Tall Woman Research Articles

Metamorphosis of a Tall and Ugly Woman Through Plastic Surgery During a 7-Year Period: An Analysis of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil.

The aim of this study is to analyze the process of metamorphosis of a tall and ugly woman through plastic surgery as depicted in The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (1983) of Fay Weldon. The process of plastic surgeries and the psychology of the protagonist of this novel were analyzed. A highly unattractive woman (Ruth, 185cm) takes revenge on her husband (Bobbo, 175cm) and his attractive lover (Mary Fisher, 160cm). To transform her appearance, Ruth remodels her jaw, has her teeth extracted (2-jaw surgery or facial contouring surgery), straightens and trims her nose (corrective rhinoplasty), flattens her cheekbones (reduction malarplasty), reduces her breast size (reduction mammoplasty), and shortens both her arms and legs (limb reduction surgery). Following the series of surgeries, Ruth ultimately made herself look identical to Mary Fisher, her husband's lover. She believes her inadequacies stem from her body's failure to meet societal beauty standards, prompting her decision to "remake" herself. She declares, "I will be what I want, not what God ordained." Ruth's aspiration is not to acquire a new face but to attain the face of Mary Fisher. When confronted with pain and harm, Ruth does not waver but acknowledges it. "Of course it hurts. Andersen's little mermaid wanted legs instead of a tail. And, like her, I welcome it. I don't complain." In this study, we derived insights into why patients who want to change their entire bodies undergo plastic surgery, what these patients really want, and patients' attitudes toward the pain caused by surgical procedures.

КОНЦЕПТ ФОРТУНИ У ЗБІРЦІ БІОГРАФІЙ «DE CASIBUS VIRORUM ILLUSTRIUM» ДЖОВАННІ БОККАЧЧО

The cult of the goddess Fortune dates back to ancient tradition. In the Middle Ages the allegorical image of Fortune remains popular in literature and everyday life. Authors such as Augustine of Hippo, Boethius, Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio used in their works the allegorical image of Fortune, which has special verbal and visual characteristics. The main attention in this paper is focused specifically on the study of Fortune symbolism in the collection of biographies «De Casibus Virorum Illustrium» by G. Boccaccio. In the preface to the collection the humanist outlined the task he set for himself. It consisted in depicting the misfortunes, difficult and fatal fates of legendary and famous figures in history from Adam and Eve to the writer Fr. Petrarch he was contemporary with. In the biographies it is constantly emphasized that Fortune can be unpredictable. The text of «De Casibus Virorum Illustrium» is full of negative characteristics of Fortune, which repeatedly emphasize her fickleness and treachery. The visual representation of Fortuna also has negative connotations, which creates a formidable halo around the allegorical figure. In G. Boccaccio’s description, Fortune appears as a tall woman with a stern look and a gloomy face. On miniatures of the 15th century the goddess is depicted with closed eyes, wings (sometimes multi-armed), a staff, the Wheel of Fortune (Rota Fortunae) or a ship’s rudder. It is important that the characteristics of the humanist do not include the attributes of the goddess of fate. They appear later on miniatures for translations of G. Boccaccio works, which indicates the process of formation of iconographic tradition around the image of Fortune (by the 15th century the Wheel became its main attribute). The collection «De Casibus Virorum Illustrium» was supposed to serve as a warning about the changeability of fate for influential contemporaries of G. Boccaccio and subsequent generations. In the system of that time ideas, following the cardinal virtues of Christian theology (prudence, justice, courage, temperance) guaranteed the favor of Fortune.

