A carpenter came to my house last weekend bearing wisdom. When my husband and I apologized about the mess in the basement, he said something marvelous. “I don’t see messes; I just see works in progress.” Wonderful, isn’t it? (I added the semicolon.) So I’ve been using that as my mantra, now that the spring sun [...]
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There are some days when I realize that my job—teaching—is probably the most important in the world. (Unfortunately, most people don’t agree. They put “most important” right up there with “makes a lot of money” and “prescribes medications.”) The reason this is so is because my primary goal, regardless of whether I’m teaching grammar or [...]
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I’ve complained about it since college. Nary a semester passes when I don’t talk about it with my classes, when I don’t get all read in the face and start stammering with righteousness. It’s naked women. On the covers of magazines. On television, humping the floor in music videos. Naked women pretty much everywhere. Naked [...]
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Remember The Hours, where Julianne Moore plays Laura Brown, depressed housewife? She’s the mother of future artist Richard Brown (played by Ed Harris), who as an adult, thinks about her abandonment right before he plunges to his death outside his Brooklyn apartment. Happy times, this movie. Anyway, flash back to when Richard is nine. Laura, [...]
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Every day, it seems, as I wriggle and frown in my uncomfortable bra, I am reminded once again of the great injustice of being a woman. No wonder our foremothers burned them. I’d burn mine, too, if I knew how to start a bonfire. The thing is, it’s not like I want to go without [...]
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I was recently contacted by Dr. Mom, an anonymous reader who wanted to contribute to the Spill It! series. Taking a break from her doctorly duties, here is what she has to say about women. And birthdays. And hair removal. And the beauty in letting your breasts stay flat-ish. If you would like to participate [...]
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For poetry. And for the women we’ve lost. I teach poetry as often as I can, and when I do, I become a bit of a poet myself. The thing about poetry is that it only rewards you when you’ve given it enough time and effort, when you’ve let it into your head to rest [...]
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Lately, it seems that everywhere I look, moms are getting reprimanded for the amount of time they spend on the internet. And I’m getting tired of it. In fact, I’m getting downright angry. I struggle with my predilection for the internet. While I enjoy traveling and connecting with others, all in the comfort of my [...]
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If you’re looking for a Harlequin romance, look elsewhere. This passion goes deeper. My post on Monday about my own struggles with being a mother and carrying out the legacy of feminism seem to have struck a chord with you, readers, and I have to tell you, it makes me feel good. I am so [...]
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