“Let love guide your path, and all burdens will turn to light.”–Marguerite Porete Hello, history-loving friends! Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Marguerite Porete, a fascinating 13th-century French-speaking mystic. She’s best known for her controversial work The Mirror of Simple Souls. It is one of the earliest examples of mystical literature, focused on agape—or…
“The flowers bloom brightly, and the wine tastes sweet—life’s simple joys.” Li Qingzhao Hey everyone! Today, for Women’s History Month, I’m excited to share the story of Li Qingzhao (1084-c.1155), one of China’s most celebrated poets from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Not only was she an amazing poet, but she was also skilled in calligraphy…
Lately, I’ve been reading Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. I’m almost at the end, and something she wrote about being a Giants baseball fan really stuck with me: …the bigger point of baseball, that that it can give us back ourselves. We are a crowd animal, a highly…
I found the perfect solution to keep me from tripping over random stuff at my feet. This fantastic three-tier rolling utility cart has been a lifesaver! Truly! It removed the many books and journals I use to leave at my feet where I sit. This helps stop my tripping and falling because of them. It’s…
“The sweetness of life is found in the heart, like the love of Khosrow for Shirin.” –Rumi Hey all. For this Women’s History Month, let me introduce you to Shirin, 6th century Queen of Persia. She is one of the most beloved figures in Persian literature and art. Her story, woven into the romantic and…
The other day, I curled up with Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. It’s a book I’d been meaning to read for ages as writers everywhere recommend it and for good reason. Lamott makes the struggles of writing feel both universal and strangely comforting. I was nodding along and agreeing with what she wrote. I even…
Black people have been part of British society at least since the Tudor era. I could as easily say, “since the Roman era,” but we’re trying to keep this short so let’s skip over that. Who’s the we in that last paragraph? That’d be me. I’m trying to make you feel included. Don’t you just…
Hey all! In the spirit of Women’s History Month, Herrad of Landsberg (c. 1130 – July 25, 1195) from Hohenburg Abbey, one of the most powerful abbeys in France. This abbey offered women some of the best education available at the time. Herrad was not just a leader—she was a visionary. She created the Hortus Deliciarum…
I was digging through old photos the other day. It’s on one of those cloud storage you promise you’ll organize someday but never quite do. I found pictures of feasts, court gatherings, and what was surely a failed attempt at a wimple. Then I found it. A relic from the past, proof that we in…
At last August’s Lonely Tower Scriptorium, I picked up a preprint award scroll to finish. By the next event, I had it done and turned in. You know, I wrote about it here. And you know what? It felt amazing to be excited about a scroll I painted again. Even though it was just one…
Hey, all! Today I want to introduce you to an amazing woman from Heian-era Japan (794–1185), Murasaki Shikibu. She was a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court. She lived during a time when the Japanese imperial court was at its peak. The Fujiwara clan was running the show, and life was full of poetry, art, and…
Hey, everyone! Today, I want to introduce you to an incredible woman who broke barriers during the Renaissance—Plautilla Nelli (1524–1588). She was a Dominican nun from Florence, Italy. And, she was the first known female painter of the Renaissance! Nelli wasn’t just any painter. Her large-scale works were in demand. That was a huge deal…
Thanks, WordPress, for the fantastic prompt! Honestly? I’d love to step into the shoes of my SCA persona, Jehanne Bening, and experience a day in her world. The more I research her time and place, the more I find myself wishing I could actually be there. Jehanne is a 15th-century illuminator working in Ghent and Bruges, carving out her…
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Hey, everyone! Can you believe March is just around the corner? Winter’s almost behind us, but March brings more than just the promise of warmer days—it’s Women’s History Month! It is a time to celebrate the incredible contributions women have made throughout history, in the arts and sciences. For me, it’s a time I like…
Ah, letter writing! It was a whole different game in 15th-century Bruges. No email, no texting—just quills, parchment, and a bit of wax. For people like Jehanne Bening and her friend Cornelia Cnoop, sending a letter wasn’t just about sharing news. It was a bit of an art form. Every seal and fold reflected purpose…
Have you ever stumbled across a historical figure so colorful and so intriguing? You just want to invite them to coffee—or maybe a pub—just to hear their stories firsthand. Well, meet Raphael de Mercatellis. He lived life at the intersection of privilege and power. His life also embodied piety and a passion for the written…
Every now and then, someone asks me: “With everything happening in the world, why are you so focused on the details of 15th-century Bruges?” Fair question. The short answer? Because I have to. The longer answer? Well, I think about that all the time. It’s exhausting, overwhelming, and frankly, not something I can personally fix…