cultural narratives

Mary of Teck

Queen Elizabeth I died on March 24, but she was not the only English monarch to die on this day. George V’s queen consort, Mary of Teck, died on March 24, 1953 — exactly 350 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth. Coincidently, Mary’s death occurred in the first year in the reign of her… Read more Mary of Teck

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

If you are one of the many, MANY people celebrating St. Patrick’s today – either from genuine Irish pride or because you are using your great-grandmother’s potential 1/8 Gaelic heritage as an excuse to get wasted and party this weekend – you will be enjoying the festivities because of all the Irish who strove and… Read more Happy St. Patrick’s Day

More Jezebel than Isabel

I recently wrote about Joan of England, Queen of Scotland, who is little known because she was a quintessentially nice young lady. Her mother, Isabella of Angoulême, was not such a nice young lady and as such she is a much more intriguing historical figure – albeit more famous in France than in England. Why… Read more More Jezebel than Isabel

Food for Thought

The recently released results of a metadata analysis found that organic meat and dairy products do indeed have some nutritional differences when compared to conventional beef and milk. The organic meat and dairy has significantly more Omega-3 fatty acids (yay!) and significantly less iodine (boo!) than ‘regular’ meat and milk. As usual, the benefits of… Read more Food for Thought

Fictions and Factions

Historical fiction is a touchy subject for reasons that I, as someone with Asperger’s syndrome, have a hard time fathoming. There is fiction, and there is fact, and if the twain don’t meet 100% then it is historical fiction. In fact, historical fiction that is 100% accurate in historical details (how I do love Susan… Read more Fictions and Factions

From Whence Science

Back when the earth was still cooling and I was in grad school, I took a class on anthropological theory. Now, I am a semi-postmodern girl, in that I think the truth is highly subjective and relative … but I do think some things are provable data. The graduate school I was attending was, at… Read more From Whence Science

Beyoncé and Entertainment as a Site of Resistance

Today, I had planned on discussing the birth and death of Elizabeth of York. Alas, I feel as though I must discuss Beyoncé’s performance at the 2016 Super Bowl before it and its civil rights message loses cultural focus. First, a celebration of one’s heritage and ancestry only seems to be problematic  in America when… Read more Beyoncé and Entertainment as a Site of Resistance