I KISSED SHARA WHEELER: A Novel By Casey McQuiston (Wednesday Books) I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a love letter to all of us queer kids who were high schoolers in the ‘90s. Especially those of us who lived in small towns and whose social scenes revolved around Friday night football games and church on Sunday. Shara Wheeler mysteriously disappears weeks before she is set to become her school valedictorian–seemingly without a trace. But the last night she is seen, she kisses three people: her quarterback boyfriend, her… Read more

Americana/Alt Country Music sensation, Orville Peck, sauntered into Brooklyn Steel this past Saturday. Peck with his proudly out, LGBTQ Cowboy persona and killer band, whooped things up playing a stellar show to an adoring sold out audience. After a blistering set by openers, Teddy and The Rough Riders, Orville hit the stage belting out a rendition of “New York, NY” prompting the crowd to sing along. Then on Mr. Peck and co. delivered a scorching versions of songs from his first album, Pony, the Pony Show EP, and his… Read more

If you haven’t heard of Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna, you’re missing out on life. Since moving to America at 23, the Muslim singer has worked hard to carve out her own lane in the world of r&b and fashion while also staying true to herself. This is evident in the work she creates, like 2016 smash single “Crush” featuring Usher. A smooth and sexy track describing the the excitement of burgeoning desire, the black & white video features Yuna and Usher singing longingly while a montage of “forbidden love”… Read more

Sonic Youth is known for plenty of musical hits, but “Kool Thing”, featuring lead-singer Kim Gordon’s gorgeously deadpan, anti-patriarchal monologue, is a song that is drilled into the brainfolds of anyone who came of age in, or just before, the riotgrrrl era. “Hey cool thing,” Gordon purrs, backed by a driving drum beat. “There’s something I gotta ask you. I just wanna know—what are you gonna do for me? I mean, are you gonna liberate us girls from male, white, corporate oppression?” And now, on Erica Dawn Lyle &… Read more

Peaches is a feminist rock star, producer, director, visual artist, and performance artist who rose to fame in the electroclash era of the early 2000s. Her solo albums include the terrifically transgressive “Fancypants Hoodlum,” “The Teaches of Peaches,” “Fatherfucker,” “Impeach My Bush,” “I Feel Cream,” and “Rub.” And she’s about to embark on her first International tour since 2017 in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of “The Teaches of Peaches.” Her work has meant so much to so many for so long and in her episode… Read more

WITH THE TAGLINE, “Reading Material for the Homies,” Noname Book Club is putting its mission of connecting Black and Brown people with radical books front and center. The project was founded in 2019, after Chicago rapper Noname, now 30, tweeted, “Tryna see something: Retweet this if you would be a member of Noname’s Book Club.” After receiving over 5,000 retweets, she saw it was a project people would get behind, and she got to work. BOOKS OF THE MONTH✨✨✨Rifqa by @m7mdkurd, and Anarchism And The Black Revolution by… Read more

When I learned that a young Dolly Parton used pokeberries as lipstick, I thought it might be like my own childhood beauty trick for lip stain: popsicles. Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Peel & Reveal Lip Color Kit ($32, wonderskin.com) has the same effect and comes in over 10 shades. Apply the purple-tinted masque (which makes you look like the opera singer from The Fifth Element), leave it on for 10 to 45 seconds (the longer the more pigmented), then spray the activator to transform it into a peel. The result is a… Read more

Pompeii (Mexican Summer) No one wields isolation more beautifully than Cate Le Bon, whose acclaimed 2019 album, Reward, was created during a solitary year of furniture building. Following the more recent, compulsory period of isolation, Le Bon returns with a follow up as intricately surreal and elegantly introspective as its predecessor. Opener “Dirt on the Bed” is oddly compelling, with atonal strumming an drooping horns, but second track “Moderation” sets Pompeii’s tone with a dexterous bass groove under a hazy,… Read more

Several times a year, messenger planet Mercury starts to slow down in the sky, creating annoyances amongst us earthlings, as communication and travel starts to go haywire. Yes, it’s that time of year again! Drama, arguments, and chaos abound: welcome to Mercury Retrograde. Hours before Mercury starts its journey backwards, Venus — the planet of love and money who had been retrograde since the beginning of May to June shifts out of its rearward rotation, moving forward. This may cause complications in matters of the… Read more

Adventures in Success, a mockumentary-gone-right, depicts a small modern day sex cult in the Catskills that prioritizes the female orgasm, which they believe will heal Mother Earth. It's members spend a lot of their time “jilling off”— if you know what I mean. Classified as a “dark comedy,” the movie doesn’t feature a star-studded bunch, but each member of the small cast really makes the movie what it is. This film takes the concept of a “sex cult” down a peg, normalizing its members—as if your cousin’s weird roommate… Read more

