Tee and Creative Community - Part 1 - Introduction

“Introduction” to the book Tee and Creative Community by Tangren Alexander

Tee Corinne was part of many creative communities; she was part of other writing groups than ours, and she taught memoir writing and poetry, drawing and painting, at the community college to the empowerment of many students.  But I knew her best and longest from her being a part of our Southern Oregon Writers’ Group, Gourmet Eating Society and Chorus.

I was Tee’s ardent fan before I met her.  In 1977 when Nellie Kaufer was putting together A Woman’s Touch, a book of erotic writing by lesbians in which I had a chapter, we were talking about possible illustrations.  Voicing my deepest fantasy I said “Maybe even Tee Corinne...”  And so it turned out.  

By the time Caroline Overman and the women’s community around her seduced Tee into moving here, Writers’ Group had already started.  It was seeded by a visit by poet Martha Courtot to Grants Pass in late 1980, and a writing workshop she gave the day after her reading.  When so many of us seemed eager to talk writing, she suggested we pass around a list, and name a day to meet.  It was that simple.  At our first meeting we made some choices: that we would meet every three weeks, at each other’s houses; that we would eat potluck (vegetarian), that we would be an open group: any woman with serious intent about her writing would be welcome to join us.

Tee arrived in Southern Oregon within our first year, and much to my surprise, joined us.  I hadn’t thought of her as a writer.  I don’t know that she had thought of herself so, before then.  She broadened our definition, sometimes bringing combinations of art and writing.  (She also later started up both an artists’ group and a photographers’ group modeled loosely on Writers’ Group.)

She made sure we all knew about the creative lesbians who flocked to Paris in the early 20th century, met at Natalie Barney’s salons.  I think she saw Southern Oregon as something like that, in a Birkenstocks-and-boots, back to the land, feminist, downscale sort of way.

I loved Tee, but I find I haven’t missed her much since she died: she seems so present still, and nowhere more than in our Writers’ Group meetings.   A couple of meetings ago, in Jean’s cabin, NíAódagaín said, “OK, Carol, I’m gonna channel Tee for a bit if I may:  We’ve been listening to you read these wonderful pieces of writing for quite a while.  You have many by now.  When are you going to make them into a book?  I worry these are just going to sit in a drawer.”  She had a good point, about Carol; but we were all laughing, remembering how often Tee said such things.

A lot of our group’s ways of doing things come from Tee:  an emphasis on starting and ending on time: we are, after all, busy women.  A focus on the writing, avoiding verging into a therapy group or a debating society.  And we try not to rewrite for each other: we are all smart women; we can figure it out ourselves, and as Tee sometimes said, we don’t want to start sounding alike.

Tee could be bossy; and her influence was not always benevolent.  Some women left Writers’ Group because of her.  She left, herself, once or twice, for a while.

We who stayed could see her rough edges; but there were so many gifts she brought us; the shining example of her unlocked creativity, her impulse to share her skills  and understandings, and always her encouragement to step up and be visible, to help shape the dialogue of our time.

Thank you, Tee!  And, if you’re listening, this one’s for you!

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Tangren Alexander is a local girl who became a philosophy professor at Southern Oregon University.  She has published in an encyclopedia, and in books and journals, such as Sinister Wisdom, WomanSpirit, Teaching Philosophy, and, under the name "Pearl Time's Child," in three of Tee's erotic anthologies. She was Tee's good friend for 25 years.

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from

Tee Corinne and Creative Community

A Reading by The Southern Oregon

Women’s Writers’ Group

University of Oregon  Knight Library

December 9, 2008

as part of

Woman Love: The Life, Art, and Legacy of Tee Corinne

an exhibit September 29 to December 31, 2008

Edited by Helen Laurence

This book will soon be available in a 2^nd  edition. If you are interested in purchasing a copy for $7, please  leave a message with the editor (look to the left in side column).  Be sure to leave contact information so we can reach you.