In Barbie, Greta Gerwig pushes her message of feminist disruption as far as she can for a mainstream movie. She is reckoning with Barbie’s legacy and literally rewriting the script through active questioning and engagement. It’s a huge start.
Author: Elline Lipkin
Elline Lipkin is a poet, academic and nonfiction writer. Her first book of poems, The Errant Thread, was chosen by Eavan Boland for the Kore Press First Book Award. Her second book, Girls’ Studies, explores contemporary girlhood in the United States. Currently a research scholar with the Center for the Study of Women at UCLA, Elline also teaches poetry for Los Angeles Writing Classes. As a nonfiction writer, she has written about everything from being a feminist bride to female mentorship and influence within the literary world, as well as Barbie’s new body and “fauxpowerment.”
Poet Victoria Chang Is Done Apologizing for Her Ambition
Victoria Chang’s website lists her as “poet, writer and editor”—but just three words can’t contain all that she does or who she is. She is also a teacher at Antioch University, MBA graduate, editor of the New York Times Magazine’s poetry column, Guggenheim fellow, YA novelist and children’s picture book author, as well as other hybrid work. She’s also a mother, friend and tireless advocate for more representation within the literary world.
In this interview, we discuss her influences, past and present projects, and how claiming ambition is still contested for a woman in the literary world.
The ‘Cure’ for Mom Guilt? Affordable Childcare, Paid Family Leave and Equal Pay
Rather than flowers that wilt, what most mothers really want is underlying systemic change that benefits not just them, but their entire family system. Reshma Saujani’s initiative, Marshall Plan for Moms, a campaign of her nonprofit Girls Who Code, has set out to do just that.
“‘Mom guilt’ is the natural result of two totally unattainable societal ideals clashing: the perfect mom and ideal worker.”
Disney, You’re Finally Seeing Moms Too
By rescripting gendered expectations, Disney’s Encanto and Pixar’s Turning Redoffer new freedom to women—from preteens and teenage girls, to mothers, grandmothers and extended family.
Amazon’s Cinderella and Systemic Change: No More Patriarchy Means a Happy Ending For All
In Amazon’s Cinderella musical, Cinderella gets what she most wants because there is a radical shifting of structural power. The prince suddenly doesn’t have to marry for status, the queen is suddenly free to speak up and the king is suddenly understanding of how ridiculous gender bias is and anoints his daughter to be next in line.
If only in real life it were that simple.
Poet and Literary Activist Marisa Crawford Is Taking Girls Seriously
“I think taking girls’ lives and stories and experiences seriously is a feminist act,” feminist writer Marisa Crawford told Ms.
Film Critic Carina Chocano Takes On “The Princess Problem” in Book “You Play the Girl”
In “You Play the Girl,” Carina Chocano—a film critic and frequent writer-about-gender for national papers—offers an astute, well-researched look at gender stereotypes in film and television, layering her own experiences as a journalist, critic, daughter, wife and mother throughout the book.
The Ms. Q&A: Inside Lynn Melnick’s “Landscape with Sex and Violence”
” I hear a lot about how intense my book is and I’m like, yeah! It’s intense living in rape culture! But I also hear from scores of people about what my book has meant, how it has made people feel companioned, and that fills my heart.”
Reckoning and Wrecking
What fascinated me about Claire Dederer’s book, “Love and Trouble,” was the way she tries to reconcile the teenage girl she was with the middle-aged woman she has become.
Breaking Down the Pink Aisle/Blue Aisle Barrier
If you’re still thinking about last-minute shopping, it’s not too late to stop and consider the No Gender December campaign from Australian organization Play Unlimited. While their tagline, “Stereotypes Have No Place Under My Christmas Tree,” presumes everyone is celebrating one holiday this season, their message is one that’s gone global.