What needs to be said
What needs to be said that you haven’t yet talked about?” the woman from hospice looked at me. I suspected I knew but remained silent. My mother, a child of the Depression and a cigarette...
Male fragility is holding the #metoo movement back
Naming harm is a crucial step in the process, but I’m starting to think the shaming is counterproductive—in part because it doesn’t seem to work.
When Mom stood by
Detecting abusers is a complex problem. Who is the real villain in the story? As a survivor of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, I thought I had it all figured out. I knew...
Award-winning writer Michelle Bowdler on her new book ‘Is Rape a Crime?,’ a testament...
In her new book, a longlist contender for this year’s National Book Award in nonfiction, Michelle Bowdler explains how a violent home invasion and sexual assault led her to investigate the lack of investigation into sex crimes.
Thelma & Louise film stays relevant after 30 years
Thirty years on and the film Thelma & Louise is unique even among an ever-increasing canon of woman-led films. Yes, today we have so many more films in which women are powerful and supposedly...
‘No reason for shame’: a survivor speaks up
Rachel Thompson has, over the years, thought of herself as a survivor more than a victim. “I think I’ve always had that within me [being a survivor]. I literally had to find a way to cope constantly, because I had to.”
A legacy of abuse: Telling on my brother
A deathbed confession, 1997 Mom unburdens herself only weeks before she dies. She tells me about Mike’s abuse against his children. Her revelations confirm what I’ve known since childhood: My brother Mike is dangerous....
‘This Is My Body’ explores the confines of faith, fidelity and femininity
During Dezen Hammon's service to the church, she's challenged with offenses ranging from sexism to sexual assault, and outside of these specific insults to her body and heart, her yearning for something more fulfilling compels her to him, the mystery man she is considering doing more with—and realizing she might have an addiction to sex and love.
Ghost Weeds (Reclamation)
The screen door swung shut with a muffled wooden bang, and darkness opened up behind me. The well-lit inside world disappeared as I turned toward the uncertain night and made a quick calculation. I...
Recommended Reading
The acknowledgement
I’m trying to be gentle with myself, but what if I never believe my body when it tells me what happened?
Have the time of your life!*
*Common side effects may include but are not limited to: harassment, stalking, getting drugged, passing out in...
To the fathers who do not abuse their daughters
On my street I am witness to the young men who carry the pink-flowered backpacks of little girls, who...
