She is fanciful in her youth, almost primitive and primordial in her imagination. Why does she never smile? And why does her hat seem to never match her gown?” (Dutton, 2016, p. It is a story untold (or unheard) in our histories of science, art, and cultural memory.Įven by today’s standards, Margaret is painted as “eccentric – more apt to read than dance. What is precious and vital about Dutton’s novel is highlighting and surfacing the important role one woman – Margaret Cavendish – played during the 17 th century, a time of tremendous scientific, artistic, and political upheaval. Popova seeks to highlight and connect across time and space the impact of women and queer individuals on the modern world of art and science, which she does through excavation of letters, writing, and biographical sketches of those whom we know little about from this history.ĭutton’s novel contributes to this long overdue conversation through the important medium of historical fiction. As I read Danielle Dutton’s (2016) Margaret the First, I thought of Maria Popova: specifically, Popova’s (2019) book Figuring, but also the Brain Pickings project.
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