Háa-Þóra og Þorgerður Hölgabrúður

The Icelandic game of Háa-Þóra (Tall Þóra) is alluded to in a late seventeenth-century source, and a reasonably detailed description of it survives in the eighteenth-century Niðurraðan. A man is dressed up to represent an immensely tall woman, carrying a pole with a woman’s headdress and scarf. This “Tall Þóra” is referred to as a goð in Niðurraðan, a word which refers to pagan gods and idols of pagan gods. Þóra joins the party of revellers as quietly as possible, but once she is in position, a great ruckus ensues as Þóra attacks the guests and in particular the lead singer. Eventually Þóra retreats from the party with her clothes in disarray. Medieval Icelandic sources record a goddess or ogress with similarities to HáaÞóra, namely Þorgerðr Hǫlgabrúðr. (a) She is noted for her tallness in the First Grammatical Treatise and in Njáls saga. (b) In the Gesta Danorum she is seemingly referred to as Thora. (c) Njáls saga mentions an idol of Þorgerðr having a headdress. (d) The Great Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason tells of a female troll who surreptitiously enters a game played by the king’s men. She behaves violently until she is eventually defeated and forced to retreat by an unnamed man, presumably the king himself. This female troll introduces herself as a friend of Hákon jarl and a recipient of his gifts – she is presumably Þorgerðr Hǫlgabrúðr. The game of Háa-Þóra might be based on an idea similar to this scene in the saga, as a re-enactment of the defeat of a pagan spirit. A poem in Eddic metre, Þóruljóð, was recorded from oral tradition in the seventeenth century. The Þóra of the poem seems to be the same character as the Háa-Þóra of the game. In the poem, Þóra is a tall and frightening woman who arrives at a Yule feast at the farm of a chieftain, Þorkell. Þorkell welcomes Þóra to his high seat and provides her with a headdress and a cloak. Eventually, Þóra gives Þorkell a sail that she has created and tells him that it will bring him good fortune (“hamingja”) as he sails into battle. This story is reminiscent of the relationship between Hákon jarl and Þorgerðr Hǫlgabrúðr as described in Jómsvíkinga saga. Hákon gives Þorgerðr gifts, including a human sacrifice, and Þorgerðr rewards him by intervening in his favour during a sea battle where she controls the wind. The similarities between Háa-Þóra, Þóra of Þóruljóð and Þorgerðr Hǫlgabrúðr are enough to suggest that the three figures have a common origin.

A possible case of Gigantism and/or Acromegaly in a 15th-17th century woman from Đurine Ćelije, Serbia

Endocrine disorders during growth and development that occur due to the secretion of excessive growth hormones are very rare in archaeological and modern populations. The human skeletal remains analyzed in this paper belong to an unusually tall woman, approximately 35-40 years of age, buried at the Đurine ćelije site (15th-17th century) in Serbia, who may have suffered from overgrowth syndrome. Individuals with this condition have an unusually tall stature and accompanying pathological changes related to organ systems and joint diseases. The aim of this paper is to show how the aforementioneddisorder affected the health status of an individual (grave No. 7a) and the performance of daily activities, but also the attitude of the community towards deformities during life and after death. Differential diagnosis was performed since otherdiseases tend to lead to similar skeletal changes. During the analysis, changes in growth were noticed, and her stature was determined to be 186.42 cm. Compared to the documented stature of post-medieval population from this period, theskeletal remains show a significant deviation from the average, especially when it comes to female individuals. Other pathological changes observed in this woman are osteoarthritis, spondyloarthropathy, and periosteal new bone formation.

Too Many Spoons: Library Workers and Disabilities

A desk attendant gestures in my direction where I am waiting for an interview at a library on campus. I am nervous. My hand is shaking over my assistive device.
 
 Beside the desk attendant stands an impeccably dressed, tall woman who adjusts her glasses. “Where is she sitting?”
 
 “There, near the gray couches,” the desk attendant answers. She leans over and says, “It’s that person with the assistive device,” as if she’s trying not to out me as a leper.
 
 Any person with a disability reading this who has applied for jobs and gone on interviews has experienced some version of the above exchange. You arrive for an interview, something you feel fortunate for, and think for a split second “They want me! I could be hired here!” Only once you get there, staff members look you over, silently deciding for themselves how much your disability limits what you can and can’t do, walking too quickly and expecting you to keep up, and worst of all, making judgments without speaking to you. The above experience has happened to me at academic libraries, public libraries, and other institutions.

When Death Arrives.

When Death Arrives.

