We can all recite the cultural fairytale about the American family: A man and a woman meet one another, date and fall in love. Wait—let’s really go for the fairytale stereotype: He’s handsome and tall. She’s pretty and petite, perhaps just a few years younger than he. He has a well-paying job and hers is [...]
Feminists have good reason to cringe when reading the news about General David Petraeus’ resignation as head of the CIA. It should be a simple enough story: He made an error he regrets. Apparently he deceived his wife and some of his colleagues and he’s resigning from his position. To his credit, he doesn’t seem [...]
In The Receptionist: An Education at The New Yorker, Janet Groth provides a pleasurable, well-written story about the love of good writing. The storytelling is personal and accessible, yet replete with detail and sparkling turns of phrase. I even had to look up the meaning of a few words. That’s thrilling in a text so charming [...]
“I stand for a life free of shame for all little girls.” “I stand for happy, healthy children–no matter their size.” “I stand against social stigma and the right to be happy just as you are.” These are powerful statements, and just a few of the many “STANDards” (above right) assembled by Marilyn Wann and [...]
“Do you have to use that word?” My mother made a face that looked slightly ill. Despite being a bit insulted, I feel compassion for her plight. I know my mother loves me, but she hates the word “queer,” and really wishes I could be a little less odd, too. “What word? Queer?” She nodded [...]
