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Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
The Third Edit: Mrs Dalloway at 100: She can buy herself flowers
A century ago, writer Virginia Woolf handed readers a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway in Mrs Dalloway, and in doing so, rewrote the possibilities of fiction. Not with grand events, but with the quiet rhythms of a woman's heart. 'Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself,' and as she set out from her elite Westminster home, the simple act became an existential event, an examination of her interior life, her longing and loneliness and the way she shrinks and expands with the roles society has placed upon her. Through the narrative, Woolf gave depth to what was so peremptorily dismissed in reality as well as in fiction at the time — the lives of girls and women — and refused to look away. In an era when intellect was coded male and the literary canon dominated by the external and the action-driven, Woolf was in every way an outlier. She challenged the primacy of plot with a stream of consciousness that flowed unapologetically through doubt, memory, and fragmented desire. In Mrs Dalloway, time bent and buckled to accommodate emotion; in A Room of One's Own (1929), she declared space and income the foundations for female creativity. These were radical acts of reclamation. She wrote with the full force of a mind that refused to compartmentalise intellect and emotion, and made room for a new language for both feminism and fiction. A century and many movements for women's rights later, the questions Mrs Dalloway raised continues to be relevant still: How do women stitch meaning into days that ask them to be beautiful, dutiful, but not necessarily whole? How do women live truthfully in a world that so often mistakes performance for presence? In an age of curated selves and constant noise, Mrs Dalloway pulls people back to the politics of thought, the necessity of empathy. Woolf's work endures not simply because it was ahead of its time, but because it continues to meet each generation exactly where they are — searching, unsettled, and yearning for more.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Women in design unite
Just like the novel A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, where the author explores the need for women to be financially independent and have personal space to create art and achieve intellectual freedom, a house too resonates with identity, memory, and intention. For women, curating a space becomes a form of storytelling — creating environments that reflect artistic style, safety, emotion, and care. However, for men, the focus is more on the aesthetic and utilitarian aspect. Honouringwomen who shape the world through design and authentic expression, 'Room For Her' — presented by Adeline Graham, a French entrepreneur and interior designer — was hosted at her Fern & Ade showroom in Chennai last week. While the name of her showroom is a tribute to her grandmother Fern, Graham says she has been inspired by the fashion and culinary worlds as opposed to drawing inspiration from just one person. The talk featured artist Parvathi Nayar, photographer and urban gardening enthusiast Shefalii Dadabhoy, and Sripriya Ganesan, co-founder of Studio Neon Attic as the speakers, and was moderated by Shakthi Girish, founder of Galatta magazine. Topics ranged from how women shape the art world to how to bring a feminine perspective into architecture. The showroom itself was a blend of modernity and warmth, with the evening light filtering through its minimalist decor. For Graham, who offers 'a European sensibility — softer colour palettes and refined lines — that complements the richness of Indian homes, including their vibrant artwork and intricate woodwork' the occasion was the perfect opportunity to bring together women from different walks of life. 'Design and creativity go far beyond just interiors; they're woven into every aspect of how we live — from the art we choose to the food we serve and the way we nurture our outdoor spaces,' she said. When it comes to the influence of women in art, Nayar, who recently premiered her show Limits of Change at Chennai's Lalit Kala Akademi, said that she wouldn't want to be typecast as a woman artist who would only work with fabric or embroidery or on women's subjects. This would be reductive and limiting. 'I embrace the fact that I'm a woman and that sensibility makes its way into my work,' she added. Meanwhile, Dadabhoy, who is known for her work as a home chef (the city loves her artisanal floral brownies), has also been lauded for her efforts to transform Chennai into a sunflower city. 'How you wear your clothes in the morning, how you lay your dishes, how you serve, art is designed from that aspect. Getting flowers onto my plate of food was just a natural progression of that. We have to let nature be the painter, and we become the curator,' she explained. For architect and interior designer Ganesan, whose Studio Neon Attic showcases design and integrates traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics, femininity is not a sense of aesthetic, but is layered and emotionally intelligent. 'Who is going to use the space? If you are looking at a workspace, are we looking at a workspace where women feel safe… this is what women bring into design. Spaces have always been designed keeping men in the picture, which is very basic, functional, and monumental,' she said. Names that inspire Textile designer Sonali Manavalan, founder and head designer of Manavalanan Co — a multidisciplinary design house — confessed that she draws inspiration from Sarah Sham, owner of Essajees Atelier, a global design company. 'I came across her on Instagram. She is a boss lady. One of the things that inspired me was how she handles massive projects. More than the finished products, it's the fact that she has done all this work while raising two children,' she observed. Both Sakthi Bhuvaneswari, of The Civic Studio, and Ganesan are inspired by architect Zaha Hadid, the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize. 'Her designs are unapologetically her. I got into architecture because I wanted to shake up the design space just like her,' shared Ganesan. 'As I practise sustainability, I also look up to Chitra Vishwanath [of Biome Solutions, Bengaluru]. In Chennai, I like the work of Shilpa Architects,' added Sakthi Bhuvaneswari. Cherry picking furniture At the store, both Bhuvaneswari and Kalpana Rao, owner of OCD Space Studio, favoured the RFH armchair by &Tradition, a Danish brand that focuses on originality. 'Small in footprint, part of the chair's charm lies in its low and compact form, offering a lounge piece with a striking silhouette that can be placed anywhere,' Graham described later. For Purva Bhende, associate architect with ED+Architecture, the side table with a rotating disc was the winner. 'I tend to focus on the visual appeal as opposed to comfort. If you are sitting and are bored, fiddling with it is something that you are meant to do.'