INNER CONFLICT OF CHARACTERS IN EDWARD ALBEE’S THREE TALL WOMEN: AN OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S LIFE IN MODERN LITERATURE

This study aims to analyze the inner conflict faced by the three women of the play where the characters feel regret with their past life and also tries to reveal the women’s life that describe the characteristics of modern literature. The study focuses on intrinsic elements of the play, especially the characters’ conversation. To explain the regret of the characters, the writer uses psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud and analyzes the symptoms of regret and despair. This analysis also relates the play of Three Tall Women with the characteristics of modernist literary that presented the condition of society and women’s life. The primary data is taken from the script of Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women itself. After the analysis is done, the writer found that each woman in Three Tall Woman faces the inner conflict that makes them questioning what was they did wrong. The three of them feels regret to what happen with their life in the past and wish that the other women not to face it in their future life. In addition, the characteristics of modern literature is reflects the condition of the society where the story was written. The play Three Tall Women reflects the condition of people at the time until nowadays because people have done many things but still regret and wish to come back to their life in the past before the death come to them

Normotensive hypokalemic primary hyperaldosteronism mimicking clinical features of anorexia nervosa in a young patient

Rationale:The typical clinical presentations of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) include generalized weakness, fatigue, high blood pressure, and potassium deficiency. However, normotensive PA is rare. Therefore, an atypical presentation of normal blood pressure is a challenge for the diagnosis and treatment of PA.Patient concerns:A 43-year-old, thin, and tall woman (body mass index, 18.6 kg/m2) with generalized weakness for 1 day presented to our emergency department, where hypokalemia was a significant finding. The initial diagnosis was anorexia nervosa with the evidence of renal potassium wasting with low urinary sodium and chloride levels, metabolic alkalosis, normal blood pressure, and low body mass index. However, neither vomiting features nor other specific induced vomiting features were noted.Diagnoses:The laboratory examination revealed high plasma aldosterone level, low plasma renin activity, and extremely high aldosterone-to-renin ratio indicating the diagnosis of PA, confirmed via adrenal computed tomography.Interventions:Surgical adrenalectomy was performed. Pathological diagnosis was a benign cortical adenoma.Outcomes:Patient's serum potassium level and hormonal status became normalized after surgical removal of adrenal adenoma. She fully recovered without any further sequelae.Lessons:It is too early to rule out PA based on the presence of normal blood pressure in a patient with metabolic alkalosis and renal wasting hypokalemia. Moreover, PA should be considered in a normotensive patient with an unknown hypokalemic etiology to avoid delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Small Violence

Small Violence Rebecca Bernard (bio) and Morgan Smith (bio) I leave my house to get coffee. I live close to the shop, so it's a short walk, and when I exit my front door and make my way to the sidewalk, there is a man in khakis and a white shirt not too far ahead of me on the path. He's a boy, really, more than a man. Fat cheeked and round-bodied with wire rim glasses. Dirty, blonde hair. As I walk, I begin to overtake him on the path. Just before the street, the sidewalk gets narrow. Weeds choke the fence to our left and a tree's shadow hangs over the thin path. I am less than two feet behind him when the fantasy sets in. I imagine taking out a knife and stabbing him in the neck. I tear through the flesh of his sides, and my mouth waters, my heartbeat begins to heighten, and I feel the exhilaration of being the source of fear. See how easily I could cause you pain. See how with one smack of my umbrella you would not have otherwise known I was there. What would it feel like to murder someone? It's something I must never know. ___ I'm on my way back to my apartment. In the home stretch, there's a woman in a hoodie and jeans just ahead of me. She's looking down at her phone as she walks. I'm coming up on her quickly. So quickly that I'm worried it's too quickly, that she hears my approaching footsteps and is running through what she's been told to do when a man attacks, that she's thinking how best to reach into her purse for a bottle of mace. So I slow down. But now I'm worried it's too slow, that she thinks I'm lurking and gazing, that she's worried I've seen her reach for a means of defending herself. I usually walk quickly. I don't see the point of drawing it out. It gets my heart going. I can't explain this to her, I can't call out, can't apologize for making her feel afraid. What's a speed that says, I'm not trying to hurt you? I'm dying to know. ___ I am a tall woman. I have often used this fact as a means to account for my lack of fear. I am not small or vulnerable, (though of course, to some, I am). I am not little or soft, I am a lanky piece of bone and flesh moving forward, with direction, with fierceness, I imagine, although usually, I want to appear indifferent, lost in thought. I also tend to walk quickly, but this is the result of long legs, more than likely. On the occasions where I fantasize about being attacked, rather than attacking, I always imagine myself preventing the violence by a slew of angry words. I say them to myself in my mind, feel the rage possess me, the way my shoulders [End Page 69] tighten, my throat pulses, fingers stiffen into warped fists. What the fuck, do you think you're doing? How dare you disrupt my right to exist without consequence? I'll knife your heart. I'll eat your fucking face. In high school, I would force my boyfriend to fight me. To pretend to attack me, drag me down, grab my arms, and then I would need to free myself. No matter how hard I fought, I always wound up pinned to the bed, exhausted, suppressing tears of rage about my weakness, his strength. Fuck you, I would think. But it was my game. My desire. My defeat. Why is violence so compelling to me? Why do I imagine myself striking strangers, seeing their confused or startled faces, feeling my humanity larger, fatter, grosser than theirs. I run my tongue along my teeth as I daydream the pain of others. I feel my canines, their sharpness, the point of the tooth causing my mouth to salivate. I press down with the tip of my tongue along...

