Lenora Rogers's Blog, page 26
August 22, 2017
#TellHerStory this Black History Month
October is fast approaching and for Black History Month this year I want to do something different.
Despite the many brilliant sheroes who feature on the blog, not enough of them are women of colour. If women’s histories are neglected, then black women’s histories are neglected even more so. I want to correct the imbalance so I’m putting out a call to #TellHerStory during Black History month this year.
I’d like to share the stories of as many black sheroes as possible during Black History...
Knowing Your Ghosts: Robert Graves and the Dark Side of the Moon
The poet, playwright and combat veteran of The Great War who was left for dead, Robert Graves, is known for a great body of work. My favourite, though, is a book called The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth.
In it, he posits that there are two kinds of knowing: solar (think of Apollo as the sun god of myth) which is material, scientific, mathematics, “practical,” grounded, the out in the open – and associated with patriarchal religion. The other knowledg...
August 14, 2017
Simeon Solomon, Infamous Jewish Pre-Raphaelite
On the 14th of August 1905, English Pre-Raphaelite painter Simeon Solomon died in London. He is famous for his dreamy paintings with subjects which often included scenes from the Hebrew Bible and genre paintings depicting Jewish life and rituals. Infamously, in 1873, at the age of 32, his career was cut short when he was arrested in a public urinal at Stratford Place Mews, off Oxford Street, in London and charged with attempting to commit sodomy. “He was tried and condemned to ei...
Lincoln and Sherman: Plugging the Hole
When Abraham Lincoln became President, he knew very little about the military. He learned quickly.
The Bull Run Debacle
The first Battle of Bull Run was a disaster for the Union Army.
The Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, was an eye-opener on many levels. The Union forces, mostly short term volunteers, had little training or experience, perhaps too much hoo-rahing, and a belief that one big brouhaha would be fought, the Rebs whipped, and the so-called “war” wo...
Preview: Rossino, “Six Days in September”
Just in from Savas Beatie is the unedited galley proof of Six Days in September: A Novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, 1862, by Alexander B. Rossino. (It appears that this is a new edition of the work previously published in 2015.) Novels are problematic subjects for a preview, since the typical features of notes, bibliography, maps, prefaces, and conclusions aren’t present. The subject matter is self-explanatory, thanks again to the post-colon subtitle. A flip-through reveals tha...
Jane Grey, the early years: An Outstanding Prodigy & Evangelical leader in the making
There is no question that Jane Grey was for all intent and purposes a prodigy, even for her times. Today we expect children to learn the basics. But back in the sixteenth century, things were different, especially for noblewomen, who were expected to make their families proud by finding a suitable husband who’d make a powerful ally. In the case of Jane Grey, being the eldest of her sisters, meant she had to meet most of society’s expectations. Having royal blood, an...
Jane Austen Playing Cards ~ your last chance to be in the game!
Gentle Readers:
Here’s your chance to be part of a Kickstarter effort to make a lovely set of Jane Austen Playing Cards a reality: I have facebooked this all over the place, but now doing a quick post to alert all that time is almost up and there is only about $1500 to go to reach the final goal by August 16, 2017, 7:15 pm EDT.
If you visit the blog Just Jane 1813, you will find a complete post on the cards with many pictures… then head over to the Kickstarter page a...
August 13, 2017
Track of the Day – MASSIVE ‘Calm Before The Storm’
Australian band Massive has been one of my favourite rock-bands since I first listened to them back in 2012, and this new track just reaffirms my love. Hard-rocking, with a bit of an 80s edge, a whole lot of guitar-swagger, and seriously power-packed vocals – yeah, this is a kick-ass track.
This brand new tune taken from the band’s upcoming third studio album release.
I also highly recommend Massive’s two previous album releases:
‘Destination Somewhere’ (read my review) ‘Full...August 12, 2017
‘Fair Rosamund’
History... the interesting bits!
Fair Rosamund by John William Waterhouse
The story of Rosamund de Clifford is shrouded in more legends than most medieval lives. After Eleanor of Aquitaine, she is the woman most associated with Henry II, king of England. In historical fiction, she is the woman who claimed his heart and stole him away from his queen. But who was she? How much of her story is real, how much is fantasy?
Rosamund de Clifford was probably born around 1140. She was the daughter...
August 5, 2017
The Hoovers Rescue Americans: 1914
Lou and Herbert Hoover. They spent half their lives as Humanitarians.
When World War I began in August, 1914, Herbert and Lou Hoover were living in London’s posh Mayfair section.
The Hoovers.
Young Herbert Hoover. He was a millionaire a few times over by the time he was thirty.
Herbert Hoover was a 40-year old mining engineer and consultant in 1914. He had offices in six countries and was a millionaire several times over. It was a far cry from his poor-Iowa-fa...
