#women writing history

[dootznbootz]

Sorry, not sorry but I see this too often and it bothers me :)

Before people get mad: Notice how I put “Me and Penelope fans” there? I know there's others. this ain't about you <3

edit: This is about how people in the fandom prioritize Odysseus and Telemachus (and even Diomedes, who is not in the Odyssey) despite the Odyssey also being HER story as well. I've seen many fics about Odysseus and Telemachus in their youth, and never really seen that for Penelope.

[suzannahnatters]

all RIGHT:

Why You're Writing Medieval (and Medieval-Coded) Women Wrong: A RANT

(Or, For the Love of God, People, Stop Pretending Victorian Style Gender Roles Applied to All of History)

This is a problem I see alllll over the place - I'll be reading a medieval-coded book and the women will be told they aren't allowed to fight or learn or work, that they are only supposed to get married, keep house and have babies, &c &c.

If I point this out ppl will be like "yes but there was misogyny back then! women were treated terribly!" and OK. Stop right there.

By & large, what we as a culture think of as misogyny & patriarchy is the expression prevalent in Victorian times - not medieval. (And NO, this is not me blaming Victorians for their theme park version of "medieval history". This is me blaming 21st century people for being ignorant & refusing to do their homework).

Yes, there was misogyny in medieval times, but 1) in many ways it was actually markedly less severe than Victorian misogyny, tyvm - and 2) it was of a quite different type. (Disclaimer: I am speaking specifically of Frankish, Western European medieval women rather than those in other parts of the world. This applies to a lesser extent in Byzantium and I am still learning about women in the medieval Islamic world.)

So, here are the 2 vital things to remember about women when writing medieval or medieval-coded societies

FIRST. Where in Victorian times the primary axes of prejudice were gender and race - so that a male labourer had more rights than a female of the higher classes, and a middle class white man would be treated with more respect than an African or Indian dignitary - In medieval times, the primary axis of prejudice was, overwhelmingly, class. Thus, Frankish crusader knights arguably felt more solidarity with their Muslim opponents of knightly status, than they did their own peasants. Faith and age were also medieval axes of prejudice - children and young people were exploited ruthlessly, sent into war or marriage at 15 (boys) or 12 (girls). Gender was less important.

What this meant was that a medieval woman could expect - indeed demand - to be treated more or less the same way the men of her class were. Where no ancient legal obstacle existed, such as Salic law, a king's daughter could and did expect to rule, even after marriage.

Women of the knightly class could & did arm & fight - something that required a MASSIVE outlay of money, which was obviously at their discretion & disposal. See: Sichelgaita, Isabel de Conches, the unnamed women fighting in armour as knights during the Third Crusade, as recorded by Muslim chroniclers.

Tolkien's Eowyn is a great example of this medieval attitude to class trumping race: complaining that she's being told not to fight, she stresses her class: "I am of the house of Eorl & not a serving woman". She claims her rights, not as a woman, but as a member of the warrior class and the ruling family. Similarly in Renaissance Venice a doge protested the practice which saw 80% of noble women locked into convents for life: if these had been men they would have been "born to command & govern the world". Their class ought to have exempted them from discrimination on the basis of sex.

So, tip #1 for writing medieval women: remember that their class always outweighed their gender. They might be subordinate to the men within their own class, but not to those below.

SECOND. Whereas Victorians saw women's highest calling as marriage & children - the "angel in the house" ennobling & improving their men on a spiritual but rarely practical level - Medievals by contrast prized virginity/celibacy above marriage, seeing it as a way for women to transcend their sex. Often as nuns, saints, mystics; sometimes as warriors, queens, & ladies; always as businesswomen & merchants, women could & did forge their own paths in life

When Elizabeth I claimed to have "the heart & stomach of a king" & adopted the persona of the virgin queen, this was the norm she appealed to. Women could do things; they just had to prove they were Not Like Other Girls. By Elizabeth's time things were already changing: it was the Reformation that switched the ideal to marriage, & the Enlightenment that divorced femininity from reason, aggression & public life.