Food Sovereignty the Navajo Way: Cooking with Tall Woman. Charlotte J. Frisbie, with recipes by Tall Woman and assistance from Augusta Sandoval. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018, 416 pp. $39.95, paper. ISBN 978-0-8263-5887-5.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsFood Sovereignty the Navajo Way: Cooking with Tall Woman. Charlotte J. Frisbie, with recipes by Tall Woman and assistance from Augusta Sandoval. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018, 416 pp. $39.95, paper. ISBN 978-0-8263-5887-5.Louise LamphereLouise LamphereUniversity of New Mexico Search for more articles by this author University of New MexicoPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 75, Number 4Winter 2019 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/706013 Views: 41Total views on this site © 2019 by The University of New Mexico. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Individual Differences in Women During Walking Affect Tibial Response to Load Carriage: The Importance of Individualized Musculoskeletal Finite-Element Models

Subject-specific features can contribute to the susceptibility of an individual to stress fracture. Here, we incorporated tibial morphology and material properties into a standard musculoskeletal finite-element (M/FE) model and investigated how load carriage influences joint kinetics and tibial mechanics in women. We obtained the morphology and material properties of the tibia from computed tomography images for women of three distinctly different heights, 1.51 m (short), 1.63 m (medium), and 1.75 m (tall), and developed individualized M/FE models for each. Then, we calculated joint and muscle forces, and subsequently, tibial stress/strain for each woman walking at 1.3 m/s under various load conditions (0, 11.3, or 22.7kg). Among the subjects investigated, using individualized and standard M/FE models, the joint reaction forces (JRFs) differed by up to 4 (hip), 22 (knee), and 26% (ankle), and the 90th percentile von Mises stress by up to 30% (tall woman). Load carriage evoked distinct biomechanical responses, with a 22.7-kg load decreasing the peak hip JRF during late stance by ∼18% in the short woman, while increasing it by ∼39% in the other two women. It also increased peak knee and ankle JRFs by up to ∼48 (tall woman) and ∼36% (short woman). The same load increased the 90th percentile von Mises stress (and corresponding cumulative stress) by 31 (28), 22 (30), and 27% (32%) in the short, medium, and tall woman, respectively. Our findings highlight the critical role of individualized M/FE models to assess mechanical loading in different individuals performing the same physical activity.

Food Sovereignty the Navajo Way: Cooking with Tall Woman by Charlotte Frisbie with recipes by Tall Woman and assistance from Augusta Sandoval Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018. 398 pp.

American AnthropologistVolume 121, Issue 2 p. 532-533 BOOK REVIEWS Food Sovereignty the Navajo Way: Cooking with Tall Woman by Charlotte Frisbie with recipes by Tall Woman and assistance from Augusta Sandoval Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2018. 398 pp. Elizabeth Hoover, Elizabeth Hoover Brown UniversitySearch for more papers by this author Elizabeth Hoover, Elizabeth Hoover Brown UniversitySearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 April 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13232Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume121, Issue2June 2019Pages 532-533 RelatedInformation

Short primiparous women are at an increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus

ObjectivesBoth short stature and adiposity are risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to simultaneously evaluate the importance of stature and degree of adiposity on development of GDM in primiparous women. Study designLongitudinal cohort study. MethodsIn the city of Vantaa, Finland, between 2009 and 2015, all together 7750 primiparous women without previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus gave birth. Of these, 5223 women were ≥18 years of age with information on height, weight, and complete data from a 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test composing the study participants of this study. ResultsA 155-cm tall woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 25.5 kg/m2 had a similar risk for GDM as a 175-cm tall woman with a BMI of 27.1 kg/m2. Women shorter than 159 cm had the highest prevalence of GDM, 28.7%, whereas women with height between 164 and 167 cm had the lowest prevalence of GDM, 19.9% (P < 0.001). Height was inversely and significantly associated with both 1- and 2-h glucose values (both P < 0.001). ConclusionsTo avoid over diagnosis of GDM, an unbiased strategy is needed to determine and diagnose GDM in women with different stature and degree of adiposity.

