Fail Again, Fail Better
How it all got so bad is a blur. I blocked the door. I blacked out the basement windows. I remember myself curled in feral positions, sounds on repeat getting…
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The Hairpin
34 posts
Sylvia Plath and Race
Why Plath? People are surprised or disappointed or embarrassed when I automatically cite her as one of my writing influences, one of my life influences. I think it’s because of…
Don’t Fear the Reaper
At The Hairpin, Caitlin Doughty, mortician and author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory, talks about death positivity, women in the funeral business, zombies,…
Dear Diary, A History
The diary novel is an understudied genre dating back to the Victorian era, often associated with young women, that includes (and sometimes combines) fiction and non-fiction. At The Hairpin, Johannah…
Texting with bell hooks
Ever find yourself in a risky situation where you are being asked to give your number to a not-so-awesome-but-also-frightening-and-possibly-aggressive person? Here’s your solution! Give out this number instead and avoid…
Lost Words For A Spruce Tree
Over at The Hairpin, Isabelle Fraser interviews Ann Wroe, obituary writer for The Economist. Wroe has written obituaries for J.D. Salinger, Aaron Swartz, and the 25-year old carp that was “England’s best-loved fish”.…
Wanna Go To A Pity Party?
Rumpus Funny Women editor Elissa Bassist is having a pity party and you’re invited. Check you coats and your positive attitude at the door and enjoy…or you know… don’t. “I…
The Extraordinary Ladies In My Life
Disaster has always been my most loyal muse. Whenever I glued my hands together as a child; I took to my diary. Whenever the dog I’m dog-sitting jumps out of…
A Unique Way of Getting Down With Gertrude Stein
Rumpus assistant editor Lauren O’Neal interviews Michelle Sutherland about her opera/musical/self described “event” Gertrude Stein SAINTS over at the Hairpin. They talk about the role of men in the play,…
This Woman Does Practice Santeria
If all you know about Santería is that it’s a line in that one Sublime song, you should check out this interview with Caridad, a Santería priestess, over at the…
Clarifying Chivalry
“I am of the opinion that a major front of “the gender wars” could be won with a simple lesson in etymology. If we merely understood the actual meanings and…
Outing Literary Heroes
Ever wondered about the sexual orientation of classic novels protagonist? Without much effort, several many of the main characters in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece can be read as gay: the flamboyantly fabulous…