Photographs by Adela C. Licona, from left: "Sweetwater Textures 1," "Word. Marti's Cuba," and "Sweetwater Textures 2"
TRIVIA: A Journal of Ideas was born in 1982 out of a group of women thinkers and writers in western Massachusetts who met every other week to discuss literature and philosophy in a feminist context. Publishing essays, translations, reviews, and experimental writing, it quickly acquired a reputation as a home for serious and embodied feminist thought. It went on to become an international, award-winning publication that endured for over a decade. Though often in dialogue with current events, much of the writing in TRIVIA is ageless and marked by radical energy and vision.
Archives/Back issues of Trivia: A Journal of Ideas are available at $8.00 each, including postage and handling. Discounts are available for multiple issues. Issues #1 and #2 are out of print, but articles can be copied and mailed for a fee. To inquire or order contact lweil22@gmail.com. Issue 1, Fall 1982
Janice Raymond, A Genealogy of Female Friendship
Natalia Malachowskaja, Terra Incognita: On Women and Writing
Kate Clinton, Making Light: Notes on Feminist Humor
Anne G. Dellenbaugh, She Who Is and Is Not Yet: An Essay on Parthenogenesis
H. Patricia Hynes, Active Women in Passive '80
Kathleen Barry, "Sadomasochism": The New Backlash to Feminism
Bonnie St. Andrews, Trivial Lives: Nelly Sachs: The Enduring Epitaph
Issue 2, Spring 1983
Andrea Dworkin, Antifeminism
Cynthia Rich, The Women in the Tower
Kathy Newman, Re-membering an Interrupted Conversation: The Mother/Virgin Split
Andrée M. Collard, Rape of the Wild
Denise D. Connors, Trivial Lives: Florence Nightingale, A Radical Genius Re-membered
Lise Weil, In Review: The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Issue 3, Fall 1983
Debbie Alicen, Intertextuality: The Language of Lesbian Relationships
Camille Norton, "Tomb-Breakers": The Case Against Willa Cather
Mary Daly, On Lust and the Lusty
Gloria F. Orenstein, Towards a Bifocal Vision in Surrealist Ethics
Kathy Newman, Trivial Lives:Susan Glaspell and Trifles
Issue 4, Spring 1984
Jeffner Allen, Looking at Our Blood: A Lesbian Response to Men's Terrorization of Women
Erika Wisselinck, Anna – One Day in the Life of an Old Woman
Nancy Breeze, Who's Going To Rock the Petri Dish? For Feminists Who Have Considered Parthenogenesis When the Movement Is Not Enough
Elizabeth Denny, Daughters of Harpalyce: Incest and Myth
Katherine Kleitz, Madame Matisse and the Roman Ruins
Stephanie A. Demetrakopoulos, Colette, Clairvoyance, and the Medium asSibyl: Another Step Towards a Female Metaphysics
Camille Norton, Trivial Lives: The Naming of George Eliot
Pauline E. Kayes, In Review: The Mirror Dance: Identity in a Women's Community, by Susan Krieger
Issue 5, Fall 1984
Nicole Brossard, From Radical to Integral
Harriet Ellenberger, The Dream Is the Bridge: In Search of Lesbian Theatre
Jane Meyerding, On Nonviolence and Feminism
Bonnie St. Andrews, Trivial Lives: Selma Lagerlöf
Deirdre Neilen, In Review: Teaching a Stone To Talk, by Annie Dillard
Jane Caputi, In Review: Pure Lust: Elemental Feminist Philosophy, by Mary Daly
Hannah Quillet, Gadfly to the Sacred Cows
Issue 6, Winter 1985
Emily Erwin Culpepper, Simone de Beauvoir and the Revolt of the Symbols
