This topic is kind of adjacent to my usual scope for this blog, but over the last few weeks, it has been on my heart a lot, so I decided to give it a go. Solidarity is a pillar of Catholic social teaching and one that I take both comfort in and motivation from. I … Continue reading
When I was young, I was a voracious and pretty mature reader. By mature, I mean I wanted to read above my reading level and, probably, my emotional level. My parents basically much let me read whatever I wanted. There was something so exhilarating about that. I felt free to explore, and when I read … Continue reading
I don’t want to bury the lead. Girl Rising was beautiful, powerful, and inspiring. I know I’m pretty invested in the issue of girls’ education, but I was in tears through most of the film and afterward I sat in the car and sobbed. The film was an overwhelming experience, but in the best way … Continue reading
Today I am headed to the Gender Matters Conference at DePaul University in Chicago. I am super excited, because this conference looks fantastic. Highlights include a keynote by J. Jack Halberstam about Gaga Feminism (see explanation of Gaga Feminism), there’s also going to be a one-woman comedy, “Booby Trap,” about surviving breast cancer, and a … Continue reading
“Our daughters’ daughters will adore us, and they’ll sing in grateful chorus, ‘Well done, Sister Suffragette!’” So, tomorrow marks an election in which women’s issues are at the forefront (lets’ not forget that they are also economic issues, and issues about the voice and the safety of half of our democracy). No matter who you … Continue reading
Because I’m that kind of obnoxious pacifist, Dead Poet’s Society-wannabe grad student and I teach at a university where my students mostly come from sheltered, privileged backgrounds (which I identify with, so I get it), once a semester as we dig into cultural analysis or public discourse, I like to talk about the places of … Continue reading
When I studied abroad, my little sister was four years old, just learning to read, and obsessed with Peter Pan. Given her stubbornness and big emotions, she had been dubbed Stinker Bell (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see myself in that a little). When I left for England, I told Marissa that … Continue reading
Ph.D.s and Pigtails 