from Ample Cleavage:
a feminist magazine
Spring 2000
BCC: What's the brief Alix history? Where are you from? Where did you go to school? Were you the high school prom queen?
AO: I'm from good 'ol Bethlehem, PA - the "Christmas City." No joke. It was a small steel town, relatively poor. It's all closed down now. Not the h.s. prom queen, no. But student government and president and I played soccer.
BCC: Your poetry talks a lot about being a lesbian. Who was your first crush? Any good coming out stories?
AO: First crush: oh, well then. Junior in high school. My bestest girl pal at a summer scholarship program for students of the arts. We were in theatre together, talked a lot about lesbianism, never did the deed. No one in my town ever spoke about it. I think the key to why I talk about it so much is just to get it out there, make it a warm, accessible thing.
BCC: When did you start writing?
AO: I started writing poems about feeling like a social outsider, loving my cat, and my best girl friend in freshman year of high school. Looking back, the lesbianism was there. But back then, it just wasn't a topic with words to it.
BCC: How do you feel like you've grown as an artist since then?
AO: My poetry's lost some of its subtlety, though I've never been a subtle chick. Also, I've learned to connect my insides with the outside world, as time has gone by. I think poetry begins as an expression of your own personal little experiences, which is so important growing up. And forever, of course. But, the connection with other people, with recognizing social patterns, takes time. Art, for me, is a way to look people in the eye and have 'em look back. Physically, and metaphorically. It's my way of getting folks going. And, for me, it allows me to be more cheeky, confrontational, then I can be in everyday existence. Dianne DiMassa (of "Hothead Paisan") has a T-shirt that says "I read Hothead to Stay Out of Jail" - because the cartoon character allows the expressions of rage that people might feel in their daily lives. What do we do wit that rage? If we can work through it artistically, with political purpose, in a community setting, it's really valuable - and not hurting anybody.
BCC: Who are some of your inspirations?
AO: My inspiration is very music-grounded. In many ways, I work as a one-chick band. Voice as guitar, lyrics, and syncopation as drums. I tried writing folk songs, but couldn't play to keep up with my words, so I turned to folk poetry. It's very invigorating, but I do miss the musical element and am working on incorporating that into my CD, playing around with musician friends. Of course, I listen to all the folkies that good little feminists listen to: Indigo Girls, Melissa F, Ani D, etc. Also, political jazzy spoken work like Sekou Sundiata; my spoken word buddies have gotten me into a variety of political hip-hop - I was really ignorant about a lot of rap/hip-hop, discarding most of it as sexist, but living in NYC has allowed me to access smaller groups on smaller labels, who aren't tied to the sexist bullshit that corporate record-company CEOs produce. I've also been known to sing along to the Goo Goo dolls on the radio at top volume. Embarrassing, true. OK, my girlfriend bought the CD.
BCC: The poetry scene is purportedly very male dominated. Has this been your experience and what do you think we can do to transform it?
AO: Confront it. Have an all womyn's open mic. No, my experience has not been primarily male-dominated venues; however, the poetry is heavily male-centric, both female and male work, and a lot of it is sexist and offensive and male ego-building bullshit. Generally, I'm of one of a few lesbians, though, which has been interesting.
BCC: Currently, are you focusing primarily on touring or are you pursuing other career paths?
AO: Mostly on touring, writing, performing, recording. It's what I love, I also tech as an Artist-In-Residence at a few places, when I'm home in NYC. I see spoken word as a very effective way to get kids to communicate their experiences. It's a bridge between rap and formal written engagement. Fee the Fire, our Production Company, just received a $25,000 grant to send Spoken Word Artists into schools: Riker's Island (prison h.s.'s), a school in Harlem, and a school for LGBT youth. I'm one of the artists for that, which is really exciting!
BCC: Your poems have a very radical feminist, queer edge to them. Do you have any causes that you're really fighting for right now or any organizations that you feel are deserving of support?
AO: Oh gawd, all the causes are deserving of support, the best way I have found to support these types of struggles is to offer my work to Benefits. That way, instead of giving $10 here and there, I can help them to raise lotsa cash, the other way has been teaching in underserved communities. I've been involved in work for Mumia-Abu-Jamal, anti-prison work, the Labor Party, Union Rallies, LGBT Pride event all over the cuntry, National Organization for Women, Lesbian and Gay Task Force. I think community organization is the most effective way to work, and really value many of Urvashi Vaid's tactics, such as the "Equality Begins At Home" idea and carry-through.
BCC: Where do you think feminism is headed? Where would you like to see it headed?
AO: Oh, I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out. I think feminism is on the upswing, if we grab it and utilize it. Nike has attempted to take feminism and turn it into a better sneaker. I think radical feminists are learning more and more about race, class, and sexuality, which is fortifying those connections better than ever. And womanism is one of the smartest movements ever. I think my biggest fear is that womyn think, "Oh, we can do anything men can do now!" without critiquing just what it is that male-dominated society has created. For example: do we want to fight in the army? Yes, we should be allowed to, by feminist standards of equality. But with a feminist lens. Is war good for Anyone?? It's a lot more work. But so different.
BCC: I saw you recently at the Millennium March, a space where I became wary of the direction that the queer movement was headed. It seemed very white, gay male, corporate, and assimilationist. What direction do you think the queer movement is headed and where would you like to see it headed?
AO: Queer movement is losin' our shit. Very white, very corporate owned. We definitely need to reclaim the grassroots element - Urvashi Vaid, etc. same as feminism in a lot of ways. Married and Armied like everyone else? Is that our goal? I think the optimism is that our generation is spawning a big wave of queer kids who are dedicated to tearing down institutions. We just need to figure out how to work WITH those who are serving IN the institutions, as well. We got the GRRRRäwe also gotta get the tactics.
BCC: What advice to you have for us radical chicks who are trying to build our futures around our feminist beliefs?
AO: Don't let anyone take those feminist beliefs away from you, or let them intimidate you into thinking that "womyn's stuff' is a side issue, job or otherwise. Find a space where you're uplifted, supported in those beliefs, a job or otherwise. Look for grants, those hidden pockets of money that can help your work thrive. And don't freak out about a 'career' - worthwhile careers only happen after you've pursued what feels right in bits 'n pieces.
BCC: OK, so one last question, -- what's your favorite thing about women? (I know, I know, really hard question)
Close WindowAO: When they laugh together, hard, with their heads thrown back. Laughing is the most subversive act in the world when it comes from the gut. This country doesn't encourage laughing. It encourages melodrama, neutrality, and business ethic.