Following the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion on overturning the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, it has become horrifyingly evident that the United States’ legal system is spearheading to make abortion inaccessible to women. Women Make Movies, a distributor of independent films produced and directed by women, is making a selection of nine films available for the public on the history of reproductive rights in the U.S. to shed light on the current situation. Women Make Movies has been amplifying… Read more

Carol Queen’s latest book (written with Shar Rednour) is The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone Vibrators changed my life, and maybe yours, too. I’ve been promoting vibe-induced pleasure for roughly half my life (and that’s just in public. I also had nice things to say about them way before vibrators basically became my day job). But not everyone feels the same way. And I’m not even talking here about those “but that’s not natural!” vibe abstainers who want to orgasm only during… Read more

On May 14th, various reproductive justice, health, and rights organizations want us to mobilize across the country. Planned Parenthood, MoveOn, Women’s March, and other organizations are promoting the “‘Bans Off Our Bodies’ day of action” and calling for mass mobilization. 80% of Americans support access to abortion, and yet, the supreme court seems not to be on our side. We are the majority. We can pressure unjust lawmakers to respect the will of the people, just like the Green Wave movement in Latin America. The… Read more

HAPPENING Co-written and directed by Audrey Diwan Out May 6 Happening is set in France in 1963, but without the period-appropriate costumes, it would be hard to distinguish it from present-day America—or plenty of other anti-choice countries around the world. Based on Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel of the same name, this award-winning drama follows a young student named Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei) as she attempts to end the unexpected pregnancy that threatens to derail her promising academic future. This was no… Read more

Nilüfer Yanya describes Painless as “a record about emotion.” The London-based singer/song-writer’s zany, jazz-pop debut, Miss Universe, certainly wasn’t emotionless, but her sophomore album is more direct, as well as more instinctive. Unafraid of unpretty truths, Yanya shows us exactly where it hurts, and we feel it. The tracks remain dancey, but with heavier thuds and piping-hot tears dropping straight to the chest. Guitars bend, bellow, and quiver; her breathy alt-rock vocals paint everything in midnight blue.… Read more

Mothers and Daughters is a portrait and interview project, taking a look at the complex, identity framing family relationship. My own mother, Marjorie Cumbo, suffered from a bipolar disorder and passed away from cancer over 20 years ago, (I was 19). Her influence on me was profound, as is her absence. My work ethic, my creativity, and unfortunately my likelihood of developing cancer are all things I can attribute to her. After testing positive for the BRACA2 gene, I opted to take preventative measures that have greatly… Read more

Mother and Son, Wollaita Tribe Ethiopia Photo by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia (Creative Commons 2.0)With Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and I hope you have thought of how you would like to celebrate your mom, grandmother and every other incredible woman in your life. Mother's day is a celebration of honoring mothers, motherhood and mother figures in our lives—a day where mothers are reminded of their love, sacrifice and influence in our lives. Mother’s Day in the United States began with a woman named Anna… Read more

For much of human history, women have been the main keepers and distributors of mycological knowledge. Here, we meet just a few of the female scientists, naturalists, farmers, and healers who have been, and continue to be, inspired and empowered by the magic of mushrooms The mushrooms glisten in the early autumn light like freshly glazed confections in a pastry case. Deep in the forest, each form shines under a fine dew, amplifying the ethereal blues, maroons, and yellows. I move slowly, as leaves softly crackle… Read more

Patricia Williams, better known as Ms. Pat, is a hilarious stand-up comedian, actor, author, and podcast host who has been making audiences flip with her totally original storytelling style for over 20 years. Her one-hour standup special Y'All Wanna Hear Something Crazy?—directed by Robert Townsend and Produced by Wanda Sykes—premiered on Netflix in February to critical acclaim, her 2017 memoir Rabbit was named one of Amazon’s best biographies of the year, and now she’s gearing up for season two of her BET+ sitcom The… Read more

PHOTO: (BEA ARTHUR) PHOTOFEST GET THIS LOOK: BY CALLIE WATTS Thank You for Being a Friend BRING THE GOLDEN GIRLS STYLE TO THE STREETS THIS SPRING THE LEGENDARY BEA ARTHUR would have turned 100 this year. What better way to celebrate her memory than dressing like her iconic character from The Golden Girls? Dorothy Zbornak lived in layers, from patterned jackets over cowl-neck shirts to ruana-style tops paired with scarves. Travel down the road and back again with these Dorothy-inspired picks—sans shoulder pads this time… Read more

