Sam's Girl Innovator Blog

“I’ve always known women were strong”, Susan Aberbach

My mother, Susan Borres was born in Binal Bogan, Philippines in 1964. She is the eldest daughter of 9 siblings. Living in a matriarchal society and as the first child, and oldest daughter her role in her family was to bring home money and send her other siblings to school. This is exactly what she did, she got a higher education in the Philippines, went to the medical school and was sent off to New York City at the age of 24.

When asking my mother about the obstacles she went through growing up as a girl and being an asian woman in New York, she was confused. She didn’t feel that her gender or race gave her any issues. She just told me, “it is what it is.” I was surprised at this answer as she has told me stories of her mother, shaving her head and calling her “boy” when she misbehaved as a child. And other stories of hate crimes committed on her living in New York. The only discrimination she has truly felt was joining my white, jewish father’s family, who always saw her as an outsider who was trying to take my father’s money. As her daughter I can say this is untrue.

Interestingly enough, my mother gets her empowerment through her “conservative values”. Which is quite the opposite of how women feel empowered today. She feels she gets her power from dressing modestly, yet still fashionable, and refraining from sex. Growing up, she never had a boyfriend and even claimed to be “ugly” for Filipina standards. Once moving to the states she realized she was attractive to white men but still refrained from the American dating lifestyle and only dated a few men until she met my father.

Julia Hart’s Fast Color ends with Ruth reading a note that says “Simona Lott is real. She is in Rome. There are other’s. Find them. Go take apart the sky.” In my sequel, it will take place a few years later. Ruth has focused on rebuilding her life and her relationship with her daughter as opposed to focusing on her super power of altering matter. Ruth figures that since the Earthquakes have stopped and that she can finally keep her daughter safe she’d like to keep it that way instead of becoming “superheros”. Lila is also becoming a teenager, her powers become as powerful and unstable as her emotions.  

Bo, Ruth’s Mother, has been working with the government to help them understand the biology behind her superpowers. Bo and the government agents seem like they’re equals and coworkers.  Everything in their worlds seems to be going really well for the first time. Until the government discovers there are “others” out there, there was an incident in Chicago where a whole building crumbled into nothing. With the debris of the building in huge letters spelled “We will be seen.” It is a huge tragedy. The government sees this as an act of war, and that all women with these powers are an extreme threat. With the information they’ve gathered the government is able to make a device that prevents those with special abilities from being able to use their powers. They use this device on Bo and then kill her. The next step is to collect all of the women around the world who have this ability and kill them. 

Ruth and Lila discover their plan and try to find all the girls before the government gets to them, then find Simona Lott who might be able to save them. However, the young girl who caused the tragedy in Chicago continues to wreak havoc all over the globe, causing more trouble for Ruth and the “others”.

In the scene I am writing, Lila is on a date with a boy she really likes and accidentally reveals her powers. 

Part One

Naomi Wadler’s and Emma Gonzolas speeches were for speaking against gun violence on kids in the U.S.  What makes this speech so significant is that it is coming from young girls, who shouldn’t have to fear for their lives everyday when the policymakers of this country are supposed to protect them, protect all of us. These “warrior girls” are taking matters into their own hands, when the system has failed them, they fearlessly speak in front of thousands of people in honor of those who lost their lives to gun violence so that there are no more “names” lost in the future. 

Part Two

Priya Shakhti is the first Indian rape survivor who is a superhero. Priya has become the face that represents the fight against gender based violence in India and around the world. In the graphic novel, Priya goes to the goddess Parvati for guidance after being assaulted and having her family turn on her. In the author’s (Ram Devineni’s) TED talk he shares a quote he heard from a Deli officer on the topic of gender violence on women, “No good girl walks home alone at night”. This is what Priya’s family must have thought when abandoning her for bringing “shame” to their family. This quote made Ram realize that "The problem of gender violence is not a legal problem, but a cultural problem." In these cultures, and even in our own, we tend to blame women for their abuse as opposed to their abuser. The moment we start believing women as a society is when we can start properly protecting women through policy making. 

