I talked about abuse and made you uncomfortable? Good.

“People mistake vulnerability for intimacy. It’s not just annoying, it’s damaging.” — these words from my friend and Anti-Nihilist Institute co-founder Anna Lind-Guzik have been knocking around in my head lately for a reason. Vulnerability is a useful tool of connecting to one’s audience. This isn’t just true of confessional writing. When I began to openContinue reading “I talked about abuse and made you uncomfortable? Good.”

Writing round-up, 2016: Six non-horrible things that happened this year

I’m not really sure what to say about the year 2016. “At least we didn’t all die in a nuclear blast” is one good thing I could mention, I guess. On a personal level, it was a year of disappointments and setbacks, fears and frustrations, but also the year in which I sat in aContinue reading “Writing round-up, 2016: Six non-horrible things that happened this year”

Love thy neighbor: in Trump’s America, some of your neighbors need it more than ever

I’m going to share with you guys two stories sent in to me since the election. Two events that occurred in a country that has elected Donald J. Trump. The first is from a Nepalese American woman who lives in the Midwest. Let’s call her Kyrah. It’s necessary for her to keep her identity hidden. HerContinue reading “Love thy neighbor: in Trump’s America, some of your neighbors need it more than ever”

Pride, Prejudice and Ukraine, the Beloved Country

I get accused of hating my roots nearly as much as I get accused of being a nationalistic Ukrainian. It’s like walking a tight-rope while balancing a stack of Wedgwood plates on my head. Consider, for example, the extent of anti-Jewish sentiment in Ukraine. There are members of my extended family who are Jewish, andContinue reading “Pride, Prejudice and Ukraine, the Beloved Country”

Post-Soviet Feminism and “Nashi”

The word “nashi” means “our” or “ours.” I use it as a tag on this blog not as a reference to the members of Russia’s political party: Nashi. However, it’s obviously appropriate here. Last week, Lyndon asked some question in relations to the, ah, creative ways that members of Nashi have come out in supportContinue reading “Post-Soviet Feminism and “Nashi””