Ti-Grace Atkinson
Encyclopedia
Ti-Grace Atkinson is an American
feminist author
.
Atkinson was born into a prominent Louisiana family. The "Ti" in her name reflects the Cajun
or French language
petite, for little.
Atkinson earned her BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1964 . While still in Philadelphia she helped to found the Institute of Contemporary Art, acting as its first director, and was sculpture critic for the periodical ARTnews
. She later moved to New York where, in 1967, she entered the Ph.D program in Philosophy at Columbia University.
It was as an undergraduate that Atkinson read Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, and struck up a correspondence with Beauvoir, who suggested that she contact Betty Friedan
. Atkinson thus became an early member of the National Organization for Women
, which Friedan had founded, serving on the national board, and becoming the New York chapter president in 1967. In 1968 she left the organization to found the October 17th Movement, which later morphed into The Feminists
, a radical feminist group active until 1973. By 1971 she had written several pamphlets on feminism, was a member of the Daughters of Bilitis
and was advocating specifically political lesbianism
. Her most famous book, Amazon Odyssey, was published in 1974.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
feminist author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Atkinson was born into a prominent Louisiana family. The "Ti" in her name reflects the Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
or French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
petite, for little.
Atkinson earned her BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1964 . While still in Philadelphia she helped to found the Institute of Contemporary Art, acting as its first director, and was sculpture critic for the periodical ARTnews
ARTnews
ARTnews is an arts magazine based in New York, founded by James Clarence Hyde in 1902 as Hyde’s Weekly Art News. It is published 11 times a year.ARTnews covers all art, from ancient to Post-modernism...
. She later moved to New York where, in 1967, she entered the Ph.D program in Philosophy at Columbia University.
It was as an undergraduate that Atkinson read Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, and struck up a correspondence with Beauvoir, who suggested that she contact Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan was an American writer, activist, and feminist.A leading figure in the Women's Movement in the United States, her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the "second wave" of American feminism in the twentieth century...
. Atkinson thus became an early member of the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
, which Friedan had founded, serving on the national board, and becoming the New York chapter president in 1967. In 1968 she left the organization to found the October 17th Movement, which later morphed into The Feminists
The Feminists
The Feminists, also known as Feminists—A Political Organization to Annihilate Sex Roles, was a radical feminist group active in New York City from 1968 to 1973....
, a radical feminist group active until 1973. By 1971 she had written several pamphlets on feminism, was a member of the Daughters of Bilitis
Daughters of Bilitis
The Daughters of Bilitis , was the first lesbian rights organization in the United States. It was formed in San Francisco in 1955, conceived as a social alternative to lesbian bars, which were considered illegal and thus subject to raids and police harassment...
and was advocating specifically political lesbianism
Political lesbianism
Political lesbianism is a phenomenon within feminism, primarily Second-wave feminism; it includes, but is not limited to, lesbian separatism. Political lesbianism embraces the theory that sexual orientation is a choice, and advocates lesbianism as a positive alternative to heterosexuality for...
. Her most famous book, Amazon Odyssey, was published in 1974.
External links
- Ti-Grace Atkinson speaks to the Feminist Art program at the California State University at Fresno. Retrieved April 23, 2007