Blazing stink of an august sidewalk. My fingers my eyeballs are grey with the newsprint of this morning’s sins and a heavy shamed sickness knowing I am born with Certain Inalienable Rights: to have legs. To speak read write words on a page to love without fearing the circle of empty faces bodies hating reasonless shoulder to shoulder, sure in blamelessness hands grope for stones. Would they break my glasses first? Or my breasts, badge of my station, proof in the flesh of my wickedness. The fashion models have blood in their hair.
They told me I was my own to give or not. They loosed my foremothers from their ovens handed them ballots and birth control But I was created unequal The girls who I was not born learn …
My name is Lexi St. John and I am currently a senior in high school. I have been an environmental activist throughout my high school career. I am the co-founder and president (with my twin sister Liza) of S.O.S. Go Green Club Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit that raises both money and awareness of the growing problems of drastic climate change, to educate schools and the community about practical everyday solutions that can solve these problems, and to help students assemble to aid the environment.
It was not easy starting an environmental club as a freshman girl in high school. It was difficult to get people to sign up let alone come to the meetings. But since then, our club has developed into an international non-profit, with three chapters in …
One or two years ago, I was taking my first Women’s Studies class at my college and it began my infatuation with feminism. Naturally, I had mixed feelings at first between agreeing with my teacher’s points of discussion and not wanting to announce the fact that I was a feminist, fearing criticism from friends. During this transition period into my self-identification as a feminist, I had an experience that I look back on with a bit of regret. I was in my apartment with my roommate and a friend of hers. We were discussing how I was taking the Women’s Studies class and how I was really enjoying it. My roommate’s male friend then said “I’ll support women’s rights when they aim for complete equality, instead of picking and choosing. …
I was at homecoming this past weekend and, given my miraculously heightened sense of male gender roles, I made a few interesting observations that I would like to share with the wild internet west. Alright, I have taken a sip of coffee, so here we go.
There is no such thing as a male dance move. I noticed this as I was trying to dance to various rap and pop songs. I would sort of try and get into it and then I would grudgingly realize that I really had no dance repertoire to draw on for that selection. I had two options: either dance like a heterosexual douchebag or dance like a flaming homosexual.
Let us look at the dance routine of the douchebag. Put yourself in the scene. The lights …
The past few days I’ve noticed some hating going on towards modern feminism on tumblr, and hey, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but it still frustrates me. I don’t think people really understand what modern feminism is and that there’s still reasons to fight, even if it’s not necessarily the reasons of the 60′s. I mean, I didn’t even really understand what modern feminism was until about a year ago.
People hear the word feminism and associate it with the fight to stay out of the kitchen. It’s just not. I mean, if you want to talk feminism and the kitchen, feminism believes it’s a woman’s choice to stay in or out of the kitchen. I for one, try to avoid the kitchen at all costs because I can hardly …
When you’re poised at the beginning of what you see as a vigorating cross-country marathon, it’s very hard not to step over the line. You know that it’s going to be demanding and your first aid kit will be well worn by the time you cross the finishing tape, but it’ll be worth it to see the looks on the faces of those who said it couldn’t be done. A cool, refreshing shower of pride awaits you, and you can’t wait to get going.
So when one of my teachers asked if anyone would like to write an article for the school newsletter, I put my hand up. Now I’m faced with a problem. It’s just a school, right? Who cares what’s written in its newsletter, anyway? It’s not like …
Au Revoir Simone is an electronic dream pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, formed in late 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard) and Heather D’Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard). The band’s name comes from a line Pee-Wee Herman says to a minor character (named Simone) in Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
Au Revoir Simone’s music has been described as “melody-laden loveliness” by Q Magazine. David Lynch called the group’s music “innocent, hip and new.” Spin also gave a review of the group: “Powered by vintage keyboards, a lockstep beat-box, and gorgeous, wide-eyed warbling, the Simones create make-out music for your inner android.” NME had a lot to say about the indie group: “Au Revoir Simone [appears] onstage like the sisters from The Virgin Suicides—[its] looks …
I’m basically still in awe of the pure eloquence of Melissa Harris Lacewell. I want to hear much, much more from her. Her commentary starts at about 8:30 minutes in, but the whole video is well worth the watch.
