: Amazon mailing lists at OneList.com Jo Burke: Callisto of X:WP Thomas: Xena and Callisto Armfan: My web site Intl. Encyclopedia of Women and Sports 1999 Eric Goossens: Bio Date of publication: 17.04.1999 ********************************************************************* Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:30:33 -0500 From: Sherrie Inness Subject: My new book: Tough Girls I am delighted to announce the publication of my new book for 1999: Tough Girls: Women Warriors and Wonder Women in Popular Culture (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999). This book explores the changing representations of tough women in all forms of popular media and what these representations suggest about shifting social mores. Covering The Avengers, Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman, The X-Files, Xena: Warrior Princess, and many other media texts, this book examines how toughness is constituted in popular culture through a myriad of sources, including television shows, films, women's magazines, and comic books. I believe this book will be of particular interest to people on this list. Please be so kind as to bring TOUGH GIRLS to the attention of other interested readers. Thank you, Sherrie A. Inness Department of English Miami University ********************************************************************* From: Thomas Gramstad Subject: Amazon mailing lists at OneList.com http://www.onelist.com is a web site that hosts a large number of mailing lists. The mailing lists operates through e-mail as usual for receiving, reading and sending messages, but they have a web interface for subscribing, making changes in one's subscription, searching archives and other administrative tasks. Many people find a web interface easier to use. On the other hand it is also slower, but the more computer savvy may interact with the list server via E-mail if they want. Apparently Onelist.com is a hot spot for Amazon mailing lists. Searching for lists using "Amazon" as keyword I got a long list of interesting lists. Below I've picked out some that I'm sure will be of interest to many AI subscribers (but there are several others that might be of interest to people with more specialized interests as well). List # 1: amazon-circle@onelist.com Amazon-circle [English] [For People Over 21] The Amazon Circle mailing list. A list for all women who strive to differ from the 'norm'; to be the best they possibly can be. Please note that this list has high expectations of it's members. The ancient Amazon Warriors: a tribe(s) of warrior women of Millennia ago. They fought for independence from the 'norm' of the time, and protected their sisters through thick and thin. The blood and essence of the Amazons still flows through many modern women today, women who shun society's norms, strive for brilliance, and achieve their dreams. Please note that this group is designed with high expectations of and upon it's members in mind. It is not a cute 'hello, friend' sort of group. This is a group designed to help women find their passions in life, then strive to achieve them to the greatest level of success possible. We will fight for our independence, like our beloved ancestors did. For more information, http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Gazebo/4159/circle/index.html Blessings and Laughter, Sharyn Hall The Amazon Circle List # 2: amazons@onelist.com Amazons [English] [Safe for Kids] Discuss science fiction and fantasy fiction by women and/or about strong women characters. Some of my favorites are Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Katherine Kerr, Elizabeth Moon, and Robin McKinley. Share your favorites, learn about new authors, and discuss their work. List-owner: Debra Seltzer. List # 3: amazon@onelist.com Amazon [English] [For People Over 17] For all fans of Xena: Warrior Princess and the Amazons. This list is to help keep the members of the Amazon Nation, Northern Tribe in touch with each other and have fun. This is an Adult list. Some language and conversation topics may not be suitable for children. For more information, http://www.netrover.com/~voyager/amazon.html List # 4: amazonss@onelist.com AmazonSS [English] [For People Over 17] The Amazon Secret Service, is a group of Xena fans that will be able to say and do what ever they feel like it. Anything goes! and I mean Anything! From spoilers without spoiler space, filks, flames...anithing!!! We are waiting for you. List # 5: spiritamazon@onelist.com SpiritAmazon [English] [For People Over 21] [restricted] The ancient spirits of Artemis's Amazons lives in our hearts. We are Amazon. Come share your Amazon spirit with us and learn about Shamans and Warrior Women in a modern global community. The ancient spirits will live again. List # 6: wonder@onelist.com Wonder [English] [Safe for Kids] This is a list for fans of the Amazing Amazon Wonder Woman! DC comics' premiere heroine. List # 7: tall-women@onelist.com Tall-women [English] [For People Over 17] For admirers of tall and amazonic women... For more information, http://www.globalmark.com/amarena.html List # 8: amazonsunite@onelist.com AmazonsUnite [English] [For People Over 13] [restricted] Amazons, Goths, and devoted Xenites: "It's a man's world out there. Not because it should be; we mearly LET them have it... ...The Amazon world is based on truth, on the strength of an individual." This "society" today is perverse and revolting. People have no honor, no integrety, no dignity. The very leaders we elect to serve us, to protect us, to do what is right lie to us, steal from us, and betray us. This is no "Democracy," it is a HYPOCRACY! Supposedly, women these days are (in most of the world) recognized as equals to men, but, if this is the case, then WHY: 1. Has there never been a female President/Vice President of the US? 2. Are women allowed to train in the army until the Chimara comes home, but not allowed to FIGHT in WARS? 3. Do we teach our daughters that having a 12-inch waste, being a DDDD cup, and getting a lobotomy is the "ideal" female image (I am, of course, refering to BARBIE)? 4. Do countless teenage girls wait around for a guy to ask them out, thinking that they are nothing without a boyfriend? 5. Do I go on a mad rampage, breathing fire and hurling lightning bolts whenever I hear somebody (i.e., a guy) say, "You throw like a GIRL!"? Are you, or somebody you know experiencing any of the above symptoms? AmazonsUnite is the panacea (along with a healthy dose of Herc and Xena episodes). Join us, express yourself, and most importantly, DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE. This list is NOT MODERATED. One person can make a difference. And more than one... can change the world. Those are 8 interesting lists to choose from... Thomas Gramstad thomasg@ifi.uio.no "Women's liberation is the liberation of the feminine in the man and the masculine in the woman." -- Corita Kent ********************************************************************* Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 01:21:47 EST From: Jo Burke Subject: Callisto of X:WP (Re: The Degradation of the Superheroine) In AI # 70, Daniel Thomas wrote: > Many people are exposed to the idea of the Amazon through comic > books, movies and television. Through these media, the idea of > powerful females, frequently much more powerful than their male > counterparts, comes across quite well. Who cannot admire the > power Lucy Lawless and Hudson Leick bring to their characters? > Or the feminist ideals stated by Lynda Carter in her role as > Wonder Woman. Speaking of dear Hudson, anyone other than me ever meet the woman?? She's absolutely a beautiful person, inside and out. And she must be the sweetest, most kind woman I've ever met in my entire short life. > My last example will be the character from Xena: Warrior > Princess so dear to so many hearts, Callisto: Goddess of Rage at > http://www.hudsonleickfan.com/. Callisto is definitely a > character whose gender is not an issue. She stopped living the > day her family died (Callisto represents both "Tragic" and > "Bitch" characterizations). The fact that Callisto is a woman > is irrelevant. Yet she wears what appears to be both very > painful and very, very useless armor. I'm certain that her > chainmail bikini top will stop any attacker who has a driving > need to plunge a knife into her nipple, but why not go for that > lovely, rippling muscle of her exposed belly? Surely that would > be a much easier target. Okay, now you've totally got my attention!! One correction here, if I may (and not to be offensive at all), Callisto was coined the Goddess of Obsessions. Callisto, Callisto, Callisto... Oh, how do I begin here?! My thoughts on Callisto are this... Having lost her family at such a young age (early teens I believe), she never really experienced her whole childhood, therefore Callisto never grew up. What we see of her today, is her teenage years. In her mannerisms, the way she speaks, you can tell how childish and immature she can be. Other times, she's quite the grown up! very intelligent, cunning, sexy, devious, always thinking.... I don't see Callisto as a bitch, really... I see her as a child who has a need for the love she never experienced. While Xena killed her family, her home, Callisto did love Xena. But, she was so blinded by her hatred for Xena, she couldn't see past that. And Xena, Callisto torturing her the way she did, cannot see Callisto in any other way than a sick, demented, psychopathic murderer. I've been told I'm very good at understanding the character of Callisto, even by Hudson herself. So, I guess Ill just send my poem in. For those of you who do follow Xena, you know Callisto was put to her death at the end of last season (season 3), and you know how it came about. For those of you who, don't, I'm not sure if you'll quite understand what you're about to read. This poem, entitled ME, I wrote the week after the powers that be on Xena killed Callisto off. Its Callisto thoughts during her final scene. Me I knew she wouldn't do it The loss was too great for her to bear Only one thought made sense to me I laughed and mocked the sacrifice made This was a surefire way to get it done Of the things I could have chosen I really didn't think she had it in her My life, I could have lived on knowing her pain The cold metal split me in two And as I felt it slip inside me I thought I didn't want to go Then I remembered How could I have lived -- happy and at *peace* There would be no peace unless I couldn't remember the fire It would still linger on reminding me She stared at me Watching my surprise maybe Her loss blinded her, blinded me Then I smiled, tried to smile with what I had left in me I needed to atone Reaching out to give my thanks To my creator, my destroyer I could feel it draining from me The last few moments I realized that without her This life I've lead wouldn't be None of the pain None of the good things, though few & far between Everything I know would never have been At least by killing all I loved made Me I gave this poem to Hudson just recently down in Baltimore, and she really enjoyed it. Everyone who knows the character of Callisto and have read this said that it's a very good interpretation of her final thoughts. I know that this really didn't have much to do with Amazons, but when I get started on Hudson, or Callisto for that matter, it's very hard for me to stop! Jo PS: If anyone is interested in my trials & tribulations with Hudson when I met her, please dont hesitate in mailing me. its quite the story, I must say!! Mistress of Truth or Dare............................ Callisto -- She's Erotic, Exotic, and a Little Psychotic The blissful dufus who almost knocked Hudson on her fanny!! YOU, go to: clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mistresshudsonleickhall. And I mean NOW!! ********************************************************************* From: Thomas Gramstad Subject: Xena and Callisto We finally got Xena: Warrior Princess here in Norway some time ago, and we've started on the 2nd season (Xena and Herc are shown consecutively every sunday and the next episode is _Ten Little Warlords_). Because I haven't been able to see Xena until recently (even though I did catch one episode on my last trip to the US two years ago), I haven't participated in Xena fandom except for the occasional yearning in front of web pages made by Xena fans. I try to walk the fine line between having to know major events and issues without spoiling the episodes for me. That mostly means that I try to assess the cultural impact of Xena, read articles, books, comics, and web pages about Xena, follow Whoosh! magazine etc., while trying to stay away from the most obvious spoilers and episode details. Life is hard. But now that I'm catching up on Xena episodes, finally being able to share at least some context with the rest of Xena fandom, I'm going to be more active in the fandom, including net forums, traveling to cons, and starting up a Norwegian fan club (Xenadu). I'm glad to see that Xena fandom appears to focus on the 2 things that I think are the most important: 1. Having fun 2. Having serious fun (that is, being serious about Amazons, reading SF & F as well as history, archaeology, classical literature etc.). Judging from what I see, I think that Xena, apart from being fun, touching, exciting, rewarding etc. in itself, is leading people to seek more knowledge about woman warriors and inspire people to seek, define and defend personal values. Perhaps the people who watch Xena today are tomorrow's archaeologists excavating new Amazon digs, and tomorrow's utopian writers and futurists envisioning and creating a better future. Jo wrote about Callisto: > My thoughts on Callisto are this... Having lost her family at > such a young age (early teens I believe), she never really > experienced her whole childhood, therefore Callisto never grew > up. What we see of her today, is her teenage years. In her > mannerisms, the way she speaks, you can tell how childish and > immature she can be. Other times, she's quite the grown up! > very intelligent, cunning, sexy, devious, always thinking.... I > don't see Callisto as a bitch, really... I see her as a child > who has a need for the love she never experienced. While Xena > killed her family, her home, Callisto did love Xena. But, she > was so blinded by her hatred for Xena, she couldn't see past > that. I agree. Callisto is an immensely fascinating character, and so exquisitely well acted -- the rapid mood changes from playful child to raw anger, rage and hatred, cynical deliberation, and all the time intertwined with that magnetic, wild-animal sensuality. When I only knew the pictures on the web sites, I thought that Callisto looked physically fragile and something like a Baywatch babe gone bad -- but that was before I experienced the fabulous acting of Hudson Leick, of course. We all leick Hudson. > And Xena, Callisto torturing her the way she did, cannot see > Callisto in any other way than a sick, demented, psychopathic > murderer. Actually, I think Xena saw much of herself in Callisto all the time. Callisto was like a Xena gone wrong, or like Xena was before, when she was bad. Callisto was very much like the Xena we met in the first Herc episode that introduced Xena (the one titled _The Warrior Princess_). This is why Callisto was so difficult to deal with for Xena. This theme is especially pronounced in the very first episode with Callisto, in season 1, where you can see the emotional impact Callisto and her story has on Xena through the entire episode. (Of course, I like both Callisto and Xena as baddies as well.) Thomas Gramstad thomasg@ifi.uio.no "For me, our friendship binds us closer than blood ever could." -- Xena, _Ties That Bind_ ********************************************************************* Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 12:50:34 +0100 From: fk5y010@public.uni-hamburg.de Subject: Armfan's web site Hi there! My name is armfan, and my web-site is at: http://www.freeyellow.com/members4/armfans I've been a reader of this list for about 2 years (I think), but I have never contributed until now. I don't want to give a bio of myself, because I want to stay anonymous, but my interests can be clearly seen on my website. The reason I'm writing is because I'm in the process of making an "Amazonian