Finding Aid for the Linda Farin papers, 1986-1989
Processed by Stacy Wood, 2011; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2013
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Linda Farin papers
Date (inclusive): 1986-1989
Collection number: 1942
Creator:
Farin, Linda.
Extent:
1 document box (.5 linear ft.)
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 errotic 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."
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Language of the Material:
Materials are in English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary 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
Processing Note
Processed by Stacy Wood, 2011.
Sponsor
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Linda Farin papers (Collection Number 1942). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, UCLA.
Biography/History
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.
Chronology
| 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 |
Scope and Content
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, correspondence, and a VHS copy of the film as well as a VHS copy of interviews with the producers and auditions
for casting.
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.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Farin, Linda --Archives.
Lesbian motion picture producers and directors --Archival resources.
Related Material
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.
Container List
Box 1, Folder 1
Film Festival Materials.
1986-1989.
Physical Description: fliers; festival programs; submission guidelines
Scope and Content Note
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
Budget.
1987.
Physical Description: printed paper with handwritten notes
Scope and Content Note
Line item budget with details and amendments for the production of "Waking Up: A Lesson in Love"
Box 1, Folder 3
Script Submissions.
1987.
Scope and Content Note
Four script submissions including two copies of "Double Take" which has no attributions, one copy of "First Love Story" (an
outline), one copy of "Cafe Au Lait" (a treatment by M. Llawger) and one copy of "20 Minutes Till Sex" by Jennifer Hoppe.
Box 1, Folder 4
Distribution Materials.
1987.
Physical Description: brochures; handwritten notes
Scope and Content Note
Includes price listings for deals with various distributors of lesbian film, erotica and/or books including Tiger Rose.
Box 1, Folder 5
Script Drafts.
1987.
Physical Description: printed paper scripts, stapled
Scope and Content Note
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
Correspondence.
1987-1989.
Physical Description: typewritten, copied and handwritten correspondence
Scope and Content Note
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 7
Review Copy Tracking.
1988.
Physical Description: handwritten notes
Scope and Content Note
Documents related to tracking copies of the VHS"Waking Up: A Lesson in Love" to various media outlets and publications for
review.
Box 1, Folder 8
Distribution Agreements.
1988-1989.
Physical Description: printed paper
Scope and Content Note
Distribution agreements including financial details and agreements with companies, stores and mail order distributors including
LBL video and Susan Wilson among others.
Box 1, Folder 9
Reviews and Events Listings.
1988-1989.
Physical Description: newspaper clippings; magazines; fliers
Scope and Content Note
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
Box 1, Folder 10
Mail Orders.
1988-1990.
Physical Description: letters; order forms
Scope and Content Note
Mail orders and requests for products from Foosh productions.
Box 1, Folder 11
Legal Documents.
1988.
Physical Description: printed paper
Scope and Content Note
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 12
Surveys.
1988.
Physical Description: printed paper with handwriting
Scope and Content Note
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.
Box 1, Folder 13
Shooting Script.
1988.
Physical Description: printed paper
Scope and Content Note
The shooting script was revised 5/11/88 but still officially had the title of "Love to Tell" and contained three acts.
Box 1, Folder 14
Shooting Schedule.
1988.
Physical Description: printed paper with handwritten notes
Scope and Content Note
Shooting schedule revised 6/1/1988, containing information about location shots, time allotments and the order of shots.
Box 1, Folder 15
Advertisements.
1988-1989.
Physical Description: newspaper clippings; magazine clippings; handwritten notes; newsletters
Scope and Content Note
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.
Box 1, Folder 16
Promotional Materials.
Approximately 1989.
Physical Description: fliers; order forms
Scope and Content Note
Fliers and subscription information for various production houses in the business of lesbian erotica. Includes materials for
Blush Entertainment, Tiger Rose and Tigress.
Box 1, Folder 17
Letter of Intent.
1997.
Physical Description: printed letter; resume
Scope and Content Note
This folder contains the letter of intent from Linda Farin upon her donation of these materials to the June L. Mazer archive
with specifications for use. It also summarizes the process of funding, casting and producing the video"Waking Up: A Lesson
in Love" as well as her motivations to make the video in the first place. Also included is a summary of materials within the
collection as well as her resume.
Box 1, Folder 18
Miscellaneous Articles.
1988-1997.
Physical Description: newspaper clippings
Scope and Content Note
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 19
Shot Log.
Undated.
Physical Description: printed paper
Scope and Content Note
A short description and summary of individual shots including location notes and order.
Box 1, Folder 20
Promotional Photos.
Undated.
Physical Description: photos; photocopies of photos; VHS sleeves; mounted photos
Scope and Content Note
Includes thirteen 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 21
Mock Ups for Advertisements.
Undated.
Physical Description: printed advertisements
Scope and Content Note
Mock ups and samples for advertisements placed in various media outlets for"Waking Up: A Lesson in Love".
