Mother Kali9s offers
women-centered inspiration
A browser in Mother Kali's Bookstore studies the collection on rape,
feminine self-defense and self-awareness. The bookstore is a collec
tive run by four women who want to “provide a place where women
can be educated together "
By HEATHER McCLENAGHAN
Of the Emerald
Don’t expect to find a copy of Cosmopolitan or
Redbook at Mother Kali’s Books; they are not the
kind of material the proprietors have in mind when
they say they carry women’s literature. They do offer
a comfortable, non-sexist space to soak up some
woman-centered inspiration.
Mother Kali's, tucked in a big gray house at 11th
Avenue and Lincoln Street, is Eugene's only
collectively-run feminist bookstore. Since November
the four women, Muffin, Devi, Ellen and Marie, who
run the store have stocked the shelves with books,
periodicals, newsletters, calendars and art work
dealing with women's issues and women's culture.
"We re lesbians,” Muffin says matter-of-factly.
“We wanted to work with women, and lesbians at
that, plus provide a place where women can be edu
cated together. We wanted to open this store so
women could ask each other questions about power
and survival.”
"Eugene is a whole-wheat city,” says Devi. “The
possibility of working collectively with women
brought me here. Eugene is a center for this kind of
thing. There are a lot of women here talking to each
other.”
Stepping into Mother Kali's from the noise and
hustle of 11 th Avenue means walking into a reflection
of the women’s movement in 1976. Bookcovers tell
of third-world women, healing, communism,
women's music, lesbian separatism,
matriarchy—the nuts and bolts of feminist reading
spiced with injections of children’s literature, cook
books and science fiction. A rack in the center of the
store holds "How to" books. Subjects here range
from self defense and use of handguns to repair of
toilets and basic carpentry.
What we re trying to do is select books that are
useful to women and children,” explains Muffin. "By
providing women with instructive, survival-oriented
books, we can close a gap in women's literature.”
Business at Mother Kali’s has been successful.
Says Devi: “We’ve been supported by women and
our bills have been paid through their efforts. We
started with $800 of our own money and were loaned
$1,100 from women in the community with money
and faith.” So far all money has been plowed back
into the store, but the collective hopes to begin pah
ing salaries.
Currently the owners are trying to define what “col
lective” means. “The workers own and control the
shop,” says Muffin. “That's really basic but it says a
lot. Both the responsibility and the shitwork is shared.
I guess we have four bosses and four shitworkers.”
On a typical day at Mother Kali's, women sit read
ing and talking on the green carpeting while music by
female artists plays on the stereo. The Kidz
Playroom offers mothers a chance to browse, and
another room, called Wimminspace, has been
turned over to women s classes. A SEARCH class in
communication and an astrology class both use the
room.
Men’s response to Mother Kali's has been mixed.
The collective has noted a voyeuristic hostility on the
part of some, but attribute it to part of a larger hostility
toward women as a whole.
“I love it when a man comes in, sees a woman
behind the counter and asks to see the manager,”
laughs Muffin. “We come off as threatening in a
passive way. All of a sudden men walk in here and
they find themselves in an environment where
they’re not in control."
Adds Devi, “Our culture is run by white males. To
come in here and give money to a woman is quite jl
change.”
