Books
Iconography: Morgan le Fay
One of the world's most enduring literary traditions has to be the Arthurian legend, which gives us the most intriguing figure of Morgan le Fay. Mother, sister, lover, healer, and witch, she's had to be extremely flexible to fit the changing requirements of Arthurian narratives. She's been an ally... Read more »
Iconography: Independent Women
We're going to leave the 19th century soon, but not before we've covered a certain breed of independent woman literary icon. At a time when divorce was the height of scandal, Louise Mallard and Nora Helmer were literary characters who looked to a better life without their husbands. And they... Read more »
Beyond the Panel: An interview with Dorothy Gambrell of Cat and Girl
Hello, and welcome to Bitch’s new weekly series on webcomics, Beyond the Panel! I’m Rachel McCarthy James, sometimes known as RMJ. You may remember me from my previous guest-blogging stint here last summer, TelevIsm, or my blog, Deeply... Read more »
Bibliobitch: Of Lamb
I'm super excited for Of Lamb, the new book from poet Matthea Harvey and artist Amy Jean Porter, so although it hasn't been published yet I thought I'd share a sneak peek. The book is one long erasure... Read more »
Iconography: Jane Austen, a Contemporary Kind of Lady
Jane Austen has quite the hold over the contemporary imagination. Not only are her books still bestsellers almost 200 years after her death, but there's a veritable industry around adapting and appropriating her work. From The Jane Austen Book Club to... Read more »
Iconography: Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, and Clashing Worlds in 19th Century England
Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South (1855) and George Eliot's Daniel Deronda (1876) are two of my favorite novels. They're both set in 19th century England, and written by women, so those are two big ticks right there. But one of the main reasons I like them both so much is that... Read more »
Adventures in Feministory: Maya Angelou
Through Maya Angelou’s grief, she started writing what would become perhaps the most famous series of autobiographies published in English; a series without precedent and which seems impossible to follow.
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Iconography: Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre
It's time to head back to the nineteenth century, and one Miss Charlotte Brontë. Jane Eyre (1847) is, of course, one of the most widely-read books in the English language. But I wonder about the kinds of readings that are to be had here. And I wonder what I'm getting out of this book that... Read more »
Iconography: It
Discuss the women of crime, that is. Crime fiction is still seen as very much a gentleman's genre, something at which fans of Agatha Christie and Patricia Highsmith, for a start, scoff vigorously (if scoffing can be performed vigorously). It isn't all Arthur Conan Doyle or hardboiled detectives... Read more »
B-Sides: Jay-Z's Lyrics, "Decoded"
Jay-Z is arguably the most successful hip-hop artist in the world. He owns a sports team, created a... Read more »
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