Were There People of Color in 19th Century England?

Yes. Next question? Dear Amanda, Despite the evidence that shows us that England was vibrant and diverse from the Roman era onward, some readers think that portraying people of color in 19th century England as anything other than slaves is historically inaccurate. Part of that may be ignorance, which is fixable enough. I’m about to

Just Drink This Tea: Abortifacients in the 19th Century

CONTENT WARNING: discussion of abortion, including botched abortions and violence Dear Amanda, You know that scene in Bridgerton where Marina Thompson tries to abort her pregnancy by brewing a super secret special tea? She throws some dandelion and juniper berries in a cup, smashes some mysterious dried herbs and then very seriously consumes a piping

Ok, but is it “Art?”

Dear Amanda, You said something really interesting in your previous letter. Granted, you say interesting things all the time, but this one caught my eye for reasons that will become more apparent as I write. We were talking about the lack of cultural accuracy in Highlander romances and you said: “the story is meant to

I Ken of Sheep Turd Masculinity

Dear Kelly, Okay, so I promise I AM going to get to my response to this: “The point in making such a violent world isn’t to be historically accurate, it’s to create a space where one can indulge in brutal fantasies of a patriarchal society without people of color.” Because, well, I have A LOT