Oral History Interview with Marilyn Farwell
- Title
- Oral History Interview with Marilyn Farwell
- LC Subject
- Lesbianism Lesbian community
- Local Collection ID
- Coll 520
- Repository
- University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
- Interviewee
- Farwell, Marilyn
- Interviewer
- Long, Linda, 1956- Raiskin, Judith L.
- Description
- The Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project collection consists of interviews of 83 people for the Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project, conducted by Professor Judith Raiskin and Curator Linda Long at the University of Oregon starting in the summer of 2018.
- Abstract
- Marilyn was born in 1941 in Michigan, and grew up primarily in Wisconsin. Music was a big part of her life while growing up. While in college, she had several romantic friendships with women. The college had expelled a student for her lesbianism, which made Marilyn fearful and closeted. In 1971, she was hired by the University of Oregon’s Department of English to teach Renaissance Literature. She became a feminist, an exciting time in her life. She was involved in the establishment of the Department of Women’s Studies, working with other feminists on campus, including Joan Acker. She discusses Adrienne Rich’s “lesbian continuum” model. Marilyn received tenure, after which she had more freedom to work on topics that interested her. She was involved in the founding of the Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS) on campus, which was a difficult process. Marilyn discusses her process of coming out, which lasted thirty years. Marilyn describes the lesbian community in Eugene, her love of opera, and her passion for fly fishing. She has been with her partner for twenty-five years now; when same-sex marriage became legal, they married. She concludes her interview by discussing aging as a lesbian.
- Subject
- African Americans; Aging; Androgyny; Chicago (Il.); Closeted gays -- United States; College teachers – tenure – United States; Coming out (sexual orientation); Damselflies; Eugene (Or.); Depression, mental; Harbaugh, Anne “Izzie;” Laskaya, Anne, 1953- ; Midwest; Milton, John, 1608-1674; Music; Opera; Rich, Adrienne, 1929-2012; Riviera Room; University of Oregon. Department of English; University of Oregon. Department of Women’s and Gender Studies; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest movements -- United States; Women’s colleges.
- Location
- University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
- Date
- 2018-09-05
- Identifier
- Coll520_do016
- Rights
- In Copyright
- Dc Rights Holder
- University of Oregon Libraries
- Local Collection Name
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Type
- Collection
- Format
- application/xml
- Set
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Primary Set
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Institution
- University of Oregon
