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Celebrating Women's History Month:
Celebrating Women's History Month:
Blog Posts on Four Notable Women Writers from Past to Present
Blog Posts on Four Notable Women Writers from Past to Present
March 30, 2026
Blog Post by Guest Writer Seth Martin, Professor of English at HACC
Sappho
Sappho was a lyric poet living in the city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, off the coast of modern-day Turkey, around the years 650-500 BCE (Freeman xxvii). Due to chance and the decay wreaked by time, reliable information on Sappho’s life is scant. Some common accepted details are that Sappho studied the poetry of Homer (Freeman 12); had three brothers, Erygius, Larichus and Charaxus; was married to an older man; birthed a daughter – Kleis, a name shared by Sappho’s mother – (Freeman 5); had lovers of the same sex (Carson x); and wrote lyric poetry that she performed with a lyre (Davenport 7), which can be thought of as the guitar of the ancient world.
Sappho composed nine volumes of poetry (Campbell 271). Of these creations, only two complete poems survive – one discovered in 2014 in a Mississippi university library (Freeman xx). When asked why one should read Sappho now, a poet responded with, “[s]he is, even among the first Greek poets, an incomparable artist, innovative in her techniques, unique in sensibility. Even in translation it is possible to sense the force of her thinking, the way in which she feels a way through experience with the special language that poetry devised” (Schmidt 171). A classicist noted, “Despite the vastly diverse responses to and interpretations of Sappho’s poems, readers of Sappho throughout the ages have, nonetheless, recognized in her eloquent expressions of desire the paradoxical conjuncture of pain and pleasure, bitterness and sweetness that lies at the heart of erotic experience. As Anne Carson puts it, ‘It was Sappho who first called eros ‘bittersweet.’ No one who has been in love disputes her’” (Greene 8).
Three Fragments and One Poem by Sappho:
Frag. 130
Translated by Anne Carson (265)
Eros the melter of limbs (now again) stirs me—
sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in
Fragment 47
Translated by Mary Barnard (44)
Without warning
As a whirlwind
swoops on an oak
Love shakes my heart.
Fragment 31
Translated By Anne Carson (63)
He seems to me equal to gods that man
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking
and lovely laughing—oh it
puts the heart in my chest on wings
for when I look at you, even a moment, no speaking
is left in me
no: tongue breaks and thin
fire is racing under skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
fills ears
and cold sweat holds me and shaking
grips me all, greener than grass
I am and dead—or almost
I seem to me.
But all is to be dared, because even a person of poverty
Poem 1
Translated by Anne Carson (3)
Deathless Aphrodite of the spangled mind,
child of Zeus, who twists lures, I beg you
do not break with hard pains,
O lady, my heart
but come here if ever before
you caught my voice far off
and listening left your father's
golden house and came,
yoking your car. And fine birds brought you,
quick sparrows over the black earth
whipping their wings down the sky
through midair—
they arrived. But you, O blessed one,
smiled in your deathless face
and asked what (now again) I have suffered and why
(now again) I am calling out
and what I want to happen most of all
in my crazy heart. Whom should I persuade (now again)
to lead you back into her love? Who, O
Sappho, is wronging you?
For if she flees, soon she will pursue.
If she refuses gifts, rather will she give them.
If she does not love, soon she will love
even unwilling.
Come to me now: loose me from hard
care and all my heart longs
to accomplish, accomplish. You
be my ally.
Works Cited
Barnard, Mary, translator. Sappho: A New Translation. University of California Press, 1958.
Campbell, David, editor. Greek Lyric Poetry. Bristol Classical Press, 2003.
Carson, Anne. If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho. Vintage Books, 2003.
Davenport, Guy, translator and editor. 7 Greeks. New Directions Press, 1995.
Freeman, Philip. Searching for Sappho: The Lost Songs and World of the First Woman Poet.
Norton, 2016.
Greene, Ellen, editor. Reading Sappho: Contemporary Approaches. University of California
Press, 1996.
Schmidt, Michael. The First Poets: Lives of the Ancient Greek Poets. Vintage Books, 2005.
