DIGEST November 2021
FMUS DEBATE
A debate is currently raging in academic and progressive circles about the use of the word “woman.” Is it sufficiently inclusive, or does it leave out trans and non-binary persons? Is there such a thing as biological sex? Should we speak about “bodies with vaginas”? What should famous feminists think?! Can we still talk about women?
Read the full piece here.
FMUS RECOMMENDATIONS
MY LATEST IN MS. MAGAZINE
Here is my most recent piece in Ms. Magazine: “Are Women Human Beings?” about the danger posed to women by current right-wing efforts to have fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses recognized as persons. The Supreme Court of the United States will issue several judgments on abortion rights in the coming year, which could have much broader implications for women’s rights overall.
Go to full article.
BAROQUE AMAZONS
I am a big fan of baroque music and opera (17th and part of the 18th century in Europe). Think Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Monteverdi and in the French repertory, Charpentier, Lully, Rameau, Couperin and others. Like jazz, baroque music relies on improvisation: the basic melody was written, but many of the arrangements and embellishments were left to the performers. It’s also full of dance music of that era!
The pieces are all about Amazons, these mysterious and mythical female warriors of Antiquity who did not need men. This topic clearly fascinated (and threatened?) male composers of the baroque period, who wrote many songs about Amazons. Lea calls the record, “a hymn to the women who have guided me and continually amazed me with their kindness, their loyalty, the magic of their artistry and the strength of their action.” What could be better than that?
Listen Here.