Her-story: Recommendations

[boatyardblues]

Just watched a fantastic documentary about women in the US space race on Netflix - its called Mercury 13. The women were blocked from achieving their full potential by NASA, the military brass and Lyndon B Johnson. Despite that, they are so inspiring and they paved the way for female astronauts who came after them, who acknowledged their contribution. They are magnificent women. I wish we heard women’s stories more.

Inspired by another thread yesterday where this was discussed, what books, documentaries and films can you recommend that foreground women’s contribution and experiences?

I loved 'Romantic Outlaws' by Charlotte Gordon. It simultaneously tells the life stories of Mary Shelley and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, via alternating chapters.

Really interesting as it foregrounds women's daily lives and experiences, as well as exploring their contributions as philosophers and authors and the wider context.

Watch hidden figures too. It's about the black women who's maths made it possible to get people back from space.

Radio 4 had mercury 13 as an afternoon play not long ago, was very good. Doesn't seem to be available now unfortunately.

I watched Hidden Figures with my boys, who were appalled by the sexism and racism. It was a great film.

Romantic Outlaws sounds like a great read. I’ll definitely add it to my list.

Here's a short taster on Dorothy Hodgkin

And series here www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04k9gjl

I was appalled at the way Hidden Figures downplayed the racism and sexism, so I guess it is a generational thing.

There were plenty of teachable moments nonetheless, Bewilderness (eg what do you notice about the control room? A: all cookie cutter blokes)

Meryl Streep's The Iron Lady- love her or loathe her , doesn't take away from Thatcher being first female pm.

Unrest on Netflix. Eye opening doc film about women's experiences with engaging in healthcare. Centres mostly on ME but covers a lot of ground and shows the wider implications of being female. I cannot reccommend it enough but be ready to cry in empathy and possibly rage at some points.

boatyardblues
I should have said I loved the film, that they made the film, that the producer wrote music for the film. I loved everything about the making of this film except that the women were not all here to see it.
I watched it again last night and cried again last night.

The sea of white shirts in the control room.
All the shots framed going through things was brilliant.

Olwen Hufton - The Prospect before her. Wonderful, expansive history of women in England. Only the first volume, but I can't see that the next has been published. Makes you realise the absolute destitution that faced women outside the social norms. Women married late in England because they had to work every hour through their teens and twenties to build up a dowry. A woman without a dowry was basically unmarriageable. Women had to buy the security and status of marriage (which of course came at the price of ceasing to exist legally, constant sexual availability and the frequent danger of childbirth).

By the way “cookie cutter men” was used by one of the erstwhile female astronauts to describe the lack of diversity in the space programme - all white, same colleges, same religion, same professional background, same social networks/old boys networks. I thought it was a useful phrase.

I am updating my reading/watching list. Good suggestions here.

The Stalking of Julia Gillard: How the media and Team Rudd brought down the prime minister by Kerry-Anne Walsh is a great read re how MRA politicians and media brought down Julia Gillard (Australian PM) and how they brainwashed a nation into supporting her downfall.

Any of the Andrea Dworkin books and also Sonia Johnson (also YouTubes).

Last but not least The Century of the Self BBC documentaries (all on Youtube) to understand the Patriarchy and the role of social media in brainwashing people

My pick would be reading about Bletchley Park, how most of the work was done by women and 'supervised by' (read taken credit by) men.

Gee, that's an uncommon theme...