Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
In need of a Doctor Who fix but watched all the episodes on Netflix twice (thrice?) over? Tune in to the Doctor Who Podcast and let Michele, our Lady Geek of the Week, take you through reviews of new episodes, give the best interviews and waste away the day exploring the many corners of the DW-verse.
Michele (@MicheleDWP on Twitter) is a long time Doctor Who fan. She discovered the series in the 80s! According to her bio, “Despite the fact that “Horns of Nimon” was her first episode, she was instantly hooked, and was thoroughly surprised when the fourth Doctor fell to his death to be replaced by a new actor a short time later.”
Check out Michele’s interview with Being Geek Chic and find out why Sutekh the Destroyer gives her the heebie jeebies, where she would travel in time and space and the heartwarming reason of why she loves Doctor Who.
Q: If you had to choose one Doctor to arrive on your doorstep and ask you to be a companion, who would you choose and why?
A: The Fourth Doctor. It would be easy to make that choice for just sentimental reasons because he was my first Doctor, but nowadays the Eighth and Tenth Doctors would be close contenders as well. Thinking it through, I believe I’d have a better chance of surviving the experience with the Fourth Doctor – as well as actually ending up at least close to somewhere I wanted to be when I left.
Every part of my body is sore this week. I’ve been exercising like a mad woman. And no, it’s not because of some wacky New Year’s Resolution. It’s something else entirely. Here’s to:
1. Trying things again.
I live in Minnesota and it would be entirely embarrassing if I wasn’t a good skier and skater. The problem is that the last time I went skiing (6 years ago) I broke my thumb. I built up in my mind that I couldn’t do it, because I might fall and this might happen all over again. To my wonderful surprise this week, I wasn’t nearly as bad at traversing those hills as I thought I’d be. In fact, I only fell once and had a blast.
2. Conversations that surprise you.
I love WTF with Marc Maron. I get him. I empathize. I rely on him for twice-weekly distractions from being a working girl. (You know what I mean.) Every once in a while a guest comes on and totally surprises me. I’m behind the times, because technically Michael Keaton’s episode was last week, but his discussion of Batman and books was truly enjoyable.
My phone isn’t busted after a nasty fall. And it looks hot. Double win.
4. Getting things done early.
I turned in a major grant application for a film EARLY. Do you know how insane that is. I feel like a real grown up who takes care of bizness. Now, fingers crossed this leads to being awarded the grand.
This week, I scribed these lovely posts for Apartment Therapy:
As promised, The Baker Street Babes, Part 2 are our Lady Geeks of the Week! Last week, we interviewed Amy, Ardy, and Lyndsay. This week, we present Maria, Taylor, and Kristina.
The Babes are a group of Sherlock Holmes fans who produce a (witty, charming, and highly successful) podcast in which they discuss “everything from canon to Cumberbatch, Charles Augustus Milverton to Jude Law, and dancing men to Jeremy Brett.”
Follow the Babes on Twitter @BakerStBabes.
Q: What has led you to your passion?
Maria: Concerning Sherlock Holmes: A general interest in Sherlock Holmes from my childhood on; but I only grew really passionate about it when I started looking into it during my British Studies classes at Uni where I went to several Doyle and Sherlock Holmes centered seminars. BBC’s Sherlock just rekindled that interest and turned it into something amazing. Concerning my passion in general, which is literature: Some of my oldest memories are of my parents of friends reading books to me. I started reading fairly soon, even though I am slightly dyslexic (which made writing essays and dictations in school extremely hard); I read fantastic fiction throughout my teenage years, but when I started University, I just fell head over heels for English Literature, mostly thanks to my extremely wonderful teachers (now colleagues). I just loved reading literature, talking about it, writing about it; and eventually I found that I’m pretty good at teaching it, too, so this is why I am now doing my doctoral thesis in EngLit and hope to stay at Uni and teach.
Taylor: I have a complete inability to simply like something. I have to become totally obsessed with things I enjoy. I like to immerse myself in things fully and always have. I became obsessed with The Lion King when I was in 5th grade and my room totally reflected. Lion King sheets, curtains, and even a laundry hamper. Now my room is like a shrine to all things British. My obsessions transfer into all forms of media too. Of my two favorite bands I have seen one live 50 times and the other, I lost count, but I think I’m somewhere in the 70’s now. No.
