‘The Week That Was’ is a free weekly newsletter that includes a selection of things on my mind (books, art, culture, slow life(style), global affairs, learnings, travel, etc.) as well as articles and podcasts I enjoyed during the week, an album of the week, and other recommendations. If you enjoy these topics, consider becoming a paid subscriber. For $5 a month, you can access the rest of the We, Renaissance Women content, including my monthly book round-up, travel guides, life(style) essays and interviews, and the country bulletin series.
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1. It’s Electric!
The majority of this week was a blur, with little sleep and so many questions about the future. One of those questions was whether or not I* was going to buy a car, something I have been thinking about for the past couple of months. Ultimately, yesterday, I decided to go ahead and purchase one - a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV Premier, a fully electric vehicle!
I test-drove one last month and loved it. I could not believe how smooth the drive was and the power of the engine.
My main requirement—in addition to being fully electric—was that it be compact because its primary purpose is for me to zip around the city. Turns out, there are not too many options when it comes to compact EVs in the US (the companies make profit on larger vehicles), and you could not pay me enough to get a Tesla at this point, so it is a good job that I think this car is perfect, including the navy blue interior.
Owning an electric vehicle is new to me, and I had many questions when we began the research. So, let me know if there is anything you are interested in hearing about EV ownership.
* Until the passing of The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) in 1974, women were not able to buy a car without a husband, or a man, co-signing on the loan.
2. Men Explain Things To Me
This week, I re-read Rebecca Solnit’s 2014 essay collection, Men Explain Things to Me, which includes nine essays related to various aspects of the world of women under patriarchy. It has been years since I read it, and while it is not my favourite book of feminist essays, I do think it is a worthwhile read because it relates to a specific moment in the history of feminism in the United States.
The titular essay, “Men Explain Things to Me” (2014), focuses on the fact that a man often thinks he knows more about a subject than a woman, which led to the development of the term “mansplaining.” “#YesAllWomen: Feminists Rewrite the Story” (2014) was written in response to the 2014 misogynistic Isla Vista killings and the following #YesAllWomen social media movement, while in “In Praise of the Threat: What Marriage Equality Really Means” (2013) she writes that the backlash to same-sex marriage by proponents of traditional marriage comes from a place of ideological misogyny.
I was reminded that the term “rape culture” only came into circulation in late 2012, and “sexual harassment” started only to be used in the legal system in the 1980s, given legal status by the Supreme Court in 1986, and given widespread coverage after Anita Hill’s testimony against her former boss, Clarence Thomas, in his 1991 Senate hearings on his Supreme Court nomination.
It is not difficult for me to remember those years from 2012 to 2014 and the cultural conversations, feelings, and actions surrounding feminism. Reading these essays connected me with myself from ten years ago while also making it clear that the road to gender equality is very long, with many twists, turns, heartbreak, and setbacks. We have so much further to go but we have and will continue to make advances.
…And because genies don’t go back into bottles and queer people are not going back into the closet and women aren’t going to surrender. It’s a war, but I don’t believe we’re losing it, even if we won’t win it anytime soon either; rather, some battles are won, some are engaged, and some women are doing really well while others suffer.
3. A Puerto Rican Circular Fashion Brand
From The Desk of Alicia Kennedy is one of my favourite reads on Substack and I also recommend her book No Meat Required: A Cultural History & Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating. This week she posted interviews with three small business owners in Puerto Rico and while I enjoyed all of them, I was particularly taken with Maru Aldea of Hola Aida, a vintage fashion and housewares store and Aida Studio, an upcycled fashion line.
She explains that secondhand/vintage/thrifting culture is still relatively new to Puerto Rico and that designers lack access to capital investors, manufacturing, and affordable physical spaces for storefronts. But, there is a community of small business owners who “band together and share resources as much as they can, and support each other.”
Her upcycled designs are absolutely stunning, from made-to-order custom embroidered napkins to hand-made circle skirts and the best shorts I have seen in a long time. The items are undoubtedly more summery than what November/December in Chicago requires, but these pieces have been added to my summer wishlist for next year. Although embroidered napkins seem like a great holiday gift for literally anyone…
4. These Temperatures…
It was recently announced that the University of Chicago has launched an Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, an interdisciplinary center that will cover law, energy, political science, economics, materials engineering, AI, and more to “produce new and deeper understandings of the climate challenge as well as practical, effective solutions.”
Learning about this initiative was a balm this week because it demonstrates that there are still plenty of people in this country committed to doing this necessary work (although I disagree with their use of the word “growth” in the name…we need “degrowth”).
There are plenty of articles and opinions floating around about what the next presidency will mean, and in some ways, it is hard to know. This piece about what he can do to reverse US climate policy − and what he probably can’t change is a good read.
One of the main points is that the Inflation Reduction Act is likely not going to be repealed (but definitely edited) because the Biden administration’s massive investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing are primarily benefiting red states - particularly Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana, and Tennessee. In some of those states, the money from Biden’s act totals 2.4% of the state’s entire GDP!!
Almost undoubtedly, he will end federal tax credits for consumers purchasing EVs and other related incentives.
5. Breathe, Sleep, Eat Meals, Smile
This week was not my healthiest week... I ate very little, slept even less, had chocolate for lunch, and hardly moved my body. This was okay for a couple of days, and then it had to end. Just as my joy, education, and passion can’t be taken from me, I am not going to hand over looking after myself.
Take it slow, but we have a long fight, and we need to be well-nourished, well-rested, and mentally/physically fit to do it.
How are you doing? Any good recommendations for me this week?
Not an album this week, just one song, two versions - the 1964 “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore and the 2024 AK Renny remix.
And don't tell me what to do
Don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display 'cause
Articles I read (and recommend) this week:
Too many and too few at the same time. I am skipping this week!
Podcast episodes I listened to (and recommend) this week:
- What we-and AI-can learn from nature’s intelligence (TED Radio Hour)
- How did the first democracy die? (Search Engine)
- India with Condé Nast Traveler’s Divia Thani (Women Who Travel)
Look after yourself. Talk soon!
Jennifer
xxx