to make this mountain taller
By Sarah Gibson*to make this mountain taller was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
On the day Roe v. Wade was overturned in the U.S., I happened to be at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA. Walking around the sculpture garden, I came upon Aristide Maillol’s La Montagne, an immense statue of a sitting nude woman with curly hair blowing in the wind. Struck initially by the monumental size of the work, I was then attracted to the contrast between her large and angular features against her windswept hair and concerned expression. Historically, it seemed to me uncommon to relate a woman to a mountain... normally such a large and bold figure would be given masculine characteristics. I saw this woman as being strong, capable, and feminine all at once. Figuratively, because of the historic day, I also pondered the number of mountains that women and non-male identifying people have had to climb simply to access the most basic rights. While it was painful to realize that each generation may have to fight the same fights all over again, I was also comforted by the trailblazers who have shown us all what can be achieved. When I got home, I found a poem by Rupi Kaur which summarized my feelings about this experience:
listen to a live recording
i stand
on the sacrifices
of one million women before me
thinking
what can I do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see farther
legacy - rupi kaur