For more on this topic, read Katherine Hager's article "Endowed With Manly Courage: Medieval Perceptions of Women in Combat" on women who transcended gender to occupy a liminal space as warrior/virgin/saint.

So, tip #2: remember that for medieval women, wife and mother wasn't the ideal, virgin saint was the ideal. By proving yourself "not like other girls" you could gain significant autonomy & freedom.

Finally a bonus tip: if writing about medieval women, be sure to read writing on women's issues from the time so as to understand the terms in which these women spoke about & defended their ambitions. Start with Christine de Pisan.

I learned all this doing the reading for WATCHERS OF OUTREMER, my series of historical fantasy novels set in the medieval crusader states, which were dominated by strong medieval women! Book 5, THE HOUSE OF MOURNING (forthcoming 2023) will focus, to a greater extent than any other novel I've ever yet read or written, on the experience of women during the crusades - as warriors, captives, and political leaders. I can't wait to share it with you all!

[shannonpurdyjones]

Short sample clip because Tumblr is being a butt and refusing to upload the full video without crashing (hellsite my beloved and beloathed)

Here's the link if you want to see the full in-hand spinning demo video with captions (you don't have to subscribe or download anything to watch...I mean it's lovely for me if you do subscribe obviously, but don't let Substack bully you. It's a link. You can open it with no strings, no matter what they say lol.)

More about the textile history inspiration behind my historical fantasy novel Wyrd Weaving below the cut!

When I first conceived of the idea that is now becoming Wyrd Weaving, an historical fantasy novel set between Northumbria and Svealand in the tumultuous early 9th century, I only knew two things for certain. I knew I wanted to write a story centering the lives of women, queer people, and gender-nonconforming people in the 800s. So often stories set in the “Viking Age” center only the pursuits of men (wealthy men especially), and I wanted to dig for what other stories were buried there, waiting to be told. I also knew without doubt that fiber arts would somehow comprise a significant portion of the story’s magical realism elements.

I’ve knitted since my late teens, and have harbored and interest in all sorts of fiber arts for even longer than that. When I decided to get serious about writing a story centering the lives of medieval women (in Europe primarily, though several other unique period cultures factor into the story as well), I knew I had to do a deep dive into historical spinning and weaving. Women at all levels of society spent more time on aspects of cloth production than any other chore during this period, yet arts like spinning and weaving are almost never shown in novels, movies, or TV set in the early Middle Ages.

That wasn’t going to fly for Wyrd Weaving, a story inspired by the countless forgotten fiber artists who quite literally wove the history of our society. This first short video about my (mis)adventures in historical textile research gives you a glimpse at how and why I learned in-hand or “twiddle” spinning, the style of spinning prominent in early 9th century northern Europe. Enjoy!

[thereweredragonshere]

(THIS WAS ORIGINALLY IN REPLY TO AN ASK, UNFORTUNATELY SOMETHING HAPPENED AND THE ASK GOT DELETED)

I really enjoyed (most) of her screen time!

I wasn’t a fan of her in RoB/DoB, mainly because she was more of a plot device than a character. Like they just found some washed up girl, Astrid got jealous (That entire ‘oh there’s another hen in the rooster house) thing felt really fucking odd) and idk she betrayed them or smth. She was a good twist ‘villain’ but other than that I don’t have much more to say there.

In Rtte however, she had a really good plot. She was actually a character instead of a prop! She did another twist villain adjacent stunt with the dragon hunters, and Astrid being the only one clued in was so cool??? They really are such a good duo I love them. And the whole thing with Dagur and Oswald I LOVED. Genuinely one of the most heart breaking moments of of season three when Heather read that scroll oh my gods.

But yeah, overall I do enjoy Heather as a character, but, as for most fictional women, she could’ve done with a touch of whatever magic the arcane writers possess.