In the graphic novel when the God Shiva discovers the injustice that Priya endured he reacts with extreme anger. The god declares that men will no longer be able to procreate. Blinded by his rage he is unable to understand how that makes both men and women suffer for the crimes of society and specific men. Shiva with the help of the goddess Parvati realizes that with unity and hope change will come. Priya is given the strength and support to spread this montra, village to village, “Speak without shame and be the change you want to see”. Priya’s leadership and bravery gave women hope, and with hope change became possible. “When injustice is revealed will it end (...) Only when society protects it’s society equally will it truly be safe” 

This book was visually and emotionally stunning. Gender violence plagues the whole world and is something as a young woman I think about often. This book encourages me to be brave and speak with and support any woman who is affected by this issue. Together our voices are stronger and louder and can quickly spread Priya’s message.

Well, when supernatural women were first introduced into Hollywood storytelling they played housewives who’s magical powers got them into kooky situations from within the confines of being a wife (Bewitched and Genie in a Bottle). I find this very silly, considering that these women are very powerful attached to idiotic husbands and won’t use their powers to break the confines of gender norms. 

Later on I believe that Supernatural Women were not really utilized as a motivational device but more so an excuse to put women in scantily clad outfits, especially in superhero movies (ie. Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, Poison Ivy) 

But now we live in a time where our supernatural girls have dynamic personalities and drive the plot of the show/movie without being sexualized, and they are actually girls (ie. Eleven in Stranger Things, Matilda in Matilda)

2. How is magical power related to adolescence?

I think magical powers in adolescence are supposed to represent puberty. It symbolizes the change that young women have to go through and although it seems really strange what our bodies go through we end up stronger. Women are superhuman, and it takes an immense amount of strength to withstand what it means to be a woman.  “Women are born with pain built in” (Fleabag) 

3. What impact does the depiction of magic and the sense of agency it represents have on real girls and young women?

Yes, these depictions make real girls think they can be whoever they want to be and do what we put our minds to. They show that even little girls can save the world. For example, in Matilda, our main character grows up in an abusive household and goes to a school with a horribly mean principal. Matilda is trapped, but she escapes with books and knowledge and becomes so smart she can start moving things with her mind. I read this book when I was a little girl and it encouraged me to read more and seek more education. It shows girls that we don’t have to be stuck in a bad situation and we can escape by learning and seeking out better opportunities. 

4. Are you aware of additional girl icons with magical powers? Please share in your post with images.

Starfire from Teen Titans

Jenny Wakeman from My Life as A Teenage Robot 

Alex Russo from Wizard’s of Waverly Place

5. Do you see a correlation between the career opportunities of these young women performers and their evolution as feminists?

Yes, I think actresses who play magical, powerful women are more likely to be powerful feminists in real life. For example, stars  Rose McGowan and Alyssa Milano of Charmed have made a real impact on the #metoo movements and other progressive causes. In 2017, Time recognized McGowan as one of the Silence Breakers, the magazine's Person of the Year, for speaking out about sexual assault and harassment, specifically in regard to the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases and the Me Too movement. 

Uma Thurman and Lucy Lui in Kill Bill

 Cruella, TV Eye in Ridgewood

Osuka from Neon Genesis Evangelian, Lobby of my apartment

Xmen Woman, Featuring my Fav. Mystique, Union Square

Kim Possible, Friend’s Halloween Party

Lelu, The 5th Element, Friend’s Halloween Party

Dani from MidSommar, Friend’s Halloween Party

Today I decided to research Brooklyn born marine biologist, and policy expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and an episode from her podcast, “How to Save The Planet”. The purpose of the show is to inform listeners about climate change without having the audience feel overwhelmed and hopeless by the end of the episode. Instead, Johnson and her co-host Alex Blumberg goal is to energize you with inspiring stories about the current climate situation we are in and how to get out of it. 

I decided to review their most recent episode “Sheep + Solar, a Love Story”. This episode addresses how to get off of fossil fuels and onto renewable energies, specifically, solar energy. The only issue is its demand for lots of land. Johnson and Blumberg look into mixing solar panels with agriculture. 

