Saturday, November 15, 2008

Life as a Crone

Okay, two things that stick in my craw- yes, crones have craws...

First, I read a terrible article wondering why women don't write "big idea" books. Grrr, hair pulling, head shaking, sigh... women write "big idea" books. The question is why publishers don't publish women's "big idea" books. That is the real question. It's a bias that we fight against still. It's why women take male pen names. It's why male authors make the most money in female genres...Nicholas Sparks anyone? How can you dismiss over half the population? Happens every day-in every career. So, it's not about what we write-but about what "the man" will publish. I could go on and on....

Second, watched the terrible- bad- worse than B horror flick from M. Night Shyamalan- The Happening. In which the plants have their revenge- I enjoy a good campy film- this reminded me of "The Ants" and had me looking for Elvira. (Who by the way is older than me, but would never be considered a crone.) So, why the craw sticking? There is a whole section of the film in which they encounter "the crone," a crazy recluse of an old woman with curled fingers and gray hair who screams and flies at them for no reason. Who is at once welcoming and then for no reason threatening... yes, your classic crone. Old women are considered crazy, scary witches. In this film, the crone is even more scary than the "deadly wind" that chases them. See me shaking my head.

Please- I know, I know, the world ain't fair, sista. After 40 some years, I still don't understand, why not...

No comments: