Athena Stylos was interviewed by Dorothy Addie April 14, 2022 in Northampton, MA.

Narrator:

Athena Stylos was born in Newton, Massachusetts. She grew up in Newton and spent a few years abroad in Germany in her early childhood. She attended a pre-college program at Simon’s Rock, now affiliated with Bard College, to finish her high school diploma. She moved to Northampton in 1981. She has attended pride each year except 2019. During her time in
Northampton, she was involved in the Lesbian Home Show. She attended the Western Massachusetts women’s music festivals. She currently is involved in the dance community and also runs an Airbnb. Athena is an artist. She creates artwork and collects her past artwork, some of which was shown at the Lesbian Home Show and other queer community events.

Abstract:
In this interview, Athena Stylos reflects on her childhood growing up in Newton, Massachusetts. She talks about attending Simon’s Rock pre-college program for her last years of high school. She talks about how her family and surrounding community fostered her identity as an artist and lesbian. She discusses the impact of attending Women’s Music Festivals in Western Massachusetts. She talks about the feminist lesbian community in Northampton and the Pioneer Valley during the 80s. She shares insight into why Northampton has become the city it is and how Northampton Pride has changed from 1982 to the present.

Interviewer:
Dorothy Addie goes by her last name Addie. She is a sophomore at Smith College majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science.

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