Misunderstanding Feminism

As a feminist, I have noticed a disturbing trend in recent historical productions. Since writer Emma Frost defined The White Princess, an adaptation of a Tudor novel by Philippa Gregory, as a “feminist story,” I feel it’s fair to point out the behaviors exhibited in it are not “feminist.” I also want to use the ITV...

Fact & Fiction: The White Princess, Episode 1

Since Starz announced this production, I have waffled between anticipation and dread. The former because I appreciate new costume dramas centered on the lesser-known Tudors; and the latter, because I’ve read Philippa Gregory’s book series. She’s a talented enough writer that her “historical slander” passes for the truth – and she maligns reputations, turning decent...

TudorB!tch Week: The Other Boleyn Girl

With Wolf Hall premiering on Wednesday, I decided to flood this blog with Tudor-related posts for the next few days. You can either participate, read along, or ignore it. Whatever you choose, I’ll try to keep things interesting. The Other Boleyn Girl is revisionist history at its finest, a story that slanders Anne Boleyn in...

Altering the Truth

There is storytelling and there is revision. The former means entwining actual events with fictional characters, and the latter includes rearranging fictional facts to suit your agenda. As a writer, I’m caught between admiration for those who do it well and horror for those who change things too much. I’m also uncertain whether or not it...