women writers who shaped the 20th century

wonder | wander | world pick of the week is the new Smithsonian exhibit featuring "Her Story: A Century of Women Writers." On view at the National Portrait Gallery through January 18, 2021. Free, timed-entry tickets are required for access to the museum.

A new show at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian spotlights 24 authors, including such giants as Lorraine Hansberry, Sandra Cisneros, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni Morrison, Anne Sexton, Ayn Rand, Jhumpa Lahiri, Marianne Moore and Jean Kerr.

These powerful portraits of women of substance capture an intimate glimpse into the spirit and life force that gave birth to their literature and changed the world we live in today.

The museum’s senior historian, Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw says, "the objects in the exhibition are also very diverse. We have sculptures, paintings, drawings, a caricature and photographs. So it really provides the viewer with a strong cross section . . . of 100 years [of] women from many different backgrounds.”

From Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon (1947) to Dorothy Parker’s “sarcastic poetry,” Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplays, Susan Sontag’s literary criticism, Joyce Carol Oates’ multi-genre fiction and Maya Angelou’s autobiographical novels, there is sure to be an author here on everyone’s list of favorites.

Rosh Hashanah 2020

Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the Jewish New Year, as stated in the Bible (Leviticus 23:23-31).

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 18 and ends two days later at sunset on Sunday, the 20th.

traditional sweets for a sweet new year

Rosh Hashanah is also called the birthday of the world. It marks the start of the Jewish New Year and is filled with shared meals and prayer among loved ones. 

The celebration also begins the Jewish High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur - a time to focus attention on self reflection and repentance.

2020 is a rare and real experience of a transformative journey through a worldwide pandemic. Traditional celebrations have been cancelled or scaled down as a result. 

Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue will be closed for the first time ever over Rosh Hashanah as Israel braces for a second lockdown after recording the world’s highest coronavirus infection rate over the last two weeks [AFP news agency].

Shah Tovah u'metukah! A good and sweet new year to all!

mountains & molehills

Once again our hearts are burdened and wrung out by the devastating losses and havoc wreaked over the west coast fires.

Today is also the nineteenth anniversary of 9/11. As we commemorate this day we cry over unimaginable lives lost then and now. At 180000 dead, COVID is the equivalent of sixty [! ! !] 9/11s. 

Yet we focus on an election year - pitting one old white man against another. Not able to choose what's best for our nation, only the less destructive choice. Or so we hope. 

Tony Barber / Getty Images

wonder | wander | world wish a world into being that honors and respect ourselves more. Humanity, nature, the environment upheld and uplifted in love and light. 

Wise and Valiant: Women and Writing in the Golden Age of Spain

For many years wonder | wonder | world has enjoyed the valuable education and entertainment of reading The Smithsonian Magazine. This week we were delighted by their newly published article on 17th Century female writers of Spain.

We join them in celebration of their defiance, in solidarity for their plight and fight, in awe of their courage and accomplishment.

In a world of men hell bent on subjugating women, indigenous cultures, and foreign nations these wise and valiant nuns, warriors, poets, activists dared to defy the world and write openly of their subversion. 

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz & Catalina de Erauso

The ongoing exhibition at Madrid’s Instituto Cervantes explores the lives and work of around 30 female authors, playwrights and printers whose stories were nearly lost to history.

Bringing their wisdom into light today is a well overdue acknowledgement of their ambitious work and perseverance against all odds.

Titled “Wise and Valiant: Women and Writing in the Golden Age of Spain,” the show centers on individuals active shortly after the institute’s namesake, Miguel de Cervantes, wrote his seminal 1605 work, Don Quixote.

Though this so-called “Golden Age” is widely associated with men like Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Francisco de Quevedo, hundreds of women not only wrote, but published their work, during the period.

“Wise and Valiant: Women and Writing in the Spanish Golden Age” is on view at the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid through September 5, 2020. A digital version of the show is available via the institute’s website.