Once upon a time I went to see a homeopath. I was having stomach pains and she diagnosed an intolerance to chickpeas, lentils and gluten. She was right about the first two so I began to believe in homeopathy. I continued to see her weekly, discussing various anxieties as if she were a counsellor. Only,
MonthJanuary 2014
Prostitution
I was recently reminded of a conversation I had with a guy in Barcelona when I was about 22. We were stood on the tenth floor balcony of some breeze-block dormitories looking at women on the street below in stilettos and mini skirts, selling their bodies. As these women called out for punters, we had
What I learnt at the swimming pool
After hearing that running while pregnant can result in your vagina falling out, I decided to opt for a less permanently damaging (physically and mentally) exercise routine. So this morning I rose at 7am and walked through the dark streets of Walthamstow to Leyton Lesiure Lagoon. (It’s had a makeover and is now actually called
What I want for you
I want you to live until you’re 90 and spend your years gazing up at the sky – marvelling at the beauty of the setting sun, transfixed by the movement of the clouds. I want you to run into the crashing waves and dip your head under the sea – to splash and swim when
Cinder-Ellis and the Ugly Brothers
I was sat in a ‘Women in Literature’ seminar during my third year at Sussex University when I first considered the term ‘feminism’. Amber Jacobs, my wonderful tutor, explained it like this: “Feminism,” she said, “is believing that women should be equal to men.” Hmmm, I thought. I suppose I must be a feminist then.
The many voices of feminism
To end 2013, Joanna Biggs decided to dismiss the year’s new wave of feminists – and their achievements – by proclaiming that the so-called fourth wave lacks an intellectual voice (read the article here). Here are what I consider to be the best-documented campaigns, projects and voices of the past year: – Lucy-Anne Holmes tirelessly
