Aphra Behn reports on Devil’s Kitchen Lit Festival, Eileen Fisher and “UN/MASKED”.

October/November 2017

Devil's Kitchen Lit Fest flyer

“Congratulations! I have the happy task of informing you that your memoir UNMASKED: MEMOIRS OF A GUERRILLA GIRL ON TOUR has been selected the winner of the 2017 Devil's Kitchen Reading Award in Prose Nonfiction." This was the happy email I received in my inbox in June. As the winner of this award I presented “Act Likea Feminist Artist” at the Devil’s Kitchen Lit Fest which takes place every fall at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

With Jehanne Dubrow	Devil's Kitchen Lit Fest Readers!
SIU writing majors	With fiction author winner, Alex Weinstein

The poetry winner, JehanneDubrow, and fiction winner, Alex Weinstein joined me along with poets BrianFanelli and Judy Jordan for three amazing and inspiring days.

The students and faculty at SIU kept us busy with panel discussions and long meals where we talked writing, reading and the beauty (and isolation) of southern Illinois.

Eileen Fisher turned into readers haven

In November I changed my presentation of “UN/MASKED, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour” up a bit with “Let’s Move the Conversation Forward to end Violence Against Women” at the Eileen Fisher shop on Madison Avenue in New York City. Yep, Eileen Fisher not only designs gorgeous clothes and supports many organizations that promote women and girls, they also host book events. The wonderful staff at Eileen Fisher quickly turned the store into a reading room where I shared the darker side of “UN/MASKED” and my surviving domestic violence. I felt blessed to be able to share my story especially in light of the recent avalanche of news of sexual assault in Hollywood and the mass shootings in Texas. I will close with one of the thoughts I shared that night.

“Just like the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman galvanized an awareness of domestic violence, now is the moment when domestic violence and our national security will be forever connected.” – AB

Thank you SIU and Eileen Fisher,

Love,

Aphra