Tremor, The Hundredth Lezzie
Luce Irigaray, Any Theory of the "Subject" Has Always Been Appropriated by the "Masculine
Juliet A. Langley, Audacious Fancies: A Collection of Letters from Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Martha Luther
Ruthann Robson, A Son: Nightmares and Dreams of a Radical Feminist
Lise Weil, Trivial Lives: Christa Wolf and Cassandra
Issue 7, Summer 1985
Lise Weil, Imaging Our Freedom: Thoughts on the Pornography Debate
Andrea Dworkin, Against the Male Flood: Censorship, Pornography, and Equality
Louky Bersianik, Agenesias of the Old World
Baba Copper, The View from Over the Hill: Notes on Ageism Between Lesbians
Heide Göttner-Abendroth, Thou Gaia Art I: Matriarchal Mythology in Former Times and Today
Erika Wisselinck, Trivial Lives: Notes from a Death Cell
Issue 8, Winter 1986
Nicole Brossard, Access to Writing: Ritual of the Written Word
Luisah Teish, She Who Whispers
Micheline Grimard-Leduc, The Mind-Drifting Islands
Jeffner Allen, Lesbian Economics
Mab Maher, Feminism and Life-Memory
Paula Gunn Allen, Haggles
Betty La Duke, Trivial Lives: Artists Yolanda López and Patricia Rodríguez
Issue 9, Fall 1986
Sonia Johnson, Telling the Truth
Anna Lee, Therapy: The Evil Within
Bonnie Mann, The Radical Feminist Task of History: Gathering Intelligence in Nicaragua
Marisa Zavalloni, An Ego-Ecological Analysis of the Representation of Women: The Sartre-Beauvoir Interviews
Sarah Lucia Hoagland, Moral Agency Under Oppression
Michelle Jacobs, Trivial Lives: The Forgotten Woman
Lorine M. Getz and Barbara Walsh, In Review: The Journey Is Home, by Nelle Morton
Issue 10, Spring 1987
Andrée M. Collard, Freeing the Animals
Sarah Lucia Hoagland, Moral Agency Under Oppression: Beyond Praise and Blame
Bonnie Mann, Validation or Liberation? A Critical Look at Therapy and the Women's Movement
I. Rose, A Passion for Revolution: Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919)
Heide Göttner-Abendroth, Urania – Time and Space of the Stars: The Matriarchal Cosmos through the Lens of Modern Physics and Hagia – Academy and Coven for Matriarchal Research and Experience
Joyce Contrucci, Trivial Lives: Andrée M. Collard (1926-1986): A Biophilic Journey
Issue 11, Fall 1987
Nicole Brossard, Certain Words
Baba Copper, Mothers and Daughters of Invention
Mary Daly in cahoots with Jane Caputi, Selected Words from Websters' First New Intergalactic Wickedary of the English Language
Diane R. Holman, The Penis as Problematic: Feminist Observations on the Anatomical Distinctions Between the Sexes
Sarah Lucia Hoagland, Moral Agency Under Oppression: Playing Among Boundaries
Bonnie St. Andrews, Trivial Lives: Writing the Revolution: Frederika Bremer (1801-65)
Jane Caputi, In Review: This Is About Incest, by Margaret Randall
Karen Elias, In Review: Forbidden Fruit: On the Relationship Between Women and Knowledge in Doris Lessing, Selma Lagerlöf,
Kate Chopin, Margaret Atwood, by Bonnie St. Andrews
Lise Weil, In Review: Going Out of Our Minds: The Metaphysics of Liberation, by Sonia Johnson
Issue 12, Spring 1988
Margaret Lew, Relocating the Hedge Transforms the House: Monique Wittig and Pueblo Architecture
Lou Robinson, Menstrual Extraction: A Mystery
Nicole Brossard, Kind Skin My Mind
Jewelle Gomez, Imagine a Lesbian . . . a Black Lesbian . . .