Big and tall: Does a height premium dwarf an obesity penalty in the labor market?

Previous studies have shown that both height and weight are associated with wages. However, some gaps in our understanding of the relationship between body size and wages remain. For example, given a height premium and an obesity penalty, due to forces working in opposite directions, the current literature is unable to provide clear answers to questions such as whether a tall obese woman or a short healthy weight woman would earn a higher wage premium. Using Australian data and iso-contour wage curves derived from a semi-parametric wage regression model, this paper illustrates the complex nature of the relationship between height, weight and wages and how the nature of these differences depends on gender and age. As adult height is fixed, a key focus of the paper is illustrating for various height ranges whether there are any wage benefits in the labor market to increasing or decreasing one’s weight. For individuals aged 25–54 as a whole, I find that there are strong effects of weight reduction at lower ends of the height distribution for females (between 1.50–1.70m) but not for males (<1.65m). For relatively taller men (>1.85m), a wage premium is found for being overweight. For relatively taller women (>1.72m), no penalty for being overweight is discernible.

The Female Gender as Threat: «La mujer alta» [The Tall Woman], by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, and «La mujer sin cara» [The Woman Without a Face], by Emilio Carrere

The presence of the female gender as a threatening element is a feature common to both stories to be studied: La mujer alta (1881) and La mujer sin cara (1923). The two stories were written by two different writers belonging to two different eras, each of which has its own peculiarities. The first belongs to the realistic school whereas the second is marked by the beginning of the twentieth century and the advent of modernism. Beyond this literary evolution, we are in the presence of two stories in which the main characters are women through whom the elements of mystery, the supernatural, and terror are presented.

Behind the Scenes of a New York City Open Dance Call Audition

Behind the Scenes of a New York City Open Dance Call Audition How does it feel to try to break into musicals? Here’s a step-by-step account—and how to survive it by Megan Bowen 5:45 a.m.– EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM My alarm sounds off at 5:45 a.m., and I roll over in my bed to hit the snooze button on my phone. The sun has not come out of hiding yet, and it takes a little longer for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the phone in my dark apartment. I immediately open up the Safari app and type AuditionUpdate.com into the search bar. I heard through several dancers taking class at Steps on Broadway the other evening that this website was crucial to finding out “day-of” audition information not previously posted on the audition listing website. That included specific studio locations (if locations had changed), if the casting directors would accept unofficial sign- up sheets before the audition began, how quickly the audition was going, how many girls were already lined up, etc. As soon as the web page loaded I noticed a new blog discussion column had formed and was titled “Chicago –The Musical- Open Dance Call.” Under this column there were several postings about the Chicago Audition, so I began to read. The blog discussion had confirmed that the audition would be at Ripley-Grier Studios at 10 a.m., that the unofficial audition sign-up sheet had been started, and that about seven girls had signed up already. I asked my friend who was going to another audition early that morning to sign me up on this sheet so I could be in the first group of girls to audition. An Open-Dance Call means only non-Equity dancers are allowed to audition and will be seen by the casting team. Equity is a union for stage professionals who get paid more, have benefits, and get insurance, while non-Equity performers do not. You become Equity when you complete a certain amount of performances and experiences that are logged onto an Equity Card. One weeks’ worth of work equals one Equity point. Once you reach 50 points you become an Equity member. You can also become an Equity member if you get hired straight onto Broadway. 8:00 a.m. – DO I LOOK LIKE A DANCER? I eventually make it out of my apartment on the corner of 41 st street and 10 th Avenue and start walking downtown to 36 th toward Ripley. It is about my third week of living in New York, in a program the UC Irvine Drama department offers mid-year, and I have already picked up the fast-paced lifestyle as I briskly walk through crowds of people, not even bothering to stop and wait for the pedestrian signal to cross the street. I find my way to the building where the studios are and go through the spinning doors. In the lobby, I see elevators in the far right back corner but notice people waiting in a line that snakes to the front desk. I join the line behind a tall woman who looks like a dancer—long blond hair, heavy makeup for it being so early, Lulu Lemon pants, a baggy sweater, scarf, Nike tennis shoes,

