I have always disliked being approached by men in bars. Cheesy pick-up lines that I might otherwise find marginally amusing somehow become creepy in the low light, screamed over the deep pulse of bass-heavy music. I don’t appreciate that a night out dancing inevitably means that some dude is going to come up behind me […]
Yesterday, I was running late for a meeting in downtown Washington DC when I saw a homeless man lying on the street with his hands down his pants, appearing to do things that should be done in private. I found a female police officer and mentioned the man to her, also noting that he needed […]
I am the fourth generation of strong women in my family and I often feel I’m letting down the legacy. Each woman who came before me had to make difficult decisions when presented with very few options. I am not sure I’ve had to do the same. Despite the different paths we have traveled, each […]
Kat Zacharia writes about the trials and rewards of being a sole parent to two young children. Read her first piece about how she became a sole parent here. As we drove away from a lunch meeting at one of Burbank’s oldest institutions, my colleague and close friend Kiki turned to me and said, “Wow! […]
Two weeks ago, we hosted a PTA meeting at our house. (I’m heading into my second term as president of the parent-teacher association for my daughter’s school.) After the other board members had left, our dear friend (and PTA vice-president) Sheva stayed to chat. As my wife and I stood with the veep in the […]
What are you looking for when you head to the movies? Some of us want explosions; others desire great love stories. A lot of people want comedy; fewer need to cry at the end. Whatever it is that drives people to the theater — and it’s got to be good with ticket prices at $10 […]
Several weeks ago, I read a short article in The Huffington Post by Lisa Bloom “How to Talk to Little Girls.” As an aunt to four “chiblings” (read: children of siblings), two of whom are little girls, I found that Bloom’s article struck a particularly resonant chord. My sister and her husband do a tremendous job of raising these […]
It’s now almost 30 years since the publication of Helen Gurley Brown’s “Having It All: Love, Success, Sex, Money Even If You’re Starting With Nothing“. In the book, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine argued that it was completely possible for the modern woman to have everything she’d always wanted, from a stellar career to […]
Marlo Thomas is something of a personal hero to me, but I was admittedly disappointed by her recent article for the official launch of the new HuffPost Women’s Page. I was raised on Free To Be…You And Me (I still occasionally catch myself humming the tune to William Wants a Doll), I have great respect […]
As a feminist, I sometimes bristle at my own attitudes and expectations when it comes to certain things. Case in point: how it feels to be the primary breadwinner in my little family. To clarify and provide a bit of context, my “little family” consists of me and my fiancé, who is in the process […]
This post is the final installment of a series exploring partnership and independence on the highways of America. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. I’m sitting in a hotel room near the Salt Lake City airport. The room smells like dog piss. It’s raining. The Mormon vibe is pervasive. The interior of my […]
I feel beautiful dressed as a woman. I love the gloss of red polish on my toenails, the breeze of a skirt swirling around my gams, and my hair when it gets long and wavy. Sadly, these days, aside from a shaggy mop of hair, I rarely go all out. But for a time in […]
