The January Edition of Sophia Selects

In the episode “Deep Throat” of the X-files, David Duchovny offers an impactful thought; “When does the human cost become too high for the building of a better machine?”. This month, I have curated a list of influential media following the theme technology and women. I’ve created this list while considering Duchovny’s question and how other themes interact with the technological world. The growing world … Continue reading The January Edition of Sophia Selects

The December Edition of Sophia Selects

The theme for Sophia’s recommendation for the month is womanhood! As Sophia explains these works were chosen because, “The women presented in this newsletter have expertly reflected the experience of womanhood.” BOOKS “Women, Race, and Class” by Angela Davis This book is a masterclass in intersectionality and an introduction to Davis as a political activist. She outlines the whiteness and elitism that envelopes feminist discourse … Continue reading The December Edition of Sophia Selects

Ungovernable Ghosts: In Response to Susan Stryker’s “My Words to VictorFrankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage”

Ungovernable Ghosts Written by Blaise Riley Edited by Haley Clarke-Cousineau In her work titled “My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage,” Susan Stryker (1994) compares transgender individuals to Viktor Frankenstein’s creature, since “[t]he transexual body is an unnatural body […]; [i]t is flesh torn apart and sewn together again in a shape other than that in which it was … Continue reading Ungovernable Ghosts: In Response to Susan Stryker’s “My Words to VictorFrankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage”

Denouncing State Complicity: Ni Una Menos’ Epistemic Activism 

Written By Giuliana Luz Grabina Edited by Collin Parker Griffiths Disillusioned with traditional media’s victim-blaming coverage and with the absence of a national archive to document feminicides, Ni Una Menos—an Argentine grassroots feminist movement dedicated to fighting against machista violence—mobilized to fill this epistemic gap through meticulous data collection and social media advocacy. Key to Ni Una Menos’ epistemic activism, I argue, is the articulation … Continue reading Denouncing State Complicity: Ni Una Menos’ Epistemic Activism 

What You Lookin’ At?: The Dissonance Between Concept and Camera inLE SSERAFIM’s “FEARLESS” and “ANTIFRAGILE”

Written By Carly Kronish Edited By Haley Clarke-Cousineau LE SSERAFIM, a recently debuted K-pop girl group, has been praised for bringing a refreshing new sound to the current K-pop landscape, and one of the many things that resonates with specifically female fans is their confident, empowering message. The girls frequently sing about loving yourself despite what others think, and their music videos depict them as … Continue reading What You Lookin’ At?: The Dissonance Between Concept and Camera inLE SSERAFIM’s “FEARLESS” and “ANTIFRAGILE”

The Politicization of the Female Indian Classical Dancer: A Study of the Post-colonial Transformation of Sadir into Bharatanatyam

Written By Purva Vyas Edited By Jayda Smith Art forms such as dance and music are inherently political, as they represent the social and philosophical context in which they were created. One of these art forms is Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance style that originated in Tamil Nadu in approximately 300 BCE. Bharatanatyam, originally known as Sadir, among other names, was first practiced by professional … Continue reading The Politicization of the Female Indian Classical Dancer: A Study of the Post-colonial Transformation of Sadir into Bharatanatyam

Iconoclastic Approach: White Female Artists and Their Representation of Women of Colour

In this piece, Aelia analyzes three paintings: Amaral’s The Negress, Malfatti’s Tropical and Heward’s Hester. Using a feminist and iconoclastic lens, Aelia reveals the role of white women artists in perpetuating the racist and sexist rules that reduced and marginalized women of colour in the institution of French art critics. I enjoyed editing this piece because the intra-gendered relationship between white women artists and their women subjects is often neglected, along with the harm that white women artists have caused to their women of colour subjects.

Continue reading Iconoclastic Approach: White Female Artists and Their Representation of Women of Colour

“This Is How We Conceptualize Human Beings”: Accountability, Growth, and Allyship in Kendrick Lamar’s “Auntie Diaries”

Written by: Avi Caplan, Edited by: Audrey Gottschild. This piece explores the homophobic and transphobic environment of Kendrick Lamar’s childhood as presented in his track “Auntie Diaries” on the double LP of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Through contextualization, summarization of the song’s narrative, and analysis of critical lyrical moments, Caplan does a fantastic job of explaining Lamar’s vulnerability and growth. I enjoyed this piece, as it brought light to an unexposed area of homophobia and transphobia and discussed the progress that this popular rapper has made within this environment. Continue reading “This Is How We Conceptualize Human Beings”: Accountability, Growth, and Allyship in Kendrick Lamar’s “Auntie Diaries”

Black Female Rappers Are Reclaiming Hypersexuality… Or Are They?

Intersectional feminist analysis is crucial, which is why staff writer Sydney Otoki chose this piece on the reclamation of sexuality by Black female rap artists. This article delves into the origins of racist mythology pertaining to the Black female body and its sexuality, and how these myths impact the present day. Continue reading Black Female Rappers Are Reclaiming Hypersexuality… Or Are They?