The Virago Newsletter for October 23rd, 2020
The Newsletter by WOMEN about WOMEN and for WOMEN
Happy Friday, Virago readers and writers,
We all may be familiar with the name Madame Marie Curie, but do you know what she did to change our world? More on that later…
We have a lot of great articles this week in The Virago. You’ll find a variety of interesting topics, told by women from their perspectives and with their unique voice. I encourage you to look through the articles and read at least ONE that vibes with you.
The Virago Newsletter is changing to reflect the week’s submitted articles on a Thursday-to-Wednesday schedule. You will still get the newsletter on Fridays, and this new schedule will help get The Virago Newsletter out to you in a more timely manner.
As you’ll see, The Virago Newsletter has taken on a little different look. We’ve added topics of interest, a little bit of women’s history, and a featured writer section. Keep reading and relish in our world of strong women!
Women in Today’s News:
- India’s informal working women are at the greatest risk for abuse. A sexual harrassment law passed in 2013 found that a large percentage of companies do not comply with the law (read more here).
- This op-ed discusses why Afghanistan must include women in their peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Currently, the talks are failing to include women, which will undo 20 years of protecting women’s rights (read more here).
- In the U.S., Protestors rally during the Women’s March at Freedom Plaza, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in Washington (read more here).
Madame Curie was born in Poland in 1867, under Russian occupation. She excelled in grammar school in science (her father was a physics and math teacher). She was not allowed to attend University since she was a woman, so she continued her studies with an underground education movement called a “flying school.”
Her family was forced to flee to France during a Polish uprising that left her father jobless.
In France, she met her husband, Pierre, and they collaborated together to work with radioactivity. With their advances in science, they discovered two new chemical elements: Polonium and Radium. Marie and Pierre were both awarded the Nobel Prize for Science.
In 1906, Pierre was killed in a horse-and-buggy accident (not kidding), and although devastated, Marie continued their scientific work. She went on to receive a second Nobel Prize for her work in isolating radium.
Marie Curie was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, and the ONLY PERSON to receive two Nobel Prizes.
Madame Marie Curie went on to advancing the technique of x-rays, commonly used today for medical diagnostics.
“Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.” ~Marie Curie
Brand New: Our Writer Spotlight!
Every week, The Virago will Spotlight one of our writers and her work on The Virago. This gives readers a way to look more closely at one of our writers and her work.
This Week’s Writer Spotlight: Sphynx JuneBerry
Sphynx JuneBerry describes herself in her bio: “Trilingual legal eagle, habitual giggler, daydreamer, Indigo Child, ENTP…sharing lived experience in “True story bro” fashion.”
You can reach her here: https://linktr.ee/SphynxJuneBerry
Sphynx JuneBerry has a dynamic writing style that pulls you into her world. She takes you down a winding path of her experience, where you come out the other end and exclaim, “WOW! What an incredible story!” She has a strong voice and touches on taboo topics in a unique way.
If you’d like to read more of her articles, here are a few below:
Sorry You Raped Me — The How-To Reason Monumental Fail
I told him to stop. I kept saying No. He refused to leave. I kept saying, Tony, I don’t want to do this. Pummeled with unwanted kisses, unwelcome advances, and unmatched physical force.
Trick to See Past the Past Night of the Soul…This is Magic
My soul tribe came into focus…following an impromptu vision quest. One word described my life at that point. Hell. After losing my job, I traveled the underworld. It wasn’t the hell I imagined.
I Committed Suicide. Here’s What I Learned
Suicide is unique in how others perceive the deceased. Survivors judge and assess an individual’s life as they grieve. A process of blame and judgment render the act selfish. A reasonable inference. A rebuttable presumption.
What No One Tells You About “F*ck Boys” Posing as “Good Guys”
I do every nice thing. Chivalry is not out of style. I open your door, I pull out your chair, I ask for consent before pulling your hair. I sex you good. I won’t act like your ex. I won’t be like daddy. I’m better than that.
Here’s your chance to catch up on the articles for this week:
Suzanna Quintana
What It’s Like to Live Narcissist-Free “Recovering and healing after narcissistic abuse can be brutal, even more so than the relationship itself because we are forced to wake up and see our experience for what it is, not what we pretended it to be.”
Charlotte
11 Books for Healing Childhood Trauma and Dealing with Toxic Parents “We pass on misguided beliefs about human life to others. These books help to end the cycle of abuse. If you grew up in a toxic family, it can be difficult to distinguish whether you were abused or not. I hope these books are helpful to you.”
Lynda Wallis
An Uncomfortable Truth “We’re not supposed to admit we don’t have a great relationship with our mothers, let alone say it out loud. I don’t say it out loud very often. I’ve gotten over the feeling that lightning is going to strike me for saying it.”
Rebecca Shepard
What if All The Answers Lie in Not Knowing Any Answers at All? “In a desperate effort to define what we can’t understand, we turn outward. In relationships, our need for understanding is really just a need to guard our hearts.”
Katie Andrews
It’s Been a Long Time Since I Got the “Fat Hate” Look “I had a fantastic summer vacation: London, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Venice. It was wonderful, except I was over 400 pounds.”
It’s No Wonder I’m Childfree “I was one of those girls who never bothered to look at wedding dresses, because I didn’t care about the dress. I cared about being a wife and companion; I wanted a soul mate.”
Sarah K Brandis
I’m a Feminist With Breast Implants “I looked at my mother and couldn’t bear the thought of growing up to look like her. Not because there was anything really wrong with the way she looked. But she was self-conscious about her small breasts and I didn’t want to have that hang up too.”
Em Unravelling
Don’t Regret Those Closed Doors Behind You “The fact is that doors close every time we make a life choice. The road we ignore fades into the undergrowth every time and almost immediately, our life moulds around the new route so that we can’t go back. Sometimes we don’t notice, but sometimes that clanging door behind us is terrifying”
Lynda Wallis
Be Kind, Healing Takes Time “A painfully shy child, we moved often when I was young. Books were my constant companions. I found great solace in the adventure, friendships and obstacles overcome by the young heroines and heroes whose worlds I gratefully was able to lose myself within.”
Sadie Morghan
Missing the Mom You Never Had “The mom I had in real life spent all of her time worrying about her missing pieces. Her life took chunks out of her. Her father was an alcoholic and they were incredibly poor.”
Glenna Gill
The Trouble With Pandemic Drinking “It felt like I finally woke up and realized how truly sick I have been this whole time. It’s almost like I checked out of life, unable to focus on anything besides the pandemic. My family needed me, but all I could do was drink to try to calm myself down from the constant massive anxiety.”
Rebecca Shepard
Do This One Thing If You’re Overwhelmed “Close your eyes. Put down the phone. Step away from every distraction — eating, Netflix, working, looking at the clock, overthinking, scrolling social media, worrying about something that happened in the past — and close your eyes. What do you feel?”
If you’re having trouble finding the newsletter in your mailbox, you’re not alone. Sometimes email goes into the wrong place, like your spam folder. I know, it’s happened to me too, even when I send myself this newsletter. Check your other folders to find our little weekly gem and send it to your inbox.
Thank you for reading The Virago. We write for you.
