Feminist Writing Portfolios

Student work that appears in this part of the Feminist Digital Center was created in Dr. Shayne’s “The Power of Feminist Writing” course. The basic premise of the class is a text is feminist if tells a minoritized history. The power of a feminist text is magnified when the author is a member of said minoritized community. Throughout the quarter, students read and host guests reflecting the diversity of feminism and the UWB community: predominantly BIPOC and/or queer/trans folks to truly embody the power of feminist writing the class attempts to capture. Students read and workshop all types of genres all quarter long, uncover their own hidden stories, ultimately claiming their voice via their powerfully curated feminist writing portfolios. Some students bravely and proudly share them here.

Feminist Writing Portfolios developed for BIS 490: The Power of Feminist Writing taught by Dr. Julie Shayne

Meili Zhen’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2024)

Lo Radclyffe’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2024)

Levi Gutierrez’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2024)

Tessa Denton’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2022)

Audriannah Horne’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2022)

Katie Ward’s Feminist Writing Portfolio (2022)

Student Project Reflections

The Feminist Writing Portfolios are the students’ culminating projects from ten intense weeks of creative and reflective work. Throughout the quarter the class hosts writers of all genres, from poetry, to memoir, to children’s books, and more. The authors speak to the students about the intricacies and craft of their genre. Students workshop all quarter long and at the end of the quarter choose three genres to revise. Some students pursue genres they have always wanted to explore, some go way out of their comfort zone, many do a combination of both. Whatever they choose, for the students who take the assignment seriously, the portfolios always end up being deeply meaningful. Here are some of their explanations why:

“When we consider what a legacy is, it truly is just a space. A space for those who come after you to thrive, grow, suffer, heal. When we consider feminist texts, they are simply written legacies; a call to inhabit a space. What these portfolios, authors, and Dr. Shayne provided was a safe space and community. And that community provided the opportunity for us as a collective to create and share our legacy. Yet to also teach us how to speak our truths with different voices. With this portfolio, I now know there is no audience I cannot reach, and no room I cannot enter. Dr. Shayne taught us how to not only speak, but how to be heard. With these portfolios, we begin our legacy.”

Elle Norris (she/her) Psychology and American & Ethnic Studies (2024)

“The feminist writing portfolio helped me understand the importance of sharing stories from voices that are not typically heard in mainstream media—to listen to the experiences of others who have been negatively affected by oppressive institutions does not only contribute to the fight for feminism and liberation of all marginalized people, it can also be immensely meaningful to those who have gone through similar hardships and triumphs which brings a sense of solidarity and overall empowerment. Out of my three revised pieces, the abridged memoir chapter gave me the biggest sense of purpose. There, I talked about an experience that not many people know about me and do not typically speak of, but I thought it would help shine a light to a bigger problem within our society. And more personally, finally coming to terms with that monumental point in my life was painful, but it felt extremely cathartic.”

Meili Zhen (she/they) Psychology (major) and Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies (minor) (2024)