Kristina: Spontaneity. I’ve always been a geek, but about very different things. It changes ever so often and it’s mostly because I take a right instead of a left. It’s never planned. I got into the Holmesian world because I decided to see a play, met a Sherlock fan in line, and voila here I am. I’ve never been afraid of just taking the next step, okay, scratch that, I’ve been terrified, but I’ve never backed down. Passion is terrifying. Absolutely horribly terrifying, but that’s what makes it worth it in the end. I suppose I’ve always been very well mentored by so many amazing teachers, professors, and friends who have helped me along and pushed me when I needed to be pushed. While I haven’t always succeeded, I’d like to think I’m made them proud. That’s very important to me. I don’t really do things for myself, I’m always thinking of someone else.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
Maria: Kindness and patience. There is nothing more inspirational than people showing kindness to others without asking for anything in return. It makes me want to be kind and tolerant.
Taylor: Books, music, and social planning. It seems like those things are at opposite ends of the spectrum but while I always draw inspiration from books and music I seem to accomplish more in my efforts to organize groups of people with a shared love particular musicians and books.
Kristina: Travel. It’s a really easy answer for me. I’m an absolute nutter for travelling and experiencing a new culture gives me a high unlike anything else. I’ve been to places beautiful and war torn and both exotic and mundane. No matter where I go there is always something beautiful and something sad about it, and time and time again I’ve come to realize that even through all of the world’s differences, human beings are the same. The kindest people are those who have the least and the most beautiful places are those who have seen horrible things.
Q: When did you first realize you were “geeky?”
Maria: Well, I started reading fantastic literature as a child and stayed up night after night to read more and more; I guess that was when I knew. But it took me a while to understand that there’s a label for that kind of interest group :) I’m also very much into motor sports and movies and remember the weirdest tiny facts about things.
Taylor: I think it first really hit home the day I spent over $100 on a rare Lion King trading card in 5th grade. My collection is still only missing two cards and they were both only handed out at the Super Bowl in 1995, making them ultra rare.
Kristina: Probably when I was twelve and I found myself writing my own stories based off things I enjoyed. I devoured the Redwall series and so desperately wanted to be a white mouse named Danneal. I guess I have a think for mice as The Great Mouse Detective was my favourite movie of all time, and pretty much still is. It was at this time I discovered role playing and I basically wrote stories with other kids my age based on the Redwall series, people I’ve still friends with to this day actually. I just loved writing in these worlds and through that I started to write my own stories. I preferred writing and being in my own imagination than being out with friends or anything. I was the kid who doodled and wrote in class. I knew it was a bit weird, but it made me so happy, I didn’t care.
Q: If you could take any historical figure out for a drink, whom would you choose, and what would you drink?
Maria: Giovanni Battista Belzoni; and it’d be Whisky and I’d have him tell me his tales about excavating Egyptian tombs. (I’m also an Egyptologist, so some awesome first hand experience from back in the day would be amazing.)
Taylor: I really can’t answer this question. I’ve been thinking about it for about an hour now. I’d really like to have a drink with someone who could answer a big question or explain something to me. Like it would be cool to know what happened to Amelia Earhart, the Roanoke colonists, or Jimmy Hoffa. It would also be neat to know sit down with King Arthur and find out if/where Camelot existed and talk to Shakespeare about whether or not he actually wrote all of his plays. I’m better with current figures though.
Can I have a drink with Stephen Fry? Preferably a Pimm’s.
Kristina: So I studied history and archaeology at college. You have no idea how difficult a question this is! While I was eventually seduced by medieval history, my first love in history was Napoleon, so I’d have to say him. I have a soft spot for Nappy-poo, he was a fascinating person and clinking cosmopolitans with him would be a wild night. I’d ask about how he felt taking over Europe, why he wanted to, and his saucy love letters to Josephine. Seriously, read those, they are scandalous.
Q: What would you tell you 13-year-old self?
Maria: The Latin and English lessons you are taking in school will actually be helpful one day.
Taylor: If you start going to Jump, Little Children shows now you can see them way more than 50 times before the break up.
