Fat Is As Fat Does: ABC Family’s &...

Like a lot of people, I was pretty skeptical from the get-go when I heard about ABC Family’s new show “Huge.” I’m getting pretty good on the fat acceptance front – at least for other people – and I could certainly see an argument that words like “huge”...

This is the *best* PR?...

At least he's warning you to stay away? I’ve gotten an ad in both of my heavy-use emailboxes several times now for a show that I can’t ignore any longer, try as I might.  The mixture of pandering and cutesiness is truly puke-tastic. The show is a one-man autobiographical performance...

Real American Art...

Things are slow and celebratory here in the US today as we celebrate Independence Day—for me: urban rooftop barbecue!—but to celebrate America today, I wanted to share this story about American artist Mary Jackson, whose work goes on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African...

There’s No Place Like Home…E...

Just a quick hi and some London trip highlights, ladies, because I need to catch up on my DVRd “Real Housewives” before I crash from jet-lag. When I got on the plane last Thursday, I was emotionally wrung out after a couple weeks of serious work stuff and continuing family hardships. I needed...

In Praise of Stieg Larsson’s Mille...

The US edition of the first book of the Millenium Trilogy. I have been meaning to write this post for a long time now, but held off until The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest*, the final installment of Steig Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy was finally published in the US. Starting with The Girl...

WHER the Girls Are...

At some point over the weekend, I heard mention of an all-women’s radio station with the call letters WHER.  The reference was just in passing, but I did some time as a college radio DJ, and I knew I had to look into it. WHER was begun in 1955 (!) in Memphis by a couple of dudes, Sam Phillips,...

A Match Made In Heaven!...

Today, I got all gleeful reading this story in the Washington Post about a play that sounds like a Harpy’s dream: the deliciously mature Kathleen Turner as the witty and wicked Molly Ivins, liberal commentator extraordinaire. “Red-Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins” is a...

EDELSTEIN!...

So let’s say you’re a film critic.  Let’s say you’re a film critic at a widely distributed publication!  That happens to be located in New York, which means that you get to see a LOT of movies, because not only does New York allow you access to all the big blockbusters, but...

You like feminism, you like books…...

…how could you not like The Feminist Press? In case you’re looking for something awesome to do in New York tonight, you might consider heading on out to Joe’s Pub (part of the Public Theatre) tonight from 6-8pm to celebrate the FP’s 40th Anniversary. Advance tickets are sold out,...

Women, Afghanistan, and “Kandahar&...

Women of Kandahar voting in the 2009 Afghan elections. via canada in afghanistan/canada en afghanistan @ flickr As I mentioned last week, one of my courses this spring semester is a seminar on women and Islam as studied in historical and modern, and cultural and theological contexts. Considering that...

Harpy Cinematical Society: Solo Edition...

This is the fifth installment of a feature we call “Harpy Cinematical Society,” in which we watch a movie (new or old) en masse (…or not) and then replicate for you our subsequent discussions about it.  Or thoughts, as the case may be. After the holidays, the Dude went to see his family for...

In Dreams Come Responsibilities...

A couple of days ago a friend and I went to see Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lovely Bones.  I had seen the reviews, or rather, had seen the Rotten Tomatoes rating; but I tend not to trust male film critics on the subject of movies about women.  They usually get their wires crossed somewhere,...