it was a massive relief that someone had finally, finally, taken the plastic coating off being a woman, put the plastic coating into historical context (briefly, not excessively the way I probably would have done), and then laughed about it in a way that was not shame inducing. The author, Caitlin Moran, is my new heroine!
Books & Movies
My Gerard Depardieu Film Festival
I must confess I have a soft spot for Gerard Depardieu. While you make fun, millions and millions of women around the world are devouring anything he does, just as they devour romances. He is not one genre, not a romance hero, a good guy, or a bad guy, he’s just someone who has managed to make a lot of great movies over a whole lifetime.
Is Your Beach Reading Dangerous?
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. Summer beach reading is here, which means that suddenly it’s OK to indulge in fun reading. For many (women), this means romance novels. Now, some people consider these novels utterly dangerous—and not just because such page-turning reading will keep you out in the sun too long. Apparently, there are far greater risks to reading romance novels than you ever imagined….
The Favored Daughter and
Why Women Will Save Afghanistan
I don’t usually like to read books like The Favored Daughter: One Woman’s Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future, by Fawzia Koofi. However, I heard the author give an interview on NPR that had me riveted.
Hysteria
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. The movie Hysteria is an absolute gem. It’s about the invention of the vibrator. It’s also about women’s rights in 19th-century England. Oh, and it’s a love story. And a comedy. It’s historical romance at its best: an entertaining romp that informs in a funny and charming way.
Start Your Own Modern Homestead
by guest blogger Robyn Jasko. It’s time to redefine the modern homestead. There are so many simple ways we can start growing our own food. And you don’t have to have a huge patch of land, own a tractor, or spend a ton of time or money to get growing. Here are five simple ways to get started
5 Ways Mean Moms Rule
by guest blogger Denise Schipani. My mother was exacting, strict, and in firm control of the rules and the reins in our house. She was deeply emotional and fiercely loving, but not ever squishy or mushy. Here are just a few principles liberally borrowed from the Original Mean Mom:
Happiness is Gardening in Spring!
No matter how many years pass by, each new spring brings with it the hope and optimism of a new garden. Seed packets are like candy to me, and I buy them impulsively and just because the wrapping makes me excited.
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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