I just recently discovered your stack and am thoroughly enjoying it! I have been fascinated by the Tudors since grade 9 history class. My copy of "The Ceation of Anne Boleyn" arrived an hour ago. Can't wait to dive in!!
So great to hear this. Hope you enjoy the book. I’ve often thought of bringing it up to date, what with all the Annes that have made an entrance since I wrote it. Glad to have you a part of the great readership of BordoLines!
Distorted history in historical fiction infuriates me. And you demonstrate so well how, contemporaneously, the historical record gets perceptually formed. Thank you.
I SO want to imagine Anne Boleyn smiling! Appreciate yr guidance through the maze of historical fact vs. fiction up and through the depictions of various female archetypes in media, and then deeper into the hedges of the labyrinth, and leading us out through a persistent series of unexpected openings, ultimately leading to enlightenment through a sober encounter with present day absurdities!
I saw the title and tentatively hoped it would go in this direction. I'm so glad it did. I'm a lover of all-things-history, but have a special affinity for Tudor England. Many think of it as dead and buried, but the reality is that we see ripples from its Butterfly Effect to this day - the King James Bible and separation of Church and State (allegedly) being just two examples. I like to think the spirit of women who will not be tamed runs in all of us. Perhaps it just roars more loudly in some than others.
Thank you for setting the record straight when it comes to Anne Boleyn. I have always felt she was badly maligned in history, but then strong women generally are not written of well and she had a profound effect on the direction of Europe.
It's interesting the madonna/whore analogy for all women. But then most of history, and the arts are written and controlled by men. This is more indicative of how women are seen in society no matter where you live.
But I am going to have to disagree with you in comparing Anne to Stormy Daniels.
Anne actually believed in something and had tenets by which she lived. Her belief in protestantism was truly heartfelt. Stormy believes in Stormy. She has no other agenda.
Anne was maligned as a whore when she was not one. The lies were used to condemn her to death. These lies live on. She was not a "bad" girl. But a strong willed young woman who, in the end, could not fight against the patriarchal society in which she lived.
Meanwhile, Stormy is a whore (sorry this is not slut shaming this is the truth) and the salaciousness of her cross examination is justified in trying to discredit her testimony. Who you are and what you have done is indicative of character. If the attorney can destroy a witnesses' character then their testimony can be seen by a jury as unimportant/lies/selfserving. That the media followed every word of what was said, well of course they did. Humans also slow down to see a car crash. I have no compassion for Stormy. Not because of what she has done in life, but because adults know that our choices have consequences.
We do agree about Anne—more so even than is apparent from this particular stack. I hope you’ll read my book, which discusses in much more detail the ways she has been maligned over the centuries. As for Stormy, I had no intention of comparing her to Anne Boleyn—except insofar as they both show how irresistible the good girl/bad girl construction is. However, I do disagree with you on her “as a person.” I actually did read her book, and found her quite smart and charming, and funny. And how she got into the porn business (I don’t think she ever was a prostitute) is like that of a lot of other women: not her first choice in life. I had a graduate student who did her dissertation, which later became a book, on strippers, and I learned a lot from it. But no, I wouldn’t ever bestow on her the stature and historical importance of Anne.
I am definitely going to read your book :) I find Anne Boleyn a very compelling and interesting historical person. (Much like her daughter Elizabeth I) Actually, I wasn't trying to take from Stormy her personhood. I was simply trying to separate her from Anne in the madonna/whore context, which is how I read your post.
I never thought of Stormy as a prostitute. But working in porn, for both male and female, does make someone a whore. I have not heard that she was forced into porn or trafficked into porn. Porn may not have been her first choice, but it still became a choice she made.There are consequences for every choice we make. I have no doubt she is smart, charming and funny. But she also blackmailed Trump that she would go public with their sexcapade. So not so innocent either. She is opportunistic.
Do I have sympathy at all for Stormy? Can't say that I do.
For those who are sex trafficked they need our love and support. For those forced into porn or prostitution they need our compassion. But Stormy was neither.
It is very easy to cheat and take advantage of every system. They all have work around, or Loopholes. I have chosen to live without that dishonesty. Spin. No finger on the scale to overstate my weight, or age, or talents. etc.
My grandmother was disowned in 1929 and labelled a whore by my grandfather. From my research she was essentially “Irish” and sinfully left him in 1910 taking a son and daughter with her.
Otherwise my lineage of over a thousand years is that is that of the little people from the Outer Hebrides. The original fairy Queen was forced into marriage when conquered by the Vikings 10 centuries ago. This would explain my ancestral genetic memories of my female forbears having been burned at the stake more than once since then. Witches were my ancestors, hence my bones remember the fires.
Although it sounds inane when I speak of it, or write it, hence my attempt to reduce centuries of genetic history down to a pithy comment impossible to understand.
I just recently discovered your stack and am thoroughly enjoying it! I have been fascinated by the Tudors since grade 9 history class. My copy of "The Ceation of Anne Boleyn" arrived an hour ago. Can't wait to dive in!!
