22 out in the mountains I DEC.2006/JAN.2007 l MOUNTAlNPRlDEMEDlA.ORG

 BOOKS   
 lnnking Burk 3|! ilenrs

REVIEW BY MICHELLE BARBER

   

W the first time this month.

 I'm 25, cut me some slack.

' Site was published for the first _time in 1976 and I bought it because I
found the fat book (it's combined with Sexual Politics) on the shelves of
Rivendell Books in Montpelier just as I heard the owner talking about how
“Women’s Studies” just don’t sell anymore.

So, literally, 30 years after her publication date, Kate can now release
the breath she_’s been holding, because here, finally, is my review of Site.
[As an aside, for all of you wondering: I've submitted this review to OI TM
because there are those of us lesbian/bi/trans women who sometimes fall
upon lesbian classics a little later than the rest of the community, but re-
gardless, are experiencing the book for the first time.]

Site is the autobiography of an affair Millet had with a slightly older

woman over a number
. - f . Th aff '
Millet eloquently combines gpfiraglfly Smjfiroff
stream-of-co nsciousness hcgt and yvild, entering
. . ..  d d _M1llets life shortly after
writing, gourna mg, an arn he,,,e,e,,, ,,,eak_,,p
ex Q58 What with Fumio Yoshimura;
good prose to p The firsttime we en-

many of us have experienced: countemhowever,

' ‘ the relationship has
the doubts, worries, and reachedanememely

stress of having-‘a partner Vl!l10unhealthyleve1.

. Millet flies to Cali-
can simultaneously blow your fommo be with Sm,
mind and never reaily give on1ytofindthat“their”

house is now overrun
with Sita’s family, a

, gaggle of daughters
and son, in-laws, friends, and the occasional friend of the family who
needs a place to crash. Millet is supposed to teach a course at Sita-’s uni-
versity, but hesitates because she quickly realizes that Sita isn’t exactly
excited about a few months of monogarny. Thus, the psychological spiral
that proceeds for the next 300—plus pages. Millet cancels the class, decides
to leave, reschedules the -class, chooses to stay, joins Sita for hope-filled,
but ultimately disappointing mini-vacations, feeds the multitude of hungry
people in the house, doodles in herjoumal day after day, tolerates Sita’s
mysterious nights away from home, and just generally puts up with a lot
of grief from everyone in the house, including her lover, Sita.

This is one of the few books I’ve ever read that has actually made me
angry with the author/main character. I had to put the book down several
times because I was so incensed at Millet’s ability‘ to put up with such
abuse — verbal and psychological - from her not-really-there partner. How-
ever, I’d leave the book for a few minut_:es,.blow off some steam, and then
rush right back to see if she ever got up. the nerve to leave this Witch. I’m
not ruining much of the story by telling you that, no, she never really does
ditch the witch. So what the reader gets to enjoy -1 and I do mean that — is
an intense, joumal-like mini—autobiography, closely detailing Millet’s emo-
tional insecurities, flashbacks, hopes, and dashed hopes page after page,
peppered with bittersweet sexual encounters between Millet and Sita.

So why would any saneperson read this book? I was hooked because
the jacket cover stated that Sita committed suicide not long after the first
publication. _

Dang. —

I had to find out the story after reading that But I stuck with it because
Millet eloquently combines stream—of—consciousness writing, journaling,
and darn good prose to expose what many of us have experienced: the
doubts, worries, and stress of having a partner who can simultaneously
blow your mind and never really give you what you want. The book, Sita,
can be as relevant, enjoyable, challenging, and entertaining for the genera-
tion of lesbians who might not even know who Kate Millet is, as the gen-
eration who read it in 1976 did.

So, go check out this book. Prove the bookstore owner wrong: “Wom-
en’s Studies” isn’t dead. And let this book make you angry, really angry.
And then leave you with a knowing smile afterwards}

you what you want.

’m a little late. No, actually, I’m just. young. I read Kate Millet’s Sitar for '

Michelle has a day job as Service-Leaming Coordinator at Nonvich
University, but dabbles in other forms of media whenever possible. She
has a radio show on 88.3 WNUB, brings international films to NU, and is a
Board member of Mountain Pride Media. She lives in Montpelier.

%%i%%% 
%%%%%% 

T-BIRD Q&A

Taylor can be reached at:
tay|or@mountainpridemedia.org

‘I Howto Jumpstart
a ‘Dead a Battery

BY TAYLOR . I

Though lately Mother Nature seems

. confused, eventually we will have to deal with

cold weather. Many of us will also have to deal

with batteries that will not start. So what to do? A
Step 1: Get yourself a pair ofjumper cables. ‘

I would suggest spending no less than $30
(cheaper ones are for emergency uses only

and areunreliable) and make sure they are a
minimum of eight feet long, for easier use. Why,
you might ask? Simple: if you have to jump
your battery more than two times (without the
reasons like leaving the-lights on or something.
to drain the battery) you should just get a new
battery. — '

Step 2: Find a friendly person who will let
you use their car and their battery. Holding up
your cables on the road will let people know
you are looking for a jump, if friends are not
available.

Step 3: I would suggest having the cars face
nose—to—nose so that the process will be easier
and batteries will be facing each other. If this is
not possible, the batteries should be as close to
each other as you can get them.

Step 4: Turn off cars.

Step 5: Unless easily identified, take a

' dry rag, wipe down around the terminals to

identify the positive and negative stamp on

   
 

both batteries; then you are ready to use the
cables. Take one cable and connect the cable to
the positive (usually the larger) terminal of both
batteries.
' Step 6: Take the other cable and attach to -

the negative terminal of the dead battery. Take-

‘ the other end of the same cable and ground it, .
which means putting it to any part of the "good

battery" car's engine (a real piece of metal) to
ground it.

Step 7: Turn on the car with the good
battery.

Step 8: ‘Then turn on the car with the dead
battery. If it does not start, try the following: '

Tryjiggling the cables connections to make
sure you have a solid connection.

Wait a few minutes, as a really dead battery
takes a few minutes to re-charge.

If after a few minutes you still do not get the
engine to start, then you probably need a new
battery. If you hear nothing, (no clicking of the
starter), and the radio, wipers and headlights
work, there might be a problem with your
starter.

Or if_the car does start:

Remember to take the cables off in reverse,
negative, negative then positive, positive.

Leave the car running for at least 20 minutes.
This is how long ittakes to re-energize a battery.

Store yourjumper cables in a dry place. If
they get wet during the "jump," wipe them off
and put back in your trunk. Hopefully you will
be the friendly person with a good battery and
not need a jump this winter.

r'\A"

 ~:.-  hr."-'*. 5»