[marzipanandminutiae]

I saw a thread in a romance literature forum that was like "do you write mentions of female characters' body hair in period romance? or readers, do you know of any writers who do/do you imagine it when you read those books?" and the responses were wild

people were like "well I don't imagine them accidentally stepping in manure on the streets, or having rotted teeth from eating processed sugar without fluoride treatments, or dying slowly of consumption, so of COURSE I don't imagine women with armpit hair!!! it ruins the fantasy!!!"

like

those things are. not remotely equal my guy

(I can understand not mentioning it for Writing Flow Reasons. I write period fanfic a lot, and there's just very seldom a chance to organically mention body hair. I'm not going to be like "she put on her stockings over her HAIRY LEGS" in a dressing scene, for example, or "her ball gown shimmered like starlight as she whirled around the floor AND ALSO THE SHORT SLEEVES SHOWED HER UNDERARM HAIR WHICH SHE TOTALLY HAD." but. it's not on the same level as disgusting wasting diseases guys)

(that being said when reading my fanfic just assume Edith and Lucille have never shaved anything in their lives okay)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to write a secret society in historical fiction setup? Say, women-only?

Writing Notes: Secret Society

Secret Society

An organization whose members are sworn to secrecy about its activities.

Any of a large range of membership organizations or associations that utilize secret initiations or other rituals and whose members often employ unique oaths, grips (handshakes), or other signs of recognition.

Elements of secrecy may vary from a mere password to elaborate rituals, private languages, costumes, and symbols.

The term may be applied to such widely divergent groups as U.S. college fraternities and sororities, the Ku Klux Klan, and international Freemasonry as well as to similar phenomena in ancient or precolonial cultures.

Historical Fiction

A literary genre where the story takes place in the past.

Historical novels capture the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions.

Many novels in this genre tell fictional stories that involve actual historical figures or historical events.

Characteristics of Historical Fiction

There is a wealth of accurate historical detail relating to setting (geography, customs, beliefs, culture, society, habits) as well as to characters and events.

Story lines may focus on a particular historical event or time period, or they may follow the life of a character (real or fictional). Novels may raise difficult social or moral issues through the plot.

Characters may be real or fictional, but they are portrayed in such a way that they fit the times. The historical setting shapes their lives and actions.

Historical novels are usually big books, with stories that unfold at a leisurely pace. Even shorter Historical novels are usually so densely written that they must be read slowly.

Language and style may affect a reader’s experience. Some readers appreciate an “authentic” style, while others find this distracting. Dialects and format choices (such as epistolary novels) also affect reader reaction.

The tone of Historical novels runs the gamut from rollicking to somber, and this tone may be a major, if unacknowledged, factor in reading choices.

Example of An All-Women Secret Society

Heterodoxy - a secret society that paved the way for modern feminism.

The female debating club’s name referred to the many unorthodox women among its members. They “questioned forms of orthodoxy in culture, in politics, in philosophy—and in sexuality.”

Born as part of the initial wave of modern feminism that emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries with suffrage at its center, the radical ideologies debated at Heterodoxy gatherings extended well beyond the scope of a women’s right to vote. In fact, Heterodoxy had only one requirement for membership: that a woman “not be orthodox in her opinion.”

Heterodoxy met every other Saturday to discuss such issues and see how members might collaborate and cultivate networks of reform. Gatherings were considered a safe space for women to talk, exchange ideas and take action.

With 25 charter members, Heterodoxy included individuals of diverse backgrounds, including lesbian and bisexual women, labor radicals and socialites, and artists and nurses.

Meetings were often held in the basement of Polly’s, a MacDougal Street hangout established by anarchist Polly Holladay. Here, at what Berman calls a “sort of nexus for progressive, artistic, intellectual and political thought,” the women would gather at wooden tables to discuss issues like fair employment and fair wages, reproductive rights, and the antiwar movement.

The meetings often went on for hours, with each typically revolving around a specific subject determined in advance.

As the club’s core members aged, Heterodoxy became more about continuing friendships than debating radical ideologies.

By the early 1940s, the biweekly meetings of Heterodoxy were no more. Still, the club’s legacy lives on, even beyond the scope of modern feminism.

