Jo March Makes a Choice: Thoughts on Greta Gerwig’s Adaptation

I’m excited about Greta Gerwig’s newest adaptation of Little Women, despite how often I’ve bemoaned the lack of other Alcott works on the big screen. The first trailer for the upcoming version has recently premiered. Now we can see our favorite and notable actors in costume. At one point in the trailer, Saoirse Ronan’s Jo…

Subversive Bodies: Talking about Tattoo Taboo and the Marvelous Maud Wagner

I always want to talk about tattoos; about the six that I have, about the hundreds I want. My friend and I collect “inspo” pictures on Pinterest and scan our bodies for available space. As I’m writing this, a business card is pinned against my wall with a date, time, and quote for my next…

Anne Lister: “Behind Her Back, She’s Gentleman Jack, A Yorkshire Lady of Renown”

Anne Lister: fearless landowner, unabashed lesbian. But does her predatory courting of Ann Walker change how we should view her?

Leonetto Cappiello and His Vibrant Caricatures

The Artist: Who Was Leonetto Cappiello? In the Italian resort town of Livorno, the “poster master” was born. His talents were revealed early in life: at the age of eleven he created two oil portraits as well as copied versions of famous works such as Raphael’s Transfiguration. 1 His hunger for the arts evolved into a…

Visiting New England: A Look at America’s History

I’ve taken a rather lengthy break from this blog, mostly because I’ve been travelling and managing deadlines with other writing projects. While on this hiatus, I had the chance to visit a dear friend from high school. We spent a few months planning out the trip because that’s who we are: we like outlines and…

Eye Miniatures by Fatima Ronquillo

See this work on the “Learn About Art” page The Artist: Who is Fatima Ronquillo? Born in the Philippines in 1976, Fatima Ronquillo is a self-taught contemporary artist whose work evokes memories of childhood fairy tales. When she was eleven years old, she and her family immigrated to San Antonio, Texas. She now works out…

Is It Collusion? Talking about “Women Collaborators” and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

*This post contains book & film spoilers Last week, anyone with a Netflix account and a love for Annie Barrows’ and Mary Ann Shaffer’s novel was jumping for joy. The adaptation starring half the Downton Abbey cast (Lily James, Jessica Brown Findlay, Matthew Goode, and Penelope Wilton) premiered, and I can safely say that I…

Maria Cristina de Borbon Dos Sicilias by Vicente Lopéz, 1830

See this work on the “Learn About Art” page.     The Artist: Who Was Vicente López? Born in Valencia, Spain in 1772, Vicente López made a name for himself as one of the best portrait artists of the 18th century. At the tender age of thirteen, Vicente began his formal training  in painting under the tutelage…

Under the Tuscan Sun: Frances Mayes’ Fascination with the Etruscans

Six bug bites and a strange sunburn later, I’ve returned from vacation. In the stifling (yet somehow comforting) moist heat of the Caribbean I read Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. I packed this beautiful sienna and vermilion book into my carry on with the hopes that I would love it as much as…

Who’s That Girl? Édouard Manet’s Bar Maid and Parisian Prostitution

*this post contains nudity* Édouard Manet was a French painter and notable figure in the transition from realism to impressionism. He is, perhaps, best known for his last major work entitled “A Bar at the Folies Bergère,” which was completed in 1882. The painting is beset with deep blue hues and a forlorn female subject…