Kristina: Oh my. First off I’d tell myself to stop straightening my hair and then I’d say I’m sorry for how sucky the teens are going to be and that you won’t always be so lonely and you’ll make new friends and discover so much.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
Maria: “A life of coffee, books and laughter”
Taylor: Probably my twitter tagline. Books, Brits, and Bands: My Life as a Fan
Kristina: I think it’d have to be Into The Great Perhaps. I recently stumbled upon the quote “I go to seek a great perhaps,” which were the alleged last words of Francois Rebelais, a 16th century French humanist. While for him it may have been said with a more religious connotation, for me it’s all about just taking that leap of faith and taking a chance.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
The Baker Street Babes are our Lady Geeks of the Week! The Babes are a group of Sherlock Holmes fans who produce a witty, charming, and highly successful podcast in which they discuss “everything from canon to Cumberbatch, Charles Augustus Milverton to Jude Law, and dancing men to Jeremy Brett.”
Being Geek Chic was chuffed to be able to interview a few of the Babes. This week, we’re featuring Amy, Ardy, and Lyndsay. Next week, we’ll treat you to a few more! Can’t wait another week for more Babes? Follow on Twitter @BakerStBabes.
Read on!
Q: What has led you to your passion?
Amy: My passion for all things Sherlock Holmes was kindled in 2010 when I re-read the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle after the BBC “Sherlock” series came out. I developed a passion for all things Holmesian and wrote my own novel about Holmes and Irene Adler, The Detective and The Woman, which was published by MX Publishing earlier this year.
Ardy: Depends which passion we’re talking. My first passion was reading, and that kicked off everything else, so my answer to this would have to be: the local public library in the town where I grew up. I read widely and indiscriminately when I was a kid, and somewhere in there were Lord of the Rings and the Sherlock Holmes stories, and the rest was history. I also owe a lot to my sixth-form English teacher, who kind of crystallized that passion for reading, and for stories. And, of course, I owe the fact that I’m on the Baker Street Babes to my friend Kristina Manente, who is awesome.
Lyndsay: When I read the Sherlock Holmes mysteries as a kid, I had no idea that massively fangirling over them would quite literally lead to my professional career. I read them so obsessively that I absorbed a lot of Doyle’s style, and my first published novel was a Sherlock Holmes pastiche called Dust and Shadow. Since then, I’ve been a novelist and short story writer and Sherlock Holmes commentator at large, and it’s all thanks to my childhood geek niche. Geeks, be aware: you can really rock this geek thing, and make it work for you. Own your inner geek. All we Babes have found each other through this very specific passion, and it has led to some truly amazing opportunities and friendships.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
Amy: I’m inspired when I see people being creative in positive ways, using their gifts and talents to uplift and encourage others and to bring light into our world. The Internet and other forms of media are amazing at facilitating this because they allow us to experience the joy of what people create all across this earth.
Ardy: People who follow their passions. Whether it’s an artist or a biologist or a musician or whatever, watching someone at work, doing something they love, is always special.
Lyndsay: Bravery, self-sacrifice, heroism that isn’t easy, protagonists who are good but not nice, antagonists who are wicked but sometimes right, noble people who struggle with giant flaws, eccentric forms of unconditional love.
Q: When did you first realize you were “geeky?”
Amy: I’ve always been geeky; I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t. I started reading Shakespeare on my own when I was about 10, and I’ve never stopped having geeky interests, whether in classic literature, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, or any other of a myriad of things.
Ardy: Probably in school, in the not so fun way that I just didn’t really fit, I was sort of on a different planet from my peers and misunderstood a lot. Probably that’s part of every teenager’s experience, but I always think that for geeks, it’s tougher because there’s all this stuff in your head that you really can’t talk to anyone about. That’s actually one of the reasons that it makes me really happy to see kids at conventions. It’s only later in life, when I went to uni, that I met other people who loved the same stuff I did and were just as happy that there was someone to talk to, that I understood that “being a geek” was a thing and that it was okay and there were lots of others like me.
Lyndsay: I recall pretty clearly telling my mother when I was maybe thirteen that it was okay I had crazy hair and entirely mismatched thrift store clothes because I “didn’t want to be normal.” In retrospect, I have no idea what on earth I was yammering about, since I grew up in a Pacific Northwest mill town and I can guarantee you that I knew precisely zero “normal” people to base my distaste of normalcy on. I was operating in a vacuum on that one. Maybe I’d seen ”normal” people on TV or something and decided it wasn’t for me.
Q: If you could take any historical figure out for a drink, whom would you choose, and what would you drink?
