Jil Krolik Interviewed by Mo Schweiger April 20, 2021 in Hadley, MA via Zoom Platform.

Narrator:
Jil Krolik was born in Chicago in 1954 to Jewish parents. While she encountered difficulties in her childhood arising from her parent’s bombastic marriage and their refusal to accept her as gay, she eventually left to attend college, starting in New Hampshire and transferring to the University of Colorado and eventually the University of Michigan, from which she graduated. After living across the country and abroad in France, Krolik moved to Northampton to open the women’s bookstore Womonfyre with her partner. Krolik owned and operated Womonfyre for many years and created an invaluable resource to the community. She also helped to plan the first Noho Pride and was instrumental in creating the route that the march eventually took. After Womonfyre’s close, Krolik stayed in Northampton for a time but eventually relocated to Holyoke where she lives now and continues to sell books but in a very different forum, online.

Abstract:

In this interview, Jil discusses growing up in Chicago, the lesbian community in Northampton and the first pride march in 1982. Jil also speaks about opening the women’s bookstore Womonfyre in Northampton with co-owner Kiriyo Spooner, as well as her experience of the store’s eventual closure.

Interviewer:
Mo Schweiger is a member of the Smith College Class of 2022 pursuing a Sociology and Study of Women & Gender degree.

Please note: this interview mentions homophobia, family estrangement, sexual assault, violence and threats of violence.