C Train Concerto for Two Cellos, with Cavafy, and: Ghazal of the Elegant Skull

C Train Concerto for Two Cellos, with Cavafy, and: Ghazal of the Elegant Skull Katy Didden (bio) C Train Concerto for Two Cellos, with Cavafy After the party, I catch the C train with Max, and we sit next to a guy holding a cello case. He leans on the cello case like I’d like to lean on Max; instead, Max leans on me as the train slows down and everybody tilts toward the next station. The doors open. A tall woman with shoulder-length gray hair walks in, carrying a cello case. She sits down beside us, so Max and I are sitting between two cellos, and we’re all laughing, and I ask if she’s been playing, and she says yes but that’s all she says. In the subway car of potential music, we will never know if anybody here’s a maestro. The cellos’ vibrations are too low for us to hear—but I know the notes must be there, humming off the motion of the train, a kind of song telepathy settling into our bodies. In Cavafy’s “Che Fece . . . Il Gran Rifiuto,” depending on the translation, whether you are one who says yes or no is predestined. [End Page 36] I’ve lived my life inside the right No, compelled to love the cool, uncluttered fragment of a solo, but I want to wake up next to Max. I’d like this feeling, where everything he’s saying jives with everything inside me singing, to shift my inner no to yes, if only for the span of this parenthesis, before the train slows down again and rams me into the body of an old woman. [End Page 37] Ghazal of the Elegant Skull Safe in your death, your skull inside your grave, your dreams are blooms now; they colonize your grave. Like moss on stones or rain on mud I’ve tried to sing to you. Your name elides your grave with what’s alive: feast for the eyes— acres of yellow marigolds disguise your grave. I loved you when you died. I still love you; though, like a vine, my roots divide your grave— however many lovers gather in that shade, in every face I recognize your grave. I caught your specter haunting your old letters. Tell me, what script will dramatize your grave? When you were warm, and funny, and all mine, we moved in ways that would surprise your grave. I liked to watch you run. Now I am no one’s. In June, the dark Atlantic amplifies your grave, and I grow older, like a gray-eyed monk who lays her ragged bones beside your grave. Your eyes were blue. Your illness made you punk. With love and drugs, we tried to bribe your grave. Night descends, and shadows alter bands of azure ultraviolet. What lights the skies? Your grave. Magdalene bent low and peered into the tomb: two wound-displacing angels belied your grave. [End Page 38] Then what are you? You’re what moves, and you are everything but what’s inside your grave. Say Katy loved and was loved, and safe in that unchanging fact, she’ll glorify her grave. [End Page 39] Katy Didden katy didden is the author of The Glacier’s Wake (Pleiades Press). She earned a PhD in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri. She has published poems in many journals, such as Image, Poetry, 32 Poems, and the Kenyon Review. A former Hodder fellow at Princeton University, she is currently an assistant professor at Ball State University. Copyright © 2015 University of North Carolina Wilmington