Turn any old piece of furniture into a total tile icon Whether you’ve got a boring table or an ugly nightstand, a little mosaic-style tile and grout is an easy way to give just about any piece of furniture a brand-new look. And it’s way easier than the dramatic finish would have you believe. Tiles are available at just about any home-improvement store, but it’s worth a visit to your local independent tile shop—they typically have more interesting options and will often have leftover tiles from custom jobs that you can… Read more

In a leaked document published late Monday, May 2nd, by Politico, it is being suggested that the Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade, the historic 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States. If struck down, abortion rights will be left up to individual states, which could have dire consequences for the 40 million women who live in states with “hostile” abortion laws. The war on reproductive rights has been heating up in recent years, with the passing of the Texas Heartbeat Act , banning abortion… Read more

Sara Camposarcone FASHION MARKETER,@SARACAMPOSARCONE HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CA Tell me about this outfit. It’s very springlike. The sleeves are part of a tulle top I’m wearing underneath the dress that I call my “jellyfish” top. The dress itself was handmade for me from vintage bedsheets. I paired it with my favorite Hello Kitty tights, Fluevog shoes, and thrifted earrings. My glasses are prescription, and the necklace I’m wearing is a collection of hand-drawn outfits I’ve worn—it was actually made by the same girl who… Read more

Lizzo, the 33-year-old superstar artist and activist, is reclaiming power for plus-size women by launching her new, all-inclusive shapewear line. “We play by our own rules. We celebrate all bodies” Lizzo states on her brand's Instagram post, and she is not backing down from creating a brand that "celebrates, hugs, and loves every single body.” Named “Yitty,” the brand’s first release features three collections: "Nearly Naked," a line of comfy pieces to accentuate your natural curves; “Mesh Me,” a line of bold… Read more

Believe it or not, the American Library Association has recorded over 155 attempts at book censorship in the U.S. since June 2021. And this number is vastly underreported, since it doesn’t account for the types of censorship that happen quietly—like when a book is pulled from a library or never included in a library collection because it might become a target to censors. Intellectual freedom—or the right to access any information you desire—is baked into our First Amendment. But to ensure that freedom, it’s vital to… Read more

At first glance, it might seem like a stretch to compare Jewel to Patti Smith. Jewel Kilcher, after all, is a blonde-haired Alaskan in her 40s, best known by many people for ballads like “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “Hands.” Smith, by contrast, is a septuagenarian who grew up mainly in New Jersey and who is a rocker at heart. Where Jewel’s work can sometimes verge on Hallmark-style sentiments, Smith is not averse to using “fuck” or even the N-word in her lyrics. Dig a little deeper, though,… Read more

The first eclipses of 2022 occur on April 30 at 4:28 PM ET in Taurus and May 16 in Scorpio at 12:15 AM ET. This set of eclipses will help us glow and grow in the upcoming months, as well as pushing us to take responsibility and accountability for our actions in order to evolve. We may change our paths or see matters in a different light, as we are being cosmically gifted with knowledge which will help us become the people we always wanted to be. The flip side is that we may become too power hungry and more business… Read more

Of all the things that have thrown Twitter in a frenzy, like Donald Trump winning the 2016 US presidential election, it’s going to take an excruciatingly long time for it to recover from this one. Thanks to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform for a whopping $44B on April 25, this year, in both cultural and economic senses, has brought us the most nerve-racking social media fiasco. Musk’s disjointed vision for Twitter includes releasing it from censorship restrictions to foster freedom of speech and democracy. This… Read more

Sammy Ko (Miya Cech) is at a major turning point in her life. The 13-year-old has been acting out since the death of her mother, and after a particularly impressive display of vandalism, her dad, Angus (Leonardo Nam), gives her an ultimatum: Sammy must complete a class at the local community college, or it’s off to Camp Sparrow Cliff for the rest of the summer. A third option presents itself to Sammy when she crosses paths with Margot (Rhea Perlman), a children’s magician who sees something of herself in the grieving… Read more

Whether it's a shit work-from-home setup, long hours of crafting, or simply “phone neck,” modern life can really do a number on our bodies. Discovering exercise biologist and mobility coach Alexandra Ellis on TikTok (@aewellness)— and her therapy-ball-based self-massage techniques—is one of the best gifts the Internet has given me. “Rolling,” as she calls it, lets you dig into your sorest spots, relieving tension, improving blood flow, releasing fascia—the connective tissue that basically holds everything in our body… Read more

