I’m neither superstitious nor religious, but a coincidence so strange occurred this morning that it definitely seemed like someone somewhere was telling me to stick my butt to my chair and do some writing today. My friend Claudia and I…
When Will and I are on road trips, we will every now and then see interesting juxtapositions on billboards and road signs. One that I notice every year on our annual trip to Georgia is a billboard for “Adult Entertainment”…
The "ideal" woman's body is lithe, slim, strong without being bulky. It is covered in skin that is smooth, moist, unwrinkled, taut without being tight. That is the woman we are shown when we look for "beautiful women." And those…
I just finished reading Pat MacEnulty and Tamara TItus's This is the Way We Say Goodbye (2011, Feminist Press). It is a beautiful collection of deeply personal essays by women, each addressing their role as caregiver at the end of…
Three interesting things happened this week. At first they seemed unrelated, but this morning they all bubbled up together and suddenly the fact that they are all happening basically at the same time seemed meaningful. First, my sister got interested…
Last week I proposed to write weekly previews of chapters that will make up this new project, My Mother's Cross. So far, I've shared previews of the introductory chapter called "Maternity Leave," and a chapter called "Hospital Domme". Today I'm…
The encouragement I've received as a result of these blog posts and the material I've shared over the past two weeks has been truly inspiring. I wish I could work on this full time! I'm applying for a sabbatical so…
Last week I introduced a new project I'm working on, and shared a small excerpt. Today I have a question. I've been thinking about this question a lot as I think about my relationship with my mother, and as I…
Reposted from ABC News With single beds behind unlocked doors, nursing homes do little to support sex among seniors, argues an editorial that says the elderly – even those with dementia – retain the right to a healthy sex life. The editorial, published…