What is Rape Culture? A Reading List for a Difficult Topic
Recent high-profile news stories have brought the terms “rape culture” and “bystander behavior” into mainstream discussions about rape, sexual assault and gender violence. Although this can be a difficult to understand, emotionally fraught subject matter, these news stories are an opportunity for us to explore, discuss and understand these important topics in a more meaningful way.
Throwback Thursday: Lovers and Fighters
“Boom Boom’s” visit made an impression on me, though. How could it not? Mancini’s presence was meant to be an example of what we, too, could accomplish, if we worked hard. We could be contenders. We could be somebody. Maybe not in the ring, but somehow. All you had to do was pay your dues and have faith, and somehow everything would turn out okay.
Making Informed Food Decisions
Fall, in particular, always gets me thinking about food: where it comes from, how it gets to me, what’s been done to it, whether or not it’s “good” for me. The food we eat today is very different from the food we ate even 100 years ago. It’s grown differently, processed differently and available year-round thanks to global shipping.
Throwback Thursday: Election Season Reading Challenge
When it comes to politics, there is one thing that most people agree on: making an informed decision about your vote matters. Of course there are myriad ways to stay informed and educated, and it’s great to consult multiple sources of information. So, gearing up for the grind of election season, I decided to give myself a small reading challenge.
Read Harder: Vol. 9
Lucy Knisley begins her food memoir — yes, this month’s challenge choice — with a note that her memories are tied to how things tasted: the licorice rope she shared with her first crush, trying buttermilk for the first time with her best friend, and the myriad of meals she shared with friends while living in Chicago for school. This is my kind of girl.
Party in Your Car with an Audiobook!
I love listening to audiobooks in the car. Authors Amy Poehler and Neil Gaiman make me laugh, and help me enjoy my commutes through the city.
A New Point of View
Have you ever wondered how your favorite authors think, write and feel about literature, culture, music and current events? Then take a peek inside Neil Gaiman’s head with The View from the Cheap Seats.
Love Your Perfume
Clocking in at a mere 140 pages, Andrew Lam’s Perfume Dreams is deceptively slim. Its contents, however, will resonate with readers long after they’ve finished it. Though Lam eagerly embraced American life and assimilated easily, he never really could leave Vietnam behind, and he explores the immigrant experience in this beautiful collection
Read Harder: Vol. 8
If you’re a knitter, you know Clara Parkes. She is a go-to source for all things yarn — her website Knitter’s Review can tell you how just about any brand of yarn will knit up and handle being worn. In Knitlandia, Clara takes us along on her road trips around the world in search of yarn.
Throwback Thursday: Houdini vs. The Afterlife
In the 1920s, America had a brief but intense fling with spiritualism. Eventually the phenomenon became so widespread that Scientific American decided to hold itself a little contest, with a $2,500 prize for the first medium who could convince a panel of judges that they were the real deal.