Fires of Wisdom: Mills College Alumnae Oral History Project, update for 2023

Recently, I have been asked to speak about a project near and dear to my heart, one to which I contributed many years of labor and creativity. I was able to work with excellent colleagues. Mills College is no more, but the history of the place, the lives of the women who found their way to this college are very vivid and compelling. The alumni want to keep this memory alive, just as we did in this oral history project, Fires of Wisdom.

For many years, I was active with my college’s Alumnae Association. I helped to found a group called Fires of Wisdom: the Mills College Alumnae Oral History Project. I had an internship as an undergraduate at Mills College. Our goal was to interview the eldest living alumnae and friends of the college first and to meet women who were returning to campus for their “golden” reunion of 50 years or more. We wanted to make these stories of traditions and memories available at the Mills College Library, so other researchers could have access to what we learned.

We went about doing interviews with the eldest of our college alumnae and Mills friends. We wrote curriculum and researched training methods for teaching volunteers how to conduct oral history interviews; we drew on the work of other oral history groups like the Regional Oral History Office at University of California at Berkeley. We initially found assistance from professors at Mills, like Marianne Sheldon and at other schools across the U.S. who were implementing this type of research.  Oral history methodology at that time was not in the forefront of academia. In fact, when I begun this work, there was only one book on the topic at our campus library.  All of the interviews, the teaching, the assistance for this project was done by volunteers like me, with very little funding from the Alumnae Association. Many years after we began this work, we combined forces with other scholars to archive our interviews with the Oakland Living History Project at the Mills Olin Library.

You can look up the archives of the Fires of Wisdom Mills College Alumnae Oral  History Project in the Mills Olin Library here.

Mills College differed from the many colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area in that it is was, until recently, a women’s college for the undergraduate programs. After World War II, the graduate programs were coeducational. One of the most famous graduates of Mills was musician Dave Brubeck. You may have seen an amazing interview with Mr. Brubeck, a native of California,  in Ken Burns’ jazz documentary.

Through our interviews we learned what campus and off-campus life was like in various decades before the 1990s. We heard  about past traditions at the college, student perspectives on historical events and about the formidable personality, mission and rhetorical skills which comprised the character of Aurelia Henry Reinhardt, the college president from 1916-1943. During her time at Mills, Aurelia experienced two world wars and addressed issues of these conflicts openly and with a compassion that makes her unique. Her commitment to women’s education was inspiring. We began dedicating our work to this intriguing past president of the college when our  volunteer group began doing Dramatic Readings at Mills College Reunions, complete with slide shows of our interviewees (also known as narrators) and with our group dressed in vintage dress to represent the decades of women we interviewed.

2009
2009

For this project, we made every effort to locate and interview alumnae of color and find people with diverse economic and cultural backgrounds, not just the famous folks with the most successful careers or those who already had the most written accounts or interviews of their lives. Those had already been done. We wanted to create a kind of mosaic of perspectives on life in the SF Bay Area during the tenure of President Reinhardt.

While I was at Mills College, (1992-1994) as a Resuming Student, I commuted to campus. I was a member of the the Mary Atkins resuming students’ lounge, where nontraditional-aged students could form study groups and support each other as we returned to school. Some of my classmates were over 40 years old, some were in their seventies. Many had children to support and jobs while completing their undergraduate degrees. I was 29 when I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies, after many years of working and attending college part-time at other universities.  The Olin Library on Mills campus was a refuge for me as was the Reinhardt Alumnae House, where I did much of my research and met up with advisers, interviewees and volunteers for the project.

During my 11 years of volunteering for the Alumnae Association, I made a lot of friends who were alumnae. I met students and college staff members. To thank volunteers for their time, we had to find a fun way to gather. So we started having tea.

2008
2008

Through Fires of Wisdom, which we named after the college’s anthem or hymn, the core group of volunteers started some  new traditions and reclaimed some others. One is based on stories of Holiday Tea with the President Reinhardt. Several members of our group collect vintage clothing. Many of us just like hats. We all seem to like tea. So, we dress up, with our hats, gloves, shoes, purses and enjoy High Tea at Lovejoy’s Tea in San Francisco..

Although we have since archived all of the interviews we did with Mills College Alumnae and friends at the Olin Library, we still like to get together, dress up and share our stories. Here is this year’s photograph of our participants:

Fires of Wisdom 2011 Tea at Lovejoy's in San Francisco
Fires of Wisdom 2011 Tea at Lovejoy’s in San Francisco

The other members of the group in the 2011 photo are, left to right: Moya Stone, Erika Young, Betsy McCall, Beth Woolbright, Jane King, Cecille Caterson, Kathleen McCrae and on the far right, Malvena Pearl’s Emporium proprietor, Suzette Lalime Davidson.

Please note that my dear friend Jane Cudlip King is at the center, in the photo, here. She graduated from Mills in 1942 and had done decades of volunteer service with the college. She prepared young people to take the S.A.T. and had the best memory for the works of Shakespeare quotations that I’ve ever encountered. She also did a great impression of President Aurelia Henry Reinhardt, with all of her vast elocutionary skills.

