Sexual harassment isn’t always as obvious as being groped by your boss. Sometimes the signs are more subtle than you’d imagine. Butt grabbing, persistent requests for dates and inappropriate touching at work clearly constitute sexual harassment. But the signs of sexual harassment aren’t always so flat-out obvious and can include name-calling, inappropriate mass emails, and […]
I need role models of childfree women because I need to see that there are people like me in the world. In case you missed the internet yesterday, Zooey Deschanel is pregnant. Also, this isn’t an article about Zooey Deschanel. Not really. She did say once that she preferred work (the not parenting kind) to kids and […]
Perhaps we should look at Charlie Hebdo critically before jumping on the bandwagon of “Je Suis Charlie.” Violence, of any kind, in any circumstance is reprehensible. Is sickening. Is wrong. And concerning the violence of the last few days in France, you don’t need a recap. Twelve people were murdered in the office of a French […]
When singles express wistfulness with their unattached state, they risk being branded with that deadly word, “pathetic.” Several years ago, I was dining out with a friend when he asked about my love life. I confessed there was nothing to report—I hadn’t dated anyone in ages. So he did the thing people do when confronted […]
This originally appeared on The Princess Free Zone. Republished here with permission. When Michele Yulo expressed her frustration that all of the clothes for baby girls were pink and flowery, someone told her, “Girls like pink. Get the f-ck over it.” Why is it that there are those who feel the need to be hateful, mean-spirited, or […]
This originally appeared on The Manifest-Station. Republished here with permission. Eating is not something to be ashamed of. As I was standing in line at Trader Joe’s yesterday, minding my own sweet business, I opened a package of dried seaweed (the new wasabi kind which is very, very spicy). An older (very much older, like […]
It seems like many people just don’t react well to a young woman standing her ground. So, at this point in my life, it seems more effective to play nice. Every week, my mom and I take my twin toddlers and my 90-year-old grandmother out to lunch. If it sounds like a major production, that’s because […]
1. What’s your name? Where do you live? How old are you? My professional name is Andrew Smiler, and my married name is Andrew Irwin-Smiler. I started publishing in 2003 and got married in 2008, at which point my sweetie and I took each other’s names. I continue to use my pre-married (maiden?) name professionally. […]
