Interviewed by Madeline Davis March 25, 2022 in Northampton, MA.

Narrator
Aliza “Zizi” Ansell was born in Yonkers, New York in 1958 to a Jewish family. She spent her early years in Rye, New York before resettling in Wayland, MA. In 1979, Zizi moved to the Valley where she attended UMass Amherst as a women’s studies student. From 1990 to 1995, Zizi, alongside her friend Diane Morgan, produced the Northampton Lesbian Festival, which featured music and crafts, under the name WOW Productions. After this period, Zizi moved to Cummington, MA and later began teaching adult education classes at Holyoke Community College. She still lives in Cummington with her husband of 13 years with whom she cares for two huge dogs and one cat.

Abstract:
In this interview, Zizi recounts details of her life beginning with her childhood and ending in her present day. Beginning with the late 1970s and ending in the ‘90s, she discusses her time as a women’s studies student in a lesbian feminist environment, her years producing the Northampton Lesbian Festival, and the performance art pieces, particularly surrounding sexuality, that she brought into Northampton. Zizi then describes her transition away from Northampton Lesbian Festival, eventually moving into adult education which she describes as the most fulfilling part of her life thus far.

Interviewer:
Madeline Davis is a class of 2022 engineering major at Smith College.

Format
Interview recorded on a Sony Vixia HF camcorder and Zoom H1N handy recorder.

Please note: this interview mentions antisemitism, racism, transphobia/exclusion, and homophobia.