Two people who I meant to have in this photo were the other founders of the project: Kristen B. Caven and Penny Peak. We trained more than 30 volunteers for this project and only a handful are as enthusiastic about “dressing up” as we are.

We are grateful to Nancy MacKay, formerly of the Mills College Library, for assisting with the archive of all the interviews;  Professor Marianne Sheldon, Professor Andy Workman and Professor Sherry Katz.

Mills Oral History Project, the early years, 1996

Noir City Xmas and Noir Fest 2023

Because the 2022 program was fantastic, the proprietor and her friends will be visiting the Grand Lake Theater again, soon. In December, there will be a special showing by the Film Noir Foundation. This one is in 3-D!

Yours Truly and pal KG at NoirFest,
Castro Theater, San Francisco

The virtual flyer provides more information:

SAVE THE DATE: NOIR CITY returns to Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre January 20 – 29, 2023, celebrating 20 years of the Film Noir Foundation’s flagship festival! Festival program and details to be announced December 13 at NOIR CITY Xmas and on NoirCity.com thereafter.

Happy 20th Anniversary!

Passports Now on Sale for NOIR CITY 20

NOIR CITY 20 passports (10-day/24-film all-access passes) are now available at Brown Paper Tickets for $200, a savings of $40 over the regular ticket price for 24 films. The NOIR CITY 20 Passports will also be available for sale at the FNF’s merchandise table at NOIR CITY Xmas. Remember — the NOIR CITY Passport makes a perfect holiday gift for the noir lover in your life!

Jane Austen Celebration in Vassalboro, Maine

 

 

Greetings, visitors! Our Proprietor is pleased to announce a second Jane Austen event this year, to be held at the East Vassalboro Grange Hall. We’re having a Grange Hall Fundraiser this Sunday, August 13, 2017: 

Vassalboro Grange Hall, Rte 32, Vassalboro, Maine,  12 Noon to 6 pm

Join us for an afternoon of Jane Austen and the world of her life and novels, featuring hands-on workshops, literary & historical presentations and dancing to live music.

Costumes will be admired and aren’t required!

~ Sliding Scale Donation of $5-$10 ~

Workshops & Presentations for all ages:

  • Letter Writing Using the Tools of Jane Austen’s Time
  • Art and Sewing workshop
  • Farming in Jane Austen’s era: 1775-1817
  • Jane Austen’s literary works
  • Baked goods, tea and cool beverages made with locally grown ingredients
  • Live music and dancing begin at 3 pm

 

Co-sponsored by Full Circle Farm,  with generous support from: The Jane Austen Society of North America, Maine Branch &  The Down East Friends of the Folk Arts.

News for May 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Emporium Proprietor continues to do a lot of Volunteer Activities. When presented with a volunteer opportunity, our Proprietor asks herself, “What would Grammie Do?” The answer is always clear.

We support the following non-profit organizations and awareness building campaigns in our communities:

 

 

 

 

Seasonally, we offer Discounted Tickets to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, with special rates for groups of people who are in school, and for elders and seniors. Please contact us with these requests!

 

 

 

And we are also please to introduce a place for you to express your interest in doTERRA Essential Oils  ~  From there you may also request Wellness workshops or private consultations.   As our friends over at Mrs. Greenbalms Healing Salves tells us, “the plants remember Paradise.” And as musician Laurie Anderson tells us, “Paradise is exactly where you are, right now, only much, much better.”

 

We are also continuing to offer our Letter Writing workshops at libraries and bookshops around the San Francisco Bay Area and on the East Coast. Stay tuned for upcoming class schedules and ways that you may participate or purchase supplies.

2017 Events planned so far

SLD at Bellevue 2017

The photo above was taken at our friend Kristen Caven’s book release party, an event called An Afternoon at Caffe Florian. It was held at the Bellevue Club in Oakland, CA.

Just prior to the Afternoon at the Bellevue Club, our Proprietor attended a dance with friends in Alameda, CA that was a Hogwart’s Reunion Ball, hosted by PEERS. Evidence of her attendance is below.

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But wait! There’s MORE! Coming up in March, our Proprietor will be attending the Jane Austen Society of Northern California’s Mini-Con at the San Mateo Library. She will be instructing students in the art of letter writing, using a variety of historically appropriate quill pens, ink, sealing wax and paper.

We are getting sponsors for this event, and the most prominent is the San Mateo Public Library, where last year’s event was held and was a huge success.  So that’s on Saturday, March 25, 2017, from  Noon – 4:00 PM at 55 West 3rd Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94402. Many of us will be dressed up in our Regency attire, which is in no way required. There will be presentations, dance instruction, lectures on various Jane Austen related topics and of course hands-on workshops like this one on Letter Writing, entitled,  “Creating Regency Letters with the Tools of Jane Austen’s Time.” Who knows? There may even be tea served!quill

Happy Mother’s Day and Costume Convention mini-report

We are pleased to share with you a Mother’s Day holiday feature post on one of our sister-sites, Overdressed For Life, by Moya Stone.

