Jen Mayer

Is it March that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb?

I hope so.

This weekend I am finishing a thesis project I have been working on for the last 2 years. It’s on Feminism and Childbirth. There are a few feminist critiques on childbirth, and midwifery is usually given as the remedy. So to expand on this body of knowledge I conducted semi-structured interviews with homebirth midwives in Colorado. My intention was to learn their professional needs, the needs of birthing women and their thoughts of feminism. I had the pleasure to spend about 20 hours chatting with homebirth midwives about their experiences, and learned more than I have over two years of library research.

Blackout

And while cruising the internets I stumbled upon this 2005 essay by Tim Boucher on the 2003 blackout in the Northeast. As I am intrigued by the possibilities of our society changing (read crash), this essay is a romantic look at what happens when the lights go out. I was in upstate NY during this blackout, working at a SOHO comes upstate mexican restaurant. I served my last table of the afternoon by candlelight and served them whatever could be prepared without electricity. That evening was spent star gazing with a friend into the newly darkened sky drinking whatever alcohol was at the house (not much) while wrapped in a down comforter on the roof. Even the cars on a busy country road were quiet. Needless to say, I was disappointed when the power came on the next day. The dream was gone.

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