“Resist Everything but Temptation” analyzes Oscar Wilde’s anarchist philosphies and offers a way of framing creative work that can lead us to its more conscious political use.
Author: Kimberly Dark
Kimberly Dark is a writer, professor and raconteur, working to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. She’s the author of Fat, Pretty and Soon to be Old, The Daddies and Love and Errors, and her essays, stories and poetry are widely published in academic and popular online publications alike. Her ability to make the personal political is grounded in her training as a sociologist, and you can find her course offerings in Sociology at Cal State San Marcos and Writing/Arts at Cal State Summer Arts. kimberlydark.com
What to Do About Weight Gain During the Pandemic
“People are going to be so fat when all this is over.” Most describe fat bodies as epidemic, so for many, the panic must literally feel like one tragedy is actively breeding another.
Yet, eating is one form of human comfort—and we need to acknowledge that in difficult times, seeking comfort makes sense.
Coming Out (in Whatever Ways Are Most Uncomfortable)
“Living in secrecy breeds fear and makes it very difficult to organize with others for better treatment. Even though the risk is great, many have found it worthwhile to free themselves and empower others in the process.”
Abigail Saguy’s new book, Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are (Oxford, 2020), offers a fascinating and powerful analysis of how various groups are using “coming out” to gain personal power, allies and increased civil rights.
Video Meetings Create New Challenges for Women
“Suddenly, here we are, literally watching our own faces as we talk. It’s not just weird; it can be deeply triggering of personal and social traumas.”
Who’s Your Daddy?
In order to dismantle patriarchy, and still nurture the vital human force of masculinity, we have to understand our draw and repulsion to Daddy: the nurturer, the dominator, the destroyer, the lover. I had the tools to do that.
How Yoga Can Heal a “Fractured Body Image”
During every yoga class, my teacher said it: “If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” Given that this is true, why do so many American yoga practitioners look the same? Why has “doing yoga” and “wearing yoga pants” become ready joke fodder about slender, young, sorta-clueless, upper-middle-class white women? Yoga has become a modern […]
“Boyhood” Is Also a Film About Motherhood
Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood has been widely praised for its innovative approach and its ability to handle a sweeping topic (growing up) largely without sentimentality. The movie is filmed over the course of 12 years, using the same cast and whatever cultural backdrop was handy in Texas at the annual time of filming. For instance, […]
Is Your Yoga Studio Feminism-Free?
Come to a comfortable seated position; use the blanket to elevate your hips so you can sit with the spine straight. Close the eyes and rest the hands gently in the lap. So begins the yoga class. And just yesterday, as we sat quietly, receptively, in a meditative pose, the teacher said, Everything in your […]
Can’t We Stop Acting As If Queer Parenting Is Something New?
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 […]
Can Paula Broadwell Reclaim Her Story?
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 […]