Commonplacing

Freya Rohn

Apr 21, 2023

10 links and a poem:

This fantastic program supports the production of plays written by women.

A review of a documentary on the male gaze of the camera, and how film fosters a culture of objectifying women.

Recently finished The Ruin of All Witches by Malcolm Gaskill—a fascinating close read of one couple accused of witchcraft in New England.

The history and significance of the Ukrainian paska or Easter bread.

A calendar of flowers’ bloom cycle in Japan.

An article about the amazing work of Hildegard von Bingen.

And the latest issue of Lapham’s Quarterly on the topic of freedom has quite a few gems:

Such as the words of Huron Chief, Kandiaronk: I affirm that what you call silver is the devil of devils, the tyrant of the French, the source of all evil, the bane of souls, and the slaughterhouse of the living. To pretend you can live in the country of money and at the same time save one’s soul is as great a contradiction as for a man to go to the bottom of a lake to preserve his life.
These words of Gerrard Winstanley in 1649, who was part of the Digger movement: So long as we, or any other, doth own the earth to be the peculiar interest of lords and landlords, and not common to others as well as them, we hold creation under bondage. Those that buy and sell land, and are landlords, have got it either by oppression, or murder, or theft…
And have been thinking about these words a lot as my son will soon be applying to college…. If you want a good job, you will have to go to college; if you go to college, you will have to take on debt; and if you want to pay off your debt, you will have to study what money wants you to study (for the most part, business and the STEM disciplines). In case you miss the point here—and almost everyone does—this is naked social coercion.”

I love that our neighborhood moose still feels like it's a good spot to take a nap in. And patterns emerging in the melt of spring.

Also—social media. Have I mentioned how little patience I have for it? But I have enjoyed Notes the past couple of weeks. And my last post was shared, which is always lovely. And then I was also trolled, which is…not. I was even called some woke lady! ha! Indeed.

So I thought I’d share the work of Delarivier Manley, whom I wrote about this week. Somehow, the more things change, the more things stay the same, as the saying goes…

To the Author of Agnes de Castro
Orinda, and the Fair Astrea gone,
Not one was found to fill the Vacant Throne:
Aspiring Man had quite regain'd the Sway,
Till you (Natures third start, in favour of our Kind)
With stronger Arms, their Empire have disjoyn'd,
And snatcht a Lawrel which they thought their Prize,
Thus Conqu'ror, with your Wit, as with your Eyes.
Fired by the bold Example, I would try
To turn our Sexes weaker Destiny.
O! How I long in the Poetick Race,
To loose the Reins, and give their Glory Chase;
For thus Encourag'd, and thus led by you,
Methinks we might more Crowns than theirs Subdue.
                                      --Delarivier Manley (1674-1724)