A Doll’s House Play Review

Some of the most important works of our era last because they speak to the issues in our world that we continue to struggle with.

Recently, a new revival of Henrik Ibsen‘s A Doll’s House opened on Broadway. The play stars Jessica Chastain as Nora Helmer and Arian Moayed as her husband, Torvald. Though he loves her, he does not exactly respect her.

When Torvald accepts an offer of a new job (and a larger salary), it seems that their financial troubles are in the rearview mirror. But a secret from her past and a decision she made to save his life have come back to bite her in the ass.

It is amazing to me that this play was written when modern feminism was in its infancy and by a cisgender man who could have easily created a tragic character ( a la Anna Karenina).

Instead, Nora goes on a journey of emotional discovery that is complicated, disturbing, and revealing. In Chastain’s hands, you understand her want to be loved and her eventual desperation to find herself away from the labels she was raised to believe were normal.

Written by playwright Amy Herzog and told on a bare stage with the actors wearing modern clothing and moving around a circular slow-moving stage, the emphasis is on the story. In doing so, it reminds me the audience of not only the power of this story but that it is also sadly still relevant in 2023.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

A Doll’s House is playing at the Hudson theater until June 4th, 2023. Check the websites for tickets and showtimes.

P.S. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Women’s History Month.

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Looking for Jane: A Novel Book Review

Pregnancy and abortion have been part of the human experience for eons. Unfortunately, they have been turned into cultural, religious, or political pawns for those in power to mold society as they see fit.

Looking for Jane: A Novel, by Heather Marshall, was published this month. The story takes place in three timelines that eventually intertwine. In the early 1960s, Evelyn is an unwed pregnant teenage girl. She has been sent to a “home” to prepare for the birth of her child. Once she gives birth, she will return to her family as if nothing has happened. A decade later, she is a doctor and part of an underground network to provide safe abortions.

In 1980, Nancy makes two earth-shattering discoveries. The first is that she was adopted. The second is that she is pregnant and knows that she is not ready to be a parent. Without no one to turn to, she finds the Janes. After her procedure is done by Evelyn, she joins the group. But while is living a double life, her secrets weigh on her.

In 2017, Angela is a bookstore owner in Toronto. While she and her wife are desperately trying to get pregnant, she discovers a letter that opens the door to a decades-old mystery.

I loved this book. It was engaging, entertaining, and to be frank, it made me angry. Granted, drama makes for good fiction. But the real women’s stories behind the novel shouldn’t have occurred in the first place. It is a reminder that Roe v. Wade and other similar legalization is still a necessity.

Unlike last year’s Call Jane, the legal and medical danger in Evelyn and Nancy’s time is part and parcel of their experience. What the author does successfully ensure all of her protagonists have equal weight within the narrative. It is difficult to balance a tale of this kind with two storylines. Three is asking for trouble if it is not done properly. Thankfully, Marshall succeeds.

If nothing else, it is a reminder of how far we have come and how far we need to go.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Looking for Jane: A Novel is available wherever books are sold.

Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past Book Review

Myths are powerful. Regardless of whether they are based on fact or lore, these narratives have a hold on us that cannot be broken.

Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past was published last fall. Edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian Zelizer, the book contains a series of essays about the stories that Americans have told and the lies that have been hidden. The list of topics includes legislation, immigration, and feminism.

Given the tidal wave of misinformation over the last few years, the “outrage” over CRT, and the growing list of banned books, I think that this book is a necessary read.

America is a great country, and always has been. But in order for us to achieve the ideals set forth in our founding documents and be as great as we say we are, we have to face facts. Our history is flawed. Until we realize that and confess our collective sins, that greatness will be shallow and unworthy of the tales that have been told.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past is available wherever books are sold.

Best Movies of 2022

1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: After the death of Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), the questions on how the IP would continue without its leading man seemed endless. Black Panther‘s sequel is both the perfect memorial to Boseman and a continuation of the narrative.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water: The 13-year wait for the follow-up to Avatar was worth it. The themes of climate change are just as relevant now as they were in 2009.
3. She Said: Based on the book of the same name, it tells the heart-pounding story to uncover the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. NY Times reporters Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) take on Weinstein and the Hollywood machine in a way that is jaw-dropping.
4. Elvis: Austin Butler transforms himself into Elvis Presley, adding new layers to the music icon.
5. Call Jane: Elizabeth Banks plays a housewife whose pregnancy is not going well in the days before Roe v. Wade. Denied an abortion by the local hospital, she finds an underground group and soon joins them in their mission to help women.
6. Hocus Pocus 2: After 29 years, the Sanderson sisters are back. It has enough of its predecessor while holding its own in the best way possible.
7. Mr. Malcolm’s List: Based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Allain, Mr. Malcolm is the most coveted bachelor in this Jane Austen-inspired narrative. In order to fend off marriageable young ladies and their match-making mamas, he creates a list of qualities that his wife should have. Little does he know that it will soon be moot.
8. Downton Abbey: A New Era: This second film in the franchise opens the door to new stories while closing old ones in perfect fashion.
9. Cyrano: This musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac starring Peter Dinklage adds new flavors to the well-known tale.
10. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Shot in stark black and white, Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand star as the power-hungry and bloodthirsty Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Women Talking Book Review

In a world in which one is a minority or deemed second-class, the hardest thing to do is to stand up for yourself. Though it may seem insurmountable, it has the possibility to change the world for the better.

