It used to be illegitimacy. Or abortion. Or divorce. Stigma was attached to actions that were overtly or tacitly unacceptable. The consequence was banishment from the fold. Being shunned by those whose approval you wanted. Whose love you needed. Some of the reasons may have shifted, but stigma remains a part of western culture. Children […]
Righteous Recreation of Self-Image?
We revisit self-image over and over…
“Finding Ourselves”
Is “finding yourself” the right search? Is it the only one?
Why You Should Be Watching Mad Men (Especially if You’re a Woman)
The heart of the matter All those sayings… about a woman’s place, about a woman’s power, about the capacities – and limitations – that are inherently female. Must I really enumerate them? Can’t you rattle them off in your head? They’ve been planted there since you were a child, you know – whether you’re 30 […]
Who do you trust?
When I wrote about the film, Closer, I was intrigued by the fine line between honesty and dishonesty, genuine connection and its simulation, and the ways in which we deceive ourselves when we love. There is nothing more fascinating – to me – than adults dealing with each other. Men and women, interacting. The issue […]
The life behind the face
I am the face of the aftermath of divorce, the aftermath of layoff, the aftermath of defeat. I am the face of invisible illness, of piercing isolation, of daily hide-and-seek. Would you know me if you saw me? I am your neighbor, your colleague, your sister; I am the woman who yells at the cashier […]
Friday the 13th (but I’m not superstitious)
Friday the 13th? No – I’m not going to tackle slasher movies, and I’m not going to write about superstitions! But with the proverbial places to go and people to see (as alliteration ambles along my edges), how about 13 possible posts for your perusal – in honor of Friday the 13th? … Up for […]
Mad Men’s Women: How Would They Fare As Single Mothers?
Who doesn’t love to fantasize about days gone by, romanticizing a period in history that seems more glamorous, more exciting, or simpler? As an avid fan of AMC TV’s Mad Men, I’m as susceptible to the appeal of this award-winning drama as anyone. The portrayal of life in the 1960s is seductive, surprising, and accurate […]
Memory, Myth, and Mad Men
We’re two days away from Mad Men Season 4, premiering on July 25th! For those of us who can’t get enough of this Emmy-award winning drama with its seductive and complex characters, the slick and subtle depiction of the sixties, and plot twists for our favorite actors to navigate, it’s worth a few minutes to […]
Intervention
It’s the word that popped into my mind a few minutes ago. Intervention. I am late to writing today because I’ve been translating reviews from French into English for a painter. “Life intervenes,” I thought to myself, smiling, knowing that however much I want to start my day by writing – for myself – responsibility […]