In high school history class my senior year, we spent an intensive quarter learning about how the political system works. For the test at the end of it we had to compose a short essay on what steps we needed to take to win a gubernatorial race. In hindsight, I think we were just supposed to regurgitate… Continue reading So you don’t understand the US now? Well, I do.
Regarding #TheContinent. The Twitterverse has once again erupted in controversy over a problematic book. Let me sum it up in the vaguest way possible, so I can keep re-using this same summary when the exact same situation inevitably happens again next month. Person wrote book. They loved this book. They found it to be diverse… Continue reading It isn’t about Authors, It’s About Gatekeepers
Vacations are largely wasted on me. I hate strange beds, become annoyed by eating out too often, get tired too quickly, and really would just rather be writing. My idea of a lovely holiday is one in which I just move somewhere for a month or two, so I can have all the fun of a… Continue reading Scotland In Slightly Dumb Photographs
It’s there on Twitter, the name of a city, and the words “Pray for” in front of it. #prayforBrussels #prayforParis #prayforOrlando And I know there was tragedy, minutes or hours ago. I Google the city, read the article. Sometimes whatever happened is still ongoing, so I read another. Not a third. Never a third. Not… Continue reading #prayfor__________
More than four years ago—was it five, was it six?—I wrote a short story late one night. There was nothing of consequence about it, except the voice. It was urgent, and close. It spoke in words you’d hear any day of the week, using grammar that was less than standard. Its metaphors were colloquial, whispers intimate.… Continue reading Announcing the Publication of What Boys Are Made Of
My Facebook news feed has recently been all a-buzz with the latest news: Millennials aren’t eating cereal. Doesn’t take much to make the news these days, does it? Heavens to Betsy, we’re not eating cereal, and the reason the news people are up in arms is because the most common reason cited is that it’s… Continue reading It’s Not About Cereal, It’s About Entitlement
There’s a new Barbie, and she comes in three different sizes. You’ve probably already heard about this; I’m not a news site, so I didn’t rush to post this on Thursday when the announcement was released. But nevertheless, I’m pretty darn excited. Like most girls my age in the United States, I grew up with… Continue reading Girls Matter, and So Do Their Toys
I read an article online this week that hit home for me. It’s about chemicals in the Ohio River and attached aquifers, and the cover-up that the chemical company DuPont has put into it. The politics aren’t why you should read it (though they are as fascinating as they are heartbreaking) but rather the way… Continue reading Down To The River And Pray
When was the last time you saw real fear on someone’s face? How about pain? Shock? Rage-fueled fury? I’m not talking movies here, either, no, I mean real people displaying real emotions. When is the last time you saw something utterly raw? I see it plenty. See, I’m an MMA fan. MMA stands for mixed… Continue reading Blood Sports For the Gentle Soul
Last night, the hashtag #MorallyComplicatedYA started trending on Twitter. Being a writer with a lot of writer friends, I clicked, wondering what the conversation was about.
Hoo boy.
Under-Paid, Over-Enthused 