This week, the New York Times covered the death of a Lorena Escalera, a Brooklyn woman who perished in a suspicious fire. They could have opened with a colorful description of her career in the ballroom scene—Escalera was a member of the House of Xtravaganza. Or they could have focused on the poor electrical circuitry in her apartment—a probable cause of the fire and symptomatic of lower-income housing. Instead, Al Baker and Nate Schweber opened with neighborhood gossip and physical descriptions: "She was 25 and curvaceous, and she often drew admiring glances in the gritty Brooklyn neighborhood where she was known to invite men for visits to her apartment, her neighbors and the authorities said." This turns out to be a set-up for them to mention that Lorena Escalera "was born male." You know, according to neighbors.
GeekRadical.org is in its final push in a Kickstarter campaign to publish a Feminist Speculative Fiction anthology through PM Press. The goal is to “emphasize women's speculative fiction from the mid-1970s onward, looking to explore women's rights as well as gender/race/class/etc. from as many perspectives as possible.”
What's the most useful career advice anyone ever gave you? Here's my best shot at dispensing words of wisdom that I wish someone had told me when I entered the workforce but I didn't know until later. Feel free to add some to the comments. I'm sure me and my imaginary boo, Ryan Gosling, are missing something.
First Aid Kit rose to fame after the sisters sent a demo of their song "Tangerine" to a local radio station in Sweden and were promptly signed by Rabid Records. The band's 2008 cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" went viral on YouTube and even got the attention of the Fleet Foxes themselves, who had First Aid Kit perform the song with them at a concert in the Netherlands. Their album The Big Black & The Blue in 2010 put them on tour and got them more exposure in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia.
Last week, Argentina gave citizens the freedom to change their legal and physical gender without having to undergo medical, psychiatric, or judicial procedures. Along with eliminating patronizing barriers to swapping an "M" for an "F" on a driver's license, the law gives Argentinians a freedom you won't find anywhere else: gender self-determination.
We get it. Selling magazines is tough. As a feminist nonprofit swimming in publishing world, we know how hard it is to keep your head above water. (Completely unrelated: Do you have your Bitch magazine digital subscription yet?) But some magazines feel the need to push their publication with provocative cover photos and headlines in order to compete with the Huffington Post. Here are some recent offenders...
This is why solar panel company Sunrun’s new ad campaign feels like a breath of fresh, sun-warmed air. It makes fun of solar energy’s leftist hippie stigma in a way that's funny and relatable for, say, my dad. Or whoever else! These ads avoid the exhausting political rhetoric and instead treat renewable energy like any other old industry, which can have nothing but positive effects at this point. Turning green energy into a political debate fuzzes the big picture; environmental issues like this one deserve an apolitical, agenda-free discussion. People don’t need to wear hemp and attend drum circles to be part of a movement that secures the future of clean air, clean water, and healthy land. We can all be different and still work together.
Women who bring home the bacon: Hot or not? The research is mixed. Some guys say, "Yes, please help me through this 'Mancession.'" Others say, "Me, GUY. You LADY. HULK SMASH." (Translation: Please, let's just keep participating in Patriarchy, it's fine just the way it's always been. Let me hold that door open for you, girl.)
Recently, some friends and I saw the film Art & Copy, a documentary about the creative minds that make up the best of the advertising business. Now, there is a lot to be said about the problems inherent in advertising, but even the most skeptical viewer in our group (me), had to admit that she was impressed by the poise, tenacity, and apparent coolness of some of the film's subjects, especially Mary Wells.
Andi is the co-founder of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture. A longtime freelance writer and illustrator, Andi's work has appeared in numerous periodicals and newspapers.
She passes her non-Bitch hours watching television and embroidering portraits of dogs, often simultaneously. Her other interests include painting, walking, candy, Scrabble, and the interrobang.
What I'm reading:
Special Exits, by Joyce Farmer and Half Empty, by David Rakoff
What I'm listening to:
Electric Light Orchestra, The Thermals, Belle and Sebastian, Johnny Cash's children's album.
What I'm watching:
Boardwalk Empire, Top Chef: Just Desserts, Project Runway, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, basketball, dog shows
Staff writer for HowStuffWorks.com where I also co-host the gender-focused podcast, Stuff Mom Never Told You. I have an insatiable appetite for learning about gender, gender constructs and how society, culture and biology influence how we think about it.
What I'm watching:
Reliving the adolescence I wish I had with Degrassi Junior High and Square Pegs.
What I'm reading:
Digging into male beauty and body image with Susan Bordo's "The Male Body" and Ken Corbett's "Boyhoods: Rethinking Masculinities".
What I'm listening to:
Cults, Dum Dum Girls, Madeline and whatever Pandora serves up to me.