A Close Look at Wilma Dykeman’s The Tall Woman in Context

A Close Look at Wilma Dykeman’s The Tall Woman in Context Viki Dasher Rouse (bio) Although she never made these claims for herself, Wilma Dykeman was a feminist, environmentalist, and social activist long before these trends became “cool.” The Tall Woman (1962) was published before Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963). The French Broad (1955) predated Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) by seven years. Neither Black nor White (1957) appeared before the “I Have a Dream” address by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963. During her long life that produced more than twenty books, authored or co-authored, Dykeman wove these themes together, emphasizing the intimate connection between the human and non-human elements of the world. Her native southern Appalachia celebrates Dykeman’s contributions as an author, speaker, historian, educator, and environmentalist; however, with such universal themes, her work deserves recognition beyond the region. Her writing issues a call for environmental responsibility and recognition of the social issues that cry for attention within the mountain culture of East Tennessee and western North Carolina, concerns that are specific to the region yet, at the same time, relevant to a global audience. A recent discovery of an early manuscript, an excerpt of which appears in this publication, provides insight into Dykeman’s style and her most pressing concerns. Letters from the 1940s made mention of a novel manuscript, but that earliest novel had not been uncovered until recent months. Hidden in her boxes of college memorabilia was the manuscript of The Valley, and, by her son’s best estimates, she drafted it during the 1940s. It was never submitted for publication. The Valley lacks the sophistication and development of her later novels, as one would expect from an inexperienced writer only in her twenties, but it clearly served as a model for the polished work that would later become her novels, and the connections to The Tall Woman are striking. Strong women, racism, social responsibility, and the connection between the natural world and human beings are all explored in The Valley and would be developed further in her published books. Her first published venture into fiction, Dykeman’s The Tall Woman [End Page 41] builds on the theme of environmentalism evident in her first published book, The French Broad. Set in the southern Appalachians just as the Civil War reaches its end and continuing for another thirty years or so, The Tall Woman accurately depicts the importance of a clean water supply in selecting a home site, a theme that Dykeman had explained in The French Broad: The cold springs of these mountains [. . .] which feed with thousands of steady streams to make a river, have been valued for generations by the families they feed. If halfway up a hillside or deep in the heart of some remote cove you see a house and wonder why its people built there rather than on easier slopes, the answer is probably their water. Cupped in a clear shady pool under a thicket of blackberry vines and old shade trees, their spring bubbles from the earth like a rare gift for the taking. (119–20) The protagonist of The Tall Woman, Lydia McQueen, and her husband, Mark, build high on a mountain near a spring. The soil is poor, and Mark is away more than he is home, resulting in Lydia assuming the responsibility of the farm and the children. Lydia’s close affinity with the spring becomes evident as she enters into a conversation with Dr. Hornsby who asks what she is doing on “this bleak day on this godforsaken mountain.” As she responds that she is “cleaning my spring,” Dr. Hornsby teases her a bit: “And pray tell me, Lydia McQueen [. . .] how do you clean a spring? Do you wash the water?” She shows him her healthy and thriving spring: “[l]ook under the ledge where the roots of those poplar trees are, and tell me if you ever set eyes on a bolder, finer spring than that? Or a cleaner one?” (176). She confesses to the doctor that the spring is her “favorite place on [the] farm” (177), and the reader understands that she appreciates the spring for...

Nod

Nod Wyatt Prunty (bio) It is the third of July, and the speaker finds himself at a loss as he stands in a parking lot outside a mall where for the holiday the stores have begun closing. The speaker meets someone who says he is in Security. I When in the middle of the afternoon On a well-marked asphalt parking lot I came to myself standing among the SUVs Where the yellow lines and exit signs were lost, And where the July heat was oil and wave Altering the eye of everything So overhead the sun looked oxidized And underneath, moments of silica winked Out of a field of black mica, Right then, turning about, seeing So many little lights blinking up from black, I stopped and said, “Fulton, Fulton, Just look at it, would ya: the gloves are off, But that just means they’re scattered on the mat. The entire world has parked and packed it in. Any old fight’s better having than having this. This is the flu before the fever touches you, The ache without a place to point, Shadows hiding the end of the alley And an entire block of locked back doors; This is the neighborhood of calls For children and dogs who never return, That little land where sleep lies down And no one thinks to wake her up. Bring me back the pounding shoe and the gray Navy Flushing Russian submarines. Give me that stretch Where longing lives—space shots and Aaron up to bat, Black coffee and the small collaterals [End Page 508] Of penny postcards, pets, T-Bills meaning what they say. Steady the hall clock’s scissoring hands So shirts are buttoned up and down at once And smiles stay fixed at flashbulb best. Give me, in short, a new deck, a fresh cut, Another deal, a winning hand, As that’s what needs some bringing back.” But of course there was no Fulton, As over time the cars all idled off, Till I studied the mercury vapor lights, Counted the empty parking spots Then, addressing Fulton anyways, Who’s always wandering off somewheres, And me speaking a little too bravely too, Just talking a little too much through my summer hat, Said to Fulton, said to me, “So it begins, my rambling boy.” And saying that, I heard a laugh That was a wheeze that was a cough, As looking round I saw a coal go bright, go dark, Redden then fade, redden again, then disappear— Some smoker working backwards from his light, Thumb-to-finger, elbow out, till arm thrown forward Weakly as exaggerated Nixon, He dropped his hand, exhaled and coughed again, Then cleared his throat and pointed with his cigarette: “That lot ain’t clover is it, Bud; What d’ya think you’re looking for?” “Not a thing,” I said. “Thing?” a little breath of smoke spoke back. “Now that’s a category, ain’t it, Bud. And a fibber of an argument as well, Much like that friend you say you got, what’s his name? Fuller, Flap? That guy’s about as real As Mrs. Thatcher sleeping in the back seat Of a Mercury, some choir singing her The hymn of human happiness and misery.” [End Page 509] Stepping from the door, he stood so’s I could see. He had big teeth that made him look to smile. But he didn’t smile. Wire glasses, sunken chest, Thin tie and gray fedora cocked and caved, He stared ahead but had the backward eyes Of someone saying A while thinking B. Nodding, he said, “Wife will tell ya” (a tall woman was struggling from the backseat of an old low Mercury, a thin boy seated crookedly behind the wheel), “Wife will tell ya everything you’ll ever sing, Friend; Then how it is you will forget the words So make some up and whistle round Till you have fumbled back to where you started out. But look you now, you out of cash, bump your noggin? Forget your number? Need a lift? That’s me. I’m in security. I make the calls: I know what holds—fire doors and...

