Finding Aid for the Linda Farin papers, 1986-1989 LSC.1942
Finding aid prepared by Stacy Wood, 2013 and Jessica Tai, 2016; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 7 August 2017.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Linda Farin papers
Creator:
Farin, Linda
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1942
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear Feet
(1 document box)
Date (inclusive): 1986-1997
Date (bulk): bulk 1986-1989
Abstract: Linda Farin was a successful lawyer in Austin, Texas. After seeing Donna Deitch's film
Desert Hearts, she became inspired to produce a realistic and positive lesbian erotic film and began forming a cohort of lesbian writers
in order to develop a script. This collection contains documentation relating to the production, distribution, and reception
of the film
Waking Up: A Lesson in Love.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Conditions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained
by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue
the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Linda Farin, 1990.
This collection is part of an outreach and collection-building partnership between the
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives , the
UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) and the
UCLA Library .
[Identification of item], Linda Farin Papers (Collection 1942). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processed by Stacy Wood, 2011.
Description enhanced and further physical processing completed by Jessica Tai in 2016.
The
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA is an outreach and collection-building partnership between the
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives , the
UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) and the
UCLA Library . These collections expand the pool of primary source materials available to researchers and to the community at large. This
partnership was initiated by CSW and is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to inventory, organize,
preserve, and digitize more than eighty Mazer collections pertaining to lesbian and feminist activism and writings.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID:
9969372173606533
Linda Farin was a successful lawyer in Austin, Texas. After seeing Donna Deitch's film
Desert Hearts, she became inspired and challenged to produce a realistic and positive lesbian erotic film and began forming a cohort of
lesbian writers in order to develop a script. Through her participation with Liatris Media, which produced the Third Wave
Women's International Film and Video Festival from 1986-1989, Linda Farin met Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss. Greta Schiller
became involved in the project in the early stages anonymously and later added her name to the project as Director. Farin
formed both Foosh Productions and Anonymous Was a Woman Ltd. in order to help fund the project. Anonymous Was A Woman Ltd.
was later dissolved in 1996.
| June 1985 | Release of Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community, Greta Schiller's first full length documentary. |
| May 1988 | Foosh Productions Incorporated. |
| June 1988 | Taping and production of Waking Up: A Lesson in Love |
| September 1988 | Release of Waking Up: A Lesson in Love |
The Linda Farin Papers document the conception, production, distribution, and reception of the film
Waking Up: A Lesson in Love, produced and co-written by Linda Farin. These papers include script drafts, financial documents, advertising strategies,
copy reviews and correspondence.
Throughout the production of the film, funding issues as well as philosophical challenges arose from both within the circle
of people working on the film as well as from the outside. In her story "The Making of a Lesbian Erotic Video" (contained
within the collection), Lindsey Lane (co-writer and co-producer) outlines some of her frustrations with the effects of both
homophobia and the difficulties of producing independent films. Much of the correspondence between reviewers and distributors
reflects some of this conflict as well. While
Waking Up: A Lesson in Love was produced in the late 1980's, the tensions of the "sex wars" of the late seventies and early eighties are present in the
collection. Many of the reviewers and distributors approached by Linda Farin were generally uncomfortable with the portrayal
of lesbian casual sex in the film in contrast to some of the more sex positive publications which chose to advertise and review
the film such as
On Our Backs magazine or
Forum.
Arranged chronologically.
As of 1997, the film
Waking Up: A Lesson in Love, was still available for purchase through Naiad Press, which is no longer in operation. The film is out of print and is held
at the San Francisco Public Library, Cornell University Library, Michigan State University Library, and UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lesbian motion picture producers and directors -- Archives.
Film scripts.
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives
University of California, Los Angeles. Library
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA
Farin, Linda -- Archives
box 1, folder 1
Film Festival Materials 1986-1989
Three years worth of promotional materials and programming information for Women's Visions: an International Film Festival
in collaboration with Liatris media. The contents are for the years 1986 through 1989. The film festival operated annually
through 1990 and was unique in its programming approach, showcasing women, gay and lesbian as well as third world artists.
box 1, folder 2
Production and Distribution Material 1987
box 1, folder 3
box 1, folder 4
Correspondence 1987-1989
Contained is all correspondence relating to production, promotion, post production, contracts, expenses, fees and related
disputes and distribution. Also included are discussions with various reviewers concerning content and feedback. Communication
between those working on the film and those not working on the film is not separated as it was not in the original configuration
of the collection.
box 1, folder 5
Script Drafts 1987-1988
Contains drafts of scripts as well as the final production script. Including: version one of "Love to Tell" by T. H. Fusch
(pen name for Linda Farin), "Love to Tell: A Sensual Adventure in Three Acts" by Lindsey Lane and Linda Farin, "Love to Tell"
and original screenplay by T.H. Fusch (third draft 5/31/1987), "Love to Tell" by Lindsey Lane and Linda Farin (copyright 1987
Foosh Productions, production script 6/6/88), two page 28 inserts, poem "Midnight Snack".
box 1, folder 6
Surveys and Distribution 1988
Eleven surveys furnished by Foosh Productions. The surveys solicited feedback about the film "Waking Up: A Lesson in Love"
but also collected information such as: buying habits, reading/viewing habits, demographic information and market expectations.
This folder also contains material from Foosh productions relating to distribution and marketing.
box 1, folder 7
Legal Documents 1988
Articles of incorporation for Foosh Productions Inc. Filed on 5/4/1988, Power of Attorney Documentation for Anonymous Was
a Woman Ltd. (a Texas limited partnership), a subscription agreement and investment letter for Anonymous Was a Woman Ltd.
and an Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership.
box 1, folder 8
box 1, folder 9
box 1, folder 10
Waking Up Promotional Photos circa 1988
Includes VHS sleeves in full color, some color enhanced photos by Minerva graphics, fourteen 8 by 10 glossy promotional stills,
a proof sheet and various photos of unspecified sizes with cropping notes.
box 1, folder 11
Advertisements 1988-1989
General Physical Description note: newspaper clippings; magazine clippings; handwritten notes; newsletters
Clippings from advertisements placed in newsletters, papers and magazines for "Waking Up: A Lesson in Love". Includes some
financial records of advertising costs and notes about advertising strategies and a list of places to publish advertisements.
Also includes advertising mockups for "Waking Up"
box 1, folder 12
box 1, folder 13
Newspaper clippings 1988-1997
Includes: "The Making of a Lesbian Erotic Video" by Lindsey Lane published in the Austin Chronicle, September 30, 1988. Lindsey
Lane was the co-writer and co-producer of "Waking Up: A Lesson in Love". the article is the difficulties that characterized
the production of the video including securing funding as well as internalized and externalized homophobia that led to many
involved keeping their participation anonymous./"Don't Ask, Don't tell Headed for Showdown: Supreme Court Could Decide its
Fate in 97" by Rick Adde published in the Army Times, January 13, 1997./"Gay Friendly Synagogue Gets New Building: Inclusive
Congregation Draws Many" published in Independent, January 21, 1997.
box 1, folder 14
box 1, folder 15
Reviews and Events Listings 1988-1989
A collection of both published reviews of and listings for screenings or other related events of "Waking Up: a Lesson in Love".
Reviews include: Gay Community News - September 4-10, 1988 - two clippings and 4 photocopies/ Au Courant - September 26, 1988
- one clipping/ Washington Blade - October 28, 1988 - one clipping/ Gay Chicago Magazine - January 12-22, 1989 - one clipping,
two photocopies/ On Our Backs - January/February 1989 - one clipping, one photocopy of cover and one full issue/ FORUM - March
1989 by Susie Bright - one clipping, one cover Event Listing include: Gay Community News - September 11-14, 1988 - one clipping,
one photocopy / This Week in Texas - September 30, 1988 - listing and cover/ Nexus flyer - October 4, 1988 - one flyer/ Dimensions
- October 1988 - one issue/ Lambda Newletter - October 1988 - one newsletter/ Austin Chronicle - December 2, 1988 - one clipping/
Women and Their Work and Liatris Media - December 8, 1988 - one flyer/ Also included: four photocopies of anonymous viewer
comments furnished by Foosh Productions as promotional material