Re-Feminist History (aka Bitchstory)

I watched the latest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale this week. I won’t spoil it—don’t worry. But I will say this: it left me staring at the screen long after the credits rolled, the weight of something familiar pressing down on my chest. Not just grief. Not just anger. But something heavier. A tiredness that feels like it’s soaked into my bones. A kind of exhaustion I’ve come to recognize: feminist rage fatigue. It’s the fatigue that builds when you’ve spent years—maybe a lifetime—carrying rage that has nowhere to go. Rage at policies that strip us of autonomy. Rage at watching history repeat itself, only more brazenly. Rage at being told—again and again—that our pain is political, our grief is dramatic, our anger is unattractive. The Handmaid’s Tale is fiction. I know that. But it’s also a mirror, and sometimes the reflection is too close for comfort. You don’t need a scarlet cloak and white bonnet to feel the control tightening around you. In parts of the United States, it a...

I don’t have a Bitchstory article this week because Lisa and I had to reschedule a bit. We will be back at it within the week, and we have some cool guests coming soon! But in the meantime, please enjoy this walk down memory lane with me… I was just sitting and watching a true crime documentary and had a realization… One of the most interesting things about aging is the perspective you gain on the life you’ve lived.  More on that in a moment…   Most people who meet me or know me think of me as a pretty lively personality, but for much of my youth I tried to remain unnoticed and I was dysfunctionally shy. I have always played small, either to avoid making other people uncomfortable, or displeased, or to avoid drawing attention to myself (for a few reasons).  The latter half of grade school was an era when I was definitely not playing small.  I JUST realized as I was typing that, that astrologically, when you are 12 you experience your first Jupiter Return, which can c...

  Follow us on Instagram: @bitchstory.pod The latest episode is here: T he Librarian and the Astrophysicist In last week’s blog I covered the first black librarian, Belle Da Costa Greene, From Lorrie Zimmer’s book “ I’m Not Your Muse” . This week I’m providing a summary about an astrophysicist whose story we found in Karen Wang Diggs’ book “ Awesome Asian women ”.  Dr. Mazlan Othman is a pioneering Malaysian astrophysicist renowned for her groundbreaking work in space science and her role in elevating Malaysia’s presence in the international scientific community. Born in 1951 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, she pursued her passion for astronomy at the University of Otago in New Zealand, where she became the first Malaysian woman to earn a PhD in physics. Dr. Mazlan’s career has been marked by a series of firsts. She played a central role in developing Malaysia’s space program, including overseeing the training and successful launch of the country’s first astronaut, Sheikh Musza...

Follow us on Instagram: @bitchstory.pod The latest episode is here:  T he Librarian and the Astrophysicist This week we are highlighting a couple of badass ladies that we plucked out of the 2 books that came to our attention via listeners or followers of the pod - the first black librarian Belle da Costa Greene came from Lori's book, and from Karen's book, astrophysicist Dr. Mazlan Othman ! Lori's book arrived in our mail from her publicist, and it is great. The art is lovely. The pages are glossy.  It's a beautiful book.  Karen's book came to my attention in the comments on Bitchstory's instagram.  Her username caught my eye and I clicked on her and then we lickity split purchased her book.  If you're a teacher or you're into women's history, I highly recommend either of these books! Are teachers still allowed to teach about women? Probably not. But buy it anyway because someday shit will get back to normal!  Belle da Costa Greene was a young woma...

  Follow us on Instagram: @bitchstory.pod Email us at “heybitches@bitchstory.net” The latest episode is here:  The Edinburgh Seven Sophia Jex-Blake was a pioneering figure in the history of medicine and women's education. Born on January 21, 1840, in Hastings, Sussex, she came from a prestigious family and was well-educated for her time. Her career trajectory and personal life are marked by both her dedication to advancing women's rights and her contributions to medical education. Sophia Jex-Blake initially pursued a career in teaching but later became inspired to enter the medical field after a stint in the United States. There, she witnessed co-educational institutions, which profoundly influenced her perception of women's potential in medicine  In 1869, Sophia published her influential essay, "Medicine as a Profession for Women," advocating for women's participation in the medical field  This same year, she applied to study medicine at the University of Ed...

Follow us on Instagram: @bitchstory.pod Email us at “heybitches@bitchstory.net” The latest episode is here: The Edinburgh Seven On November 18, 1870, a group of young women in Edinburgh, Scotland were pelted with garbage, mud, insults, and threats as they tried to enter a University building to take a test.  Their crimes? They were women, attempting to attend medical school.  They were called, among other things, whores.  Because why else would women want to become doctors than to fulfill some "base desires"? Did anyone question the men in this regard? Of course not. A man becoming a doctor is a high calling.  And why would anyone, let alone vulnerable women, want to see a doctor that was anything other than a big, strong man?  Absurd, isn't it? And yet, that's exactly what happened.  This group of women became known as "The Edinburgh Seven".  There were more than 7, those were just the ones who were the most vocal and "brazen".  Some of the 7 gra...

  Follow us on Instagram: @bitchstory.pod Email us at “heybitches@bitchstory.net” The latest episode is here: The Real Housewives of the Revolution   Last week’s blog was half of the make-believe cast of our make-believe show “ The Real Housewives of the Revolution“ which Lisa and I talked about on our most recent podcast episode. The premise behind this episode is that when all of the men with the great names that we all grew up, learning went off to fight the revolutionary war they left behind their wives and most of their children to fend for themselves take care of the Homestead, etc., but many of these women did things above and beyond the ordinary roles of housewives, and we weren’t taught about any of their accomplishments… They’re just known as so-and-so‘s wife. And I don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of women being defined by their fathers, husbands, or brothers. I mean, I loved my dad. I love my husband and I love my brother, but you would be hard-pressed to...