SHILPA RAY “PORTRAIT OF A LADY” (Northern Spy Records) Dynamic Brooklyn based singer-songwriter and musician, Shilpa Ray, returns with her fifth full length release Portrait Of A Lady. Written in the wake of the #metoo movement and the weathering years of the Trump administration - Ms. Ray is candidly revealing her views about these situtations and then some. Ray has such a wide musical and vocal range from which she draws which always keeps the listener fully engaged. Ray’s singing can be in your face with an Iggy… Read more

BODY WORK: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative By Melissa Febos (Catapult) For her latest book, acclaimed memoirist Melissa Febos offers a master class for would-be writers looking to find their voice. The text is divided into four parts, each of which tackles one specific area of memoir writing, focusing in particular on the sort of raw and intensely personal writing that Febos is known for. The first part of the book starts off with powerful words of encouragement as Febos discusses the importance of sharing… Read more

“Energy never dies, it just transforms.”-Left Eye 20 years ago today, on April 25, 2002, the world lost rapper, singer, and hip-hop legend, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. 1/3 of TLC, the best-selling American girl group of all time, Left Eye was just as known for her playful and introspective lyrics as she was for her style, creativity, and fiery personality. Left Eye’s unique sound, delivery, and charisma elevated any track she was featured on. On the anniversary of her passing, we remember her legacy. Rest well, Queen.… Read more

DIANE COFFEE “WITH PEOPLE” (Polyvinly Record Co.) Shaun Fleming is back under the Diane Coffee moniker with his fourth full length release WIth People. Like many artists Fleming was no doubt affected and influeneced by the isolation during Covid pandemic. This is evident resulting in his most introspective and personal offering yet. Once again Fleming shifts musical gears from his previous album, Internet Arms’ soulful Synth Pop sound to an jangly Folk Rock, Dream Pop vibe with a touch of Glam Rock. “Corrina From… Read more

In early March, an apparent Russian strike damaged and destroyed a hospital in Mariupol, a city in southern Ukraine. According to The New York Times, “seventeen people were injured, including staff members and maternity ward patients.” Over 1,000 women give birth in Ukraine every day. Since the war started, hospitals are one of many necessary facilities being targeted. Because of the dangers of pregnancy and giving birth in a war zone, thousands of babies are being born with no health support, and in dangerous… Read more

Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman is about a sweetly witchy house in the woods where a little girl in mourning for her grandmother happens upon a playmate with the same name as her bereaved mother. The bereaved mother, Marion, has just exited stage left, too upset by the death of her own mother to deal with the house and its archives — the childhood notebooks, the shadow panther that hunts and haunts her bedroom at night. Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) and her new friend, young Marion (Gabrielle Sanz, Joséphine’s twin), have the… Read more

ANDREA LOVE’S STOP-MOTION animated video “Cooking With Wool: Breakfast,” opens with a miniature kitchen made entirely of felt. A human hand enters the frame to turn on a felted electric stove, and a coil of wool slowly changes from black to red as the burner heats up. Pats of felted butter appear to melt in a felted frying pan, into which teensy felted eggs are cracked. As they cook, coffee is prepared from a felted tea kettle, which pours felted hot water into a wee pour-over coffee filter, releasing a bit of fibrous… Read more

New Zealand designer Ange Sloan is 100 percent over ready-to-wear’s lack of inclusivity Ange Sloan, the woman behind Sloan’s size-inclusive and eco-friendly pieces, hasn’t bought a ready-to-wear garment, other than underwear, in two years. The designer, who grew up “falling asleep to the sound of sewing machines” thanks to her mother owning a clothing factory, believes that off-the-rack clothing doesn’t properly fit most bodies. For her, it can also be deeply triggering. “For me, having my eating disorder past, seeing… Read more

Welcome spring with your own hand-painted botanical art—no talent needed! If coloring books are too simple, but drawing is just a bit too hard, then Sarah Simon’s Watercolor Workbook: 30-Minute Beginner Botanical Projects on Premium Watercolor Paper ($22.99,) is the perfect happy medium to help you get your art on. A true workshop in book form, it includes not only step-by-step lessons on basic watercolor techniques but also pre-sketched projects on real watercolor paper alongside color-mixing recipes and methods to… Read more

Emmy-winning actor Annie Murphy became a household name in 2015 when she first appeared as Alexis Rose in the comedy hit Schitt’s Creek.Now, she’s applying her talents to two more feminism-inflected comedies—Kevin Can F**k Himself and Russian Doll. Here, Murphy opens up about how she landed the career-making role, asking for mental health help, and joining the cult of Peloton. -Niesha Davis Due to both COVID and the fact that we live on opposite ends of North America, I log on to Zoom from Mexico to connect with Annie… Read more

