Friday Hoyden: Hrotsvit von Gandersheim
Hrotsvit, whose name is also recorded as Roswitha, and in other variations, lived in the Abbey of Gandersheim, which is in the region known today as Saxony, in the second half of the tenth century. The dark ages may not have been quite so dark if you were a noble-born, highly educated nun, with a rather quirky sense of humour.
Quicklink: Tansy Rayner Roberts unpacks Historically Authentic Sexism in Fantasy
history – the process of writing down and preserving of the facts, not the facts/events themselves – was looking the other way
Is Australia more feminist?
The Australian prime minister Julia Gillard’s labelling of the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, a “misogynist” has become the focus of intense debate both in Australia and here in the UK. What has been most striking for me is the recent news that Gillard received a huge boost in her Australian approval ratings immediately [...]
ObFreeFallSpaceJump post: a little detail I was glad to discover
Because I obviously haven’t been paying enough attention, I hadn’t realised that Joseph Kittinger, the USAF officer who previously held the record for highest/fastest freefall parachute jump after the 1959-60 Project Excelsior research into high-altitude bailouts, was part of the team for Felix Baumgartner’s successful attempt on those records.
Does Keynes still have the secret to happiness? And even for parents?
You must read this wonderful essay in aeon magazine from economist, John Quiggin – “The Golden Age: The 15-hour working week predicted by Keynes may soon be within our grasp – but are we ready for freedom from toil”. Quiggin takes Keynes’ theory and in this essay fixes up some of the old oversights by [...]
Friday Hoyden: Paulina in The Winter’s Tale
Paulina is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known, but most vibrant and admirable mouthy women.
Surprise, surprise – Lindsay Foyle reports threats from Tony Abbott too
This late-1970s attempt at intimidation was witnessed by a bunch of other journalists working for The Bulletin at the time. Yeah, the idea that Abbott could have punched the wall beside a woman’s head to intimidate her as his political rival just seems soooo unlikely, amirite?
Wednesday Whimsy: So you’ve been accused of witchcraft…
A handy guide to what you can expect: please share any bits and pieces you have come across recently that have surprised, delighted, intrigued or otherwise positively engaged you.
Are princesses bad for girls?
This is a fabulous response from Brenda Chapman, (@brenda_chapman) one of the main writers behind Brave, whom I discovered when she started following me on Twitter (small world), where she answers the question of whether princesses are bad for girls: In the past couple of decades, in an obvious effort to toughen up those princesses [...]
July 4th
Happy day off to our USA friends, hope that it wasn’t too hot where you are, and that you did something fun.
6 Books: Dava Sobel
Her list of six books that ignited her passion for space, scientific exploration and adventure from Radio National’s Top Shelf segment. What books were ignition points for you? Most of mine had something to do with histories.
Utopia Girls: I’m disappointed
Guest Blogger Alex “Skud” Bayley reviews a documentary aired on the ABC about women’s suffrage in Australia, Utopia Girls: How Women Won the Vote.
Friday Hoyden: Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen
Grace (Grainne) O’Malley ruled the seas to the west of Ireland in the sixteenth century. It was unheard of for a woman to command ships and lead a clan, but Grace did it, holding the loyalty of her troops for decades.
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