Review of Juliet Jacques, “Trans: A Memoir” in review 31

Juliet Jacques, Trans: A Memoir Verso, 288pp, £16.99, ISBN 9781781681644 ‘I decided my name should be Juliet when I was ten,’ Juliet Jacques confessed in her inaugural blog post for the Guardian that inspired Trans: A Memoir. She then ‘swiftly buried’ this thought, one that lurked in the back of her mind and returned forcefully … More Review of Juliet Jacques, “Trans: A Memoir” in review 31

Hungry? Have a Coke

In a better — or even different — world, I would have time to read Marion Nestle’s new book, Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning) (Oxford: 2015) now. Instead I read Natalie Angier’s excellent review of it, “The Bear’s Best Friend,” (New York Review of Books, May 12 2016.) Here’s the good news: all the bad public relations … More Hungry? Have a Coke

Phyllis Schlafly and Donald Trump: not-so-strange bedfellows

Phyllis Schlafly’s conservative manifesto, A Choice, Not an Echo, has a quote on the cover that is as fresh today as when it was first published in May 1964. Under a picture of the author (in perfectly styled hair and two strings of pearls) a caption promises to tell “the inside story of how American … More Phyllis Schlafly and Donald Trump: not-so-strange bedfellows

The Unfinished Agenda: Women’s Education in the 21st Century

This essay is an edited version of a talk I gave at Douglass College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., on April 12 2010. Picture this. An intelligent and ambitious young woman leaves her home for a women’s college. Upon arrival, she finds a faculty committed to progressive internationalism, free speech, civil rights, feminism and anti-racism. … More The Unfinished Agenda: Women’s Education in the 21st Century

Can Bernie Sanders Win? Maybe, If You Vote For Him

Maybe it’s because I’m from Philadelphia, where losing is a way of life, but I hate it when people say they aren’t voting for Bernie because he can’t win. They say they are using their heads, not their hearts. He can win. Last night Bernie Sanders nailed  it in New Hampshire, beating Hillary Clinton by … More Can Bernie Sanders Win? Maybe, If You Vote For Him