Tuesday Birthday Roundup

American poet Amy Lowell was born today in 1874.Though expressibly not a "feminist" Lowell lived and wrote openly and became an activist through her unabashed impressionist poetry.

Image courtesy of the NYPL Digital Library

When you came, you were like red wine and honey,
And the taste of you burnt my mouth with its
     sweetness.
Now you are like morning bread,
Smooth and pleasant.
I hardly taste you at all for I know your savour,
But I am completely nourished.

~ Selection from A Decade, 1919

Apparently academics call that "highly coded" poetry. Isn't it thrilling to hear that was written and published with acclaim 91 years ago.

Around the Web:
Lowell, Amy @ GLBTQ
Nice selection of Poems by Amy Lowell
Books @ Project Gutenburg

That first line reminds me of Missy Higgins highly coded lyrics in her song Warm Whispers:



AND

Dutch doctor, activist, writer, lecture and suffragist Dr. Aletta Henrietta Jacobs is born today in 1854.

Painted by Isaac Israëls (1919). Present of Mathilde Cohen Tervaert-Israëls at the opening of the IAV in 1936. [Courtesy of Aletta Jacobs.org]

Read more at the Related Posts:
Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht

Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht

Following a succession of benchmarks, first female to take the pharmacist's assistant admission exam, first female to graduate from a Dutch University, first Dutch woman to become a medical doctor, it is without saying that Dr. Aletta H. Jacobs (1954-1929) met some obstacles on her path. Embracing the challenges that came with her passion she took an active interest in social injustice and helped revolutionize the world on many fronts.

Working for suffrage, womens health and workers rights she was a founding member of the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Dutch Womens Suffrage Group) founded today in 1894, a founding member of the International Women Suffrage Alliance, a translator bringing International texts on human rights to Dutch readers, a pacifist participating in the first International Peace Conference, and a firm believer and advocate of birth control, opening the first birth control clinics and revolutionizing a little thing often called a diaphragm or "Dutch Cap".

Does anyone know what device is in the picture below?

Around the Web:

Dr. Aletta H. Jacobs (1854-1929) (Click the British flag in the footer for English translation.)
Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929)
Aletta Jacobs at Spartacus
At My Hero
The Gerristsen Collection of Aletta H. Jacobs (Supposedly one of the largest archives of Feminist Heritage.  It is not accessible unless you are a subscribed paying academic member. Something I'm sure helps the cause. *sarcasm*  It contains texts dating back to 1543!)