The Emporium proprietor was at Costume Convention 30 during Mother’s Day weekend in Tempe, Arizona, with the members of the Wench Posse from North Carolina, Washington state, the District of Columbia and Minnesota. It was fabulous to meet everyone in person and be able to share the fun, live, not just in photos e-mailed and posted on the internet.

We celebrated winning awards in the Masquerade by going to a local pub, hearing live music, dancing and enjoying the nightlife in the college town of Tempe.  Our group presentation won a blue ribbon for Judge’s Choice and four of our members won individual ribbons for tailoring. We also met several incredible costumers from Idaho, San Diego and Vancouver, Canada! They received the “Spammy Award” – entitled Go Big Or Go Home — from the MNSOC (Minnesota Society of Costumers.)

Our ringleader, Laura Ulak, has written at length about our shenanigans that weekend over on her blog, called the Eleonora Project.

In the works are plans to attend both Gallifrey (the Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles) and Costume Con 31, next year in Denver, CO. Stay tuned!

 

 

 

V-Day 2012 Oakland, Benefit Show at the Uptown

vmposter2012

As foretold by our guest blogger, Lady V-Jay Jay, the fund-raising performance of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues will be held on Wednesday March 14 and Thursday March 15, 2012, at the UPTOWN NIGHTCLUB on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, CA.

2012 Vagina Monologues Performance, Oakland, CA

Come on by the UPTOWN on Thursday night for a chance to bid on some great Silent Auction items from these local businesses and individuals

slient auction table, all proceeds go to Bay Area Women Against Rape

All profits from this event go directly to Bay Area Women Against Rape. Thank you to our generous sponsors:

Get Goes Mobile Cafe

Fiftyseven-Thirtythree

Book Zoo

Ruth M. Freeman

Tech Liminal

Kristen Caven

The Sacred Well

Blisses B

CupKates Bakery

Good Vibrations

*  THANK YOU!  *

Costume Academy 2012

Malvena Pearl’s Emporium participated in the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild’s Costume Academy as a vendor this year on Sunday, March 4.

Jan brought her amazing, costume jewelry to our table and Ais helped us out a great deal with set up and customers. We had caramels from Bequet Confections, lots of printed inspiration, some hats, The Tarot of the Tailors and a nice selection of Mrs. Greenbalm’s products.

The other vendors were friendly and as always, gracious and fun to work with.

A hearty “Thank you!” to everyone who helped us out and who stopped by to say hello!

What is Gallifrey?

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I escaped my work for a few days last week with a visit to the 23rd Annual Doctor Who convention hosted by Gallifrey One Network in Los Angeles.  I was in my role as “minion” to my Wench Posse team members and boy, did we ever have fun! I got to meet two members of the Wench Posse, Alisa and Nell, who live far outside of California. And I also got to spend time with the lovely Glynnis, whom I met at Costume College in 2009, when I met the lovely Laura Ulak.

We all got along so very well it was our first time, ever, at this particular convention. We had a fabulous time. Alisa has written a nice summary of her Gallifrey experiences here.

I enjoyed meeting other Doctor Who fans from Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Pittsburgh, the greater Los Angeles area and even a few from San Francisco to whom I gave my card. Hopefully we’ll connect through the Bay Area Browncoats (Joss Whedon fans.)

Some of my favorite times at Gallifrey were sitting with the Wench Posse in the audience at panels and feeling what actor Mark Sheppard described so well: the shared love of the creative process that makes Doctor Who. You can tell that it’s really a labor of love on the part of the production folks, actors/writers, etc. That they become like a family and have all these in-jokes. It’s fun to see them banter together and to share these moments. The shared love and gratitude for the show that brought us together was so much “in the air” during the last couple of panels, it was almost overwhelming. It was like going to a really good concert or a wedding,  where the entire room was having fun. Even when the question was awkward or silly, it kept moving and somehow, some of the youngest questioners inspired some really great discussions on the part of the panels.

The gratitude — or whatever it was — was a third entity, apart from the speakers (actor/director on stage) and the fans in the audience. I could especially see it/feel it when the eldest cast members encouraged each other, with humor and kindness, during panel discussions. It was there when Mark and his father Morgan and Camille Coduri (who played the character of Jackie Tyler) talked about being recognized while walking down a street in London, and kidding each other about being tough. And when Louise Jameson (actress who played Leela in the 1970s Doctor Who series) shared about her near-death experience, it was really amazing. I got a little teary.

The journey home for me was pretty unremarkable except that a very generous convention-goer named Mike helped me out with the shuttle transfers from LAX to the “Fly Away” bus that goes to the downtown Central train station, and then helped me find my way to the Gray Hound bus station. We shared our experiences of conventions, Doctor Who episodes, the writing of PG Wodehouse and travel. Since I haven’t heard from him via e-mail, Thank You Mike for giving me a hand in a city that was strange to me and for being a friendly and generous non-stranger.

Keep Calm and Have a Jelly Baby.