The Colour of Beauty - Black Girls in Fashion

Via Mädchenmannschaft.

Christiane Zintzen of in|ad|ae|qu|at

Christiane Zintzen's blog in|ad|ae|qu|at ("inadequate") is among the most progressive literary websites I know: Original contributions from well-known authors, her own scientific approach to her topics and added art - both visual and audio* - ensure a constant stimulation of the senses. 

Follow the jump below to find out how in|ad|ae|qu|at came about, what kind of compensation Christiane offers to her contributors, and what Woody Allen has to do with it all. 

*My personal recommendation is Sabine Scho's 2009 radio piece "Grober Rundfunk" which is part of a series called "Kunstradio" produced by Christiane for the ORF.

(Picture taken from postsecret.)

Clara Luzia live @ FM4 Soundpark

Angela of A Survivor's Guide to Huntington's Disease?

Can we fight what is in our genes? On her blog A Survivor's Guide to Huntington's Disease? Angela describes living with a neurodegenerative genetic disorder: From her coming to terms with her mother's and her own illness to her attempt to break her family's heredity by In Vitro Fertilization, Angela lets us in on her hopes and fears.

For her interview, please follow the  jump below. 

Update: Serious Play for Serious Girls

In a previous post I mentioned Serious Play For Serious Girls and unfortunately got some of the facts wrong: They aren't an Australian organization, as I had gathered, but in fact an American one - from Buffalo, New York, to be exact. And rather than a research forum, SPSG is actually a research foundation that has recently published the "2010 Threats To Girlhood* Report" (available to download here). My apologies for relocating you to Australia, Mary Jayne!

* Threats to Girlhood include all of the issues, mindsets, factors, trends, and circumstances that impact girls' lifelong health, wellness, happiness, and ability to succeed.

First Flattr Cash Check

Hi Flattrers!

I just wanted to let you know that - thanks to you - I made 2,38€ since installing the service. Yay! :)

Your money will go directly into a GIRLS CAN BLOG fund (i.e. a plastic box in my cabinet) and later, at the end of the year, towards blog hosting fees and the like.

Many thanks, your help is greatly appreciated!

Annina

Haven't heard of Flattr yet? Try them here.

SUMMER BREAK!

Hi everyone,

I'm on holiday and will resume posting on 11 July 2010.

In the meantime, why not browse the Blogger Portrait Series-Archive?

Many thanks for your interest in GCB!

Annina

If I'm not mistaken, this picture is owned by Chicks On Speed.

Anna of Cycling Is Good For You

Before Anna of Cycling Is Good For You got in touch, I had no idea that such a thing as a cross-European cycling scene even existed. All the more I was interested in finding out about her cool multi-cultural blog project.

If you're as curious as I was, follow the link below to find out which cities she and her colleagues blog from, and differentiates an interesting blog from a boring one.  

Serious Play For Serious Girls

Check out Serious Play For Serious Girls, an Australian research forum that aims at advancing the lifelong possibilities for women by enhancing the quality of children's play experiences. (Via PinkStinks.)

The Making of Laura Veirs' 'July Flame'

Pharmama

Pharmama is a Swiss pharmacist and mother. Good thing that, after work, she's still got the energy to detail her daily adventures in writing. On her blog of the same name, Pharmama discusses anything from amusing encounters with customers to the composition of drugs and family holidays.

Follow the jump below to find out why Pharmama is keeping her real name a secret, who would likely benefit from reading her blog, and which rules she set for her discussion threads. 

(Picture taken in Shibuya, Tokio, by my friend Sandra.)

Jam Session: Melissa auf der Maur and Karen Elson

Lara Ghazal of Lara's Palimpsest

Lara's Palimpsest is among the most intellectually ambitious private blogs I have come across so far. With a firm background in linguistics, Lara takes us on an interesting journey through the fields of langauge and philosophy.

Follow the link below to find out about the advantages of virtual over hard copy notes, what a palimpsest is, and who -according to Lara- should not take up blogging.

The German Female Economy

Klaus-Peter Müller, member of the Commerzbank board of directors, wants to see more* women in German executive suites and the (usually more sensationalist) newspaper BILD promotes this. Nice.

*Currently, only 21 of 833 members of the boards of directors of the 200 German companies with the highest turn-overs are women.

Makiko Itoh of Just Hungry and Just Bento

The time has come - GCB proudly introduces its first food blog editor! 

Makiko of Just Hungry & Just Bento has turned her passion for cooking into a fulltime blogger's career. By explaining Japanese cuisine from the very basics, Makiko has become the online source for help with questions such as 'Which are the 100 Japanese foods I must try?' or 'What is Bento?'.

