From the Archives: You think one vote doesn’t matter? Hah!

I have told this story here on the Margins before.  But with the midterm elections only a few days away, I think it’s important to remember right now that in the end the 19th Amendment was ratified thanks to one man’s vote.   In August, 1920, 35 states had ratified the amendment; 36 states were…

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From the Archives: You Can’t Vote Because….

If you’ve been hanging around the Margins for a while, you’ve read this one before. I think it’s worth repeating. From sixth century Athens on, who has the vote and why has been a touchy and evolving subject in democracies. People who already have the vote have hesitated to extend it to others for two…

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Sister Novelists

Recently I was talking with a group of writer friends about the question of accuracy in historical novels and movies. It was an intense discussion that began with The Woman King* and ultimately found its way to the film adaptations of Jane Austen’s movies. In the course of that discussion, I heard myself saying “That’s…

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