After he’s done nursing, my son likes to lay his head down my belly, his little ear pressed against my belly button. Sometimes, he closes his eyes. Mostly, he just stares off into space, cuddling with his mama. I used to be self conscious of my stomach. I can’t remember if it was ever flat, […]
Accentuate the Negative
I recently had a revelation about how much of my personal life I spend looking for what’s wrong. Nothing is ever “perfect,” whatever perfect means to you (this is how Pluck columnist Liz Joynt Sandberg defined the nuances of perfection), and there’s inevitably going to be something “wrong,” whatever wrong means to you, with everything. […]
Cooking for One
Dear Vered, I live alone, and I just looked over my bank statements for last year. I spend waaaaay too much on eating out. As in, I spend more on eating out in a week than I do in groceries for the rest of the month. I’d like to swap that ratio, and possibly even […]
New Report Finds Johns Aren’t Exactly Nice to Prostitutes
It’s not exactly a job to inspire envy: six to 10 hours a day reading Internet message boards written by men who purchase sex from prostitutes and feel quite justified in enjoying what they refer to as their “hobby.” Yet that’s what researcher Lara Janson did to produce a report released Jan. 11 about the […]
Being the one
Well, how did your “perfect” holiday go? Mine was, with one notable exception (i.e. recognition of a sweeping, systemic, seemingly-unsolvable maternal/womanly hardship) pretty successfully perfect. We all got sick, but just kind-of embraced it. Our plan was to mostly spend the two weeks in sweatpants relaxing at home anyway, so what’s a little extra snot […]
Kristine Ong Muslim’s ‘Self Portrait as Broken Home…’
Kristine Ong Muslim has been a great inspiration to me. For years, I’ve been following her poems and conversations in journals like Anobium Literary Magazine, Boxcar Poetry Review, Pank, Prick of the Spindle, Viral Cat and a hundred other amazing print and online journals. I’ve finally had a chance to read two of her recent […]
Gifts From the Boss
Dear Vered, I came back from vacation over Christmas and New Year’s to find a substantial holiday gift on my chair from my boss that must have cost over $100. It’s really nice, but I didn’t get her anything. Should I have? Do I need to run out and get her something comparable? If I […]
Best Female Albums of 2012
I love lists. The end of the year is my favorite time to look at the “best of” the past 365 days. Lists and lists of who sung it best, who wrote it best, who acted best. Of course, I am more concerned with the musical aspect and have assembled a Top Five for you…yes, […]
Rebel Street Style: Kendra/ artist/server/student – Wicker Park
Why I love: First of all, her outfit mirrored the weather perfectly, which I love. Plus, check out her earrings. I love the beading, and the colors are in perfect contrast to the sweater-coat and scarf. Subtle, and perfect. I noticed them right away.
The PERFECT! holiday
Warmest holiday wishes! Now unclench your butt crack, because obviously we here at Pluck exclaim a resounding, “fuck that noise!” to the idea of “PERFECT!” I mean no disrespect to plain old “perfect” you understand, it’s just that its cultural doppelganger “PERFECT!” is a real jackhole. Especially during the holidays. “perfect” occurs all the time. […]