GOURMET COFFEE ROASTED DAILY
The Coffo* Bean Coffee Company
2465 Hilyard
110 West Broadway
12059 lln
EVENTS
EMU CULTURAL FORUM AND DEPT
OF SOCIOLOGY
presers
STANLEY ARONW1TZ The University E«pen
enoe How useful lot what comes a fief7
February 5. EMU Fo*um Rm 12 :30 p m
FREE
13028 5
THERE WAL BE a Student Oregon Education As
social ion meeting. Wednesday February 4 at 6 30
>n the EMU (room to be posledl All interested Edu
cation mators welcome 13037 4
FRAT CHUG
Wednesday, February 4
Registration at 7:30
Chug at 8
OLCC card required
PADDOCK
EVERYONE WELCOME
130454
ODf classifieds
C EHTERTAIMMEHT )
BLACK FOREST TAVERN
2657 Willamette 344-0816
Live entertainment live nights a week
MICHELOBE ON TAP
12749 tin
UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRESENTS
BERTOLT BRECHT S
THE GOOD WOMAN OF
SETZUAN
February 13, 14, H. 19, 20, 21
Tickets 686-4191
13040.20
EMU Cultural Forum
Piesents
ROYAL
LICHTENSTEIN
CIRCUS
FREE
Wednesday
Noon February 11 EMU Ballroom
13069 1 0
WHEATFIELD
at
MURPHY AND ME TAVERN
February 4. 5. &6
Wednesday and Thursday $1 50
Friday S2
1025:6
Cultural Forum
University film Society
present
Sunday, February 8
LANCELOT OF
THE LAKE
In color
Robert Breeaon a dazzkngly severe and beauti
ful version of tie legend of LANCELOT, KING AR
THUR, GUINEVERE, and Arthurs slimy enemy
MORORED
-The New Yorker
WINNER of International Critics Prize. Cannes
Film Festival. 1974
860 p.m. 180 PLC
SI
130716
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 6
I
KAMERADSCHAFT
(Comradeship)
1919 National hatreds and tear are used to
divide and control French and German ooal
miners ot the Saar Basin But an explosion
on the French side and the rescue by the
Germans alow the miners to discover the
matenal basis lot then comradeshp, a com
radeship the bosses and owners will strive to
destroy
also THE INHERITANCE
a survey oi the working class movement in
the USA Irom its inception through the fier
cest and most significant struggles
180 PLC, 7 & 9 30 p m $1.25
presented by L.A.C
130748
The Center tor Medieval Studies
Presents:
THE THREE
MUSKETEERS
The recent 1974 version starring Oliver
Reed, Michael York. Richard
Chambedam-and Frank Finlay with Ra
quel Welch and Charlton Heston
Saturday February 7 at 7, 9. &11 p m
Sunday, February 8 at 7 & 9 p m
150 Science Admission $1
_ 1029 6
$1
TURKEY RUN
Plays Country and Martian
Wednesday n«e
MAX'S
550 East 13th
13058 4
The Ananda Marge Society
presents
CRIES AND
WHISPERS
Considered by many film critics to be Ingmar
Bergman s greatest masterpiece ths film is
a powerful and unique experience Bergman
probes the souls ol three women with shat
tering insight Starring UV ULLMAN and
HARRIET ANDERSON
Saturday. February 7 180 F’LC
7 and 9 p m $1
THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF SCAN
DINAVIA, THE CULTURAL FORUM AND THE
FOREIGN STUDENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESENTS
JOE HILL
Director BO WIDERBERG (Elvira Mackgan) traces
the labor movement at the turn of the century and
follows one of its greatest heroes through his or
ganizing for the I W.W
•BALLAD Of JOE HILL"
sung by
JOAN BAEZ
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 6
7 and 9 30 p m Admission $1 123 Science
_13072:s>
Spiritual Union Praaents
THE TWELVE
CHAIRS
Written and directed by Mel Brooks
An uproanous chase tor a fortune in
jewels, staring Brooks regulars Ron
Moody and Dom De Luise, (and Brooks
hmsetf m a hilarious rale)
Friday. February 6 177 Lawrence
7 and 9 p.m. $1
ONLY 1 MORE
DAY TILL
THEATRE OF
the
open
eye
Total Theater '
from New York City
February 5-10
Ticket! at EMU Main Deak
13068 44
A TEMPO
Tired ol stow morning starts? Then begn your day
ATEMPO with KWAX'S morning magazine Sip
your coffee with BBC and Natonal Public Radio
news, the weather report and kghf classes
A TEMPO—6-9:30 a m
KWAX 91.1 FM
1018:4
CHINESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
PRESENTS
CHINESE
NEW YEAR
BANQUET
AH the best of Chnese Food
CHINESE FASHION, DANCING.
SINGING. KUNG-FU SHOWS
6 p.m . February 8 Balroom. EMU
S3’Person. $1 tor children under 12
Tickets available EMU mam desk
Unrated Tickets
13050:6
ACME-BIJOU PRESENTS
John Ford's
THE QUIET MAN
(1952. 129 minutes)
JOHN WAYNE and MAUREEN O HARA.
