The Bluestocking, vol XIII: Baghdad, Bernie Sanders and why ancient Rome still matters

Hello!

I've been on the Harry Potter studio tour today, which I should probably be ashamed about, but am not. I understand it costs about the same as renewing Trident, but luckily Jonathan paid as my birthday present.

This week I wrote about Suffragette, Ascent of Woman and the way women's rights need constant vigilance; and went to Labour party conference. I'm off to Manchester for the Tories tomorrow - doing the Andrew Marr show paper review with Matthew Parris - and then conference season is DONE. Unless the SNP accredit me to go to their conference in Aberdeen. But I think they have a True Believer test you have to pass.

Until next week,

Helen


An activist in the sex trade in Baghdad

"After two weeks in an American detention facility, they were transferred to Iraqi police, who put them in the Kadhimiya women’s prison, where Layla spent the next six months. She was released without charge, but her experience in prison persuaded her “to stop being a prostitute who is part of this world of violence and crime.” She became determined to help girls and women like her.

In 2009, Layla met and married Mohammad, who worked as a taxi-driver and, after the Islamic State took over Mosul, joined a Shiite militia as a volunteer. When they married, she refused to wear a white dress, feeling that she didn’t deserve to. He often offers to buy her one and to hold the ceremony again, but she declines.

“I was comfortable enough to tell him my story, all of it,” Layla said, as we rode in the taxi. “I told him, ‘Will you still accept me?’ He told me, ‘The past isn’t important to me—’ ”

“—the future is,” Mohammad said, finishing her sentence."

Layla is a hero.


How American Politics Is Changing

"Bernie Sanders, for instance, received much more coverage than he would have in past elections because news organizations — Vox included — noticed that stories about Sanders would explode on social media. That was a sign that there was more momentum behind his candidacy than most in Washington recognized; a sign that wouldn't have existed, and so couldn't have been heeded, a decade ago."

Linking to this piece because this is exactly what UK news organisations saw with Jeremy Corbyn - pieces about him did amazing traffic online, driven by Facebook, mostly (Facebook also hates Iain Duncan Smith). So everyone did more Corbyn pieces, and that drove more interest on social media . . . and so on. Basically, at this point if you are an outsider candidate, you better hope people on Facebook like you. (On which note, here's a piece about Donald Trump's social media guy, who is clearly killing it; he has pioneered something called the "15-second Instagram attack ad", which upsets me because I thought Instagram was a peaceful haven full of pictures of Felicity's dog and sunsets over the Thames.)

Quick links: Esquire tries to do "Frank Sinatra is unwell" on Mark Zuckerberg, and fails, but fails interestingly. Why you hate Anne Hathaway (her "try is too visible"). Ian Jack revisits Oxford's gilded youth, three decades on. A history of Marxism Today. Mary Beard on why ancient Rome matters today. Hilary Mantel's Paris Review interview. The White House Nudge Unit. What happens when a brain tumour steals your memories - and then you get them back. When 4Chan does motivational speaking.

Guest gif: BRRRRRRR.

PLUG: After eight years, the wonderful Becky has had to wind down Who Made Your Pants, a social enterprise that gave jobs to former refugee women (and made AMAZING pants). Her closing down sale has 10% off. Highly recommended.

That's all. If you like this, forward it on! The sign-up page is at tinyletter.com/HelenLewis