Becoming a Woman Through the Eyes of Simone de Beauvoir What would be the title or theme of your autobiography? Would you try to impress, add some glitter? It’s what Simone de Beauvoir could have done, but didn’t, as Kate Kirkpatrick shows in a new biography. Leanne Jansen • May 21, 2020
House of Industry – An Arsenal without its Researchers March 20th 2020 would have been a momentous day: the day that the LUCAS would move into its new location the Arsenaal. It had been a long process to bring all the members of the institute together—not just in mind but also in place. But history proved its bitter irony once again. Leanne Jansen, Merel Oudshoorn and Liselore Tissen • April 30, 2020
Brunelleschi and the Dome of Florence: How to Make a City Proud The cultural hero displays a fixed set of characteristics: brilliance of mind, work ethos, and a talent no one else possesses. These qualities explain how Filippo Brunelleschi could create one of Tuscany’s greatest landmarks, 600 years ago. Leanne Jansen • March 26, 2020
Heroes Are History When Thomas Carlyle presented On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History it was an instant success. The book has more or less disappeared from the bookshelves, but it’s worth a read, and I’ll tell you why. Leanne Jansen • September 19, 2019 • 1 comment
A Woman of the People, Not a Politician The Netflix documentary Knock Down the House is an ode to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her female Democrat colleagues. Read more about the perfect campaign, making friends, and impacting the people. Leanne Jansen • May 16, 2019
MOM 4: Every citizen needs a mother (or father) (II) The Month of the Mother's (MOM) last blog: Not only men but women as well can exploit the parent motif in their political self-presentation. This week, we will look at the image of the female leader as mother of the people. Leanne Jansen • March 28, 2019
Every citizen needs a father (or mother) (I) A famous, age-old motive in politics is that of the citizen parent. The late mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, performed the role of father quite masterfully; his success could inspire statesmen both ancient and modern. Leanne Jansen • February 07, 2019
Forgetting Cicero Is it possible to control the way you are remembered by posterity? What the politician and writer Cicero can teach us about processes of commemoration and canonization (an introduction). Leanne Jansen • June 15, 2017