“Sheep can be our solution for climate change,” says Johnson. Before explaining how sheep play a role in solar farming first we must understand the biggest issue that solar farmers come across. Shade. Johnson, with the help of Keith Hevnor, communication manager at Nexamp (Solar Company),  explains how lots of solar rays are built on open fields, and things such as grass, brushes and trees can obstruct the sun from reaching the panels. In most cases the panels are low enough that even tall grass is enough shade to negatively affect the amount of energy the panels can generate. Because of this issue, operators like Keith’s Company Nexamp are forced to constantly cut the grass with lawn mowers. The irony in this is that gas powered lawn mowers are counterproductive in the fight against climate change. So instead, we can use sheep to graze, which is a more sustainable option. 

Johnson visited sheep farmer Judy St. Leger’s farm in upstate New York, to witness what is known as “agrivoltaics” systems or sheep solar. Judy doesn’t let the sheep graze just anywhere but only where the grass is too tall. So, typically the sheep are led to vegetation that is above the knee and stops them when it reaches to about the ankle. There are more benefits to this method other than the substitution of the polluting lawnmower. The method of rotational grazing, not only keeps the vegetation low but it keeps the soil healthy and sequesters carbon. 

I love this climate solution! It’s one of the cutest solutions out there. Not only do the sheep get free food, and their farmers get paid for it, but it makes solar farm upkeep more manageable. The U.S Department of Agriculture has taken notice of this solution and earlier this year announced funding for a new optimized design for “agrivoltaics” systems. It’s a four year project that you can learn about if you click here. 

I had a very lovely time visiting the Last Stand. But, honestly not at first. It was a Sunday, October 10th, the last day the installation would be in Prospect Park. All I wanted was to stay in bed all day, but I had to get this field trip done. It takes me an hour to get to the park and it’s raining, and I have no idea how to get there. I pull up my phone and stare at the little spot on the map that I am so far away from, as my phone-screen creates a blanket of raindrops atop of it. I take a deep breath and try to find my way. After about 15 minutes I see individuals, couples, and families surrounding an area of wooden benches. I take off my headphones and animal songs fill my ears. 

My eyes start to well up with tears. I miss nature, and having easy access to the forest. I miss exploring the wilderness with my family and doing things on my own. Being here surrounded by autumn leaves and beautiful bird calls, with my own thoughts, really grounded me and helped me appreciate my life and all sorts of life that this world produces. 

The installations at Union Square Park were gorgeous. The bronze color made them glow, which made them have an angelic presence. The structure and size gave them a strong foundation, physically and metaphorically. I definitely felt like they were guardian angels watching over all of us. Being around them sparked a lot of emotions in me and the whole time I was fighting tears. The statues are doing a good job of encouraging important conversations out of its audience. I could tell people felt a fire within them that made them long for change. 

I was very fortunate to have met George Floyd’s brother, although we didn’t see him speak much. I was surprised to see that the producers and artist of the exhibit were all white. I definitely feel as though getting more POC involved in this project would be more beneficial for the BLM movement. And I was even more shocked to discover that their next project will be a “collaboration” with the NYPD, to “fix the negative perspective of the police”. I think it is wrong to use this momentum, and resources to repair the NYPD’s image. POC are afraid of police for a reason and systemic racism and police brutality will not be repaired with a little PR stunt. 

1. If you could describe this book in one word what would that be?

“Eye-opening” As an American born woman my female experience is wildly different from those like Malala. I may not feel safe walking the streets of New York alone but at least I can actually leave if I choose, with who I want, when I want, wearing what I want. In Pakistan according to “I am Malala”, pashtun women can’t leave the house without a male accompanying them, even if it’s a little boy. If that wasn’t bad enough when the Taliban started policing Pakistan, they kept girls from being educated by blowing up schools or passing laws that only allowed girls to be educated up to 10 or 11 years old. I am fortunate enough to not only have a high school education but a higher education as well. Every child around the world, no matter what gender, should have the right to a full education. This book really puts our privilege in perspective. 

