MY LIFE as a writer has largely been made possible by feminist and alternative presses and the feminist and independent bookstores. The first work I ever published was in a tiny feminist magazine. The first time I ever called myself a writer was when I read my stories in Herstore, a feminist bookstore I helped to found in Tallahassee, Florida. My first book of poetry was published by a small independent feminist press, and my short stories and essays continue to be available from Firebrand Books. Without the bookstores, magazines and presses that have encouraged and sustained my imagination I would not have known what to do with the stories I wanted to tell. At a time when the survival of the small independents is so uncertain, it is essential that we all do everything we can to make sure that these vital community institutions are there for everyone - writers and readers. We all need to encourage the spirit that sustains the people and organizations who have done so much for writers like myself by supporting writers and introducing readers to works that might otherwise go unheard and unread. Feminist and independent bookstores offer a home to the kind of work that shapes and sustains the best of our communities, and they deserve - need - your support. Please shop at these bookstores, and your local independent bookstores. Order your books from them, refer your friends to them - help make sure that they're still here next year, and the next. It's important.