I'm a fitful novelist, former New Orleanian, lady-lovin' PWD, and twentysomething feminist bookworm interested in creative writing, queer rights, literary analysis, disability issues, teen issues, theater, film, sex education, and much more. I've completed two fictional books and one book of poetry, and I'm currently looking for a literary agent.
Prior to opening this account, I wrote for and commented on this site under the handle TheBadassMuppet.
What I'm watching:
Veronica Mars (as a constant), Party Down, Community, Glee
What I'm reading:
I consistently read a lot. My favorite authors are Douglas Coupland, Jaclyn Moriarty, Dorothy Allison, Joanna Russ, Woody Allen, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner, Augusten Burroughs, Lisa Tucker, Nancy Garden, Christopher Moore, Julie Anne Peters, Lori Aurelia Williams, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss, Christina Hopkinson, Ariel Schrag, Marc Acito, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Perrotta, Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Thea Hillman, Steve Martin, Sasha Cagen, Jaclyn Friedman, Eve Ensler, Wendy McClure, Jennifer McMahon, Bennett Madison, Mark Haddon, Kate Bornstein, Kate Harding, Colin McAdam, Kelley Eskridge, Pablo Neruda, Cristina Henriquez, Frank Portman, Jeff Lindsay, and Heather Corinna.
What I'm listening to:
my usual collection of musicals and '90s rock, pop, and R&B. I also have a minor obsession with uber-trashy Europop.
I consistently read a lot. My favorite authors are Douglas Coupland, Jaclyn Moriarty, Dorothy Allison, Joanna Russ, Woody Allen, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner, Augusten Burroughs, Lisa Tucker, Nancy Garden, Christopher Moore, Julie Anne Peters, Lori Aurelia Williams, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss, Christina Hopkinson, Ariel Schrag, Marc Acito, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Perrotta, Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Thea Hillman, Steve Martin, Sasha Cagen, Jaclyn Friedman, Eve Ensler, Wendy McClure, Jennifer McMahon, Bennett Madison, Mark Haddon, Kate Bornstein, Kate Harding, Colin McAdam, Kelley Eskridge, Pablo Neruda, Cristina Henriquez, Frank Portman, Jeff Lindsay, and Heather Corinna.
What I'm listening to:
my usual collection of musicals and '90s rock, pop, and R&B. I also have a minor obsession with uber-trashy Europop.
What I'm watching:
Veronica Mars (as a constant), Party Down, Community, Glee
For both work and play: Revenge, The Daily Show, Top Chef, Once Upon a Time, Downton Abbey, 2 Broke Girls, Teen Mom 2, America's Next Top Model, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Hi there! I'm a New York City-based freelance editor, blogger, journalist, and writer. At the moment, I'm doing a lot of reporting and research related to maternal healthcare in the United States --- which is, unfortunately, subpar. I hope my writing will raise awareness about issues related to maternal healthcare and reproductive rights, so as you might imagine, I'm extremely excited about Bringing Up Baby, my guest blog for Bitch. I also have a personal blog. My mission is to support powerful books and other writings that bravely and beautifully strive to better our world; I focus on books that have inspired distinct action, and I'm always on the lookout for examples and stories. Check it out at YourBookDon.com/blog. For more about me and my freelance editing business, see KatherineDon.com and YourBookDon.com, and don't hesitate to connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.
What I'm watching:
Raising Hope, Dexter, Parenthood, Being Erica, Game of Thrones, Big Love. I loved Six Feet Under but find it's difficult to re-watch. I also loved (was/am obsessed with?) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is a joy to re-watch. I like good sci-fi and mediocre romantic comedy. I dislike most movies and most television shows, but for some reason I keep watching them. Fairly awful television shows that I have recently consumed include: Weeds, True Blood, Modern Family, The Big C.
What I'm reading:
White Noise
Frankenstein
Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
What I'm listening to:
Otis Redding, Radiohead, Van Morrison
What I'm reading:
White Noise
Frankenstein
Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
What I'm listening to:
Otis Redding, Radiohead, Van Morrison
What I'm watching:
Raising Hope, Dexter, Parenthood, Being Erica, Game of Thrones, Big Love. I loved Six Feet Under but find it's difficult to re-watch. I also loved (was/am obsessed with?) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is a joy to re-watch. I like good sci-fi and mediocre romantic comedy. I dislike most movies and most television shows, but for some reason I keep watching them. Fairly awful television shows that I have recently consumed include: Weeds, True Blood, Modern Family, The Big C.
As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.
When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
What I'm reading:
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
I work to improve B-Word's web presence by beefing up our blog, working on our podcasts, managing Bitch's social networking sites (be my friend?), and spreading the good b-word all 'round the Net.
Always into what you have to say! Email me at online{at}b-word.org with suggestions or kind words.