2. What does this book reveal about Islam, women, girls and education?

The book revealed how sometimes religion and its relationship with power can be abused and used as a fear tactic to control people, especially women. The Taliban and their leader Fazlullah used a radio talk show to spread their views on what it meant to be a good islamic woman. On the radio show Fazlullah would praise girls who dropped out of school and named them good muslim women. The Taliban would also use fear tactics to keep girls from going to school by bombing school’s that taught females in Pakistan. Islam is a religion that promotes peace and wouldn’t condone the actions of the Taliban but with enough fear and manipulation the interpretation of the religion has shifted, even for the women that are being oppressed. 

3. What elements of chance are crucial to her story? 

Malala has been protected and guided her whole life. She was born into a Muslim family in beautiful Swat, Pakistan, where her father not only accepted her despite being a girl but supported and encouraged her dreams. It is rare for a Pakistani Father to have a close relationship to his daughter and wife, and respect women in general on top of that. Malala’s Father’s dream was to open up a school for both girls and boys, and because of that Malala had the opportunity to a better education than most girls in Pakistan. Even when the Taliban was bombing school’s her Father’s school was spared while she was still attending. Malala spent her whole childhood fighting for the education she deserved, and continued on into adulthood fighting for other girls to get the same chance she got. Not even a bullet to the temple could stop her. 

4. Unesco estimates over 160 million girls worldwide are not educated due to refugee status, war relocation, poverty and gender preference.  What would the world look like if all girls were educated? What do you think would change?

If all girls were educated there would be less people in poverty and it could potentially solve the overpopulation problem. According to the article “4 WAYS THAT GIRLS’ EDUCATION CAN CHANGE THE WORLD” a girl’s education leads to a delay in marriages meaning smaller families. “One in every 3 girls in developing countries is married before the age of 18. But when a girl in the developing world receives 7 years of education, she marries 4 years later and has 2.2 fewer children.” (UNFPA) In addition to that, a girl who is educated has a higher chance of working! In fact, according to UNESCO, a single year of primary education can increase a girl’s wages later in life by up to 20%. An extra year of secondary school can increase their wages by up to 25%. (Schultz).  

5. What is your favorite quote from the book? Please explain why.

“Women can do important jobs without losing their culture” . I liked this quote because I could apply it to my own life, and the American culture I experience now. Lot’s of women, whether they are 13 or 30, living in America or Pakistan, give up their career aspirations to become a mother and become a servant to their husband. Sometimes women are forced into this lifestyle or are pressured by society. But the reality is women can be amazing mother’s and amazing employees or bosses. In addition to that, women working important jobs such as doctors, lawyers, teacher’s etc. don't directly conflict with culture. Men go to work, come home to their children and still have time to go to church on Sunday just fine. Why can’t women have the same for themselves?

6. What positive global messages does this book provide, and why does it continue to be relevant?

What do you notice about the placement of this monument compared to Monumental Women in Central Park? 

I noticed that Joan is much higher up compared to the Monumental Women in Central Park. Not only is the pedestal higher but she is riding a horse! The horse and her are frozen in an action pose looking ready to charge. 

What story is being told by this sculpture? Who is represented and why do you think they were chosen?

This statue tells the story of Joan of Arc. According to Britanica.com Joan was a French heroine who led its army in a momentous victory at Orleans in 1429 that stopped the English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years’ War. However, Joan was eventually captured and tried as a heretic by the English and was burned at the stake. I think they chose Joan of Arc to create a monument after because she is an icon of feminine power! To be a woman and lead an army, especially to victory, is unheard of in 1429. It is important to preserve this significant time in history as she could easily be forgotten without monuments such as these. 

Research the artist behind the monument. Is her work well-represented in international collections? Is she part of art history?

 Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington created the Joan of Arc in 1915. She started out her career as an artist in 1902 when she moved to NYC from Boston. She started off by making lifelike emotion filled animal statues for the Bronx Zoo. But then in 1912 she really found her footing in the statuette market. By this time she became the highest-paid professional woman in the United States. She then received many prestigious awards, as well as recognition from institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Academy, which collected her works. Her success, however, didn’t just stay in New York. Between 1906 and 1910 Huntington took several long trips to Paris to perfect her animal sculptures. 

(https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-new-yorks-first-feminist-monument-hiding-plain-sight)

Do monuments matter? Why?

Yes, not only do they inform and teach history just by merely walking past them but they immortalize very important events and people. 

How do these city monuments compare to Maya Lin's 'antimonument' in 'Ghost Forest'?

Maya Lin’s installation is very different from the city monuments we observed this week. Maya Lin’s project was a melancholy experience that used dead trees to reflect what we as humans have done and continue to do to our planet. Lin’s ‘Ghost Forest’ is meant to encourage observers to take action through grief and guilt whereas these city monuments aim to inspire young women  by honoring female icons so that we may follow in their footsteps. 

Write a brief scene imagining who might have been present the day this monument was dedicated.

Pictured below is, Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington at a ceremony honoring the canonization of Joan of Arc, New York, NY, May 15, 1920. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. In the background I see many young girls in school uniforms. I imagine that they are on a field trip much like the one we went on last week, to learn about this female power icon. 

Lynn Hershman Leeman’s “Twisted” has to be one of my favorite exhibits I’ve been to. I was quite impressed that some of her work dates back to the 1960′s, as she seemed to be ahead of her time. Hershman art is jarring, sometimes disturbing, and displays the rawness of femininty and womanhood and how it is intertwined with technology. It makes you wonder if technology will save or destroy womankind. 

1. What does the show have to say about gender as a construct? What role does technology play?

This question makes me think of Hershman’s “Roberta Bretimore series” where Hershman became an entirely different woman for 7 years. She wanted to become the ideal woman, a spitting image of femininity. But what does this mean exactly? Does being a woman mean being feminine, being blonde, wearing makeup, and crossing your legs? No it doesn’t. That ideal woman was constructed by the male gaze and only has value because men say it does. Technology plays in with AI. Why find the perfect woman when you can make one? 

2. What does the show have to say about Artificial intelligence and womanhood?

Hershman views both Artificial Intelligence and Womanhood as an extension of the self. It is almost like the next step in our evolution. But also these two concepts are dominated by men. When thinking about all of the sci-fi movies I’ve come across in my life the AI always seem to be women (Ex Machina, Her, Ghost In a Shell). The perfect woman is a machine, the perfect machine is a woman. Men created artificial intelligence to serve mankind and to them who serves men better than a woman? 

3. What elements of the show speak to definitions of ‘girlhood’?

“Dollie Clones”, the project where there are two telerobotic dolls with camera’s for eyes, that produce a life stream of the images captured, definitely speaks to ‘girlhood’. I believe that it is supposed to represent the world through a child’s toy’s eyes. It makes you wonder what that doll has seen? What have dolls all around the world seen? What is it like to be a girl, and how is it shown in expression through our dolls?

4. How does her use of video and technology inform her message?

It gets the audience involved. Hershman’s projects are very emersive and interactive. For example, in the “Infinity Engine”, she invites you to put on headphones and listen to white men droll on about DNA, evolution, and bioengineering. This informs her message of men dominating the science world.

5. What does her depiction of the female body convey about what it means to be human?

This question makes me think about Hershman’s pregnancy and the complications she had during it. Hershman bringing life into this world also meant possible death for her. This is what it means to be human, it means we live to create life, leave a legacy, and then die. Humanness means we are mortal but also as human’s we fear death and that’s where technology plays in. Technology and machines can replace/fix the dying things, the human things within us to delay death. 

6. If Hershman Leeson is the master of all the channels and depictions what does that mean for female empowerment?

Women are now infiltrated throughout the technological, science, and art world. We can use the opportunities paved by Hershman Leeson to start rebranding the female image, made by women for women. 

7. Why is the show called Twisted?

“Just seeing the shadows that the trees are going to make become such a part of the piece.” -Maya Lin, Ghost Forest.

