Related Articles: September 23, 2017
Okay. One more week. That's all I have left until I move into my new place. Next week's "Related Articles" could be coming at you from my new apartment in Bushwick! Or it might be coming to you from my friend, and host of The Periodical podcast, Jessie's couch! Either way, I've been a New York Nomad for a month, and it's been the hardest month of my life. Emotionally, mentally, and physically, I have struggled while navigating the city again and living out of a suitcase in all of these familiar places that aren't quite home. I really appreciate the patience you have had with me and Pink Things this month. New and original content will be coming soon! And in the meantime, give a round of applause for the awesome Pink Things interns, Malaika and Inês. Without them, there literally wouldn't have been any content on pinkthingsmag.com or any of our channels this entire month. You gals make my life easier and make Pink Things more fun. Thank you <3
Tonight (Friday) I went to the opening of The Future is (Black) Femme and it was AMAZING. The event literally had a line around the block. I'm reaching out to hopefully speak with the artists and curators of the show for Pink Things, but one of my favorite moments from the show that I keep returning to was a photograph of a (black) femme guy. While most of the art was understandably featuring (black) women, this piece brought the theme of the show home. I'm too tired to round out that thought, but I really enjoyed that moment, and that opening LIT. (Also, shout out to my friend Chloé who went with me. Love you.)
This week I read a lot of *not* Pink related articles, but here are my Pink Picks for the week. I'm still super behind on my reading, I have about 36 tabs open, but I'll get there eventually! If you choose one thing to read out of this selection of 12 amazing reads (and one really-awesome-and-worth-the-full-watch music video), let it be the Madame Giselle piece. While the others are great, this one really stood out among all of the content I consumed this week. Like, it's amazing.
I love you, and I'm signing off from my guardian angel, Lisa's, couch in Bed-Stuy. Life's a wild ride, isn't it?
xo Sarah
"My Pelvic Pain Is Called Doris" by Rachel Revesz for Lenny Letter - I can't even imagine what having chronic pelvic pain is like! It must be so intensely awful, but this essay paints a life about learning and listening to one's body and coming to terms with pain. Loved this, and you might too.
"Why Having A Best Friend Is Good For Your Health" by Crystal Ponti for The Cut - I don't know how much credit we can give to this study (I find it hard to believe that they can quantify social anxiety as someone who suffers from it), but I am completely an advocate for having a few quality friends. I'm not someone with a lot of them, but my closest 3 are crucial to keeping me sane, and it works the other way around too. I love my friends more than anything in this world.
"Glimmer" by Danya Kukafka for Lenny Letter - This is a beautiful short story about summer and youth and innocence and curiosity and sexuality and friendship and intimacy and adventure. I finally caught up on all of my back logged Lenny Letters (the real challenge will be getting through three weeks of Ann Friedman's weekly newsletter recommended readings), and this was my favorite piece by far.
"Amber Tamblyn: I'm Done With Not Being Believed" by Amber Tamblyn for The New York Times - PREACH. Amber!! Yes!! This personal essay and account of not being believed when a woman comes forward and admits to being sexually harassed — or worse — calls out society for even questioning why we question women in the first place. I'm happy she wrote this op-ed, but sad that it had to be written at all.
"20 College Students Shared How They Masturbate" by Fresh U for Teen Vogue - This is so great! I think it's really amazing that 20 college students shared their personal masturbating habits in an effort to normalize discussion around it and encourage others to explore their own sexuality. Go Teen Vogue!
I AM SCREAMING AT THIS.
"What Living With Vaginismus Is Like" by Aysha Mahmood for Teen Vogue - I am always for talking about vaginas more. VAGINA. It's not a dirty word! And talking about vaginas and vaginal health, like Aysha did in this essay, can help other women around the world feel less alone. There is nothing shameful about having a vagina, or about having a vagina that needs help or has issues. It's super common! Just like every other part of your body, your vagina can get sick and needs nursing back to health. I'm so glad Aysha shared her story about battling Vaginismus, a vaginal condition that causes the vaginal muscles to randomly contract and spasm painfully. It led her to confront different forms of intimacy and love, and learn how to love and treat her body within it's limitations.
"How Taylor Swift Played The Victim For A Decade And Made Her Entire Career" by Ellie Woodward for Buzzfeed - I'm hella late on this one but OH MY GOD. THIIIIISSSS PIEEEECEEEE!!!! I am SCREAMING. Damn Buzzfeed. This is ruthless, AND SO DAMN GOOD. These exposé's (wo)man, they just get better and better.
"The Age Of The Bumpspiracy" by Tamara Winfrey Harris for Bitch Media - I've been thinking about this a lot too, how people criticize those who are pregnant the "wrong" way. As if there is a wrong way. Attempting to invalidate a woman's pregnancy is an attempt to invalidate her existence and being. It is also an attack on women everywhere else, regardless of whether they want to have children or not. Tamara Winfrey Harris is back at it again.
"What I Learned From Getting Fired by L'Oréal After Speaking Out Against Racism" by Munroe Bergdorf for Broadly - This follow up to last week's L'Oréal controversy is great. Munroe is just doing her and standing by her beliefs. And it's not like what she said was ridiculous either. Her statements were full of truth and I'm happy to see that this moment has come to define her in a positive way.
"Why Is Everyone Assuming Kylie Jenner Didn't Mean To Get Pregnant?" by Anne Cohen for Refinery29 - THIS IS THE FUCKING QUESTION. It's literally no one's business whether this was planned or not. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was intended, and I'm not surprised that she's keeping it. I am HERE for the maternity style and sharing she's going to do. HERE FOR IT. And butt the fuck out. Stop slut shaming Kylie Jenner. She's a hugely successful business woman, and she's only 20. She can do whatever the hell she wants.
"How I Learned To Stop Being A "Chill Girl" And Start Being Me" by Martine Thompson for Vogue - I've never been a "chill girl". I just can't do it. Like oppressing myself that much is physically painful, so I can't imagine those who go around being "chill girls". I'm not judging you, it's a thing, and I have many a time wished that I was a "chill girl". But I'm super over that shit. Excited and emotional people are really awesome, and this personal essay/advice piece was a nice read and gives me some hope for us yet.
"The Mysterious Madame Giselle" by Manuel Roig-Franzia for The Washington Post - THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING PIECE I HAVE READ ALL WEEK. First of all, it's beautifully written. Second, THIS IS AN AMAZING TALE ABOUT AN AMAZING CON ARTIST WOMAN PERSON and it's like a real thing that is happening in real time and omfg this is just so amazing please read it.
Okay, so there were only 12 this week, but there's hundreds in this archive over here.