In memoriam: Jessica Nathanson

I learned this evening that Jessica Nathanson passed away yesterday. I "met" Jessica through this blog. Also a blogger (I was asked not to mention the blog which Jessica did somewhat anonymously), Jessica found me and I found her and we connected over the larger issues of blogging while feminist as well as our commitment to women's and gender studies, creative writing endeavors, and attempts to tame our curly hair. We met once, when Jessica came to Iowa City for a creative writing workshop. I don't know how Jessica found my blog, but when we met she told me that she was initially very curious about this very feminist male writing a blog about gender and sports--until she found "ken" was (and still is) a woman. She supported my endeavors in the area of gender and sport and physical culture. She nominated me to my first and only feminist blog carnival. Several years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought it (some of her blog posts are about her experience of the disease) and was in remission. But it came back recently-- suddenly and stronger. My condolences to her family and to the feminist community, which will certainly feel her loss.