“But “Ghost Forest,” like Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is also a work of decolonization — actively seeking out what has been lost in the ravages of colonialism and acknowledging the trauma that remains in order to heal and find pathways forward.” Vina Orden, Hyperallergic.

 1. What does this installation evoke for you? Does it inspire you? What emotions does this piece elicit?

Maya Lin’s “Ghost Forest” in Madison Square Park, elicits grief. It causes the audience to feel like they are standing in a graveyard, mourning. But we are not just mourning the earth, for a lot of young people we are mourning our futures. Lin’s exhibit shows us what our world could look like if big corporations continue to turn a blind eye to climate change. We could be entering the 6th Mass Extinction of Earth.

However, Lin’s purpose for this piece was not just to riddle the audience with guilt, and hopelessness, but uses this installation to call the community together. Throughout the running of the exhibit, Lin and Madison Square Park Conservancy have orchestrated a series of public programs aimed at nature-based solutions to climate change. For example, whatismissing.org suggests that we should eat less meat and support sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and buy environmentally friendly products. 

2. What do you think was the artist's intention in installing this piece in the center of a Manhattan park?

When you live in a city you tend to take nature for granted. Yes we have parks, and there’s little plots of grass that we let our dogs do their business on our way to get morning coffee but we can’t exactly do outdoor activities like stargaze or camp in our own backyards. We rely heavily on technology, gas powered transportation, and consumerism here. I believe Lin’s intention when installing this piece in the center of a Manhattan Park was to wake up New Yorkers, and call them out for sleepwalking through this global crisis. Sometimes it’s a little too easy for us to ignore issues if we can’t see it happening in front of us. That’s why Maya Lin installed 40 ft, dead trees in one of Manhattan’s most beloved parks.

3. What is your earliest memory of an encounter with a bird song?

In NYC, we don’t have a lot of biodiversity. I’m pretty sure the only animals I see are rats, and pigeons. When I lived in New Jersey, I used to live in the middle of the woods. I would wake up everyday to the sounds of blue jays and robins singing to each other from separate trees and they would tango with each other in the sky. One of my earliest memories with a bird song however, was when I would visit my Grandparents house in Vermont, and my Grandma would wake me up to watch the Goldfinches sing. She would call them “Piggy Birds” since every morning they would devour all the birdseed we’d leave out for them. 

4. In your childhood, did you ever come up with or hear of an audacious idea to solve climate change? What was it? 

Climate change has always been an ongoing topic of conversation throughout my life. None of us want our lives changing forever, with no way to reverse the damage we’ve done. I remember having a silly conversation with my dad in the car where he thought “Surely, there is a simple solution to all of this.” He then addresses the issues with the melting of the ice caps. My dad explains that the smoke from forest fires tends to travel to the arctic and blankets itself on the ice caps, which turns them black. Black attracts sunlight which leads to the ice caps melting more rapidly. My father thinks there are two solutions: 

Paint the ice caps white

Build huge industrial snow machines to make up for the snow that is melting. 

Both seem like ambitious ideas but I appreciated the conversation none-the-less. 

5. What was your childhood connection to nature? Has the pandemic inspired a reconnection to awe, to trees, to skyscapes, wildlife? Please describe with details.

One of my favorite Girl Icon’s is Kristen Wiig. Even in 2021, many people still seem to believe that women can’t be funny, but anyone who has seen Kristen Wiig in action knows this is not true. In a way she is my real life Barbie, as she takes on so many different roles and characters. 

Woman in the entertainment industry are often put into a box that they struggle to leave. But not my girl KW, she can’t be type cast! She can play the love interest (MacGruber), the hero (GhostBusters, 2016), the villain (Bard and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), the nerd (WonderWoman 2), etc. all while making girls like me smile around the world. 

The place that really put Wiig on the map as well as many of the comedy world’s best female comedians is SNL. Kristen made her debut on SNL in 2005 and stayed until 2012. That period of SNL was the absolute funniest in my opinion, as it featured the other female greats, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph.