Writer | Sociologist | Coach
A few days ago Brett Stephens published an op-ed piece in the New York Times that began with a very reasonable statement. He said that he had no idea what happened in the room when Dr. Blasey Ford alleges she was attacked, and he points out that, unless we were in the room, we can’t […]
Or, Why I Can’t Get Out of Bed After Yesterday’s Kavanaugh Hearings and What I’m Trying To Do About It. Before I say anything else I want to simply express gratitude to Dr. Blasey Ford for testifying yesterday, for telling her story under oath and in public, and for doing so despite her admitted terror. […]
Opting not to report our sexual assaults to the police does not prohibit us from telling our stories in other forums and at other times. . . . Storytelling is a transformative method for driving social change and may get us farther by sparking the kinds of ongoing conversations needed to instill norms and values of consent, respect, and equity in a culture that desperately needs them.
This week I’ve ben thinking a lot about identity and the election. No surprise, I’m sure. Identity politics has been at the forefront of many election analyses in the couple of weeks. Racism, sexism, and heterosexism intersected powerfully in this election, and the voting patterns of whites, and particularly of white women without women college […]
My initial reactions to Tuesday night were, in order, disbelief, anger, and hopelessness. Over the last couple of days I’ve listened, watched, and participated in a number of conversations about moving forward. Earlier today, I posted the following on Facebook: We’ve come to the point where it’s about “survival” for 99% of us, but we […]
I was reading with interest about the recent vote by California’s legislature to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Just as nobody should be free to take the life of another, nobody should be forced to live in pain when they no longer wish to. Opponents to the bill based their opposition on the concern that “death with dignity” laws […]
Yesterday Sophie Gilbert published an essay at TheAtlantic.com celebrating the 18th anniversary of the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She describes the ways in which Buffy represented a conventional teen hero (pretty, blond, athletic), and then all the many ways in which Buffy the character and Buffy the television show were subversive in the sheer joy they […]