Internet bookstore". I've listed a few books already at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/1234/bookstore.html, but if you readers know of any books that would fit there, please let me know. My e-mail adress is: fk5y010@public.uni-hamburg.de. I want to cover the Amazonian field completely, and I have divided the bookstore in the following categories (I'm always open for new categories, what do you suggest?): Amazons: books about Amazons, Amazon myths and goddesses wrestling: books about amateur, professional and erotic wrestling and other martial arts bodybuilding: self explanatory workout and exercise: self explanatory women's power: Books about women's self-esteem, feminist theory, post-feminism, philosophy women in music: All kinds of books about women in music -- general, and rock stars portraying strong women, such as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Gloria Estefan, etc. photography and beautiful women: books by aknowledged photographers such as Helmut Newton and lesser known more alternative artists, but also things like the pirelli-calendar. c u armfan ********************************************************************* [Note: I'm passing on this request for assistance to the International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports 1999. -- Editor] From: Karen Christensen Subject: International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports 1999 There are a few spots where we seek additional information, and as ever I will be most grateful for the help I receive from listserv members. We're almost done with what has proved a marathon job, and one that won't really end with this publication as we plan to continue gathering information on women's sports around the world for future editions. Please stay in touch! All best wishes, Karen (Christensen). Please respond to me: karenchr@berkshire-reference.com. Here's what we need for the International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports 1999 FURTHER INFORMATION ON WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN: Archery Flying Disc Snowshoe Racing BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THESE ATHLETES: Catherwood, Ethel Engvist, Ludmila Jegerowa, Ljnbow Ladewig, Marion Laumen, Silken Scott, Barbara Ann Smetanina, Raisa COUNTRY/REGIONAL INFORMATION: Asia Women & Sport Association And any information on women's sports in the Caribbean and Latin America (web sites, contacts, reports on conferences, etc.) ================================================================ Berkshire Reference Works is a book development company creating dynamic print and electronic publications that illuminate the human experience and contemporary issues. Welcome to a global point of reference ... http://www.berkshire-reference.com ================================================================ Berkshire Reference Works 122 Castle Street and 314 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 U.S.A. Telephone +413/528.0206 Facsimile +413/528.5241 ********************************************************************* Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 08:49:58 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Goossens Subject: Bio I recently finished reading all 70 issues of Amazon International posted on Diana the Valkyrie's site. This mailing list is exciting and I look forward to reading all the new issues. I have been interested in strong women for about ten years. Unfortunately, I grew up an a traditional area where women are not very interested in working out. Then I went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (graduating in December 1998) where the technical focus and small amount of female students made it impossible to find any Amazons. Currently, I am looking for a full time job in management consulting, recruiting, or training. I am 5'7", 140 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes (blue or green depending on the color of my clothing). During high school I ran cross country and track, which gave me an athletic build. After an injury during senior year, I gave up running and started lifting weights. Although I don't consider myself very strong yet, I work out about four or five times a week. I would love to eventually find a female partner to train with me. Bodybuilding women and strong females are strong interests of mine. I have posted several fantasy stories on Diana the Valkyrie's site (www.TheValkyrie.com) under the author name MuscleLover. Read them and give me suggestions for future stories if you like. For the women subscribers to Amazons International, keep up the hard work and independent thought that makes you so interesting. For those of you who work out to grow strong, I would love to hear why you started lifting and what motivates you to continue. Also, any true life stories or fantasy stories would be great. I look forward to reading the next issue. Eric Goossens (MuscleLover) ***************************************************************** * Amazons International * * Thomas Gramstad, editor: thomasg@ifi.uio.no * * Administravia/Listserver: amazons-request@ifi.uio.no * * Submissions: amazons@math.uio.no * * http://www.math.uio.no/~thomas/lists/amazons.html * * * * The Amazon Connection -- Links to Amazon web sites: * * http://www.math.uio.no/~thomas/lists/amazon-links.html * ***************************************************************** "A Hard Woman is Good to Find" -- The Valkyries