Squat and a Giveaway!

Now I know some of you are getting familiar with the new radical birth magazine, Squat.

Their tagline, an "Anarchist Birth Journal", had me at hello and I just needed to share this new publication with ya'll.

For those of you who this is all brand new to, I wanted to give you all a chance to get to know the people behind Squat, enter for a chance to win a year's subscription, and also join me for the grand re-opening of my new business website - all in one fell swoop.

Let's first start with the Squat team, they are an amazing team of women, writers, midwives, and birth activists! 

Me: How was Squat conceived and consequently born?

Meghan:

Jaydee and I were driving to our midwifery class and discussing the future of midwifery. I had just returned from the Midwifery Today conference in Philadelphia and I felt a little disappointed by the lack of radical and young voices present there. I sensed a lot of fear at play during the discussions and had a sad realization that fear of the birth process actually influences a lot of midwifery practice and regulation. Jaydee and I were getting pretty pumped on the idea of creating a new magazine for radical voices and I think the conversation ended up with us agreeing, “Let’s just fucking do it.” And so began SQUAT.

Me: Tell me a little about each of you.

Danny:

I’m an aspiring midwife, currently studying with Whapio Diane Bartlett. I’m looking for a long-term apprenticeship :) I’m really interested in bringing the skills/energy of traditional midwifery and undisturbed birth together with a political analysis/ practice that addresses oppression in all its forms.

 Jeramie:

I have been attending births, conferences, studying midwifery, etc since 2004- circuitously walking the path of becoming ‘midwife’. I began at Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, TX; have studied with Elizabeth Davis (whom I just love); and most recently worked with Carol Gaustchi, a traditional midwife on the Olympic Peninsula. I have come to accept my winding path because in midwifery it is the journey not the destination- we are always learning. I have wonderful partner, a 5 year old son born at home, and a baby girl due in December. Since becoming pregnant with my second child I have taken a break attending births to focus more on my own body, house, and family, and now Squat.

Meghan:

I’ve been on a steady path to becoming a midwife since I had a crazy dream a few years ago telling me to do so. I’ve never been one to ignore a good prophetic dream. I have since discovered that midwifery is not a simple career choice, but a political stance and a calling in life.

Jaydee:

Midwifery and supporting those who are birthing life is my work on the planet. I have been within this world since I was a little girl. There is nothing else for me to do, other than find unique and authentic ways to witness the process of childbearing… I am also a graduate of The Matrona, the administrator and faculty member of this midwifery school. I work as a birth assistant and independent midwife. I have three sons, two born at home with midwives, and the third was an unassisted birth.

Me: How did you become involved in Squat?

Danny:

Meghan asked me to proofread a submission, and then, voila, I became the copy editor.

Jeramie:

Meghan told me about it. I had wanted something like Squat to exist for a while. I have written for some other midwifery/ parenting related publications but none that really turned me on like Squat. I said “I have time, I want to help.” She said “Cool.” Voila.

Meghan:

My brain had be mulling around the idea of a radical midwifery publication for a while. I knew I couldn’t do it myself and so I teamed up with Jaydee, a beautiful midwife and friend of mine, and together we had the motivation to get the ball rolling.

Jaydee:

Meghan and I were inspired, and from inspiration, things are born… Hence SQUAT found its way to manifestation.

Me: Give me a taste of what subscribers might see in a given issue.. themes, issues and causes, education, topics, etc..

Danny:

We’ve only put out one issue so far, but we aim to have a variety of articles each time that address midwifery, birth, and parenting topics from a radical political perspective. We also plan on featuring some awesome artwork each issue!

Jeramie:

Covering the whole gamut, talking about the stuff other people aren’t willing to touch... I am excited about an idea Danny brought to the table- a review column to begin in issue number two. I look forward to uncovering all sorts of cool media for mamas, babies, and kiddos.

Meghan:

We want to hear from people everywhere! Maybe sometime in the near future we will be able to translate the magazine into different languages...

Jaydee:

My dream is that there will be submissions from anarchist punks to obstetricians who have something on the edge to say. I want SQUAT to be a vehicle for anyone who is interested, and then creating an extremely diverse publication

Me: I see something call Squat Camp on your blog. Can you tell me a little more about the details (time, place, cost, where to register) and what attendees can look forward to?

Danny:

SQUAT Camp will take place August 10-13th (really soon!) at Scenic Beach State Park in Washington State (it’s about an hour away from Seattle). It’s essentially our version of a midwifery conference...more accessible...camping style...radical midwives, doulas, parents, and allies...crazy cool speakers and teachers. It’s $30 for the whole thing (communal dinners included). Attendees can look forward to lots of s’mores, a gorgeous forest on the beach, lots of new friends, and workshops on subjects like: doula work within prisons, race and class within the midwifery/doula movement, gender identity and pregnancy, herbal abortion and abortion doulas, unassisted birth, the politics of licensure, and soooo much more!

Me: If someone would like to be a contributor or supporter, what would be the best ways and what are you looking for?

Danny:

Buy our magazine if you’ve got the money! Let us know if you want to help distribute the magazine to your local bookstore or co-op! Talk about it with friends/colleagues! Submit artwork or articles!!!

You can find them here, buy their first issue here, and read the first issue online for free here!

Now, like I said, I am celebrating my new business website, so, as a shameless self promotion, it will be a part of this giveaway. On a side note, it is also to give me some constructive criticism. My business website will have it's own blog, independent of this one, with guest Houston-based bloggers, that will focus more on my client's needs, and this blog will keep running. So, as this one will continue to cover more controversial viewpoints, soapbox-arguments, and family randomness, my business blog will solely be for client information, Houston area information, and area events. So, DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE. :)

To enter this giveaway, you must complete the first entry. All other ones completed will give you additional entries to the giveaway.

1. Visit my new website and subscribe to my business blog, come back and let me know.
2. Visit my new website and give me some critical feedback. Come back and let me know what I can improve upon, if I have grammatical errors, if there is something that you would like to see on there that is missing, etc...
3. Visit Squat online either at their blog or at their free issue, then come back and let me know what you loved about it, what surprised you about the issue, or what you hope to see in future issues. 
4. Blog or FB about this giveaway, then come back and let me know

If you fulfill all 4 of these entries, you will automatically receive one entry to my next giveaway to be posted next weekend.

Entries will be closed on August 18th at 11pm, EST. The drawing will occur on August 19th.

Good luck to everyone and I cannot WAIT to see who the winner is of this giveaway.