Amy: Wow, that’s a hard question! I’m part Native American, and I would really love to meet Sacagawea and hear all about her life. She’s such an inspiring woman with an amazing history. I’d probably take her out to my favorite tea house and have a beautiful pot of Earl Grey.
Ardy: I think I’d want to have a Gin & Tonic with Queen Victoria.
Lyndsay: Can I say Sherlock Holmes? Please? Oh, all right. In that case, I would really love to take Samuel Clemens out for a stroll through the rolling countryside and have a little bourbon picnic with a bucket of ice and the whiskey of his choice. I would trust his judgment on the subject. I’d want to know all about newspaper reporting during the Silver Rush, and writing Huckleberry Finn, and a complete list of the best pranks he ever pulled, because I am sure they’d be stunners.
Q: What would you tell you 13-year-old self?
Amy: I think I’d tell my 13-year-old self to “just keep swimming” and never give up!
Ardy: I’d tell my 13-year-old self not to be so serious all the time and to take pride in being a geek. To enjoy life. And to never feel ashamed to be spending the summer holidays cooped up in her room with a book.
Lyndsay: I’d tell myself at that age, you know what, Lyndsay, you’re going to stay this geeky, and get even geekier—but it’s going to get so much less lonely later on, so just trust that you’re going to meet more of your peculiar kind. And many other peculiar kinds you’ll get on with like a forest fire.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
Amy: The title of my memoir would be People Would Be Less Likely to Think You’re Stupid than that You’re a Man, which is something my sister recently said to me in an attempt to bolster my flagging confidence.
Ardy: My memoir… dear God. “Over the Wires, Between the Bookshelves” would probably be apt, because literally and figuratively, that’s where I spent a lot of time in my life.
Lyndsay: I think it would be most appropriately titled It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Are you a podcast obsessive looking for another 60 minutes of audio bliss to get you through your day? Then, this week’s lady geek is for you. Janet Varney, host of The JV Club, is our Lady Geek of the Week!
Her awesome podcast, which is a special lady nerd podcast segment on The Nerdist network, is reason enough to give Varney the geek crown, but you can also find her hosting TBS’s Dinner and a Movie and providing the voice to Korra in The Legend of Korra.
On The JV Club, Varney interviews other famous ladies, like Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men and comedian Maria Bamford.
From Varney’s website:
“Remember what it was like to be an awkward teenager? And remember how some things haven’t really changed that much for you since then? Join proud dork Janet Varney as she explores the highs and lows of the bygone years with some of her favorite women as they talk their way through the terrible teens into adult-lescence. Warning: This Podcast Contains Sincerity.”
Varney interviews comedians, actresses, authors, entrepreneurs, and more about nostalgic teenage topics like crushing on Beck, angsty teenage poetry, the complex codes for words like “tampon,” and old fashioned rounds of “M.A.S.H.”
One of my favorite podcasts that I sampled was an interview with Malin Akerman (She was Laurie Jupiter in Watchmen!). The interview was funny and candid. Akerman discussed the adventures of growing up half in Canada and half in Sweden. She also divulges her geeky and bullied childhood. “I was a dork growing up. I would sit in the bathroom and read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” Bullied throughout their youth, Akerman and Varney realized that the power structure in the workplace is very similar to playground tormenting. But both women have now resolved to defend themselves with confidence against adult bullies. High school is not real life!
The silliest thing Akerman has ever done? Suppressed her Buddhist upbringing and bluffed her way into a private Catholic high school to chase a boy. Amen!
Find Varney on Twitter @janetvarney, and be sure to check out her website and IMDB page, too!
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. On twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Thanks to everyone who participated in the various giveaways I’ve had going in the last two weeks.
I’ve mentioned before that you can get Being Geek Chic on the Streamified app, so when the developers asked me to be a guest on their podcast “Let Us Present,” I was happy to participate. Mark (@markshore12), Zane (@inzania) and I chatted about dating as a geek, transitioning into career life while maintaining your geek pride and why I enjoy living a geeky life.
Take a listen here if you have a minute or if you’re bored at work.
Of course, the thing that is REALLY important here is the announcement of the giveaway winners:
Game of Thrones tank from Fencing & Archery: Amanda Hale
Snow White and the Huntsman Prize Pack: Staci Beezle
If you are one of the two winners, please email beinggeekchic(at)gmail(dot)com ASAP with your mailing address and I’ll get your prizes processed.
