I found this lovely image—most likely of the great warrior Queen, Matilda of Tuscany—and thought how familiar she looked, banded together with her sisters-in-arms, swords and longbows, arrows, and beautiful dresses. Though Matilda was certainly far more powerful and effective as a warrior queen, this image seemed like a perfect illustration for a band of […]
Banished Brides and Longbows Read More »
I love these wildly imaginative graphite portraits of "People Inconvenienced by Objects and Thought" by Stefan Zsaitits. They look almost exactly how my head feels right now. itchy, scratchy, and aggravated by an eye infection. It has been something of a rough road for these last four months as we traveled from Longmont, Colorado, to
People Inconvienced by Objects and Thoughts Read More »
I am heading to the desert for a while and bringing new projects along….looking forward to the dry cool nights, and the stars high overhead. And then I found these fall beauties from Madeleine Tosh! Let's see how fast I can knit while trying to finish preparing a second novel for re-release (Flight of Michael
By the Work of Hands, We Heal Ourselves. Read More »
Every morning we hike at sunrise to watch the sun lift in the east and light up the Flat Irons in the west. The path is full of river stones and rocks. And at this one, I stop and say hello — for it seems to me a perfect description of my working life: weaving,
How I See Myself In the Stones Read More »
I am rather in love with this painting of the Women's Regatta in Venice by Gabriele Bella, 1730-1799 (click on for a larger view). I had no idea that women were accomplished rowers, though it does on reflection make a certain amount of sense. If one lives on the waters and the canals, or course
Tearing Up The Canals: The Women’s Regatta in Venice, 18th Century Read More »
Penelope Writes to Odysseus I am still in awe of these amazing little Medieval illustrations of the classical Greek and Latin heroines of Ovid writing imaginary epistles. Ovid’s work was translated into French by poet Octavien de Saint-Gelais, and it so delighted Louise of Savoy (1476-1531), mother of the future king Francis I of France,
When Heroines Write Their Own Stories Read More »
*Please note that posters in the comments provide links to pages that no longer exist — sadly! Yale at one point removed the archive of images from public view. I am sitting at my desk transported by the digital images of the Voynich Manuscript, created sometime between the late 15th century and early 16th
The Voynich Manuscript: Magic, A Garden of Women, and a Secret Language Read More »
I have just finished a conference where we read and discussed in great depth Emile Zola's novel, Au Bonheur Des Dames (The Ladies Delight.) The novel, set in the late 1860's, centers on the invention of the department store (based on the historical store Bon Marché in Paris). The owner Mouret — a scoundrel and
The Splendor Of Shopping: Emile Zola and Au Bonheur Des Dames (The Ladies’ Delight) Read More »
