Episode #5
Conflict is Not Abuse with Sarah Schulman
Even if you are unfamiliar with today's guest, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer and AIDS historian Sarah Schulman, there’s a very good chance that you have been influenced by her work. Her ideas and approach to activism have become woven into our collective awareness in a way that makes people of so many different experiences and perspectives sit up and pay attention. In a world that is increasingly either/or, Schulman’s nuance and emphasis on concrete effectiveness and the need to look at situations within their context instead of as caricatures drawn to reinforce dominant narratives make her a perfect guest for Both/And. In our conversation, we explore how her book, Conflict is Not Abuse can inform our approach to our prevention practices, our interpersonal dealings, and our efforts to confront systemic harm. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Sarah Schulman teaches Creative Writing (Nonfiction and Fiction) with an emphasis on manuscript development. She is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer and AIDS historian. Sarah is a native New Yorker, born in 1958, who started as a journalist in the grassroots lesbian, gay and feminist press in 1979. That year she became active in the Reproductive Rights Movement, working for abortion rights and against sterilization abuse. Her first plays were produced as part of the Downtown Arts Scene of the 1980's, and her first novel was published in 1984. In 1986 Sarah and her longtime collaborator Jim Hubbard started MIX:The Queer Experimental Film and Video Festival which lasted for 33 years. She has been a collaborator on many experimental films, including screenwriter or co-screenwriter for 4 features: The Owls (dir. Cheryl Dunye), Mommy Is Coming (dir. Cheryl Dunye), Jason and Shirley (dir. Stephen Winter) and United In Anger: A History of ACT UP (dir. Jim Hubbard.) Her films have shown in Theatrical Distribution and at The Berlin Film Festival, Hot Docs, Bamfest, The Museum of Modern Art, Outfest, and on the Criterian Collection. She was a member of ACT UP, New York from 1987 to 1992, and a co-founder of the Lesbian Avengers. Today she serves on the Advisory Board of Jewish Voice for Peace and is co-director of The ACT UP Oral History Project . She is the author of 21 books, including novels in multiple genres: historical fiction, literary fiction, experimental work, detective novels, speculative fiction. Sarah’s work as a journalist, activist, and novelist is extensively discussed in “Queer Kinship in Sarah Schulman’s AIDS Novels” (Routledge 2024), a research monograph juxtaposing the works about the AIDS epidemic. In 2002, Sarah became an "Uptown" playwright with the world premiere of her play CARSON McCULLERS (dir. Marion McClinton) followed by MANIC FLIGHT REACTION (w/ Deirdre O'Connell), both at Playwrights Horizons. Her play THE BURNING DECK (w/ Diane Venora) was performed at the La Jolla Playhouse, her adaptation of IB Singer's ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY (w/ Morgan Spector) premiered at the Wilma Theater and THE LADY HAMLET opened at The Provincetown Theater (dir. by David Drake, W/ Jennifer Van Dyck.) Her plays have been developed at The Goodman Theater, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Berkshire Theater Festival, The Vineyard, The Roundabout, and many other theaters. LINKS: Conflict is not Abuse Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair United in Anger A history of ACT-UP ACT-UP Oral History Project Let the Record Show A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity People in Trouble How to Survive the End of the World episode with Sarah Schulman Building Resilient Organizations Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/ Logo: Alex Ross-Reed Produced by: Jess Clark Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com