Christina Thürmer-Rohr, From Deception to Un-Deception: On the Complicity of Women
Anne G. Dellenbaugh, In and Out of Hell: Where Desire Meets Terror
Gloria F. Orenstein, Trivial Lives: Interview with the Shaman of Samiland: The Methodology of the Marvelous
Linda L. Nelson, In Review: A Restricted Country, by Joan Nestle
Issue 13, Fall 1988 Special issue: The Third International Feminist Book Fair, Part I
Lise Weil, Memory/Transgression: Women Writing in Québec
Louise Cotnoir, Québec Women's Writing: A Space-In-Between Theory and Fiction
Gail Scott, A Feminist at the Carnival
Lou Robinson, "our litanies, our transfusions": After Reading Heroine by Gail Scott
Nicole Brossard, Memory: Hologram of Desire
Shirley Hartwell, Words Speaking Body Memory: After Reading Don't: A Woman's Word, by Elly Danica
Mary Meigs, Memories of Age
Erin Mouré, Poetry, Memory, and the Polis
Michèle Causse, Interview: For a Sea of Women and L'Interloquée
Betsy Warland, the breasts refuse
Alice Parker, In Review: The Aerial Letter, by Nicole Brossard
Issue 14, Spring 1989 Special Issue: The Third International Feminist Book Fair, Part II
Linda Nelson and Lise Weil, Language/Difference: Writing in Tongues
Lee Maracle, Moving Over
Susanne de Lotbinière-Harwood, I Write Le Body Bilingual: a love affair-e in nomad's land
Jeannette C. Armstrong, Cultural Robbery, Imperialism: Voices of Native Women
Susanne de Lotbinière-Harwood, Conversations at the Book Fair with Gloria Anzaldúa and Lee Maracle
Gloria Anzaldúa, Border Crossings
Marion Kraft, Between Aversion, Alibi and Acknowledgement: White Feminism and Black Women's Literature in Germany
Catherine Gonnard, Interview with Michèle Causse
Ruthann Robson, Nightshade: After Reading Trivia 13
Verena Stefan, Literally Dreaming
Jewelle L. Gomez, In Review: Not Vanishing, by Chrystos
Linda L. Nelson, After Reading Borderlands/La Frontera, by Gloria Anzaldúa
Issue 15, Fall 1989
Ruthann Robson, Historicity
Carol LeMasters, S/M and the Violence of Desire
Christina Thürmer-Rohr, Turning Thoughts/Turning Away
Carolyn Gage, No Dobermans Allowed: A Dramatic Argument for Separatist Theater
Amy Elman, Sexual Subordination and State Intervention: Lessons for Feminists from the Nazi State
Joan Chevalier, Notes on the Weather
Camille Norton, The Music of Wolves: After Reading Spaces Like Stairs, by Gail Scott
Laurel Rust, Trivial Lives: Anna, the Moon and the Stars
Issue 16/17, Fall 1990 Special Double Issue: Breaking Forms
Kirsten Backstrom, Rogue
Marlene Nourbese Philip, The Absence of Writing, or How I Almost Became a Spy and Universal Grammar
Dyana Werden, Women's Languaging: An Image/Word Conjunction
Jane Caputi, Interview with Paula Gunn Allen
Shirley Hartwell, The Lie of the Feminist Right Wing Ethic
Rena Rosenwasser, Berlin Nights
Jennifer Weston, "Thinking in Things": A Women's Symbol Language
Susanna J. Sturgis, Mimi's Revenge
Lee Maracle, Nobody Home
Sheila Pepe, To Soar: Interview with Nancy Spero
Lou Robinson, Rapport
Toni Mirosevich, Do Muscles Have Memories?
Carolyn Gage, Louisa May Incest: A One-Act Play
Issue 18, Fall 1991 Special Issue: Collaboration
Lise Weil, Linda Nelson, Kay Parkhurst, and Erin J. Rice, "The Knots and Lines Between Us": an editorial in four voices
Christine Ianieri and Susan Stinson, Rough Fat
Kathryn Kirk, Linda Nelson, and Lise Weil, Interview with Martha Fleming and Lyne Lapointe
Gillian Hanscombe and Suniti Namjoshi, Heavenly Enough
Daphne Marlatt and Betsy Warland, Subject to Change
Kim Chernin and Renate Stendhal, Between Intimacy and Passion, a Collaboration
Lise Weil, Lowering the Case: After Reading Sex and Other Sacred Games, by Kim Chernin and Renate Stendhal
Joli Sandoz, The Stakes of the Game: After Reading Grey Is the
Color of Hope, by Irina Ratushinskaya
Issue 19, Spring 1992
Lorrie Sprecher, Lesbian Crimes Against the State
