Mary Jane “MJ” Williams describes building a life as a musician, creating an informal lesbian community with her friends in Basin, and co-founding the Montana Artists Refuge. She recounts her childhood in Helena in the 1940s and 50s. She describes meeting her friend Nan Parsons in 7th grade, how they made art together, and how they both came to understand they were lesbian. She describes moving to New York City and the informal cultural education she received there. She talks about following Parsons to San Francisco in 1967, doing odd jobs to make money, and living in houses with other lesbians. She discusses the politics and culture of San Francisco in the late 60s and early 70s. She describes moving back to Montana in 1972, buying land in Basin with her friends, and renovating their houses. She talks about their relationships with other people in Basin, both positive and negative. She talks about how she co-founded the Montana Artists Refuge in the early 1990s. She reflects on its legacy, her future, and how being lesbian influenced her life.
Mary Nicole Williams (2019) studied this question.