Women and Power by Mary Beard
It seems timely to recommend a recent book by the classical scholar Mary Beard --- Women and Power: A Manifesto (Liveright Publishing, 2017). It consists of two essays previously published in The London Review of Books, "The Public Voice of Women" and "Women in Power," which some of you may have read already. Beard does an impressive job of weaving themes from classical literature and history into contemporary women's history and her own experiences as a public intellectual. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations.
Wishing all of you a happy and successful new year,
Joanne Lafler
2 Replies
Post ReplyI agree Joanne - I got the book as a Christmas present and really enjoyed it - a quick read too, but with much to provoke discussion and more thought. Her historical perspective is invaluable, and draws on her scholarship in the classics. She also points to OUR need to discuss and think and speak (!) to develop a manifesto - she admits she isn't there yet in framing the manifesto, and I found that endeared me to her work even more. I had already admired her work on Ancient Roman studies, but this drew me into her other ideas in a refreshing and engaging way, especially as I was already aware of how she was attacked so cruelly on social media, and that I needed to find out how she had responded to it. And here is her reply in her book - a great way to exercise her voice! But I was left with one thought - we must all converse, must develop that manifesto in her title!!
Mary Beard was interviewed about this book on the PBS Newshour on December 29 - a very informative discussion, worth the seven or eight minutes to watch.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-long-history-of-not-being-tak…
http://to.pbs.org/2lkoR2V