"Poetry is life distilled."
~Gwendolyn Brooks

Poet, novelist Emily Jane Bronte was born this
day in 1818. During her life her poetry and novel
were published under the name Ellis Bell. After
her death Emily's sister Charlotte edited and
published her only novel "Wuthering Heights"
under her real name in 1850. The reason the
Bronte sister used androgynous names to
publish was to avoid the prejudice against
women writers of the time.

Lawyer and co-founder of the Washington College
of Law, Emma Gillett was born this day in 1852.
To get around the fact that George Washington
University would not allow women to finish
their last year in the study of law because they
claimed "women did not have the mentality for law."
So in April of 1898 they opened their doors as the
first Law School in the world for women. Today, they
are a part of American University.

Kate Bush was born this day in 1958. She was
the first woman to hit the rock charts 1978 as
composer and performer of the song "Wuthering
Heights". Heathcliff, its me, Kathy, I've come
home and I'm so cold, let me in your window.

"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose."
~Gertrude Stein

"The Angel of Assassination", Charlotte
Corday was born this day in 1768. In 1793
Charlotte stabbed a dinner knife into Jean-
Paul Marat( who lead "The Terror" during the
French Revolution) crying out, "I kill one to save
100,000." She was guillontined four days later.

In 1777 Jane McCrea and Sarah McNeil were
taken by Native Americans who worked as
the British Army's scouts- the group split and
Mrs. McNeil was her returned to the camp but,
the other scouts went to General Burgoyne with
a scalp (the General paid for the scalps of Amercian
Revolutionaries) seems a fight broke out over Jane
and to settle it- they killed and scalped her. Inspired a
famous painting by John Vanderlyn in 1804.

Gertrude Stein died this day in 1948.

"I knew someone had to take the first step,
and I made up my mind not to move."
~Rosa Parks

Born this day in 1806, Maria Weston Chapman,
founder of the "Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society."
Viewing slavery as a direct violation of the Law of
God. This point being made, because their UU
Church frowned upon their activities to the point
that at their meeting a mob of '5,000" gathered
outside the Church.

Born this day in 1840, the founder of the Daughters
of the American Revolution, Flora Adams Darling.

"A Chorous Line" premiered this day in 1975.

Louise Brown born this day in 1978- the first test
tube baby.

"Pioneers may be picturesque figures,
but they are often rather lonely ones."
~Nancy Astor

Mary Margaret Bartelme,born this day in 1866,
a suffragist, lawyer,and judge; she worked
for the issues of female delinquency.

Amelia Earhart, born this day in 1898; was the
first woman to receive a pilot's license for the FAI.
She was lost to the world on July 2, 1937 en route
from Lae, New Guinea to Hawland Island.

Zelda Fitzgerald was born this day in 1900. Married
to F. Scott Fitzgerald, they set the roaring twenties
on fire. The quintestial flapper; Zelda struggled to
make her mark in the arts as an author, ballerina,
and painter.

"We seek not rest but transformation.
We are dancing through each other
as doorways."
~Marge Piercy

The great female actor, Charlotte Sauders
Cushman was born this day in 1816. Best
known for her Romeo and Hamlet. She was
the first of our tribe to be elected into the
Hall of Fame of Great Americans in 1915.
Good friend and writer Geraldine Jewsbury
said that she base her novel, "The Half Sister"
(published 1848) on Ms. Cushman.