About this episode

Joan Gelfand shares her experiences of the radical feminist movement in 1970s Berkeley, reflecting on both its vibrancy and eventual disillusionment.

On the night that 18-year-old Joan Gelfand moved to Berkeley in 1972, she experienced her first riot, as protesters infuriated by President Nixon’s re-election raged down Telegraph Avenue. That was the beginning of a wild ride that soon found Gelfand immersed in a radical scene of lesbian musicians and poets, hippie drag queens, and acid freaks. After suffering the trauma of her father’s death back in New York City, Gelfand found everything she was seeking here in the Bay Area: excitement, refuge, and a tight-knit group of friends and collaborators. Her memoir “Outside Voices: A Memoir of the Berkeley Revolution” captures the vibrancy and promise of a radical feminist movement that Gelfand came here to join. It also shares the pain and disillusionment she felt as the scene fractured and consumed itself. Listen to the new episode to hear Gelfand share stories of cheap rent, militant poetry, and women’s empowerment. To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/berkeley-was-heaven-until-it-wasnt/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news…

People in this episode

Host: East Bay Yesterday

Guest: Joan Gelfand

Topics covered

• feminism
• Berkeley
• 1970s
• radical movements
• memoir
• women's empowerment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: East Bay Yesterday

Books & works: Outside Voices: A Memoir of the Berkeley Revolution

Places: Berkeley, New York City

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