The Graduation Speech I Wish I had Heard
Dr. Ruth Simmons, former president of Brown University, delivered my commencement speech. Honestly, I don’t remember a thing she said. I’m pretty sure I paid attention to her words. I remember laughing or otherwise responding in some way to some of them, and besides, she was the first black president of an Ivy League institution. [...]
How Every Christian Can Relate to Homosexuals in the Church
Last Thursday, Jeff Chu, author of the new book, “Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America,” appeared on the Diane Rehm Show. It was the kind of interview that made me talk back to the radio and that spurned discussions with other people in the car. I [...]
The Most Important Ingredient for a Good Sex Scene
As you may know, I spent much of this week at AWP’s 2013 conference in Boston. On the last day, I attended a panel on how to write a good sex scene. The panelists read from their own works and from those of other writers who they think have written sexual intercourse well. Some of [...]
Why Race Should Matter to Pro-Choice Activists
As I progress with subsequent drafts of my book, I’ve been meeting with another writer for accountability and feedback. In a recent session, we talked—in hushed tones in a coffee shop—about my book being full of themes and situations black women don’t talk about within their own families. They may discuss these topics with [...]
The Power of Male Teachers
When I heard that all the adults who died in the Sandy Hook massacre last week were women, one of my first thoughts was, “Of course they were; it was an elementary school,” and most elementary school teachers are female. Next thought: Someone is going to call for a national effort to encourage more men [...]
If the Mayans are Right
If the Mayans are right*, and the world does end on Dec. 21, 2012—does anyone else wonder if the end will roll over the earth time zone by time zone?—I’ll be happy that: I don’t have to pay off my student loan after all! I won’t have to worry about health insurance. This pesky [...]
A Glamorous Humanitarian
First, epic fail on my part for not taking any photos at the “Diana: A Celebration” exhibit at Frazier History Museum when a fierce fashionista friend and I went on November 5. This sad little screenshot is as good as it gets for a visual. Alas, moving on. The panel introducing the exhibit—which features the [...]
Tis the Right Season?
The end of the year is near. I know that not just because of the change in seasons or the flip of the calendar. I know it because, once again, I’m in a total panic that time is passing by faster than I can do the right thing with it. Just like I was in [...]
Called to Love in Election 2012
“to be ‘feminist’ in any authentic sense of the term is to want for all people, female and male, liberation from sexist role patterns, domination, and oppression.” –bell hooks, Ain’t I a Woman For this last Faith and Feminism Friday post before the 2012 election, I want to point you to a conversation with bell [...]
God’s gift of rape?
The following is a real* text conversation that took place on February 24, 2012, between me and @Bill1phd, who describes himself as an “Educated Christian Progressive Liberal and PROUD American.” (FYI, he lives up to it, and he also has a PhD in world religion.) ME: Did you watch The Daily Show last night? I [...]
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