THE LINDA LINDAS Growing Up (Epitaph) Tween/teen Asian/Latinx band the Linda Lindas exploded into notoriety after appearing in Amy Poehler’s movie Moxie. And a performance of their song “Racist, Sexist Boy” went viral last spring, instantly resonating across ages and identities. “Growing up isn’t something you can make happen when you want it to,” guitarist/vocalist Lucia de la Garza points out on the title track of the band's first full-length. Yet the foursome intuitively employs punk rock to make headway on these… Read more

Nina Bunjevac is an incredible comic book artist, author, illustrator, and educator. She spent her formative years in the former Yugoslavia, where she began studying art. But when war broke out in the 1990s, she returned to her native Canada where she studied graphic design, drawing, and painting and eventually branched out into making sculptural installations and writing and illustrating absolutely incredible books of comic art, including Heartless, Fatherland, Bezimena, and, An Alchemical Journey Through the Major… Read more

TV veteran Mayim Bialik is no stranger to entertainment. The former child star is just as known for portraying the title character on the 90’s sitcom Blossom, as she is neuroscientist Amy Fowler on The Big Bang Theory. With a lifetime in “the biz” the Jeopardy host is charting new territory, writing and directing her first feature film, As They Made Us. Inspired by her own family, the film centers around Abigail (Diana Agron), a divorced mother who just can’t seem to break away from her dysfunctional family. Her father… Read more

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun Writer/director/editor Jane Schoenbrun’s feature debut, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, is a harrowing peek into teenage isolation and the pervasive power of the Internet. Casey (Anna Cobb) is embarking upon the “World’s Fair Challenge,” an online horror game that triggers mysterious transformations in the player. Creepypasta-style videos featuring real YouTube content creators document graphic physical and psychological transitions, but… Read more

Clothing can be anything the wearer wants it to be, from a symbol of personal expression, to a class signifier, to simply the thing that keeps one protected from the elements. It can also play a part in creating social and political change. In the recently published book Dressing the Resistance: The Visual Language of Protest Through History, author, costume designer, and dress historian Camille Benda explores all the ways in which fashion has been used by women as a tool of activism. From Joan of Arc’s armor to the… Read more

A literary and academic legend whose work helped influence an entire generation of feminists, bell hooks died on December 15, 2021, at age 69. Think you know what made bell so swell? Then take the quiz! 1. When bell was born on September 25th, 1952, her given name was: a.) Chloe Anthony Wofford b.) Marguerite Annie Johnson c.) Gloria Jean Watkins d.) Ramona Lofton 2. Which of the following titles is the first book bell ever published, launching her multifaceted literary career in 1978?a.) and there we wept: poems b.)… Read more

When a brand new band can sell out its first headline tours based on the weight of just two songs, you know it's on to something. The first two singles from the self-titled album from Wet Leg (Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers) are, in fact, worthy of buzz—“Chaise Longue” is a masterclass in delivering innuendo-laden lines without cracking a smile (“Is your muffin buttered?/Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?”), while “Wet Dream,” um, glistens with soaring harmonies and an updated Britpop… Read more

MAITA I Just Want to Be Wild for You (Kill Rock Stars) I Just Want to Be Wild for You is emotional gold. Led by songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler, Portland’s MAITA grapples with the complexities of modernity and connecting amidst disconnection. Melodic, twangy guitar and dulcet vocals often walk the razor’s edge of breaking open—and sometimes do, as on the single “You Sure Can Kill a Sunday,” which erupts into punk riffs of fuzz and catharsis before transiting back and then in again. The album is insightful and raw, with… Read more

Empire and Hidden Figures actress and entrepreneur Taraji P. Henson was just appointed to President Biden’s Board of Advisors for Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs). You may know Taraji P. Henson as a successful actress, but what you may not know is she is also a proud HBCU alumna, graduating from Howard University with a BFA in acting. Henson is one of 18 members of the board, including the first female president of Tougaloo College, Beverly W. Hogan, and the CEO of the National Society of Black… Read more

What would you do if you found out that freedom was closer than you thought? Or simply a state of mind. Alice, the brainchild of debut director Krystin Ver Linden, is a revenge thriller set in the Antebellum South on a remote Georgia plantation. The film stars Emmy award winner KeKe Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee, Hustlers) as its eponymous heroine longing for her freedom and rapper-actor Common (The Chi, The Hate U Give) as the disillusioned political activist suffering from arrested development from losing his mother to… Read more