Womanica

The writhing serpent hair. The fearsome gaze that can turn onlookers to solid stone. Medusa is one of the most instantly recognizable monsters of Greek mythology. But her story and image have evolved over the centuries — sometimes a villain, sometimes a victim, sometimes a divine goddess.  For Further Reading:  Medusa | Myth & Story | Britannica Medusa in Ancient Greek Art | Essay |...

Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1959-present) dedicated her life to speaking out for Indigenous Guatemalans, fighting tirelessly against the human rights abuses that occurred during and after the Guatemalan Civil War. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our b...

Poly Styrene (1957-2011) was a feminist punk icon who made her mark on the white male-dominated music genre. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark.  Histor...

Ch'en Shu (1660–1736) was a Chinese painter from the Qing dynasty, known for her exquisite flower-and-bird paintings that blended precision with delicate beauty. As one of the few recognized female artists of her time, she mastered traditional painting techniques while incorporating her own refined sense of composition and color.  For Further Reading: ‘The Mountains are Quiet and the Days Gro...

Bebe Barron (1925-2008) and her husband Louis’ pioneering work in electronic music helped lay the foundation for the sound of sci-fi. Their blips, buzzes, gurgles and groans in Forbidden Planet (1956) made up the first ever entirely electronic score for a feature film.  For Further Reading:  The Barrons: Forgotten Pioneers of Electronic Music : NPR Unearthing Louis and Bebe Barron’s Hidd...

Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967) is remembered in Pakistan as the “Mother of the Nation.” Her memory is a symbol of feminism and democracy. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made...

Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944) was an opera singer that drew massive crowds for her terrible voice. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark.  History cl...

Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was a groundbreaking writer and the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Her works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved —where she coined the word "rememory"—explore race, identity, and the legacies of slavery. Morrison's profound storytelling has made her one of the most influential voices in American literature. For F...

Masako Togawa (1931-2016) was a crime novelist, singer, and club owner. She created a chanson salon called the Blue Room, which catered to LGBTQIA+ artists and music enthusiasts during a time of legal discrimination, violence, and prejudice against queer people in Japan.  For Further Reading: “ Memories of Masako Togawa ” The Master Key by Masako Togawa The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa For th...

Mamá Tingó (1921-1974) was an Dominican activist who is often overlooked in historical accounts. She led protests to save her farm — and the farms of 350 other families — from an illegal land seizure. She was assassinated for trying to bring justice to her community.  For Further Reading: Mama Tingo: The Black Dominicana Revolutionary You Should Know | BELatina   The female revolutionary...

Kiki de Montparnasse (1901-1953) inspired Man Ray and many other painters, photographers and sculptors. An artist herself, she impressed critics with her paintings and made waves with her risqué memoirs. She was a dazzling socialite and style icon, a true “it-girl” of Bohemian Paris. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. Thi...

Maya Lin (1959 - present) is a sculptor, architect, artist, and designer known for her memorial work and focus on landscapes and the environment. At age 21 she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated in 1982. Since then she has seamlessly weaved between art and architecture, producing work that has earned her both a National Medal of Arts, as well as a Presidential Medal of Fre...

James How, also known as Mary East, and their wife Mrs. How (c. 1760s) were pillars of their eighteenth century English community, until a blackmailer attempted to expose Mr. How's "true" gender. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog....

Minnie Riperton (1947-1979) was an American soul singer, best known for the 1975 hit song “Lovin' You.” From an early age, Riperton captivated audiences with her extraordinary five-octave vocal range and command of the whistle register. At the peak of her commercial success, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and became one of few celebrities to share her diagnosis publicly. She defied expectati...

Margaret Watts Hughes (c.1847-1907) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and scientist. She invented the eidophone, which allowed her to observe and visualize the human voice. For Further Reading: The Century, 1891 : Visible Sound Picturing a Voice: Margaret Watts Hughes and the Eidophone Divine agency Bringing to light the voice figures of Margaret Watts-Hughes (pdf) For the past six years, we’ve been...

Anastasia Romanov (1901-1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. Her death was hotly debated for years, as she was believed to have survived her family’s execution.  For Further Reading:  A Romanov Fantasy: Life at the court of Anna Anderson  The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra OTMA - The Romanov Sisters...

Sappho (c. 615 BC) was an ancient Greek poet and an architect of the very words we use to talk about queer identity today. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark...

Regina Jonas (1902-1944) asked a short, but important question: Can women serve as rabbis? She dedicated her life to proving that the answer to that question was 'Yes.' For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout...

Juana Maria (unknown-1853), also known as the lost woman of San Nicolas island, lived a solitary and fabled life as one of the last members of the Nicoleño tribe. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time...

Gwen Verdon (1925-2000) was a true Broadway icon. Her status as a triple threat dancer, actor and singer earned her four Tony awards during her career.  For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and a...

The Heroines of Jiangyong were women in rural China who made a secret language – Nüshu – to communicate with each other. Nüshu translates directly to “women’s writing” and is a series of phonetic scripts. The practice is estimated to go back as far as the Shang Dynasty 1600 to 1046 BCE. For centuries it was the language of female defiance to the Chinese patriarchy, legitimizing the thoughts, feeli...

Assata Shakur (1947-present) was a member of the Black Liberation Army who was imprisoned and convicted of murdering a police officer. She escaped prison in 1979, and has lived in exile in Cuba ever since. In 2013, she was the first woman to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List.  For Further Reading:  Assata: An Autobiography Assata Olugbala Shakur (1947- ) AssataShakur.org...

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English novelist and playwright whose gothic romance works have been described as “moody and resonant." Many of her novels and short stories have been adapted into films including: Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, My Cousin Rachel, The Birds, and Don’t Look Now. For Further Reading:  Daphne du Maurier  Mistress of menace Daphne du Maurier, 81, Author...

Deidre Muriel Roper (b. 1970), better known as DJ Spinderella or simply “Spinderella,”) is an American DJ, rapper and producer. She is best known as the third member of Salt-N-Pepa, one of the first all-woman rap groups that paved the way for other female rappers to rise to mainstream success and talk openly about sexuality.  For Further Reading: DJ Spinderella is sealing her legacy in hip-ho...

Darlene Anderson (1939-present) is the first Black woman professional roller derby skater. Known for her speed, stamina, and competitive spirit, Darlene was inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 2009. For Further Reading: Meet Darlene Anderson | Derby Dolls   Derby Memoirs | Darlene Anderson Darlene Anderson broke roller derby color barrier in 1958 | Los Angeles Sentinel This month,...