Third Woman Press |
Aunt Lute Books |
Norma Alarcon, Professor of Comparative Ethnic/Indigenous Studies at UC Berkeley, is the founder and publisher of Third Woman Press. She started the press over 20 years ago when she was doing graduate work in the Midwest and realized that "there weren't enough other women of color or Latinas for me to have a conversation with." She began to write poetry reaching out to other women writers of color and launched a journal on literature and art. When Alarcon joined the Berkeley faculty in 1987 Third Woman Press moved with her and the catalog expanded to include books of fiction, criticism and poetry. Among the more than 30 titles published several have had commercial success including "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" a book of poetry by MacArthur Award winner, Sandra Cisneros and "Sexuality of Latinas" co-edited by Ana Castillo, Cherrie Moraga & Norma Alarcon which has been reprinted several times. The third edition of the popular anthology frequently used a college text "This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color," edited by Gloria Anzaldua & Cherrie Moraga was published in 2001. Alarcon, a specialist in feminist critical theory, cultural criticism, and studies of Chicana/Latinas and women of color, views Third Woman Press as an "activist vehicle, within the range of my talents and abilities. Sometimes if you're not speaking into a microphone, you may not be thought of as an activist but activism can take many forms." |