So great to hear this. Hope you enjoy the book. I’ve often thought of bringing it up to date, what with all the Annes that have made an entrance since I wrote it. Glad to have you a part of the great readership of BordoLines!
Distorted history in historical fiction infuriates me. And you demonstrate so well how, contemporaneously, the historical record gets perceptually formed. Thank you.
And thank you, as always, for your perceptive readings of my stacks. So glad we’ve discovered each other here!
Likewise!
I SO want to imagine Anne Boleyn smiling! Appreciate yr guidance through the maze of historical fact vs. fiction up and through the depictions of various female archetypes in media, and then deeper into the hedges of the labyrinth, and leading us out through a persistent series of unexpected openings, ultimately leading to enlightenment through a sober encounter with present day absurdities!
I love this comment! What a gorgeous little summation!! I’m going to cut and paste it on note, if that’s ok?
I saw the title and tentatively hoped it would go in this direction. I'm so glad it did. I'm a lover of all-things-history, but have a special affinity for Tudor England. Many think of it as dead and buried, but the reality is that we see ripples from its Butterfly Effect to this day - the King James Bible and separation of Church and State (allegedly) being just two examples. I like to think the spirit of women who will not be tamed runs in all of us. Perhaps it just roars more loudly in some than others.
Thanks for the reminder but I became a paid subscriber a couple of weeks ago.
Thank you!
Thank you for setting the record straight when it comes to Anne Boleyn. I have always felt she was badly maligned in history, but then strong women generally are not written of well and she had a profound effect on the direction of Europe.
It's interesting the madonna/whore analogy for all women. But then most of history, and the arts are written and controlled by men. This is more indicative of how women are seen in society no matter where you live.
But I am going to have to disagree with you in comparing Anne to Stormy Daniels.
Anne actually believed in something and had tenets by which she lived. Her belief in protestantism was truly heartfelt. Stormy believes in Stormy. She has no other agenda.
Anne was maligned as a whore when she was not one. The lies were used to condemn her to death. These lies live on. She was not a "bad" girl. But a strong willed young woman who, in the end, could not fight against the patriarchal society in which she lived.
Meanwhile, Stormy is a whore (sorry this is not slut shaming this is the truth) and the salaciousness of her cross examination is justified in trying to discredit her testimony. Who you are and what you have done is indicative of character. If the attorney can destroy a witnesses' character then their testimony can be seen by a jury as unimportant/lies/selfserving. That the media followed every word of what was said, well of course they did. Humans also slow down to see a car crash. I have no compassion for Stormy. Not because of what she has done in life, but because adults know that our choices have consequences.
We do agree about Anne—more so even than is apparent from this particular stack. I hope you’ll read my book, which discusses in much more detail the ways she has been maligned over the centuries. As for Stormy, I had no intention of comparing her to Anne Boleyn—except insofar as they both show how irresistible the good girl/bad girl construction is. However, I do disagree with you on her “as a person.” I actually did read her book, and found her quite smart and charming, and funny. And how she got into the porn business (I don’t think she ever was a prostitute) is like that of a lot of other women: not her first choice in life. I had a graduate student who did her dissertation, which later became a book, on strippers, and I learned a lot from it. But no, I wouldn’t ever bestow on her the stature and historical importance of Anne.
I am definitely going to read your book :) I find Anne Boleyn a very compelling and interesting historical person. (Much like her daughter Elizabeth I) Actually, I wasn't trying to take from Stormy her personhood. I was simply trying to separate her from Anne in the madonna/whore context, which is how I read your post.
I never thought of Stormy as a prostitute. But working in porn, for both male and female, does make someone a whore. I have not heard that she was forced into porn or trafficked into porn. Porn may not have been her first choice, but it still became a choice she made.There are consequences for every choice we make. I have no doubt she is smart, charming and funny. But she also blackmailed Trump that she would go public with their sexcapade. So not so innocent either. She is opportunistic.
Do I have sympathy at all for Stormy? Can't say that I do.
For those who are sex trafficked they need our love and support. For those forced into porn or prostitution they need our compassion. But Stormy was neither.
Thumbs on the scales of justice. My bones remember the fires, but still I choose not to cheat.
I’m sure I’ll feel foolish once you explain, but I don’t understand this comment.
It is very easy to cheat and take advantage of every system. They all have work around, or Loopholes. I have chosen to live without that dishonesty. Spin. No finger on the scale to overstate my weight, or age, or talents. etc.
My grandmother was disowned in 1929 and labelled a whore by my grandfather. From my research she was essentially “Irish” and sinfully left him in 1910 taking a son and daughter with her.
Otherwise my lineage of over a thousand years is that is that of the little people from the Outer Hebrides. The original fairy Queen was forced into marriage when conquered by the Vikings 10 centuries ago. This would explain my ancestral genetic memories of my female forbears having been burned at the stake more than once since then. Witches were my ancestors, hence my bones remember the fires.
Quite obvious to me. 😬
Although it sounds inane when I speak of it, or write it, hence my attempt to reduce centuries of genetic history down to a pithy comment impossible to understand.