Women Talking, by Miriam Toews, was published in 2020. The narrative is based on a true story. On a quiet evening, eight Mennonite women meet in secret. They cannot read, write, or speak any other language than the one spoken in their community. The world outside is a complete mystery.

For the last couple of years, young girls have reported that otherworldly creatures have come to them at night as a punishment for their sins. In daylight, their visitors reveal themselves as their fathers, brothers, cousins, and neighbors. The girls were drugged and raped.

While the men are in town trying to bail out the rapists, the women discuss two possible options. They can stay in the world they know or escape and protect their daughters.

This book has been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, and for good reason. The themes and story are way too close for comfort. That being said, the novel drags. Obviously, the subject is not an easy one to digest. I just wish that I was able to get into the book faster than I did.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

The Taliban Has Banned Women’s Education and Employment at NGOs

The late and legendary first-wave feminist Alice Paul once said the following:

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it.”

There are some in this world who prefer to live in the past. Specifically, where women are at best second-class citizens and at worst, chattel.

Last week, the Taliban announced that girls can no longer attend school past grade 6. Earlier today, another announcement was made. All NGOs (non-governmental organizations), both local and international, must fire their female staff.

The statistics are clear. When a woman is educated beyond the basics, she is better prepared for the future. She is able to get a better job, lift her family out of poverty, and help her own children climb the economic ladder themselves. Female legislators also step up to the plate in reducing climate change and its various after effects.

This is straight of out The Handmaid’s Tale. It is nothing more than the fragile male ego and the archaic idea that a female will always be lower than a male.

If these men want to run their country into the ground, so be it. They will soon find out the power and the voice of the female sex.

Our Red Book: Intimate Histories of Periods Growing, & Changing Book Review

A woman’s time of the month is completely natural and normal. Without it, we are unable to have children and further our species. The problem is that it is seen as a mark of evil, unnatural or g d forbid, a sign of sexual activity.

Our Red Book: Intimate Histories of Periods, Growing & Changing was published last month. Edited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, the book contains a series of essays about a woman’s period. The writers come from all backgrounds and parts of the world and range in age from young to old. Each tells her story of growing up and the moment she knew that her life was about to change.

I enjoyed this book. It spoke to the universality of this small, but momentous event. One of the highlights was the inclusion of transgender women. In including them, the editor is making the case that we are all female. Despite some surface differences, we are the same inside. We all have our monthly visit from Aunt Flo and deal with it as previous generations have for centuries.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Our Red Book: Intimate Histories of Periods, Growing & Changing is available wherever books are sold.

Iran Was Finally Expelled From the UN Commission on Women

In an ideal world, everyone would be equal. We would not need special interest groups to ensure that marginalized groups have the same rights and protections as the dominant group.

Last week, Iran was finally expelled from the UN Commission on Women.

Frankly, I don’t know why they were invited to join in the first place. Given the country’s treatment of women (and the recent murder of Mahsa Amini), I have to question the sanity of those who suggested the idea in the first place. It’s akin to letting the fox into the hen house and letting it go wild.

As much as I appreciate the UN, it reminds me of the organization’s flaws. Instead of living up to the doctrines that were set down by its founders, it feels as if the idea of democracy, equality, and respect for all nations and peoples is nothing more than a pipe dream.

Enola Holmes 2 Movie Review

Representation is a powerful thing. If we can see it, even if it is only in fiction, then we can strive toward being it in real life.

The new Netflix film, Enola Holmes 2, was released last weekend. This sequel to Enola Holmes takes place right after its predecessor ends. Our title character, the eponymous Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) has just opened her own detective agency. But being young and female does exactly bring in a tidal wave of clients.

The one person who does walk through the door is Bessie Chapman (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss). Her older sister Sarah (Hannah Dodd) is missing. Enola follows the trail to the Bryant & May Match Factory. The majority of their employees are women and young girls from the lower classes who are mistreated and underpaid.

With the help of her elder brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), and possible boyfriend Tewksbury (Louis Partridge), Enola must uncover the mystery of Sarah’s disappearance.

I like this movie more than I did the first one. Bringing together fact and fiction, the true story of the strike adds another dimension to the tale. I also enjoyed the slow-burning romance between Enola and Tewksbury. The “will they or won’t they” question is representative of Enola’s growth, but it is a secondary narrative to her investigation.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Enola Holmes 2 is available for streaming on Netflix.

My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves

We all know that we live in a world that is not exactly kind to those of us of the female sex. In order to get what we want, we need to speak up.

My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves was published earlier this year. Co-written by Chely Wright, Linda Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, Lauren Blitzer, and Kathy Najimy, the book contains stories of women standing up for themselves. They run the gamut from famous to unknown, young and old, and come from across the world.

Starts at 3:02

I loved this book. Though the subjects are all different, they have one thing in common: they were faced with a moment in which a decision had to be made. They could either use their voice or stand down. They chose to stand up for themselves. In doing so, they changed their lives and inspired others to do the same.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves is available wherever books are sold.