Kathleen Zeamer interviewed by Ruby Lowery , 2019 March 31
Scope and Contents
In this interview, Zeamer describes her experience growing up in a working-class family in Columbia, PA. She describes her passion for tennis growing up and how through sports she was able to find community - both in high school and college. Zeamer discusses her participation in the lesbian-feminist movement while living in Southeastern Virginia: revolving around music festivals, workshops, readings, and Take Back the Night marches. She also dicusses her traveling book business, New Country Books. She reflects on the differences in her communities living in the South versus Western Massachussetts, and how that affected the ways women organized and created networks. Through this oral history. Zeamer examines the unique experiences that come with aging and being lesbian, while considering the ways lesbian spaces have disappeared or changed over time.
Dates of Materials
- 2019 March 31
Creator
- Zeamer, Kathleen (Interviewee, Person)
- Lowery, Ruby (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Web Access
At the direction of the interviewer and/or narrator, this interview may not be placed on the web. Please consult with special collections staff at specialcollections@smith.edu to inquire about the existence of or access to digital copies.
Conditions Governing Access
This interview is open for research use without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The interviewer and narrator have licensed this interview to be freely used, so long as the user attributes original authorship to them. This agreement is governed by a CC-BY (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International) license.
Biographical / Historical
Kathleen Zeamer (b. 1955) was born and raised in Columbia, PA to a working-class family. She attended East Stroundsburg State College and received her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies in 1976. After graduating, she moved to Maryland where she began her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that spanned for over thirty years at several stations.
While living in Southeastern Virginia between 1980 to 1992, Zeamer was actively involved in the lesbian-feminist movement. During this time, she opened a traveling lesbian book business called New Country Books. She also participated extensively in the production of women's music festivals, workshops, readings, and Take Back the Night Marches.
Zeamer and her partner Sue Moorman live in Hatfield, MA. She has been a full-time realtor since retiring from federal service in 2008.
Extent
1 oral histories (Transcript and video)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History Repository
