One Eye Open/Jednim Okem: Revue Review/Kritika revue

The Prague Post
September 18-24, 1996

On hiatus for a year, the feminist magazine
One Eye Open
is ready to put out a new issue

by Kimberlee Stephens

In a country that only recently discovered the term sexual harassment, it's refreshing to see a forum devoted exclusively to presenting and discussing women's issues. The bilingual magazine One Eye Open/Jedním Okem is that forum, the only journal in Prague to focus exclusively on women's issues. The magazine centers on topics including motherhood, relationships, work, sexuality, education and a barrage of other issues that affect women around the world every day. First published in the winter of 1993, the journal is finally re-emerging after a long hiatus of intensive work, searching for funding and grants and soliciting help from volunteers for contributions, translations and layout.

One Eye Open prides itself on being the first and only multilingual Central European publication to highlight women's voices. The magazine's introduction calls One Eye Open "an opportunity for women and men from different cultures to exchange their ideas on women's and feminist issues." The magazine seeks to develop a bridge between Western and Eastern thinking and provides an avenue of expression for writers around the world.

For example, the fourth coming issue includes an essay on the Barbie doll by Jane Bradley of Toledo, Ohio. The piece reflects on Barbie, childhood and womanhood through an essay and interviews with various people of different ages, sexes and nationalities, highlighting their views on the theme of the Barbie doll. Through humor, it reveals a great deal about differences between American and Czech methods of raising children.

The magazine was founded by Deborah E. Dubois, an American who came to Prague in 1992 in order to start the journal. She was able to generate enough support in the local community to keep the magazine going after leading it through the first three issues. When she returned to the States, the project was taken up by Eva Věšínová, a Charles University Professor, Věra Chase, a translator, interpreter and business woman, and Kate Shaw, an American Fulbright student in Prague

Věšínová met Dubois before the first issue was published in 1993. " Dubois came to Prague with an idea to launch a feminist magazine, and it was her individual initiative, enthusiasm and private investment which originally made this magazine possible," she says. However, she says that Dubois, as an American feminist, had a lot to learn about Czech women artists and their Czech audience. The Czechs who consulted with Dubois explained to her that something ideologically defined as a feminist journal would not be popular here due to the strong prejudice against feminism (back then - and now)

Jasper Bear, co-owner of the Globe bookstore, says that initial interest in One Eye Open was sparked by Dubois' efforts and word of mouth, which created a bit of a stir, especially among women, both Czech and expatriate, who felt it was time for a venue devoted to the voices of women in this region." He agrees that many men and women of Eastern Europe have a distaste for the word feminism and that the journal will help to overcome the negative stereotypes associated with the term. Bear has seen a largely positive response to One Eye Open. "It not only seemed to be the only (feminist magazine) around, but also, I gathered, had such an inclusive attitude towards people's opinion that it must have been a godsend for many women, both writers and readers", he says.

Though the magazine was originally to be published on a quarterly basis, lack of funding and volunteers has forced it to be issued only once a year. Chase says, "We would like to publish the magazine more frequently, but we need to find more people who are willing to dedicate some time to put it together."

To that end, the magazine has inspired the development of a nonprofit interest group named Both Eyes Open/ Oči dokořán. The association comprises about 20 people, Czechs and expatriates alike. Věšínová explains that most of them are not women who spend all their time studying and discussing feminist issues, "but people who have a deeper interest in the possibility of the existence of a women's perspective and see women's perspectives as creative and intellectually and artistically authentic." The group is responsible for publishing the upcoming fourth issue of the magazine (with funding from a grant from the Gender Studies Center in Prague) and is also involved in organizing events, activities and discussions that feature issues highlighted in the magazine.

The magazine's title, One Eye Open, was Dubois' idea. "The journal covers women's issues that are usually observed or seen only by the general public with one eye open," says Věšínová. The idea behind the interest group Two Eyes Open, in turn, is that it is an association of people who view women's issues and art with both eyes open.

In the forthcoming edition, all the literay work appears in both English and Czech. "After all without good translations, there is no cross-cultural dialogue," says Věšínová.

The new issue was originally slated to hit the stands weeks ago. The printer, who's apparently working on the project with one eye open, has promised that the journal will be ready by mid-September. "Can you believe it ?" asks Chase. "They already have been printed and only need to be glued; at this point, I'm almost ready to go down and bind them myself."