Lou Robinson and Ellen Zweig, Centrifugal nineteen
Lee Maracle, The Lost Days of Columbus
Barbara Mor, aWoman Drums on MEN and Letters
Anne Witten, Blue Water
Anne Witten with Martha Mickles, Speaking About My Life
Michèle Causse and Nicole Brossard, Correspondance, 1986
Concetta Principe, March Cantos
Monica Sjöö, The New World Order
Robin Parks, Meditations on Form
CB Sundance, Strabismus: A Trivial Challenge
Helen Barolini, Trivial Lives: Bianca, the Gulf War, Saroyan, and Me
Mary Meigs, After Reading Look Me in the Eye: Old Women, Aging and Ageism, by Barbara Macdonald with Cynthia Rich
Ruth West, Explanation of Thea's Tarot
Issue 20, 1992 "10 Years: A Retrospective"
Ruthann Robson, authenticity and excerpt from historicity
Susanne de Lotbinière-Harwood, Manu Opera: Fragments of a Lovers' Dis-Course and excerpt from I Write Le Body Bilingual
Linda Nelson, What They Have Left
Linda Nelson and Lise Weil, excerpt from Language/Difference: Writing in Tongues
Lise Weil and Erin Rice, Talking Eds
Harriet Ellenberger, Communique and excerpt from The Dream Is the Bridge
I. Rose, Report and excerpt from A Passion for Revolution
Rena Rosenwasser, HER forwards and Berlin Nights
Lise Weil, Conversation with Michèle Causse
Michèle Causse, excerpt from For a Sea of Women
Anne G. Dellenbaugh, Of a Wild Kind and excerpt from She Who Is and Is Not Yet
Betsy Warland, excerpt from The Bat Had Blue Eyes
Betsy Warland and Daphne Marlatt, excerpt from Subject to Change
Daphne Marlatt, Salvaging: The Subversion of Mainstream Culture in Contemporary Feminist Writing
Leah Halper, Trivial Lives: The Tiger Reminds Me of Myself
Barbara Mor, the mirrors of her ice/eyes: After Reading Vagabonding: Feminist Thinking Cut Loose, by Christina Thürmer-Rohr (Part I)
Issue 21, 1993
Ann Stokes, This Fresco Stuns Me
Patricia Webb, A Benign Case of Writing Flu
Myrna Elana, Differently
The Kiss and Tell Collective, Artists Talk: An Interview with the Kiss and Tell Collective
Penelope J. Engelbrecht, Re/viewing Kathy Acker
Ann Veronica Simon, Friendship, 1989 and Friendship, 1990
Naomi Riches, Crop Circles
Lorraine Schein, Angel of Anarchy
Mykel Johnson, Wanting To Be Indian
Louie Galloway, Crone Comes Calling on Zus!
Jennifer Drake, Four Poems
Liz Waldner, Thinking of Petra Kelly
Nancy Goldhar, After Viewing: Correspondences
Cara J. MariAnna, The Seven Mythic Cycles of Thelma and Louise
Barbara Mor, the mirrors of her ice/eyes: After Reading Vagabonding: Feminist Thinking Cut Loose, by Christina Thürmer-Rohr (Part II)
Issue 22, 1995 Part I: "A journal of Rejected Ideas"
Rita Reese, Skin
Marilyn Murphy, The Lesbian as Hero
Jennifer Kramer, The Method of Exhaustion
Rena Rosenwasser and Kate Delos, Hand
Slick Harris, Shrink Rap
Judith K. Witherow, Goddess or Godawful? An Interview with Camille Paglia
Diana L. Fowlkes, Descending on Heptonstall: Between Sylvia Plath and the Yorkshire Ripper
Linda Hooper, Ain't Love a Drag
Eunice Scarfe, Pillar of Salt: The Song of Miriam
Linda A. Bell, Do You, or Does Someone You Know, Have Vaginal Fortitude?
Amani Kali Obike, athene of androgyny and the immortal
Lynne Taetzsch, On My Way to Sparrow's
Part 2: "Our Regularly Scheduled Program"
Lilian Friedberg, Undine's Valediction: A Translation of the Story by Ingeborg Bachmann and A Liberal Translation of Bachmann's "Undine Geht": Transposing Literature in the Spirit of a Common Language and In the Society of the Dead Poet
Charlotte Templin, Webs and Goddesses: The Art of Cristina Biaggi
Jodi Lundgren, Ini-SHE-ating & Re-Acting; or, What Happened When I Hugged Her
Erin Rice and Trystan Skeigh, Pillow Talk: An Interview with Buddhist Editor Helen Tworkov
Barbara Mor, the mirrors of her ice/eyes: After Reading Vagabonding: Feminist Thinking Cut Loose, by Christina Thürmer-Rohr (Part III)