Buzz Feed
10-04-2025
- Buzz Feed
I Was Punched In The Face In New York City. This Is What It's Like Existing As A Woman In 2025.
I was standing on the corner of University Place and East 12th Street in downtown New York City this past February when it happened. I was on my way to a film festival at NYU. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and downtown New York was bustling with street vendors and pedestrians. I know I should have been more aware of my surroundings. But the sun was shining, and I was deep in conversation with my friend Jill on FaceTime. She was back in Boston, and we were laughing about the awful hair days that we were both having. Snow was in the forecast, so I tucked my wild curls under a beanie. But, for the sake of our conversation, I stepped away from the crowds and removed my hat to reveal the messy curls underneath. For a split second, I forgot I was in New York City. It felt like I was back in Boston, lost in conversation with a friend who was sitting across from me on the couch and not 200 miles away. My guard was down for only a second, but that was long enough for a sudden force to jolt me back to reality. My friend's face disappeared from my sight. A large palm had brutally shoved my phone into my sweater. I staggered backward, trying to regain my balance and process what had just happened. Adrenaline coursed through my system. Although I couldn't see his face, my peripheral captured a man disappearing into a sea of pedestrians. My friend's concerned voice was drowned out by the sounds of city sirens and the hum of passing strangers, while my startled eyes met the gaze of a shocked young man who stood only a few feet away from me. He clearly witnessed what had just happened. A mix of confusion, surprise, anger, and emotion swirled inside me, but all I could choke out was the dumbfounded question, 'Was I just punched?' He confirmed my suspicions with a stunned but definitive 'Yeah!' His eyes remained locked with mine. 'You were!' The walk sign flashed a moment later, and without giving the man next to me a second look, I scurried forward, desperate to escape Manhattan's crowds. I told Jill I would call her back later. Glass tears began to well up in my eyes. All I wanted was to disappear into a dark theater. This moment was jarring, yet it also made me reflect on something deeper that I've noticed in society: a certain, almost palpable animosity toward women who dare to take up space. The truth is women have historically worked to claim their space in society. Figures like Mary Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf recognized the disparities in how women were treated by society and voiced these concerns in their writings, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Wollstonecraft) and A Room of One's Own (Woolf). These women were criticized for their radical ideas on women's rights and their rejection of traditional gender roles. These women serve as historically notable examples of the criticism against women who challenge what the 'status quo" was. However, the animosity toward autonomous women has seeped into the crevices of everyday society, and just the act of existing in public spaces seems to be enough to inspire physical retaliation. I experienced the physical vitriol that women who just appear visually happy may encounter, and I am far from the only one. This past fall, women in New York City were being randomly punched on the streets of Manhattan. Multiple local news outlets reported on the assaults, but it was social media that turned a local story into a national curiosity: 'Why were women being punched?' There was no confirmed answer. But my gut compels me to believe that the physical attacks were a product of the brewing frustration that select members of society have toward women who don't 'stay in their place.' Basically, women can't be randomly punched on the street if they don't leave their homes. I've noticed a growing frustration toward women who happen to live public lives but conduct themselves in socially appropriate manners, given their circumstances. A few months ago, Taylor Swift, one of the most widely recognized women on earth, was heckled and booed at Super Bowl LIX. She was there to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift was not the only celebrity in attendance who proudly repped their team. However, she was the only one to receive a vitriolic response to her face being broadcast on the big screen. It should be noted that she wasn't doing anything particularly engaging, entertaining, or inflammatory when she was broadcast. She was just sitting there, and it was reported that she asked, 'What's going on?' after she realized fans were booing her. The animosity toward Taylor Swift in this moment has been scrutinized and debated. An article in Glamour magazine by Stephanie McNeal argued that the moment symbolized the 'rapid increase in misogyny in our culture,' while a Op-Ed response from conservative writer Tim Murtaugh in the Washington Times argued that McNeal's viewpoint was a 'melt down' and ignorant to the fact that the Super Bowl is an inherently rowdy and playfully combative event. I am not here to question someone's right to author an op-ed. However, in the conservative Washington Times piece, Murtaugh writes that Swift has 'made herself the living symbol of [the Kansas City Chiefs.]' I take issue with the idea that by existing, having a boyfriend, and choosing to support him at his games, Swift has, in some way, overstepped and, therefore, deserved a vitriolic