More Than A Magazine, A Movement
While most of the commentary around the critically acclaimed series “Tiger King” has focused on either the colorful cast of characters or the exploitation of animals, I see some public health lessons in the storyline revolving around the brief, albeit honest, depiction of intimate partner violence (IPV).
A riveting piece of documentary theater, SEVEN tells the true stories of seven women who bravely fought for the well-being of women, families and children around the globe. Listen to the entire play here!
Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically underrepresented groups. This month, I’ve included 32 titles on the list. Which ones strike your fancy?
Singer-songwriter Amy Speace, 52, has been in the music business for twenty years. Her latest record, which she recorded in the final term of pregnancy with her son, includes characters singing in solidarity with Standing Rock, women’s rights and in pursuit of daily rituals.
Introducing “Tutwiler,” a new Marshall Project/Frontline documentary about women in an Alabama prison who support each other through pregnancy, labor and saying goodbye to their newborns.
Mary Meriam—founding editor of Headmistress Press, one of the few presses in the United States specializing in lesbian poetry— interviews t’ai freedom ford about her fantastic new collection, “& more black.”
“As a Black, queer, masculine presenting woman, my writing is informed by these identities and how someone like me negotiates the mainstream/dominant American culture that consistently seeks to marginalize my voice and the voices of those who look, act and love like me.”
“We watch [Pat and Terry’s] story in a very different world than the one in which they lived most of their lives in —except to a few close queer friends. But when they decided to live out and proud in a changing world, they did it in a big way. And we are all the better for it.”
Music producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have been keeping quarantine “lit” with their Verzuz battles, featuring hip-hop and R&B entertainers live on Instagram battling it out. This weekend’s showdown between neo-soul divas Erykah Badu and Jill Scott was the first women’s battle. But what truly set this “battle” apart were the words of wisdom and the confessions shared between the songs. These women, mothers and mutual friends were ultimately way more interested in connecting than battling.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who has led Democrats in Congress for two decades and broke the glass ceiling as the first woman to control the House of Representatives, said on Thursday she’ll step aside as leader at the end of the 117th Congress—though she plans to remain in the House as a lawmaker.
In her 2020 book Pelosi, Molly Ball documents how Pelosi leads, how she wins and how she uses her power. The book is ultimately a portrait of a woman who fully embraces her personal gifts, owns them and uses them effectively—not for herself alone, even though she certainly knows how to wield power to win a legislative battle or even her own reelection campaign.
Now, more than ever, conflicting political and social perspectives reflect a need for women to collectively define our moral imperatives, clarify cultural values, and inspire meaningful change—especially to our daughters.