Video! The Foundational Value of Safer Brave Space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1DuS1knv5U Michele Beaulieux presenting on "The Foundational Value of Safer Brave Space" I'm happy to announce my first video about my work on Safer Brave Space! In the video, I explain that the foundation for safer brave space is the value: "respect each other.” I suggest making “take care of yourself,” which is what some … Continue reading Video! The Foundational Value of Safer Brave Space →

On Being in the Footnotes of Famous Feminist Scholars

I was thrilled when the late University of Chicago Prof. Lauren Berlant sent me an email in late 2020 with the subject line: “one more thing: from my book bibliography :-).” The email contained an alphabetical list of publications by authors whose last names began with “B” including several by me! Their book, On the … Continue reading On Being in the Footnotes of Famous Feminist Scholars →

Victim-Survivors Are Doin’ It for Themselves, and That’s a Problem

Jam with Roland: Just Say "No" © 2019 Michele Beaulieux Oil Pastel on Paper Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics famously sang: "Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves." Widely hailed as a feminist anthem of empowerment, I'm now wondering why sisters ended up resorting to doin' it for themselves. Out of necessity, victim-survivors … Continue reading Victim-Survivors Are Doin’ It for Themselves, and That’s a Problem →

When Reform Doesn’t Work

Me, Michele Beaulieux, reading “What First Rule of CI?” (at 1:10) at the Reading Jam for Nancy Stark Smith. Behind me is the oil pastel series called "Jam Series" that I drew to illustrate my CQ CI Newsletter articles about the First Rule. We're at an inflection point, asking fundamental questions about who we are. … Continue reading When Reform Doesn’t Work →

Just Say “No” to Teachers Who Troll : Counterstory #2: Alternatives

Alternatives © 2020 Michele Beaulieux Oil pastel on paper How might Contact Improvisation (CI) groups respond to teachers who are known to troll? And by that I mean teachers who consciously and systematically search for sexual partners among students. I wrote two counterstories—stories with alternative outcomes that represent a moral shift away from the dominant cultural narrative—that imagine how … Continue reading Just Say “No” to Teachers Who Troll : Counterstory #2: Alternatives →

Published Work on Safer Brave Space

Jam with Maria: Listening for "Yes" #3 of 3 in Jam Series; Oil Pastel on Paper © 2019 Michele Beaulieux This post provides links to my work published in Contact Quarterly and the CQ Contact Improvisation Newsletter on preventing sexual violence and creating what I call "safer brave spaces"—places where being brave is as safe … Continue reading Published Work on Safer Brave Space →

Can’t We Just Dance? A Counterstory

Believing Maria #2 of 3 in Jam Series; Oil pastel on paper © 2019 Michele Beaulieux In this post, I share a counterstory inspired by and following up on my article, "Can't We Just Dance? Not if We Want to Create Safer Brave Contact Improvisation Spaces" in the Winter/Spring 2020 CQ Contact Improvisation Newsletter. In … Continue reading Can’t We Just Dance? A Counterstory →