Dust Catchers

Dust Catchers Nancy Huddleston Packer (bio) If she didn't really wake up, she could perhaps go back into her dream. Ivan had looked so handsome in his officer's uniform—pinks they called them. They were driving along Point Reyes in his little Studebaker Champion. The sky was cloudless, the ocean glistening, the whitecaps rising and falling. "Look," he said, pointing at an immense whale cavorting offshore. And then he was shouting angrily and banging his fist on the steering wheel. Jean opened her eyes. The sun was already streaming through the western windows. Though she had only meant to rest a moment, she must have been asleep on the sofa for hours. Usually people just went away when she didn't come to the door, but this one kept on shouting and knocking until Jean was afraid the glass pane might crack. Perhaps it was important—the house on fire or a message from Carolee or Andrew. She sat up on the edge of the sofa and waited for the throbbing in her head to subside and her eyes to focus. Then, holding on to the chair, the highboy, the wall, she began to walk toward the front door. As she passed the hall mirror she caught a glimpse of herself. She was still in her nightgown and her old tattered plaid robe. What a sight, she thought, patting down her tangled hair and scraping her thumbnail over the crusts of spit on her chin. She really should freshen up, but there it was again, someone shouting and knocking. On the other side of the glass door was a very large woman with copper-colored hair and a big moon face. Perhaps one of the Jehovah's Witnesses—they sometimes came by—simple, goodhearted women, cheerfully resigned to rebuff. Ivan had once let in a very tall bony young black woman and a very fat old white woman, and for five minutes they had spoken to him about the state of his soul, and he had pretended to be remorseful and eager to be saved. Finally he had tired of the game and told them he couldn't give his soul to God because he had already sold it to the devil for a dollar and fifty cents. The poor things had scurried [End Page 18] away, red-faced but still smiling. Jean had said nothing—it would only have made him angry. "I admire what you're doing," she said through the glass panel, "but I don't discuss religion with anybody." "What? Religion? You think I'm trying to convert you or something? That's a good one." As the woman laughed her cheeks ballooned and her little eyes almost disappeared and her tongue bobbed up and down. When her laughter subsided, she leaned close to the glass. "You don't recognize me, do you? Lived in the Tudor down the street?" She pronounced it two-door, like a car, and it took Jean a moment to realize she meant the house with the crossbeams in the next block. The house was dilapidated for the neighborhood, a rental with a constant stream of families passing through. Jean didn't remember ever knowing anyone who lived there, but then her memory wasn't what it used to be, and she wouldn't be rude to an old neighbor. She slid back the dead bolt. As the woman stepped over the doorsill, her face grew solemn. "I just heard the awful news about your hubby, and I come right over." She engulfed Jean in her immense flabby arms and swayed wordlessly for a minute. She smelled of talcum powder and stale sweat. Jean's stomach kicked and bile rose into her mouth. Feeling the way she did, she should never have answered the door. She didn't want to see anyone, not until she got herself together. Her neighbors and the people from her church seemed to understand that and no longer came by. "I know exactly what you're feeling," the woman went on, "because I lost my Warren last year." With a deep sigh of reluctance, she released Jean. "Cancer of the bowel. I won't...