Yvette's Inner Geek Blog

Sorting through things the past couple days had left a small stack of books on my desk, including "Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe" by Nancy Goldstone, published this year. I picked it up at a used bookstore in Brooklyn while I was there (staying with my aunt) on business in early October. This is the first time since then that I picked it up.

I like many things Medieval, feminist and historical, and so far this book seems to fit the bill.  There's a little summary explaining that the troubadors were "roving poets who set their words to music and played to the elegant audiences of the aristocracy." I've heard about the troubadors, but I didn't know about what I read next (p. 2-3):

"Women, too, felt the allure of poetry and rambled around the south of France composing songs; they were called trobairitz. Although known today primarily as songwriters, they were also by turns journalists, political columnists, war correspondents, gossipmongers, actors, writers, directors; they were satirists, pageant artists, spin-doctors, and spies."

 Neato, I say, and I think I might enjoy reading this book during my 4-day Christmas weekend. Especially if it continues to be, according to the dust jacket blurb, "a compulsively readable narrative" that "shatters the myth that women were pawns in a society that celebrated physical prowess and masculine intellect."

I do love a good myth-shattering. 

On a more personal note, I had a bunch of crap to finish at work today, so I was the last one in the office. Add on top of that the fact that it looks like there is no company bonus for me this year and I didn't even receive well-wishes from the company.  So I popped open a dusty bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon when I came home and retreated to my office. It's been a very long time since I've had wine, and after only one glass I'm starting to feel more relaxed and more pleasant. I'll probably not feel the same way tomorrow, especially if I have another glass with dinner (boxed lasagna is in the oven now). But I'm enjoying it now.