The idea for the anthology Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces happened in an actual locker room, according to the book’s co-editor, Michelle Filkins.
In a recent What We’re Reading interview, Michelle, a founding editor of Spout Press and professor and librarian at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, explained that at the time of the book’s inception, she had been contemplating on how the locker room in the traditional sense had become an excuse for conversations that subjugate women.
Michelle witnessed an exchange between two women that started as a casual conversation about what their weekend plans. She recounted, “One of the women mentioned something that was happening with her son and the conversation started to get a little more private and a little more serious. And wordlessly, I watched the other woman come over and give her a hug and the first woman said ‘I haven't told anyone about that. Thank you.’ And then they left.”
Michelle realized that was locker room talk.
She said, “What had been bothering me is that private spaces, which is where women are often their best selves, had been used as an excuse for men to be their worst selves. And so I wanted to kind of interrogate that idea and reframe the conversation around what locker room talk really means.”
Eventually, Michelle reached out to Margret Aldrich, a friend from graduate school who had worked in publishing for several years. Sharing editor duties, the two put out a call for contributors and as they reviewed the entries, one of the themes that kept coming up was how the most revelatory locker room moments for women happen between strangers and often in bathrooms.
Michelle explained, “I think is one of the reasons that trans bathroom laws are particularly hurtful is because bathrooms [are] safe spaces. In fact, one of the pieces is about different women … having exchanges in a bathroom--it's called 'Land Set Aside as Sanctuary.'"
Another theme that came up from the entries was the idea of showing up. Michelle said, “Showing up for each other in private, showing up publicly--it seemed like women are just so used to having those moments of care and those moments of connection that we almost don't think about them and celebrate them. And so, part of what we wanted to do is take a step back and say, ‘What happens between women, the way we support each other, is important, and that those moments lay the foundation for larger collective action and support.’”
Their call for contributors resulted in 38 original works from authors, activists, and ordinary women. One of the contributors is Shá Cage, a writer, activist, theater/film performer and director living in Minnesota. Her essay “Showing Up” was borne from the confluence of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis and the ensuing uprising and the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many people, Shá felt the struggle of processing these events while still trying to show up for friends, family and community.
She asked, “How do women show up and how do they keep space and how do they give and how do they tend to those that need tending to? … How do we make space and how do we just show up?”
Shá’s essay also highlights the importance of showing up so that future generations learn of the importance of doing so. She explained, “We have been carving out our spaces for ourselves, even if that has been violated over and over again. And so, we've had to be creative in that, and it's definitely unseen. I'm not afraid that it's not going to be felt especially by the younger generation. But I do wonder who will archive us.”
Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces also includes contributions from Minnesota writers Kao Kalia Yang and Alison McGhee, among many others. The anthology was recently named a Minnesota Book Awards finalist in the anthology category. Co-editor Michelle Filkins is excited at the thought that these women's stories will hopefully find a larger audience.
You can find out more about Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces at Spout Press, and Shá Cage at her website.
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