Is it even possible to write a normal review of “The Dark Knight Rises” at this point? It’s certainly difficult to see it without thinking of what happened in Aurora. I’m not one to say our decadent nihilistic culture causes those kinds of things. It’s just very, very unsettling to see a movie about violent […]
Posted inPluck
I’ve got your back
I’m a feminist in the Chicago comedy scene and it’s been a rough week. I’m worn out. I’m sick of being patient with 20something improv dudes as some of their dumber exemplars relentlessly defend confused notions of free speech. I’m sick of sounding like a broken record as they aggressively abstain from listening and de-rail discussions with […]
Posted inRebellious Women in Poetry
The Body Deformed by Tidal Forces
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the University of Utah, is one of the most rebellious poets I know. Whether it is her pop of hot pink hair or her poems turned sideways on the page—Bertram defies normalcy in smart, refreshing ways. Her poetry makes living our lives more interesting. […]
Posted inPluck
Yes, my five-month-old uses the potty: an intro to elimination communication
When people saw my baby registry, quite a few commented on little green Baby Bjorn potty they found there. “Wow, you’re really planning ahead,” they said. “Way to be prepared.” I’m sure it seemed a little funny to put a potty on my registry, next to swaddling blankets and those newborn baby no-scratch mittens, when […]
Posted inMile-High Club
Every day is a winding road
When I took my high-flying new job, there was talk that my first assignment would be in either Houston or Northbrook. (As in Texas or Illinois.) I joked at the time that part of me would rather drive to O’Hare twice a week than Northbrook every day. OK, not just part. A big part. After […]
Posted inNews Archive
Contest to recognize best use of vacant space in metro Chicago
Marisa Novara is a self-described “neighborhood nerd.” After a year in Italy getting a master’s in urban planning, Novara returned to Chicago as a project manager at the nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council, an organization that promotes planning policies for the Chicago region. She is currently overseeing a contest to recognize the best temporary use of […]
Posted inPluck
The little pants that could: Ecapants review and giveaway
After a long and arduous fight with our online comment system, I was able to pick a winner. So many of the comments were amazing that I just had to pick a random winner, and that winner is Tessa! Hooray for Tessa, and thanks everyone for commenting. This is the third post in a series about […]
Posted inPluck
Goodbye, but most of all gratitude
I said goodbye to a friend a few days ago. As we hugged in her living room while our daughters ran around the apartment, I realized that this was going to be a bigger deal for me than I anticipated; another sneaky, sad milestone of motherhood. My first mom friend is moving away. We’ll still […]
Posted inPluck
Trend alert: Singing in public
I’ve never been much of a trendsetter. Okay, in the tenth grade, I bought a pair of these awesome pedal pushers from that store Wet Seal, and that was way before capri pants were a thing in my tiny middle-of-nowhere high school. But that’s maybe it. I would never make it as a “cool hunter.” […]
Posted inMovies
4 Rs for sweet, epic, unusual ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’
Rebellious Rating: Part fairy tale, part Hurricane Katrina tale, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” provides a lovely antidote to all the explosions and spandex-wearing of summer movies. It’s the story of 6-year-old Hush Puppy and her daddy, who live in a pair of trailers on an island off the Louisiana coast. Her father is sick […]