While revising Graffiti Grrlz this morning, I had to dig into my archives to find the first paper I wrote on the topic of women in graffiti (April 2002).

Looking at it now…well, it left a lot to be desired but I was certainly on the right track despite my terrible writing.

I’m posting about it today for one particular reason. My research (including those early email addresses) existed on floppy disks…that have long since disappeared, but I wonder if I can use the power of the internet to locate those first respondents: Merc/Elmo (England); Lace One (FL, USA); Dvine (IL, USA); Mel/Nasty (NJ, USA); Erin (Perugia, Italy); Desr (CA, USA), Nungi (CA, USA); and Toots/2tsie (CA, USA). 

(Remember, in 2002 you didn’t necessarily just email a jpg. You sent an original or a copy. These are scanned and photocopied and then scanned from those bad copies!)

If you are out there, HIT ME UP!!! If you know these grrlz, hook me up!

Author: Jessica N. Pabón-Colón

Dr. Jessica N. Pabón-Colón is an Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at SUNY New Paltz. She published her first book—Graffiti Grrlz: Performing Feminism in the Hip Hop Diaspora— with NYU Press in June 2018. View all posts by Jessica N. Pabón-Colón