Exactly Who We Are: The Portraiture of Jana Marcus
What happens when a photographer, a mature woman herself, welcomes older women into her studio to get the “full glamour treatment”? In this episode, we explore how a session with photographer Jana Marcus inspired and thrilled the women who took part. Even though beauty is supposed to be a superficial attribute, seeing themselves as beautiful, strong, and desirable had a deep and lasting effect on these women …
Minibabble: Trying not to do damage: Bettina Aptheker on a pivotal moment in the Free Speech Movement
The 1960s is well-known as a turbulent time, but in this memory, Bettina revisits a scene that was particularly influential in years to come. The Student Free Speech Movement has served as a template for protests by young people since, from the Vietnam War to Black Lives Matter. In this memory, feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker reflects on how a fact of her upbringing led her to stand on a police car at a rally, in a scene reminiscent of fact and fiction that took place later …
Riding the waves of feminism: A conversation with scholar Bettina Aptheker
Noted feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker explores the dawning of her feminist consciousness in waves. Daughter of a communist, Aptheker had to throw off a lifetime of conditioning about sexuality and the role of women in order to come into her own as a woman and a scholar …
Minibabble: On cats, haters, and fighting the good fight
Some thoughts on cats, haters, and fighting the good fight with feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker …
Minibabble: Herp Women Publish a Book
Herpetology is a science with a dubious distinction. It is one of the least diverse professions, especially in terms of gender. Our guests on this episode noticed their own uniqueness. In fact, it was often pointed out to them how unusual they were. But they also noticed the special bonds they formed with their female colleagues around the world. So one day, they set out to do something about it. The result is a book, Women in Herpetology, 50 Stories from Around the World …
The Science of Connection: Global Women in Herpetology
The Global Women in Herpetology Project culminated in the book, Women in Herpetology, 50 Stories from Around the World. But the effect on the women who took part was much more profound than a simple book. In this episode of The Babblery, two founders of the organization and one of the authors speak about the project that connected them to so many of the women around the world who practice this unusual profession …