Other Examples. 19th Century Collegiate Secret Societies.

Organized women’s collegiate secret societies formed across America.

These societies were created with the intent of cultivating lifelong friendships with one another, encouraging passionate “sisterly” bonds with all members, and supporting an organized network of women that would encourage their own daughters to carry on this membership into the next generation.

Adopted a motto proclaiming values of boundless loyalty to their fellow “sisters”.

Below are examples of secret societies, their respective mottos, and the dates of their founding:

The Adelphean society (later ΑΔΠ) “We Live for Each Other.” 1851

The Philomathean society (later ΦΜ) “The Faithful Sisters.” 1852

I.C. Sorosis (later ΠΒΦ) “Friends and Leaders for Life.” 1867

Alpha Phi (ΑΦ) “Union Hand in Hand” 1872

Delta Delta Delta (ΔΔΔ) “Let Us Steadfastly Love One Another” 1888

Young girls at boarding school would be “adopted” by older girls who would play as pseudo motherly figures and role models for the younger classes to admire as well as emulate.

This same process can be seen in the pledging processes of collegiate societies.

Example: The Philomathean Society was originally created as a secret literary society, membership in one of these organizations was highly coveted, and the process of mutual selection between a potential new member and the respective society often caused a plethora of emotions to stir.

In their annual yearbook from the year 1900 is a story that was written with the intention to depict what life was like for a Philomathean, and detailed the secrecy and the high emotions that were involved in the pledging process.

Initiated upperclassmen were considered “the girls to be” and were admired by many freshmen for their demeanor and social presence in the school.

As these upperclassmen both from the Adelphean society and the Philomathean society sought out potential new members, there were secret interactions between potential new members and initiated members to try and connect more deeply with each new girl and sway her to pledge to a certain society.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Incorporate elements and characteristics of historical fiction in your story, and research more on which women-only secret society your work will center around. You may even take inspiration from more than one secret society from history. Do go through the sources above as I only included excerpts here. Hope this helps with your writing!

[radioactive-earthshine]

NGL I have STRONG opinions about digital releases omitting the letters to the editor section of older comics. I feel like the letters are a part of comic history and should be aggressively preserved.

[mrsdenasaan]

[burningvelvet]

“Women, for no other crime than having followed the dictates of a natural appetite, are driven with fury from the comforts and sympathies of society. [..] Has a woman obeyed the impulse of unerring nature; — society declares war against her, pitiless and eternal war: she must be the tame slave, she must make no reprisals; theirs is the right of persecution, hers the duty of endurance. She lives a life of infamy: the loud and bitter laugh of scorn scares her from all return. She dies of long and lingering disease: yet she is in fault, she is the criminal, she the froward and untameable child, — and society, forsooth, the pure and virtuous matron, who casts her as an abortion from her undefiled bosom!”

— Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab; A Philosophical Poem; With Notes (1813).

[suzannahnatters]

So here's one of the coolest things that has happened to me as a Tolkien nut and an amateur medievalist. It's also impacted my view of the way Tolkien writes women. Here's Carl Stephenson in MEDIEVAL FEUDALISM, explaining the roots of the ceremony of knighthood: "In the second century after Christ the Roman historian Tacitus wrote an essay which he called Germania, and which has remained justly famous. He declares that the Germans, though divided into numerous tribes, constitute a single people characterised by common traits and a common mode of life. The typical German is a warrior. [...] Except when armed, they perform no business, either private or public. But it is not their custom that any one should assume arms without the formal approval of the tribe. Before the assembly the youth receives a shield and spear from his father, some other relative, or one of the chief men, and this gift corresponds to the toga virilis among the Romans--making him a citizen rather than a member of a household" (pp 2-3). Got it?