Follow the link below to find out what Makiko's occupation was before her blogs took off, who of us Drupal is good for, and which other female-edited blogs she's reading for inspiriation.

(Picture taken from postsecret.)

Female Skateboarders

Photographer Max Hamilton portrays female British skateboarders in a photo series on his homepage. (Via Mädchenmannschaft)

Interview with Isa Guha (England Women’s Cricket Team)

 A film by Abi Moore of PinkStinks.

Daniela Reimann of Media Arts Education

Scientist Daniela Reimann is the editor of Media Arts Education, a blog that concerns itself with educational aspects of interactive media and fine arts.

While Daniela's blog is mainly directed at other experts in her field, read her interview below to find out more about the maturation of blog posts and the future of digital identities.

'Pink Drunken Elephant' - Jaqee

I came across Swedish-Ugandan artist Jaqee via Smilla Dankert. In the clip above she performs an acoustic version of this original track. I totally love her positive vibe!

GCB @ dieStandard.at

Much to my delight, the Austrian online magazine dieStandard.at published an article on Girls Can Blog yesterday! Please read it in German here.

For all English users I may say that they took special interest in the interviews with Antje Schrupp (politics), Kathrin Kaufmann (various), Elke Brüns (culture), Mary Scherpe (fashion) and Luciana Schmidt (fashion).

Anne Feldkamp of BLICA

As BLICA has been among the blogs most often recommended in the Blogger Portrait Series, I was especially curious to find out more about Anne Feldkamp, its editor. With the expert eye of an art historian, Anne composes not ordinary fashion blog posts, but contextual collages instead.

Follow the link below to find out what Anne's imaginary childhood friend has to do with her blogging and how technical dorks will get by in the blogosphere in spite of their cluelessness.

(picture taken from postsecret.)

Elke Brüns of Gespenst der Armut

Today, it's my pleasure to introduce to you Elke Brüns, who is investigating the cultural aftermath of poverty on her blog Gespenst der Armut [Ghost of Poverty]. By tracking and discussing relevant articles on politics, science and the arts, Elke manages to relate an issue to our everyday lives that many might have deemed far away.

Follow the link below to read one of my favourite interviews of this series so far, and find out about the relation between blogging, poverty and the power of interpretation.

'Oh, the Divorces!' (Live At Home Version) - Tracey Thorn

Aurora of Nekocherry

Sticking with the last post's topic Art & Illustration, please meet Sardinian designer Aurora. On her blog Nekocherry, she doesn't only demonstrate her graphic skills and creative ideas, but also lets us in on a career in the making. 

Follow the jump below to find out what 'neko' means in Japanese and why it isn't always bad to find out that someone is spying on you...

Congratulations, Olga!

Olga Petrova has just been awarded the ADC's Talent of the Year award for her HFG Offenbach  final year project Marivanna. Marivanna is a so-called stick animation that visualizes her great-grandmother's journey through life. (Source)

"It's time to sweep in and shit all over it!"

Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman dissects the new Sex and the City movie here, and rightly so. (The quote above is taken from SATC, An American Girl in Paris Part Une, Season 6.)

GCB the Other Way 'Round: Annina Interviewed by the Mädchenmannschaft

Helga Hansen asked me a couple of questions regarding this blog. Read my interview in German over at the Mädchenmannschaft or follow the jump below to find out in English what GIRLS CAN BLOG is about, what to do to be featured, and what might become of the project in the future.

Tracey Emin is creative because...

Liisa of Charming Quark

Meet Liisa, 45, the editor of the inspiring Charming Quark blog. With a mixture of interiors, photography, and illustration, she manages to stimulate and entertain just the same.

Follow the link below for excellent advice on how to keep blogging fun and varied, and what to do when it's not anymore.

Why Are Women Businesses Smaller Than Men-Owned Ones?

Professor Sharon Hadary gives possible reasons over at The Wall Street Journal.

Share the Love!

As of today, GIRLS CAN BLOG is on Flattr! If you'd like to join the party (see video below), but still miss an invite - not a problem: GIRLS CAN BLOG has registration codes to give away... First come, first served, just post a comment on this post and include your contact email or twitter account!

Smilla Dankert of anders-anziehen

Stylist Smilla Dankert has made her passion her profession by sharing her fashion finds on a blog that is unequalled: anders-anziehen portrays authentic people between the ages of eight and ninety-seven that attract attention because of their unusual style.  


Follow the link below to find out what one service Smilla thinks Google's Blogspot should improve and how life choices may determine the way you dress.

