Back in the early 1990s, a mass of angry young women converged: fans of the sounds of punk and hardcore music who wanted the lyrics (and the attitudes of male musicians) to be less misogynistic, to reflect female lives and concerns. They also wanted to be able to surf a mosh pit at a concert without getting groped. The result was an alternative cultural movement that came to be known as “riot grrrl.”
Fueled by a do-it-yourself ethos in which riot grrrls publicized gigs and discussed issues like sexual violence and gender-based double standards in self-published zines, this phenomenon happened mainly in the Pacific Northwest and Washington, DC, headlined by bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile.
Things are about to heat up again, if the women visiting the Golden Notebook bookstore in Woodstock this Saturday have anything to say about it. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sara Marcus, author of Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution, Jacinta Bunnell, author of The Big Gay Alphabet Coloring Book, and local riot grrrl-inspired band UV! will present a day of feminism, zine-making, coloring books, creativity and live music.
Attendees are encouraged to bring written ideas, collage materials, photos and/or magazines for a hands-on workshop in which you will create a zine of your very own to take home. Marcus and Bunnell will read from their work, and UV! will rock out.
A $5 donation is suggested for those wishing to participate in the zine-making workshop. For more info, e-mail jackie.goldennotebook@gmail.com or check out Culture Is What We Make It: Sara Marcus, Jacinta Bunnell and UV! on Facebook.
“Culture Is What We Make It” with Sara Marcus, Jacinta Bunnell & UV! Saturday, May 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., $5, Golden Notebook, 29 Tinker Street, Woodstock; (845) 679-8000, jackie.goldennotebook@gmail.com, https://goldennotebook.com.
Join the family! 
