Michele Forsten
Encyclopedia
Michele Forsten is a playwright, essayist, college administrator
and co-founder of the New York City
Lesbian Cancer Support Consortium.
A full-length play, “Be My Baby!” was a semi-finalist in Playwrights’ Circle’s National New Play Festival in Palm Springs
(CA), where it received a staged reading. The play was also a finalist in the Pittsburgh New Play Festival and a semi-finalist in the Moondance International Festival Stage Play Competition and in the London Borough
of Newham’s Lesbian & Gay Stage Play Competition. A monologue from “Be My Baby!” was published in Smith & Kraus’ Best Women's Stage Monologues of 2000.
was broadcast on "All Things Considered" on WNYC-FM http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/102675 in New York City. One of her personal essays was published in a book, A Cup of Comfort for Couples (2010) http://www.cupofcomfort.com/news/your-love-story-contest-winners-and-coc-for-couples-authorsstories, the only essay of the 48 in the book written by and about a same sex couple.
(CCNY) graduate, she worked for several years in magazine editorial positions before starting her career as a public relations
professional at a public relations agency. She decided that college communications was the right milieu for her and went on to hold positions at Lehman College
and Long Island University
's Brooklyn Campus. She is now director of communications
for New York City College of Technology
(City Tech) of The City University of New York
.
in 2002, she attended a mainstream support group
in which she was the only lesbian. She didn't feel she could be herself in that group and began searching for a support group in New York City for women who partner with women. After discovering that the city didn't have any such groups, she published an article in 2004 on this situation in Gay City News and sent it to social work
ers and other health professionals around the city. She then co-founded the New York City Lesbian Cancer Support Consortium, which brought together health professionals from various agencies around the city to do something about this situation. The group met regularly for a couple of years and eventually became a listserv connecting lesbian cancer survivors
, health professionals and advocates.
In May 2005, the New York City LGBT Center implemented its first C Word event for women who partner with women, which drew more than 100 attendees. Forsten was one of the main speakers at that first of what has become an annual event. That fall, the Center started support groups for survivors and for their caregivers, which continue to this day. Forsten co-facilitated the survivors group for several years.
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
and co-founder of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Lesbian Cancer Support Consortium.
Playwright
Forsten short plays “Winning?” have been performed in New York City, Provincetown, Boston and San Francisco. “Winning?” was published in Smith & Kraus’ Best Stage Scenes of 2000 and in the Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly (Volume I, Number 2).A full-length play, “Be My Baby!” was a semi-finalist in Playwrights’ Circle’s National New Play Festival in Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
(CA), where it received a staged reading. The play was also a finalist in the Pittsburgh New Play Festival and a semi-finalist in the Moondance International Festival Stage Play Competition and in the London Borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
of Newham’s Lesbian & Gay Stage Play Competition. A monologue from “Be My Baby!” was published in Smith & Kraus’ Best Women's Stage Monologues of 2000.
Essayist
Forsten’s personal essays and other articles have been published in Mamm magazine, The Advocate, New York Daily News, The New York Times and other newspapers nationwide, including the Philadelphia Gay News, San Francisco Bay Times, Outword Magazine, Windy City Times http://www.wctimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=7008, Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=1400 and Watermark (Orlando). Her essay about her cancer support groupCancer support group
Cancer support groups provide a setting in which cancer patients can talk about living with cancer with others who may be having similar experiences...
was broadcast on "All Things Considered" on WNYC-FM http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/102675 in New York City. One of her personal essays was published in a book, A Cup of Comfort for Couples (2010) http://www.cupofcomfort.com/news/your-love-story-contest-winners-and-coc-for-couples-authorsstories, the only essay of the 48 in the book written by and about a same sex couple.
Public relations
A City College of New YorkCity College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
(CCNY) graduate, she worked for several years in magazine editorial positions before starting her career as a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
professional at a public relations agency. She decided that college communications was the right milieu for her and went on to hold positions at Lehman College
Lehman College
Lehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
and Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
's Brooklyn Campus. She is now director of communications
Director of Communications
Director of communications is a position in both the private and public sectors. A director of communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications...
for New York City College of Technology
New York City College of Technology
New York City College of Technology , nicknamed City Tech, is the largest four-year public college of technology in the northeastern United States, and a constituent college of the City University of New York...
(City Tech) of The City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
Advocate for lesbians with cancer
Shortly after being diagnosed with breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2002, she attended a mainstream support group
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
in which she was the only lesbian. She didn't feel she could be herself in that group and began searching for a support group in New York City for women who partner with women. After discovering that the city didn't have any such groups, she published an article in 2004 on this situation in Gay City News and sent it to social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
ers and other health professionals around the city. She then co-founded the New York City Lesbian Cancer Support Consortium, which brought together health professionals from various agencies around the city to do something about this situation. The group met regularly for a couple of years and eventually became a listserv connecting lesbian cancer survivors
Cancer survivors
A cancer survivor is an individual with cancer of any type, current or past, who is still living. About 11 million Americans alive today—one in 30 people–are either currently undergoing treatment for cancer or have done so in the past." Currently nearly 65% of adults diagnosed with cancer in the...
, health professionals and advocates.
In May 2005, the New York City LGBT Center implemented its first C Word event for women who partner with women, which drew more than 100 attendees. Forsten was one of the main speakers at that first of what has become an annual event. That fall, the Center started support groups for survivors and for their caregivers, which continue to this day. Forsten co-facilitated the survivors group for several years.