March 30, 2026
Blog Post by Guest Writer Zachary Wesley, Adjunct English Instructor at HACC
Will the Real Joan of Arc Please Stand Up:
Christine de Pizan’s “The Tale of Joan of Arc”
Joan of Arc is one of those historical figures whom you suspect you know quite well. What more can be said about this teenage peasant girl from Domrémy? She miraculously turned the tide of the Hundred Years’ War in France’s favor during the spring and summer of 1429 before meeting a heretic’s end at the hands of the Burgundians and their English allies two years later. However, I’ve come to realize that every author and historian has their own Joan, to say nothing of Saint Joan. Imagine my delight, then, while teaching a section of ENGL 205, to meet a new Joan: the Joan of Christine de Pizan’s “The Tale of Joan of Arc.” “The Tale,” a poem of praise originally written in French, is one of the earliest surviving sources on Joan of Arc. It is also de Pizan’s final written work. It is a true delight of late medieval literature. In her characteristic manner, de Pizan blurred the lines between history and myth, forcing me to reconsider which Joans I have actually met.
Christine de Pizan ranks among the most important voices of late medieval Europe. She was born in Italy in 1364, though her father accepted an appointment to the court of Charles V when de Pizan was a young girl. De Pizan accompanied her father and remained closely associated with the highest echelons of French society throughout the rest of her life. She became a professional writer to support her young children in the wake of her husband’s death from the plague in 1389. Her work quickly gained the admiration of nobles in both England and France. She completed her best-known work, The Book of the City of Ladies, in 1405; her allegorical city, populated by Amazons, wise goddesses (who were actually quite human), and medieval queens, challenged the misogyny of contemporary secular and religious authors. Yet, as France reeled from political unrest and bloody defeats by English forces in subsequent years, de Pizan’s literary vision appeared as practical as the exploits of Arthur and Gawain.
All of this changed in the spring of 1429 when de Pizan’s ideal heroic warrior sprang to life. Christine de Pizan’s Joan lived alongside the historical peasant girl who broke the siege of Orléans and secured the coronation of Charles VII as king of France. Indeed, de Pizan informs us that she completed her “Tale” on the final day of July, just two weeks after Charles’s coronation on July 17, 1429. In most respects, both Joans are one and the same. Yet, while the historical Joan was made of flesh and blood, de Pizan’s Joan is imbued with something holier. A young peasant girl turning the tide of the war for France was, by de Pizan’s own estimation, supernatural, utterly miraculous. The sun had begun to shine again on France, lifting the clouds of decades of strife.
Christine de Pizan declares that Joan is a prophesied savior of France, asserting that mythical and historical voices alike, from the Sibyl, Merlin, and the Venerable Bede, foretold her coming. The Hundred Years’ War often took on the rhetoric of a holy war, but de Pizan’s Joan is no mere peasant girl. She is a long-awaited warrior saint capable of defeating whatever the English might send her way; she is the French Esther, Judith, and Deborah all in one. De Pizan even goes so far as to boast that “such strength had neither Hector nor Achilles” as this teenage savior of France. In referencing these heroes of both the Bible and Greek antiquity, de Pizan invites us back to her earlier heroines in The Book of the City of Ladies. One of the greatest of de Pizan’s mythical heroines is Penthesilea, an Amazonian queen and admirer of Hector who led an army to Troy before dying in defense of the city. Whereas Penthesilea fell at the hands of Achilles’ son, de Pizan seems to suggest Joan would not suffer such a fate. She has divine protection in her holy quest to restore France's fortunes.
Christine de Pizan died the year after she completed “The Tale of Joan of Arc,” never seeing her holy, invincible heroine tried for heresy and burned at the stake in Rouen. Neither the historical Joan nor de Pizan lived to see France’s eventual victory. De Pizan’s Joan is an ever-victorious teenage wonder warrior who will never taste the bitter defeat of her historical counterpart. Yet our modern Joan may be closer to de Pizan’s vision than we realize. Practically all Joans in literature, including those we meet on the screen and the stage, are descended from her. The family resemblance, even nearly 600 years later, is remarkable. Now, I wonder, how many of the Joans I have met are really just Christine de Pizan’s Joan in different mirrors?
Zachary Wesley's Recommended Resources on Christine de Pizan:
"Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Before Her Time": This is a blog post from the Royal Library of Belgium featuring links to an early edition of The Book of the City of Ladies and other important works associated with Christine de Pizan from the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, which is part of the Royal Library of Belgium's collections. Before the Hundred Years' War flared up again in the early 1400s, Christine de Pizan was associated with Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
"Christine de Pizan Digital Scriptorium": This is the homepage for a joint project between Johns Hopkins, the University of Waterloo, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France on Christine de Pizan's writings.
"Christine de Pizan: Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc": This page contains the full text of Christine de Pizan's poem "The Tale of Joan of Arc" in the original French with an English translation. The overall website also features a range of primary sources related to the life and times of Joan of Arc, including the proceedings of her heresy trial.
