When I was a teen women and girls didn't menstruate--at least in the books available in the Beverly Public Library juvenile section. Judy Blume's taboo busting Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret. was still in the future when it's discussing a perfectly normal bodily function would enrage the censors.
Although the 60s are now considered a liberal, if not decadent, decade, some taboos, including the one on menstrual talk, were still alive and well. We didn't get our periods. Aunt Flo came to visit. We could get out of gym class just by asking because gym teachers did not want to know. Only female parents were considered capable of buying pads and tampons at the drug store. My freshman health class did a whole unit on the cycle that alluded to the sloughing off of the uterine lining and never mentioned the words menstruation and period.
Things are considerably better today. Dads can buy menstrual products. Menstruators are considered capable of running laps and shooting baskets while hosting Aunt Flo. The word menstruators indicates a beyond the binary awareness. And there are wonderful taboo busting books in the juvenile and YA sections of public libraries.
My favorite by far is Calling the Moon: 16 Period stories from BIPOC Authors, edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Mendez. Salazar was frustrated by a lack of diversity in the genre. "So not only did we have few fictional stories about menstruation, but we also have not heard from Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color on this topic almost at all. This inspired me to create a space for some of the most powerful and beloved middle grade authors writing today to share some previously untold stories from our diverse communities."
It is a rich collection by authors who know how to touch the developing minds and hearts of younger readers. The characters are vulnerable and honest kids caught in situations that will resonate with and engage them.
As they enjoy some really good writing they will have the opportunity to learn and grow and bond. Mendez says, "I hope this collection of stories will soon become of many and that it will open the doors to allow for more information so that as a society, we can normalize this cycle in life that is natural and sacred. It can also be a challenging time in life, but if we have the tools to understand what is happening not only in our bodies but also in our minds and emotions we may have the opportunity to connect with others going through the same experiences."
I learned so much about the variety of ways in which different cultures treat this coming of age experience. I was especially enthralled by those that see it as an occasion for celebration.
On a purrrsonal note, when I was in junior high I was considered a tomboy. I actually was nonbinary in a binary world. My mother was pushing me to take more interest in grooming and acting more feminine. She even put me in modeling school. To me my first period would mean I could no longer be myself. I was a late menstruator. One day when I had not started I saw that she had written the date of my first period on a form. But she was big on honesty. When I pointed out the lie she said it was so people wouldn't know there was something wrong with me. It was our little secret.
A great big shout out goes out to Salazar, Mendez, and the talented writers who contributed to their anthology.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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