“Damsels in Distress” takes place in a world that doesn’t much resemble this one. Its college-age characters wear old-fashioned clothes and talk in oddly formal ways, but seem to live in a modern world. A modern world without cellphones. These are not real people, but neither is any Jason Statham character, ever, so that’s not […]
Posted inRebellious Women in Poetry
The Dead Girls Speak in Unison
We all understand the way some people will bend over backwards to make others happy. Rebellious women do that a little differently. The two girls in this poem by Danielle Pafunda might not be exactly tuned for making others happy. However, one could explain that the two girls are simply mirroring their short experience within […]
Posted inPluck
Knowing a child: what my dad knew about me that I don’t even know about myself
My dad died when I was 11, and I’ve always been sad that he never got to know me as an adult. What would he think of me? I wonder this from time to time, and even though people close to me assure me that he’d be proud, I can’t help but ponder the question. […]
Posted inPluck
Solidarity
At first I couldn’t say exactly what it was… but something bugged me when I read this. Was it that the author wrote, “hear this well, parents” as though we were otherwise prone to sudden and uncontrollable illiteracy? Was it the way she slyly emphasized her superior perspective on another parent/child relationship when she wrote, “It took me less […]
Posted inMile-High Club
From Lois Lane to Elle Woods
Greetings from the Lonestar State! I saw my first-ever longhorn steer this morning across the street from my hotel. Oh, Texas. After being hazed by O’Hare with a 4-hour flight delay on the way here, I got in at 2 a.m. Monday. Despite the sleep deprivation, things went relatively well until sometime about 11 a.m., when my new […]
Posted inPluck
What’s Truly “Gross”? Richard Roeper’s Blatant Disrespect for Mothers
Richard Roeper, go jump in a lake. Okay, that’s immature. But that was my honest first reaction to Roeper’s recent column, “January Jones leads in Gross Moms bracket,” where an unmarried, childless film critic decides to bash dedicated celebrity moms and showcase his ignorance all in one fell swoop. What’s a “gross mom”? According to […]
Posted inPluck
The Feral Child Playground
I have a confession to make. Part of my ideal mothering world involves not interacting too much with my kid on the playground. Now, before you accuse me of being a fun-hating monster (false), or just a jerk who wants to enjoy a latte in peace on a bench (true), hear me out. Since soon […]
Posted inReviews
‘Cabin in the Woods’ Is/Isn’t What You Think
“Cabin in the Woods” is a movie that is a little difficult to review, because once you really get into the details, you’ve totally ruined the movie. There are other reasons besides the twisted plot to enjoy this movie, but it’s that twisty plot that provides a lot of the enjoyment for the first half. […]
Posted inPluck
The Improvisational Parent
Well hello there! Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Liz and I’m making it up as I go. To a certain extent, I think we’ll all admit that this is true of ourselves. But this truth — that we’re basically just winging it — becomes especially pronounced when we become parents. And by “truth” […]
Posted inPluck
The Tyranny of the Perfect Birth
I was sitting across from her at the table with my 2-week-old in my lap when I heard the question. “So, did you have a natural birth?” It was one of those moments in conversations where you’re supposed to reply quickly – no room for qualifiers, explanations or sentences starting with “Well…” Except I didn’t […]