"Christine de Pizan, Professional Writer and Voice for Women in the Middle Ages": This is a blog post from the Library of Congress that includes some excellent images of early manuscripts of Christine de Pizan's works. It also features links to excellent scholarly works on Christine de Pizan.
March 30, 2026
Blog Post by Guest Writer Justine Shultz, Adjunct English Instructor at HACC
Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
When I first met Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, I was in my second year of undergraduate school at Penn State Altoona. I was still trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I thought I wanted to be an educator, specifically English or Language Arts, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go on to graduate school, get my doctorate, and teach at the college level, or if I wanted to be a primary school teacher. At the time, I was also exploring poetry more and more: writing poetry, reading poetry, and taking creative writing courses. When I signed up for Dr. Jabbeh Wesley’s course, it was my very first creative writing course that focused on poetry. Dr. Jabbeh Wesley walked in on the first day of that class wearing her vibrant, gorgeous, traditional Liberian attire. I was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked. She wrote her full name on the board and said, “You will learn how to pronounce my name properly!” in a stern but calm voice. She continued, “Just as I plan to learn how to properly pronounce all of your names.” That solidified it for me – this was going to be the best class I would ever take. I was wrong on that last part, but only because I took more of her courses, which all turned out to be pivotal in my journey as a writer.
I soon learned, along with the rest of my class, that Dr. Jabbeh Wesley had narrowly escaped the war that ravaged Liberia. I remember her talking about how she felt both guilty for leaving behind so many who couldn’t and yet reassured that her children wouldn’t have to live in fear. Much of her work reflects those emotions and the unbelievable suffering of living through a civil war, from both her own perspective and that of others. Her words were honey and poison to me – they could sting and make me weep at the suffering of others, but they consistently pulled me in; I was unable to stop reading. Through her guidance and incredible skill, she helped mold me into the writer I am today. I was actually honored with a poetry award during my final year of undergrad for a poem I had written specifically about her. I genuinely owe my success as a poet and a writer to Dr. Jabbeh Wesley.
You can learn more about the incredible Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley by visiting her website using the link provided here: Home - Patricia Wesley. You can also read some of her poetry by visiting the Poetry Foundation website, linked here: Patricia Jabbeh Wesley | The Poetry Foundation. Dr. Jabbeh Wesley continues to teach at Penn State Altoona, continues to impact, mold, and captivate future writers, and continues to pen incredible works.
Additional Resource: Justine Shultz's Poem about Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
Trigger Warning for Traumatic Content: Please note that this poem addresses difficult topics related to civil war, including violence, murder, and r*pe.
If, after considering the above trigger warning, you would like to read Justine Shultz's poem, please click here to access the work titled "Dedicated to Patricia Jabbeh Wesley."
March 30, 2026
Blog Post by Rick Kearns, one of our TCQ advisors!
Rosalie Morales Kearns
My suggested reading selection for Women’s History Month is the work of novelist, essayist, poet, editor, and publisher Rosalie Morales Kearns. One might notice that this writer and I have the same last name, which makes sense since she is my sister. However, blatant nepotism aside, RMK is a very talented writer whose works have garnered praise and national recognition for her innovative and compelling vision. While I encourage you, our readers, to consider any of her available publications, I want to draw your attention to Kingdom of Women, a revolutionary work of speculative fiction. Here is the synopsis from her website (https://rosaliemoraleskearns.wordpress.com/):
"In a slightly alternate near-future, women are forming vigilante groups to wreak vengeance on violent men. Averil Parnell, a female Roman Catholic priest, faces a dilemma: per the Golden Rule she should advise forgiveness, but as the lone survivor of an infamous massacre of women seminarians, she understands the women’s anger.
"She becomes embroiled in an affair with a handsome young sociopath and a friendship with a female assassin, and the three of them gradually form a dysfunctional triangle of attraction and repulsion, love and obsession. At the same time, Averil is beset by unwanted religious visions: she sees the souls of dead monks, converses with Jesus, slips into alternate realities.
"She had wanted to be a scholar, before the trauma of the massacre. Later, all she wanted was a quiet life as a parish priest. But now she finds that she has become a mystic, and a central figure in the social upheaval that’s gathering momentum all over the world.
"Kingdom of Women spans decades and delves into multiple points of view, not only highlighting the personal evolution of a complex, troubled individual but also exploring larger themes like the ethical implications of the use of violence against oppression, and the tension between justice and mercy, revenge and forgiveness."
