One of the strangest comments I saw, after the tragic mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue, was from someone deploring the “incivility” of it all. I can think of a number of tags I might use to designate such a horrific, hate-filled, and nihilistic attack on the Jewish people – but “incivility” would not be anywhere on that list. I might complain about incivility if someone flipped me off for going the speed limit, or pushed past me in... Read more
We’re not privileging women’s voices. We’re simply asking for equal consideration with those who already enjoy the privilege of being believed, of taking center stage in every story. Read more
It makes me aware of how totalitarian regimes succeed. Not because people are evil, but because they’re just so nice, so respectable, so unwilling to make a scene and confront reality Read more
You got into this because of this weird obsession you have with seeking the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you - or make others. Read more
No matter what the political agenda, we should be wary about making easy comparisons to the Holocaust - or Shoah – to achieve our ends. The Shoah is a unique horror in our collective history, a hideous existential question to which there can be no satisfactory answer. But to make the comparison in order to oppose gun legislation intended to protect victims is especially offensive. Read more
When it comes to the power dynamics behind sexual assault, it seems everyone is finally beginning to understand the nature of thea buse - except for the leaders of the church. Read more
Every one of us who ever repeated the words “never again” after reading about the horrors of the Holocaust dishonor those dead if we repeat the words meaninglessly, if we fail to counter this new rising tide of anti-semitism. Read more
When I first started writing here, I began teasing out the idea that we need to alter the way we approach the abortion issue, politically. I argued that we need to consider our collective responsibility to help women to choose life, and that it might be more effective to try to reduce abortion demand, instead of continuing to attempt to reduce abortion supply. This meant pro-life goals might not best be served by Republican party, both because their policies tend... Read more
I think I needed a little breathing time before writing about this issue without succumbing to rage. Happily, I’ve had the chance to rant in private to several friends, and am now prepared to remark with cool objectivity that right-wingers seem to be notably inconsistent when they comment on topics related to sexual assault. Item one: Donald Trump. When it was initially revealed that he had bragged about assaulting women, and we expressed horror, a number of men of my... Read more
When I was teaching Women Writers, my signature course for many years, I used to reserve one class period to talk about the history of women’s rights, since political representation is connected with the power to be heard as a literary writer as well as a policy-maker. The first time I prepped for my lecture, I spent some time putting together an abridged timeline of women’s suffrage. I like timelines. It’s fascinating how patterns emerge, when you think you’re just... Read more
suspended in her jar
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