A retired Amerean-lnsh borer returns to the land
ot his people.
s p.m. Wednesday, Fed. 4 180 PLC
SI or by series ticket
Cinema 7
Eugene Mini Mall, Second Floor
10th and Olive. 687-0733
presents
TorrcyM thru February 8
First Eugene sho ring
LOUIS MALLES
Lacomb, Lucien
from the director of Murmer of the Heart
Showtimes 7 and 9 30 p m
Reduced adrmc«on for matnees
Saturday & Sunday at 2
CAMPUS YWCA PRESENTS
THE FINAL FILM OF THE MAE WEST FILM
FESTIVAL
SHE DONE HIM
WRONG
with Cary Grant
West, as Diamond Lit. brought the production
code upon the film industry
7 and 9 p.m. 103 Fenton
February 4. Wednesday $1
13057:4
ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6
Dance to
SHINOLA
in the EMU Ballroom
Music begns at 8 p m.
Admission, $1 50
_ 13038:6
( PERSONAL )
SEAMSTRESS WILL SEW your patterns custom
fitting, desiging, alterations 344-8948 4386 6
LETS GET TOGETHER
SEARCH Alternative Education needs 80 good in
structors lor Spring Term If you can share skills in
areas from Tai Chi. Toymaking, and Outdoor Survi
val, to Nutntion and Low Energy Lifestyles, come in
and Turn Us On
Suite I. EMU. Deadline March 1.
13046:11
WANT TO HELP THE WORLD? Conscientious
people, who believe in God. interested in helping
the world are needed Call 687-8737 between 6
and 9 p.m. 4183 6
DANCE TECHNIQUE and IMPROVISATION
class Thursday eves Centered expressive flow.
__4264 5
MOTHER KALIS BOOKS
women s Literature and Poetry
Healing, kxlz books, records and more.
333 West 11th (Lincoln)
Monday-Saturday 10 a m.-9 p.m.
Sunday: noon-6 p.m
13056:6
HAMILTON STAINED GLASS
Complete supplies for stained glass at reasonable
prices. Good selection of glass m stock now.
4th and High. Eugene
485-8650
12332 MWF
FRENCHY: THANKS FOR the help ROIO.1038 4
DEAR QUEENIE
Thanks for the Flora We appreciate the gift and the
aver
THE NEW NU S
1019:4
HAPPY 19th
FOR MY FAVORITE
FEROCHAS SHOOK IE
LOVER
YT4T
PB
1036:4
AC DC—PLEASE—Just one more cinnamon rod?
Brazilian BamOno
1046:4
WALTER PAVUCH, I thxik I love you from
Guess Who?1045:4
C.J.—Hope someday wnen you re ready to love
agan you'll return to me Patiently witi LOVE
always your ex-steady 1043:4
INTERESTED IN FRATERNITIES? Delta Upsilon.
1774 Alder Street is having a CoWee Hour' tonight
at 9 p m. Interested men may cal 686-3580 for
tides and information. 1057:4
RSHLIPS—BEWARE! The Millrace is a cold place
to ’get down in!
—Nerd Demolition Squad
1056 4
BET1NA, WELCOME TO your new home Great to
have you We are looking forward to a good term
THE PEANUT BUTTER KIDS— 1066:4
RSHLIPS—Out of si^it. but not out of mind!
Love Member (not to be confused!)
1055:4
GRANDMA MARTINSON—
I I take a proctor to get you through!
Happy 21.
J.D.
1061:4
MCC
A Christian church for gay people holds ser
vices every Sunday at 1 p m —White Bird
Annex. For more nformaton call Rev Ann
Montague—746-7427 1 2S26WH
LANE MEMORIAL BLOOD BANK
Blood Donors Needed
A Positive 10 Units. A Negative 2 Units; O Positive 9
Units. O Negetive 3 Units. B Posittve 0 Units, AB
Positive 0 Units.
Donor Hours Monday thru Thursday 10:30—12:45
Tuesday thru Thursday 2:00—4:30
Friday 3:00—6 30
Call us for an appointment at 484-9111