Celebrating Black History Month:
Celebrating Black History Month:
The Life and Work of Artist Jacob Lawrence
The Life and Work of Artist Jacob Lawrence
February 27, 2026
Blog Post by Guest Writer Mary Richards, Associate Professor of English at HACC
A Note on Affinity Months
It is important to acknowledge that while we set aside particular affinity months to honor notable U.S. citizens, their contributions impact us every day. Our accomplishments — and our mistakes — are intertwined: one nation, indivisible. But more pointedly, as Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote, we all belong to each other, and nothing makes that more of a reality than the arts.
Artist Jacob Lawrence
When you think of art, you might immediately imagine huge canvases of still-life scenes in quiet museums — far removed from everyday life. Jacob Lawrence’s art, however, is far from that. Lawrence depicts lived experiences: family stories, community history, and personal struggle. His work is among the most powerful visual records of 20th-century Black American life.
Jacob Lawrence was born in 1917 in New Jersey to parents who had moved North during the Great Migration of the Industrial Era. Like many families at the time, his childhood was shaped by the instability that is caused by racism. In his teen years, Lawrence moved with his mother to Harlem, New York — a place that would define his life and art.
In the 1930s, Harlem was alive with creativity. Writers, musicians, and artists were reshaping Black culture during what became known as the Harlem Renaissance. For Lawrence, Harlem wasn’t just a neighborhood — it was a classroom. He absorbed stories of resilience, migration, and survival simply by listening to the people around him.
Lawrence didn’t grow up surrounded by expensive art supplies or museum trips. In fact, he first encountered art through after-school programs. What started as something to pass the time quickly became a way for him to make sense of the world.
During his youth and teens, Lawrence studied at community art workshops and later joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program that employed artists during the Great Depression. Through the WPA, Lawrence found mentorship from influential Black artists like Augusta Savage and Charles Alston. They didn’t just teach technique — they emphasized that Black history and everyday life has always and continues to belong in fine art.
This idea became central to Lawrence’s work. He once said he wasn’t interested in painting things he didn’t know. Instead, he focused on stories that were often ignored by textbooks and museums.
Lawrence’s rise as an artist wasn’t smooth or guaranteed. He faced serious financial hardship throughout his early career, often working with limited materials. Racism in the art world also meant fewer opportunities and constant pressure to justify his place as a serious artist.
Later in life, Lawrence experienced depression and emotional struggles, particularly after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. These challenges didn’t disappear just because he became successful. Still, he continued creating, teaching, and telling stories through art — even when it was difficult.
What makes Lawrence’s journey especially powerful is that he never tried to hide struggles, whether those he faced in his own life or those he depicted in his work. Instead, he treated them as part of the human experience worth documenting.
Major Accomplishments: Telling Stories That Last
Lawrence’s breakthrough came in 1941 with The Migration Series, a collection of 60 panels that depict African Americans moving from the abject poverty of the South to the industrial North in search of opportunity. Using bold colors, sharp angles, and simplified figures, the series tells a sweeping historical story through deeply personal moments.
The impact was immediate. At just 24 years old, Lawrence became the first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. That achievement alone would secure his place in art history — but he didn’t stop there.
Over the decades, Lawrence continued to create narrative series about figures like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. He also became a respected educator, teaching for many years at the University of Washington and influencing generations of young artists.
In 1990, he received the National Medal of Arts, one of the highest honors for an American artist.
Jacob Lawrence’s life offers more than an art lesson: His story is about finding purpose despite instability, using creativity as a tool for survival, and insisting that overlooked histories matter.
Lawrence proved that art doesn’t have to come from privilege — it can come from perseverance. By turning everyday struggles into powerful visual narratives, he reshaped American art and made space for voices that had long been ignored.
In a world still grappling with inequality and representation, Jacob Lawrence’s work reminds us that telling your story — especially when it’s hard — is an act of courage.
You can visit 30 panels of Jacob Lawrence’s 60-panel Great Migration series in Washington, D.C. at The Phillips Collection.
Author Recommendations in Honor of Black History Month
Author Recommendations in Honor of Black History Month
February 18, 2026
In honor of Black History Month, the staff of The Copper Quill is excited to share the following author recommendations with you:
Recommendation by Associate Editor Rae Stachowski:
Octavia E. Butler
(1947-2006)
“When I began writing science fiction, when I began reading, heck, I wasn’t in any of this stuff I read. The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn’t manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself in, since I’m me and I’m here and I’m writing.”
