 | |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
|---|---|
| Circulation | 3,000 |
| First issue | 1974 |
| Final issue | 1984 |
| Based in | Wolf Creek,Oregon |
| Language | English |
| Website | http://www.womanspirit.ws/ |
| OCLC | 3113446 |
WomanSpirit (Fall 1974 - Summer 1984) was alesbian feministquarterly founded byRuth and Jean Mountaingrove and producedcollectively nearWolf Creek, Oregon. It was the first Americanlesbian/feminist periodical to be dedicated to bothfeminism andspirituality.[1][2] Many of the contributors toWomanSpirit were, or became, well known within the women's spirituality movement.[3] It had 40 publications, covering topics such asecology,goddess myths and rituals,feminist theory, anddivination. Its submissions included articles, photos, letters, book reviews, artwork, and songs.[4]
WomanSpirit was founded byRuth and Jean Mountaingrove in 1974, who had a vision for a magazine that was "international and radical feminist. We wanted a cultural revolution—a total reordering of institutions and values. It was to be a modest magazine with grand goals."[5] In 1978, they bought and moved to Rootworks, theirlesbian land. From 1979 to 1984, they producedWomanspirit in the barn they built ("Natalie Barney"). Women who came to work on the different issues could stay on the land for however long they needed to or could.[6]
At the height ofWomanSpirit's circulation, it was distributed to 91 women's bookstores, 10 countries, and had over 3,000 subscribers.[3][5] The existence of Rootworks andWomanSpirit has been credited by many women for bringing them into rural Oregon to participate in the women's land movement.[7]
After it folded, Jean Mountaingrove suggested that an index be made and Christine Menefee offered to make one.[8] It was published in 1989[9] and is out of print, but has been useful for researching feminist and women's history.[8]