UPDATE: In the meantime, Smilla has been nominated for the famous Grimme Online Award. If you'd like her to win the people's choice award, follow this link to vote for her.

The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies

via Svenja Schröder's mädchenblog.

Gudrun aka Piratenweib

Today's guest on GIRLS CAN BLOG is Gudrun aka Piratenweib. In spite of surfing the web even before it existed, she only started her own blog after joining Germany's Pirate Party last autumn. Gudrun's been an active member of the blogosphere since.

Now, before scrolling through her well-organized link list, find out how people used computers to get in touch before the Internet arrived and how to advertise your blog right.

Nikola Richter of Blogmakery.com

 
Award-winning poet Nikola Richter liked blogging so much that she decided to make a living from it: Blogmacherei or Blogmakery is her one-stop-blog-concept-shop for cultural and political institutions.

Follow the link below to find out what Nikola's blog has to do with a bakery, why twitter helps with taking notes and why she hasn't attempted to make another audio slide show since September 2009.

Mary Scherpe of Stil in Berlin

Today, street-style queen Mary Scherpe of Stil in Berlin took the time to answer the GIRLS CAN BLOG questionnaire. Stil in Berlin, that Mary started as something like a neighbourhood project, became Germany's first fashion blog that currently draws 7.000 visitors on an average day.


Follow the link below to find out who's responsible for Stil in Berlin's design, why Mary doesn't really tweet and why you should know your IT in order to get creative.

Nadine Lantzsch

Nadine Lantzsch is the woman behind the Medienelite blog, who wrote the article that inspired the GIRLS CAN BLOG project.   


As an expert on many things, but first and foremost on online journalism, Nadine highlights in her interview how personality is key to great blogging, why tweeting helps, and that you should never blog if you feel the need to learn how to do so.

Kathrin aka Kommander Kaufmann

Meet Kathrin, an Austrian-born journalist who shares favourite net finds and personal thoughts on her blog Kommander Kaufmann. It shows very well that pop culture and political subjects aren't mutually exclusive, but that they make for an interesting mix instead.

Read Kathrin's interview below to find out why passion is key to great blogging, how her blog's name came about, and which other three female-run blogs she recommends.

Carola Muysers of Berlin Woman

 

Besides being the head of her own agency, art historian Carola Muysers is the editor of Berlin Woman, a new blog on cultural life in Berlin. 

In today's interview, Carola talks about her blog's quick-start, why Berlin is so important for her work, and the plans she has with Berlin Woman for the future.

Helga Hansen of the famous Mädchenmannschaft

As a representative of the award-winning German mixed-gender blogger group Mädchenmannschaft [Girls Team], bio technologist Helga Hansen has filled in the GIRLS CAN BLOG questionnaire.

Find out how the Mädchenmannschaft came about and what to consider when you're thinking about starting your own blog.

Melanie Niethammer of side-glance

Today's featured blogger is Melanie of side-glance (blog has been deleted in the meantime :( ). 

Read her interview and blog to find out what makes studying computer engineering even harder than just the maths, and which cartoon could illustrate every single one of her posts.


Melanie loves feedback, so if you have any questions, just shoot them into the comments section.

Katy Derbyshire

Translator Katy Derbyshire, who has translated, amongst others, work by famous German authors Julia Franck and Ingo Schulze into English, has been blogging on lovegermanbooks for a little over two years now. Her topics include current issues in German literature, her life as a freelancer, and the German literary market. 

Check out one of Katy's translations from 2007 over at the Berlin-based literary magazine no man's land (a sister publication of the German lauter niemand), before finding out more about her below.

Antje Schrupp

Ladies and gentlemen, GIRLS CAN BLOG proudly presents blogger luminary Antje Schrupp in this week's portrait. 

Antje is a journalist and political scientist who has been blogging on gender roles and related poltical issues since 2006. She's an independent thinker who has received a doctorate for her work in the field of female political philosophy.

Luciana of German Fashion Blog "Lu zieht an. ♥"

A large number of female bloggers concern themselves with fashion. Just like fashion magazines, some of them attract many thousand readers: Take rail thin New York blogger Tavi, who started her influential fashion blog Style Rookie at the mere age of twelve.

GIRLS CAN BLOG would like to seize the opportunity and introduce to you healthier role models, like German blogger Luciana Schmidt, the editor of the popular, yet out of the ordinary fashion blog Lu zieht an. ♥. With her unique personality, Lu turns high-street fashion into original styles wearable for girls of all sizes.

GIRLS CAN BLOG mailed out a couple of questions to Lu, and received some interesting answers. Just click on the link below to find her statements both in English and German.