July / Aug 2018 Articles

Revolution. The word sends a chill up the most hardened spine. History has seen countless bloody conflicts, most of which resulted in mass losses of life and innocent victims. In this issue, we explore them in all their gruesomeness, to remind ourselves that change never comes without great cost. Check back each Saturday for a new article!

IN THIS ISSUE:

Love Can Be a Revolution: Doctor Zhivago, by Rachel Sexton

Music Makers: Joseph Plunkett and the Irish Easter Rising, by Jessica Prescott

The Origins of a Monster: The Regency Sexual Revolution, by Charity Bishop

Let Them Eat Cake: The Real Marie Antoinette, by Scarlett Grant

The Russian Revolution, by Veronica Leigh

The Dangers of Patriotic Zeal: Taras Bulba, by Rachel Kovaciny

Olympe de Gouges, by Scarlett Grant

Thank you, and please enjoy our historical reflections!

 

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In This Issue…

Writers have re-imagined stories for generations. Oral storytelling changed when written tales achieved popularity, and over the years, authors, directors, and playwrights have approached the same themes and topics with unique flourishes. From Hollywood remakes to a new twist on a familiar tale, this month we bring you an assortment of delightful stories made new…

March / April 2018: Super Heroes

Since the tremendous success of the first all-star Spider-Man over a decade ago, Hollywood has filled theater seats with all kinds of super heroes, from large and green with anger issues to plated in iron or with steel claws. Here, we explore some of our favorite big screen super heroes and their comic book origins.

Celebrating Black Heroes

This month, Femnista celebrates remarkable individuals throughout history who have left an impression on us, either through their contributions to social advancement, entertainment, or who lived extraordinary lives simply because society would not allow them to do otherwise. We invite you to join us as we explore some of our favorites, and share your heroes with us in the comments!

Femnista Nov / Dec 2017: Past & Present

Some stories transcend time, and capture our hearts across generations. In the 1980s, the film Somewhere in Time popularized a romance across different eras. The haunting Time Traveler’s Wife has enchanted more modern audiences, as does Outlander. From a time-traveling car to a Police Phone Box (with its famous two-hearted alien occupant)… the idea of time continues to captivate us. It passes with each moment. A life can come and go in the blink of an eye. It marches ever onward, to remind us life is not constant and never the same. But sometimes, we long for a different life… one from the past…

Halloween 2017: The Victorian Era

The public knows no era better for ghost stories, vampire fiction, and superstition than the Victorian era. The arrival of science began to dispel old myths, but many authors clung to the “old ways” through an upturn in Gothic Fiction, and the Victorian era also produced many of the most popular classic novelists. Dickens took long walks in the dingy London streets. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes ran wild in the imaginations of impressionable readers. The Brontë sisters penned famous novels in the moors. Penny Dreadful sold on each street corner. Jack the Ripper scandalized Europe with his gruesome murders. And… the world continues to look to the Victorian Era for inspiration, for harrowing tales, and for glimpses of humanity’s darker natures.

In this issue, we feature six Victorian-era topics for you to savor on a chilly October afternoon.

IN THIS ISSUE:

A Maddening Crowd of Suitors, by Rachel Sexton

The Elephant Man, by Scarlett Grant

Dangerous Illusions: The Women of Beguiled, by Charity Bishop

The Brontë Sisters, by Victoria Leigh

Haunted by the Hound, by Rachel Kovaciny

The Turn of the Screw, by Carol Starkey

Join us November 1st for a sneak preview into our next issue, Through Time.

The Old West (July / August 2017)

Nothing captures the popular imagination more than the Old West. Full of Native Americans, gunslingers, trappers, bank robbers, cattle rustlers, and US Marshals, it promises adventure and romance. From western dime novels to spaghetti westerns, endless stories centered on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of settling the American west. Legendary characters like Wild Bill Hitchcock and Annie Oakley live on in our imaginations. Old Hollywood put out hundreds of westerns, including a few classics that stand the test of time. Their heroes fought rustlers, sought revenge for murderous wrongs, and sometimes rode off into the sunset with a woman. Or their trusty horse.

Femnista May / June 2017: Exotic Nights

MAY / JUNE 2017: BY CHARITY BISHOP

Ancient civilizations found Asia, Egypt, and the Middle East “exotic.” They imported its spices, sought its elephants, tried to settle its wilds, and conquered much of it, but even today, when most of its mysteries are known, that part of the world continues to mystify, intrigue, and inspire our imaginations. Countless stories take place there. Hundreds of true stories originate there.

Shall we explore some of them?

Femnista Nov/Dec 2016: Star Wars

How old were you when you first met Luke Skywalker? Han Solo? Princess Leia? The doids? Did it shape your childhood, adulthood, or teen years? Were you front row center at the first screening or a latecomer? Did you start watching with the prequels or sequel? Does it matter? You kept coming back for more, because George Lucas created an incredible galaxy full of unforgettable characters, that is still as stirring today as it was in the 70’s!

Our writers celebrate Star Wars over the next two months, in honor of Rogue One. Settle in with a cup of java and join us as we relive the memories and delve deeper into the stories.

In this issue:

A Star in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Finn, by Scarlett Grant

Machine or Human? The Droids of Star Wars, by Jessica Prescott

Han Solo, by Rachel Kovaciny

Clothing a Galactic Senator: The Costumes of Padme, by Scarlett Grant

A Life of Structure: Kylo Ren, by Charity Bishop

I Can’t Stand You. I Love You, by Marianna Kaplun

Fear Leading: Anakin’s Turn to the Dark Side, by Marissa Baker

Following Luke Skywalker, by Carissa Horton

The Scoundrel & the Bounty Hunter, by Caitlin Horton

Forceful Females: The Women of Star Wars, by Rachel Sexton

Halloween 2016: Surreal Tales

Autumn is a time of introspection… and ghost stories. This issue contains tales to raise the hair on the back of your neck, horrific true stories of insanity, and thought-provoking analysis on modern film. Grab a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate or tea, and maybe a teddy bear as you read along — you’ll need it.

Inside this issue:

Gone Gothic: The Turn of the Screw, by Rachel Sexton

Facing Our Inner Demons: The Forest, by Charity Bishop

Ghost Stories, by Marianna Kaplun

A King’s Madness, by Scarlett Grant

Time Marches On: Great Expectations, by Carissa Horton

Consuming the Past: The Lone Ranger, by Racehel Kovaciny

A Touch of Bedlam, by Scarlett Grant

Vincent Price: Double Dare, by Caitlin Horton

The Strength of Stranger Things, by Carol Starkey

The Horror Was for Love: Crimson Peak, by Elora Shore

(Links will be added daily until we’re caught up.)