Such a great read! I’ll pick it up from time to time and just get the best chuckle from her clear Aristotelian disdain. Thanks for spending time with my words and my attempts to build another city of ladies 💜
I wrote a chapter on Marie de Gournay in my first book and an Oxford bibliography on her as well. The value and importance of her friendship with Michel de Montaigne, the essayist, continues to be dismissed. Montaigne stated plainly that his friendship to Gournay was akin to the one he shared with Etienne la Boétie. Centuries of scholarship have praised Montaigne’s essay on that friendship with La Boétie (“On friendship”). Equally, centuries of scholarship — until this day — have dismissed his friendship with Gournay, or picked it apart, claiming she made it up, or that there was no way it could have come close what he claimed he had felt for La Boétie. Scholars I know who have worked on her have had to respond to questions from other scholars - in the 21st century — about whether she slept with Montaigne. They cannot conceive that an older man would have any respect for the intellect or friendship of a younger woman. Gournay faced so much sexist disparagement in her own lifetime, but she never stopped writing or editing.
Oh my goodness, I am so glad you left this Note. While I was researching her I ran into some of this patriarchal bias (never disclosed, of course) and I stepped right back out of the research and kept it surface level. It felt too much to unpack in this piece, but I need not -- you have started this! I would love to read that and will absolutely be googling that book. This bias is such an imposition, and has tarnished so much of our history. I hate that we sit so many hundreds of years apart from her, yet we still can't tell her we've moved beyond such disparagement.
Into Print: The Production of Female Authorship in Early Modern France (2009), back when I was a very young academic. Chapter 5. Not really to be purchased (ever) by an individual because it is way too expensive as most academic books are. And why is that? Another form of gatekeeping. But that’s a different topic of conversation. What is clear to me is that feminist scholars have been saying these things, about these historical figures, for decades. Now it is entering a broader conversation, thanks in part to newsletters like yours.
Oh goodness, the scholarly gatekeeping and monopolization is just too much to add here, yes. I was just thinking about this very topic this weekend after yet another frustrating research experience.
I appreciate you saying so--and I hope you know your words do such too! ❤️
Kate thank you for mentioning me in this firebrand of an essay. This masterpiece demands time to be read with attention and care. I am sure to back here with thoughts as I do. Your brilliance and perseverance to write such extensive pieces astounds me and inspires me deeply. Just stopping here to tell you this 💜
I couldn't go to the Capitol Crawl, but I did donate to a local woman who could -- who I knew from a mailing list so that she could afford it. Was so excited to see pictures of her there.
What a survey of she-roes! It could be a banner for the ages! Thank you for shining light on on the great undercurrent of wisdom figures who carry truth each step of the way! Thank you.
draws for future society building, but if they are just a patriarchal version of those things, then all of this oppression will still occur, just through different manifestations.
I was a little nervous to publish this one, thank you for spending your time with and thank you so very much for the kind words. Means a lot, especially when nerves enter the headspace! 💜💜
Have you read the graphic novel The Legend of Auntie Po? It’s Paul Bunyan reimagined as a Chinese woman in California.
Love this. I read City of Ladies years ago--I think I need to read it again!
Such a great read! I’ll pick it up from time to time and just get the best chuckle from her clear Aristotelian disdain. Thanks for spending time with my words and my attempts to build another city of ladies 💜
I love this idea. Now I want to make a book of comics about female folk heroes!!!!
Oh my gosh I love THAT idea!!! Thank you for spending time in my version of a city of ladies! I’m so grateful!
I wrote a chapter on Marie de Gournay in my first book and an Oxford bibliography on her as well. The value and importance of her friendship with Michel de Montaigne, the essayist, continues to be dismissed. Montaigne stated plainly that his friendship to Gournay was akin to the one he shared with Etienne la Boétie. Centuries of scholarship have praised Montaigne’s essay on that friendship with La Boétie (“On friendship”). Equally, centuries of scholarship — until this day — have dismissed his friendship with Gournay, or picked it apart, claiming she made it up, or that there was no way it could have come close what he claimed he had felt for La Boétie. Scholars I know who have worked on her have had to respond to questions from other scholars - in the 21st century — about whether she slept with Montaigne. They cannot conceive that an older man would have any respect for the intellect or friendship of a younger woman. Gournay faced so much sexist disparagement in her own lifetime, but she never stopped writing or editing.
P.S. You clearly have me thinking of Gournay again! Thank you for this 😊
Please know if you ever share some of those thoughts here, I will vivaciously consume that gift of knowledge!!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad you left this Note. While I was researching her I ran into some of this patriarchal bias (never disclosed, of course) and I stepped right back out of the research and kept it surface level. It felt too much to unpack in this piece, but I need not -- you have started this! I would love to read that and will absolutely be googling that book. This bias is such an imposition, and has tarnished so much of our history. I hate that we sit so many hundreds of years apart from her, yet we still can't tell her we've moved beyond such disparagement.
Into Print: The Production of Female Authorship in Early Modern France (2009), back when I was a very young academic. Chapter 5. Not really to be purchased (ever) by an individual because it is way too expensive as most academic books are. And why is that? Another form of gatekeeping. But that’s a different topic of conversation. What is clear to me is that feminist scholars have been saying these things, about these historical figures, for decades. Now it is entering a broader conversation, thanks in part to newsletters like yours.
Oh goodness, the scholarly gatekeeping and monopolization is just too much to add here, yes. I was just thinking about this very topic this weekend after yet another frustrating research experience.
I appreciate you saying so--and I hope you know your words do such too! ❤️
Kate thank you for mentioning me in this firebrand of an essay. This masterpiece demands time to be read with attention and care. I am sure to back here with thoughts as I do. Your brilliance and perseverance to write such extensive pieces astounds me and inspires me deeply. Just stopping here to tell you this 💜
I am equally in awe of you, my friend! ❤️
I couldn't go to the Capitol Crawl, but I did donate to a local woman who could -- who I knew from a mailing list so that she could afford it. Was so excited to see pictures of her there.
What an event, my goodness! Going through the photos and witnessing the activists—such power! Thank you for spending your time with my words 💜
What a survey of she-roes! It could be a banner for the ages! Thank you for shining light on on the great undercurrent of wisdom figures who carry truth each step of the way! Thank you.
Thank you for spending your time with my words and this mini city of ladies!!! There has been such power before us, we deserve to know of it. 💜
yes!
💜💜💜 Thank you for spending time with my words!
I think both communist and socialist ideals have
draws for future society building, but if they are just a patriarchal version of those things, then all of this oppression will still occur, just through different manifestations.
I was a little nervous to publish this one, thank you for spending your time with and thank you so very much for the kind words. Means a lot, especially when nerves enter the headspace! 💜💜