I didn't know that much about Ann Richards while she was governor of Texas. I'm not from Texas, after all. I learned about her from my husband. When I met my husband-to-be, he had a picture of himself standing with Ann, a picture we still have and display. She was a strong leader with a …
Hermione Granger stood up for the weak. She helped. She fought the good fight. Clara Barton did the same. In 1881 Ms. Barton founded the Red Cross. The suffering of soldiers in the Civil War didn't just distress her, it moved her to action. She had leadership skills and charisma and never thought of herself …
What's on your mind today? I've been thinking about my work-in-progress. Well, I have multiple WIPs. Right now I'm focused on a sci-fi fairy tale. I want to finish the manuscript, go back to my Fairy Tale Asylum story and then to drafts of other stories. So many stories fluttering around in my head. I've …
Have you heard of Admiral Grace Hopper? I hadn't until a few months back when a friend mentioned her. It's a shame because she seems quite remarkable. She was smart, of course. She standardized computer languages and she went on to encourage young people to learn computer programing. She became an rear admiral! She worked …
Do you remember The Yellow Wallpaper? I only half understood it when I read it as a teenager. Charlotte Perkins Gilman believed in equality for women. She argued women could lead independent lives and men should help with the housework. These were radical ideas for her time. She also struggled with depression and her famous short story …
Continue reading The Hermione Tarot: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Over the years, I've attempted a few handmade books. I love the idea of them, though they seem most impractical, impossible to sell and strange to give away. They take hours to make, no matter the design. And that's just making the book, never mind writing the story within. The materials aren't free. Anyone with …
I remember many moons ago, in those childhood days, seeing pictures of Ruby Bridges and other children walking through a sea of hate simply to go to school. I wasn't that shocked to see adults acting like monsters. Monsters had already made their presence known in my own life by then. But all the same, …
In my calendar of imaginary events comes the Day of Dreams. You choose a dream to come true for a day. The only rule is that your dream may bring no harm to another. Work, school, and war cease for the day. You find a favorite place to curl up and wait. And as the …
A friend of mine submitted one of his songs to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. I work with Chris. I hadn't worked with him very long when I received my cancer diagnosis and had to take time off work. I panicked over how to pay bills (never mind the medical bills!) if I couldn't work. …
I learned of Audre Lorde in the late 1980s when I read Sister Outsider. You can learn more about here or here (where I found this photo). Some of my favorite quotes: When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important …
Marta Bacon 