Wednesday
Jun162010
Eve Ensler: Writer, Activist, Cancer Survivor
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 05:26PM
The stunning news hit my inbox this week: writer and activist Eve Ensler was recently diagnosed with uterine cancer. She reassures us that she has good doctors and her surgery was successful, but that word -- cancer -- lands heavy. I know I'm not the only one unnerved by the weird coincidence, that a woman who has made her living and her stand for women from a play called "The Vagina Monologues" got cancer in her most female of body parts. Cancer is too random to follow that useless metaphor anywhere.
Eve Ensler at the 2008 Austin V-Day
I had the honor of interviewing her four years ago for Time Out New York about her New York City-wide event demanding a stop to domestic violence. She was on her cell phone when we spoke, dashing between events that required her attention. She spoke of ushering in a new paradigm, of drawing deep inspiration from the men and women in the world who have been through enormous violence but who -- instead of perpetuating more violence -- have grieved it, transformed it, and dedicated themselves to eradicating that violence, with wild, extraordinary energy.
In true activist fashion, her first public commentary after her diagnosis is to speak out for women who are fighting for their lives. Last Saturday, she published the piece titled "My cancer is arbitrary. Congo's atrocities are very deliberate" in the Guardian. Eve, here's to your returning health, to the good work, and to the paradigm shift. It can't come soon enough.
Eve Ensler at the 2008 Austin V-DayI had the honor of interviewing her four years ago for Time Out New York about her New York City-wide event demanding a stop to domestic violence. She was on her cell phone when we spoke, dashing between events that required her attention. She spoke of ushering in a new paradigm, of drawing deep inspiration from the men and women in the world who have been through enormous violence but who -- instead of perpetuating more violence -- have grieved it, transformed it, and dedicated themselves to eradicating that violence, with wild, extraordinary energy.
In true activist fashion, her first public commentary after her diagnosis is to speak out for women who are fighting for their lives. Last Saturday, she published the piece titled "My cancer is arbitrary. Congo's atrocities are very deliberate" in the Guardian. Eve, here's to your returning health, to the good work, and to the paradigm shift. It can't come soon enough.
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