by KarenEssex | Jul 4, 2013 | history, kleopatra, pharaoh, power, sex, women
I won’t be going back to Egypt. I would also totally support withdrawing ANY financial assistance to that country. Those might be strange statements from someone who’s written two books about Kleopatra and clearly loves the country and its history. Let me explain.
I am sharing herewith in its entirety a report from CNN’s blog about the recent gang rapes in Egypt. Historically, women of the conquered were raped by the victors as part of the “prize” of winning a war and to assert supremacy over, and humiliate and shame, the losers. That reflected a savage mentality to be sure, but the recent rapes in Egypt are more frightening because they are coldly calculated to terrify and suppress half the population. The message to Egypt’s women: Stay out of public life. If you show your face, you’re asking for it. The message to foreign countries and institutions: send us females and this is how we will deal with them. ... Read more.
by KarenEssex | Jun 24, 2012 | books, dracula in love, history, kleopatra, power, sex, women
I really enjoyed doing this sixty minute radio interview with Jon Hansen. Few interviewers come so well-prepared to discuss a book on so many different levels with an author. Hope you enjoy.
Dracula in Love radio interview with Jon Hansen
by KarenEssex | May 27, 2012 | power, women
The glass escalator is a new phenomenon similar to the glass ceiling, except that instead of hitting their heads as they try to rise to the top, men entering largely female dominated professions are carried past their women co-workers in winged chariots known as glass escalators.
Not surprisingly, as the job market shrinks, men are entering traditionally female-dominated professions—nursing, teaching, etc. This is great news for the professions, as far as I am concerned, and also great news for men who are willing to enter or retrain for these positions. The bad news for women is that they have to watch the men swiftly move past them for promotions and pay raises. ... Read more.
by KarenEssex | May 16, 2012 | power, women
Women are expert strategists when it comes to running relationships or running a household, both of which are complex tasks. So why are we lacking the strategic skills to climb the corporate ladder? According to the WSJ, “Women held just 14.1% of executive officer positions in 2011 at Fortune 500 companies, down from 14.4% in 2010, according to recent research conducted by Catalyst, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance women in business. When it comes to boards, women held 16.1% of seats in 2011, compared to 15.7% in 2010. ... Read more.
by KarenEssex | Mar 31, 2012 | books, dracula in love, women
Few people know that my first career was as a costume designer in theater, film, and television. I studied theatrical design at university, and, thanks to a very lucky break, slid into the business and worked in that position for a few intense, fun years.
For my taste, Eiko Ishioka was the greatest costume designer in the world. She certainly changed my world with her exquisite costumes for Francis Coppola’s’ Dracula. I was always a “Francis Freak,” but it was Ishioka’s shockingly vibrant, wildly dramatic, luscious wardrobe that jettisoned me into Coppola’s Gothic fantasy and made me want to stay there. Forever. The reds were not incarnadine but blood itself. The juxtaposition of bridal white against the ruthless horror of an undead bride seared my imagination. The bizarre confluence of Japanese discipline, Victorian excess, unbridled sexuality, and sheer theatricality stunned me. I couldn’t get the images out of my mind. For decades. ... Read more.
