Juliane Koepcke

Juliane Koepcke (1954 -     )

German-Peruvian mammalogist who specialises in bats.

In 1971, at 17 years of age, she became famous for being

the sole survivor of a commercial plane crash in the

Peruvian Amazon rainforest. When the plane was hit by lightning,

she fell 2 miles to the ground while strapped in her seat.

With multiple injuries including a concussion, broken collarbone,

and a torn knee ligament, she walked for 11 days alone

in the jungle until she reached an inhabited camp.

In 2010, Koepcke wrote that "I had nightmares for a long time, 

for years, and of course the grief about my mother's death

and that of the other people came back again and again.

The thought 'why was I the only survivor?'

haunts me. It always will."

Her 2011 autobiography is entitled When I Fell from the Sky.

Famed German filmmaker Werner Herzog made a

1998 documentary about her ordeal called Wings of Hope.

Koepcke accompanied him on a visit to the crash site,

which she described as a "kind of therapy" for her.

Anne Carson

Anne Carson (1950 -     )

Canadian-Icelandic poet, essayist, translator, and professor

of classics, comparative literature, and creative writing.

She currently divides her time between

Reykjavik, Iceland and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Her work has been honoured with many prestigious awards,

including the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature for

"her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue

with the classical tradition, has created

new ‌forms for contemporary literature."

"She is a writer of the great fires — love, fury, grief — but

also of the quotidian. She amuses and shatters,” her agent,

Nicole Aragi, told the New York Times in a statement.

Dolly Parton

[Dolly photographed with Arnold Schwarzenegger

by Annie Leibovitz for Rolling Stone, 1977]

Dolly Parton (1946 - 2026)

American singer-songwriter, actress,

philanthropist, and businesswoman.

Dolly Parton rose from childhood poverty to become 

one of the most successful country music superstars.

Her long list of hit songs included Coat of Many Colors,

Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and 9 to 5.

In her lifetime career, she won 11 Grammy Awards,

10 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards,

13 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards,

and 3 American Music Awards (AMAs)

Dolly Parton also starred in several major movies,

including 9 to 5 (1980), The Best Little

Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and

Steel Magnolias (1989).

She was a major philanthropist through her

non-profit Dollywood Foundation which

promoted education via scholarships and support,

and through The Imagination Library which

promoted childhood literacy via provision of

books to children throughout the world.

Dolly Parton also raised and donated much money

for healthcare and medical research in

areas such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and the

development of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

Disaster relief, community aid, animal welfare,

and environmental conservation were other causes

she generously supported and advocated.

Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley (1989 -     )

Irish actor and singer.

On stage, her portrayal of Sally Bowles in a West End revival

of Cabaret won her the Laurence Olivier Award

for Best Actress in a Musical in 2021.

Jessie Buckley received Best Actor recognition for her movie portrayal

of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet (2025), including the Golden Globe,

BAFTA Award and Academy Award.

She Works Hard For The Money

Lunch Counter, Chicago

photo by Frank Paulin, 1952

Two Year Blogoversary Today!

This blog underwent a few changes this year

and is now on a reduced posting schedule

rather than being daily, but it's still here!

Thank you to everyone who takes the time

to follow, read, or comment!

I appreciate all of you!

Andrea Ghez

Andrea Ghez (1965 -     )

American astrophysicist, professor, researcher, and author.

Co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics

"for the discovery of a supermassive compact object

at the centre of our galaxy" (otherwise known as a black hole).

Only the fourth woman to be so recognized since

Marie Curie's Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903.

Member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American

Philosophical Society, and the American Physical Society.