and combative response from crowds at football games. I almost didn't write this. When I first thought of putting into words the incident that happened on the corner of University Place and East 12th Street in downtown New York, I asked myself, 'Am I just complaining? Or being overly dramatic?' But as I thought more about the shove and then what I witnessed at the Super Bowl LIX, I couldn't help but recognize the unsettling reality that, even in our most innocent or joyful moments, women are still held to impossible standards. Even when we are standing still, minding our own business, the idea of women taking up space is enough to anger those who refuse to accept our right to take up space. Julia Doyle is an NYC based journalist from Boston, Massachusetts. She writes about feminism, sports, culture, and the economy. Her work has been featured in The Fifty and CBS News. When she isn't writing, she can be found training for her next road race, in the pool, or baking! She's always on the hunt for a new story or brownie recipe! Do you have a personal story you'd like to see published on BuzzFeed? Send us a pitch at essay-pitch@
USA Today
21-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Did Project 2025 release a book ban list? No, a social media user did
Did Project 2025 release a book ban list? No, a social media user did | Fact check Show Caption Hide Caption Texas school district to review ban of Anne Frank novel, other books The Keller Independent School District in Texas is reviewing at least 41 books that the school board has recommended to ban from school libraries. Ariana Triggs, USA TODAY The claim: Project 2025 seeks to ban nearly 3,000 books over topics including 'female autonomy and independent thought' A Feb. 15 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims the conservative policy initiative Project 2025 plans to restrict access to certain books. The post includes a video with text that reads in part, '#Project 2025 is terrified of women. It links to a spreadsheet of books labeled "Ban book list." 'It is almost 3,000 books long, and it makes the somewhat critical mistake of explaining why it's banning books,' the post's creator says in the video. 'So, for example, when it says it is banning Virginia Woolf's 'A Room of One's Own,' it says, 'Promotes female autonomy and independent thought.'' The post received more than 145,000 likes in five days. Similar claims also spread on X. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False Project 2025 did not make the list. It was created by a TikTok user. TikTok user took credit for list Project 2025 is a policy blueprint published by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation in April 2023. Also known as "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise," the playbook includes policy recommendations to overhaul the government under a conservative president beginning in 2025. The organization said it didn't generate a banned book list. "That rumor is completely false and ridiculous," foundation spokesperson Ellen Keenan told USA TODAY. A TikTok user created the spreadsheet and said as much in an introduction at the top of the document. 'I made this list to spread awareness that you might not find these books at the libraries,' the list's creator wrote. 'Few people don't have a privilege to buy books so they rely on school/libraries to access it. There is alot of books we didn't know that got ban.' (sic) The document also includes a resource list of news articles and watchdog groups. Fact check: No proof Elon Musk ordered all federal workers to pass drug tests or be fired One of those sources, PEN America, is a nonprofit that has been tracking school book bans since 2021. The organization wasn't aware of an official Project 2025 banned book list. 'Last summer, PEN America issued an analysis of the education component of Project 2025,' Pen American spokesperson Suzanne Trimel told USA TODAY. 'Nothing in this report raises up a 'book ban list.' Certainly, if there had been one, we would have included it.' The user who posted the claim told USA TODAY she received the list from someone who characterized it as Project 2025's 'book-banning plan.' She later learned Project 2025 did not create the list. 'Had I known that post would have gotten so many views, I would have chosen my words more carefully,' she said. Project 2025 does oppose some library materials It's unclear where the purported ban of Woolf's essay originated, but many titles on the list have been the subject of debate. Bans over the past three years have predominantly targeted books with themes of race, sexuality and gender identity, according to PEN America. Although Project 2025 didn't create the list in question, it does use rhetoric consistent with other book-banning efforts, Trimel said. The Project 2025's forward, for example, references an 'omnipresent propagation of transgender ideology,' which it considers 'pornographic.' It says educators and public librarians who provide access to such materials should be 'classed as registered sex offenders." Some of Project 2025's coalition partners also maintain book rating websites and have been "active in the organized campaign to target books and the freedom to read," Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, told USA TODAY. USA TODAY reached out to the list's creator for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Our fact-check sources Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here. USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