Remember how Tolkien was a medievalist who based his Rohirrim on Anglo-Saxon England, which came from those Germanic tribes Tacitus was talking about? Stephenson argues that the customs described by Tacitus continued into the early middle ages eventually giving rise to the medieval feudal system. One of these customs was the gift of arms, which transformed into the ceremony of knighthood: "Tacitus, it will be remembered, describes the ancient German custom by which a youth was presented with a shield and a spear to mark his attainment of man's estate. What seems to the be same ceremony reappears under the Carolingians. In 791, we are told, Charlemagne caused Prince Louis to be girded with a sword in celebration of his adolescence; and forty-seven years later Louis in turn decorated his fifteen-year-old son Charles "with the arms of manhood, i.e., a sword." Here, obviously, we may see the origin of the later adoubement, which long remained a formal investiture with arms, or with some one of them as a symbol. Thus the Bayeux Tapestry represents the knighting of Earl Harold by William of Normandy under the legend: Hic Willelmus dedit Haroldo arma (Here William gave arms to Harold). [...] Scores of other examples are to be found in the French chronicles and chansons de geste, which, despite much variation of detail, agree on the essentials. And whatever the derivation of the words, the English expression "dubbing to knighthood" must have been closely related to the French adoubement" (pp 47-48.)

In its simplest form, according to Stephenson, the ceremony of knighthood included "at most the presentation of a sword, a few words of admonition, and the accolade." OK. So what does this have to do with Tolkien and his women? AHAHAHAHA I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED. First of all, let's agree that Tolkien, a medievalist, undoubtedly was aware of all the above. Second, turn with me in your copy of The Lord of the Rings to chapter 6 of The Two Towers, "The King of the Golden Hall", when Theoden and his councillors agree that Eowyn should lead the people while the men are away at war. (This, of course, was something that medieval noblewomen regularly did: one small example is an 1178 letter from a Hospitaller knight serving in the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem which records that before marching out to the battle of Montgisard, "We put the defence of the Tower of David and the whole city in the hands of our women".) But in The Lord of the Rings, there's a little ceremony.

"'Let her be as lord to the Eorlingas, while we are gone.' 'It shall be so,' said Theoden. 'Let the heralds announce to the folk that the Lady Eowyn will lead them!' Then the king sat upon a seat before his doors and Eowyn knelt before him and received from him a sword and a fair corselet."

I YELLED when I realised what I was reading right there. You see, the king doesn't just have the heralds announce that Eowyn is in charge. He gives her weapons.

Theoden makes Eowyn a knight of the Riddermark.

Not only that, but I think this is a huge deal for several reasons. That is, Tolkien knew what he was doing here.

From my reading in medieval history, I'm aware of women choosing to fight and bear arms, as well as becoming military leaders while the men are away at some war or as prisoners. What I haven't seen is women actually receiving knighthood. Anyone could fight as a knight if they could afford the (very pricy) horse and armour, and anyone could lead a nation as long as they were accepted by the leaders. But you just don't see women getting knighted like this.

Tolkien therefore chose to write a medieval-coded society, Rohan, where women arguably had greater equality with men than they did in actual medieval societies.

I think that should tell us something about who Tolkien was as a person and how he viewed women - perhaps he didn't write them with equal parity to men (there are undeniably more prominent male characters in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, at least, than female) but compared to the medieval societies that were his life's work, and arguably even compared to the society he lived in, he was remarkably egalitarian.

I think it should also tell us something about the craft of writing fantasy.

No, you don't have to include gut wrenching misogyny and violence against women in order to write "realistic" medieval-inspired fantasy.

Tolkien's fantasy worlds are DEEPLY informed by medieval history to an extent most laypeople will never fully appreciate. The attitudes, the language, the ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS use of medieval military tactics...heck, even just the way that people travel long distances on foot...all of it is brilliantly medieval.

The fact that Theoden bestows arms on Eowyn is just one tiny detail that is deeply rooted in medieval history. Even though he's giving those arms to a woman in a fantasy land full of elves and hobbits and wizards, it's still a wonderfully historically accurate detail.