~Octavia E. Butler
They say if you want to write great literature, you must read great literature. Funny enough, it was a terribly written story that inspired Butler to first pick up the pen. After watching a B-grade science fiction film, she was left with the impression that she could create a much better story. And she would. Her stories are masterful, weaving explorations of race, gender, sex, and politics. Her beliefs aligned with eco-feminism, and she traveled to the Amazon to study its biological diversity and incorporate more factual information into her work.
In 1984, she received the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, making her the first Woman of Color to achieve mainstream recognition in the science fiction genre, and she has since gone on to become one of the first black women and the very first science fiction author to secure a MacArthur Genius Grant. Her pieces are bold and unapologetic, and she has managed to make a significant impact on her genre, while still remaining relevant and accessible. She was a Titan of her craft and a profound influence.
Works Cited
"Octavia E. Butler: Telling My Stories." The Huntington, www.huntington.org/exhibition/octavia-e-butler-telling-my-stories. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Additional Author Recommendations by Rae:
Victor Lavalle
Oyinkan Braithwaite
Tananarive Due
Helen Oyeyemi
Toni Morrison
Bell Hooks
Angela Davis
Recommendation by Faculty Advisor Julie A. Castner Shepard:
John Lewis Steptoe
(September 14, 1950, to August 28, 1989)
John Lewis Steptoe, who was originally from Brooklyn, New York, wrote and illustrated children’s books; his inspiration included both “his own experiences as a single father, showcasing themes of family life and cultural identity,” and folktales, which he retold (Butterworth). Children of the 1980s may remember the episode of the classic PBS kids’ show Reading Rainbow in which LeVar Burton read aloud from Steptoe’s book Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. As noted in an article by Susan Butterworth written for EBSCO Knowledge Advantage, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, published in 1987, won the Caldecott Medal, which, according to the American Library Association, “is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.” You can experience Steptoe’s talents as a writer and illustrator by clicking here to watch the Reading Rainbow episode featuring the story of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Happy Holidays from The Copper Quill!
Happy Holidays from The Copper Quill!
December 17, 2025
We invite you to get in the holiday spirit by reading the story below, which comes from The Copper Quill's archives. Originally published during the holiday season of 2021, the piece was written by TCQ advisor Julie Castner Shepard.
If you have a story of your own to share (holiday-themed or otherwise!), we'd love to review it! Feel free to submit your own original writing, artwork, and/or photography on our Submissions page.
The Gingerbread Unicorn
The Gingerbread Unicorn
The author, TCQ advisor Julie Castner Shepard, decorating Christmas cookies as a child.
Ever since I was little, I have always had a difficult time saying goodbye. Bidding farewell to a person, to a season, to a place—even to Christmas decorations at the end of the holidays—can still prompt tears for me.
As a highly sensitive child, I used to hide the gingerbread cookies I had decorated at our annual holiday baking party amongst the knickknacks on my bedroom shelf. I distinctly remember hiding a carefully iced and daintily decorated unicorn-shaped cookie next to a tiny glass Pegasus figurine because I couldn’t bear to eat the cookie.
The unicorn was one of the special gingerbread cookies our family friend Kim always baked for each of her three children and for my sister and brother and me at these Christmas baking parties. Before we would embark upon decorating trayfuls of cookies in various holiday shapes, Kim would make a ceremony of presenting each of us with our own unique cookie, stating why that particular shape had been chosen for each child. I still remember her saying, “Julie has the unicorn because she reminds us of the importance of dreams and imagination.”
I remember feeling humbled by that description and proud that Kim had chosen it for me. Maybe, then, it wasn’t just the gingerbread unicorn I was keeping safe but also that way of looking at myself. It is a way of seeing myself that I will hold onto always—one to which I will never say goodbye.
Happy Halloween from The Copper Quill!
Happy Halloween from The Copper Quill!
October 31, 2025
Happy Halloween! Here at The Copper Quill, we encourage you to celebrate this spooky time of the year by reading a good ghost story and perhaps even writing a scary tale of your own. Maybe you could find inspiration in these photographs Julie Castner Shepard, one of our faculty advisors, took on a ghost tour of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, she went on with her husband and parents this past summer!
It's said that if you look carefully at the decorative stonework of the tower of the Gonder Mansion, Strasburg, PA, you can see hidden faces gazing back at you.
This is the grave of Annie Gonder, who is also known locally as "Laughing Annie." Some believe that, even though Annie was not permitted to live in the Gonder Mansion during her lifetime, she now haunts the home.
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