Lavandería: A Mixed Load of Women, Wash and Word

Edited by D. J. Watson, with co-editors Michelle Sierra and Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, published by City Works Press (2009).

Lavandería is an anthology of written/spoken word and photography. It highlights the universal ritual and common interaction of people, places, and things found between loads of laundry. Celebrating the task often deemed “women’s work,” this unique collection of voices honors the unsung history of washer women, touching on everything from labor strikes and scrub boards to present day love affairs rinsed away in the automatic double loader. Lavandería provides a unique look into an otherwise ordinary chore by giving it voice and visual representation and serves as a reminder that incredible strength and spirit can reside in the most routine spaces.