Of course, I've ranted before about how misogyny and sexism wasn't actually as bad in medieval times as a lot of people today think. But from the way SOME fantasy authors talk, you'd think that historical accuracy will disappear in a puff of smoke if every woman in the dragon-infested fantasy land isn't being traumatised on the regular.

Tolkien did better. Be like Tolkien.

[mx-loar-tev]

If I had money I would hire some thug to find the producers or whatever head honchos that got to decide that making some character or another canonically queer was a bad idea for whatever bullshit reasons and the thug would just shake them like a fruit tree until the guys in charge would admit being homophobic assholes and they would promise to let writers make same-gender characters fall in love with each other if the comedians had enough chemistry, but also to include more diverse identities. The thug would force them to write it all down and sign it.

If I could do that a few times, imagine how different TV shows would become.

If I had money I would spend it all to please the gays and queers.

[theafroamericaine]

The Zoot Suit in Black Culture

In today's history lesson, we will discuss the vintage zoot suit, a men's suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders.

The Chitlin Circuit (during the era of US racial segregation) was a network of clubs, theaters, and other venues where Black entertainers were allowed to perform, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary. These hotspots had comedy shows where entertainers such as Pigmeat Markham would dress up in baggy suits as part of their routine. This took place in the 1920s, eventually giving way to the more flamboyant, stylish and colorful zoot suit.

Born out of the inner city ghettos and African-American creativity, the suits were first associated with cities such as Harlem, Detroit and Chicago in the 30's. Musicians helped popularize the suit with a more tailored distinguished look, Cab Calloway, an American entertainer, famously wore the zoot suit in the movie, Stormy Weather (1943). Jazz and Jump Blues were all the rage back then and you could spot these suits at the dance halls.

“The zoot was not a costume or uniform from the world of entertainment. It came right off the street and out of the ghetto.” -Harold C. Fox, a Chicago clothier

According to Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue: A "Hepster's" Dictionary (1938), he called the zoot suit "the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit."

It was the signature look of the African-American subculture of Hepcats. A young Malcolm X could be seen wearing one. Dancers to businessmen to singers to instrumentalists, all dressed in zoots. It wasn't just about making a fashion statement, but a sense of cultural pride.

The look picked up in other communities such as the Mexicans, Filipinos, Japanese etc... forming their subcultures respectively.

On June 3, 1943, a string of attacks against Mexican-Americans started in Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Approximately 11 sailors got into a heated confrontation with some young Mexican-Americans and proceeded to assault them. The next day, hundreds of sailors traveled to a predominantly Mexican-American settlement in East Los Angeles and began another assault. Harassing anyone who wore a zoot suit, making them strip and burning their clothes. White residents and servicemen used the excuse that the zoots weren't "patriotic" due to it containing large amounts of fabric. This is during World War II were rationing food and fabrics were seen as necessary. This vicious and violent behavior spread to different cities leaving nothing, but devastation and trauma in its wake. These were known as the infamous Zoot Suit Riots of 1943.

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4

[finitalacommediah]

sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm busy. I've been staring at the wall for hours after finishing a book that changed something in me, I'll call you later, yep, bye.

[eclecticclepto]

“In short: I felt my existence was tainted, in some subtle but essential way.” (Donna Tartt, The Secret History)

[astrosouldivinity]

𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙷𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑 & 𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙰𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚞𝚜 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 ♒️ 🤎

Affirmations: 📝

𝙸 𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜.

𝙸 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.

𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢.

[vifetoile]

In fond allusion to this post:

All my female ancestors watching over me like "Look at her... she has time to study art and politics and history... she spends her time writing stories that mean something to her..."

"She can take a pill for pain whenever she wants! A mysterious thing called Advil that eases the Curse of Eve!"

"Forget Eve, our great-great granddaughter doesn't have to go to Mass three times a week! She can say what she thinks!"

"She only sews and bakes when she wants to, when she wants to make beautiful things!"

"Thirty-three and she's young and strong, not saddled with babies and family members to take care of... she's taking care of herself and helping out her parents too--- that's our girl! That's OUR GIRL!"