Diane Wilson: An Unreasonable Woman
Her experiences as an environmental activist, which included jail time for civil disobedience at a Dow Chemical plant in Seadrift, led her to further activism in opposition to the Iraq War. Wilson co-founded the anti-war group CodePink and has written two books about her life and her causes.
In a 2005 review of Wilson's first book, An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas, Texas journalist Molly Ivins put it this way:
I am writing about the most extraordinary book by the most extraordinary woman, and I would have interviewed her at length, except she's going to be arrested if she ever sets foot back in our home state.
That's pretty much the way life goes these days for Diane Wilson, who used to be just a regular old shrimper and mother of five kids, until she accidentally became an activist. Then, all hell broke loose.
Wilson's work against toxic pollution in her county has garnered numerous awards including Mother Jones' Hell Raiser of the Month, CodePink Woman of the Year, Louis Gibbs' Environmental Lifetime Award, Louisiana Environmental Action (LEAN) Environmental Award, Giraffe Project, Jenifer Altman Award, and the Bioneers Award.
In an on-line interview with Wilson, truthout.org journalist Kelpie Wilson notes that "working-class feminism permeates Wilson's life" - and that Diane Wilson's connection to nature serves as her spiritual guide. In Wilson's own words from An Unreasonable Woman:
Risking one's life can be strangely liberating. That's what the sea counsels me. She still talks even though she's got a mercury Superfund on her left breast and vinyl chloride and phthalates on her right breast. She's a forgiving grandmother. Not unduly angry about the mix-ups and mess ups and the confounding fact of healing taking so long. She knows it is complicated. My intent will keep her, she says.
Listen to an interview with Wilson on PBS's NOW
Read Molly Ivins' review of An Unreasonable Woman
Read Kelpie Wilson's truthout.org interview with Diane Wilson
