Celebrate Blue Stocking Week August 11-15 with Depraved and Corrupt Women
photo credit: NTEU Flickr via photopin cc

What is Blue Stocking Week?

Abridged from http://www.nteu.org.au/women/bluestockingweek
Blue Stocking Week is an initiative of the NTEU Women’s Action Committee and is named for the first generations of university women of the 19th century who appropriated the term as a symbol of serious scholarship even as their opponents used it as a derogatory dismissal of their achievements. This movement allowed women to identify themselves as learned, inquisitive and intelligent in a time where women were considered intellectually inferior to men.
This year’s theme is “Crossing the Line”, with a focus on fighting attitudes that seek to silence the voices of women, and to highlight the importance of women speaking out and sharing their stories and views. More information on the origins and motivations for Blue Stocking week is available on the NTEU website.

Depraved and Corrupt Women Book Readings Wagga and Albury 

At many points in time people have sought to silence the voices of women, and it still happens today. Join us and our guest readers for these social events to celebrate Blue Stocking week as we read selected passages from banned and challenged books that have been authored by women.
Authors from Maya Angelou to Harper Lee and J.K. Rowling have been burned, banned, restricted, and taken off shelves. Help us celebrate women’s voices and our freedom to read.

Wagga Book Reading

Thursday August 14 at 4:30 at the CSU Winery. An early evening of wine and nibbles as passages from banned and challenged books are read.
Nibbles provided, and wine can be purchased at the bar. A RSVP would be greatly appreciated for catering purposes: academicwomensassociation@gmail.com

Albury Book Reading

Monday August 11 at 4:30 in the Barbara Sparrow Room (meet in the Faculty of Business Building 764, walk up to the education verandah outside to Building 763). Bring a banned book excerpt to read!

Collective Voices Exhibition in the Albury Learning Commons 

A photographic exhibition celebrating the history of the Bluestocking Women movement and Women in the NTEU will be launched on Monday August 11 at 5:30. A free booklet highlighting the stories from the NTEU members, including library staff will also be available.
The launch will include free music, wine and nibbles. Women will share their stories and describe what it means to be in the NTEU and Higher Education. The exhibition will be on display in the Learning Commons 24 Hour Zone from August 11 to 15.

Remember to wear your blue stockings during Blue Stocking Week!

Can you work out why some of these books by women have been banned for being depraved and corrupted?

Maya Angelou “I know why the caged bird sings”
Harper Lee “To kill a mockingbird”
J.K. Rowling, The Harry Potter series
Judy Blume: “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret”
Anne Frank “Anne Frank: The diary of a young woman”

Banned book lists are regularly compiled, for some additional reading ideas try: http://readingwhilefemale.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/banne-dor-challenged-books-written-by.html
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks
A lot of these books are in our CSU libraries!