Violence As Violence: A Response to Zachary Schomburg’s “Poetry As Violence”

February 1, 2016

It wasn’t in my plan to start this article this way, but on thinking about the most important parts of Zachary Schomburg’s essay “Poetry As Violence,” I continue to hold in mind his idea that the trauma of violence is in the small details around the violence, and I remember the snippets of memories that occasionally come to me out of nowhere like moths in the night, and that, like moths, I try to bat away before they can land on me. The one that comes to mind first is a confession. It is a memory I’ve told almost no one and I’m telling you here not so you can experience violence, but so you can be humanized in your observance of someone else’s. March 9 (tomorrow, as I write this) marks the sixth anniversary of the day I, at sixteen, downed a bottle of aspirin and tried to go to sleep. What lingers of the violence isn’t the act of swallowing the chalky pills, or the burning in my stomach I couldn’t explain to you if I tried, it isn’t the activated charcoal I forced into my own body, not out of a desire to live but out of the embarrassment of being seen trying not to live.

Barbie Is Finally More Diverse And Realistic

January 28, 2016

Barbie is finally going to look more real, which I'm all about. Her unrealistic body type has often been a point of contention for many criticizers over the years. And really, who can blame them? Mattel just announced in TIME magazine that Barbie will now come in three new body shapes: "petite," "tall," and "curvy," which is great, but also problematic considering that's a gross oversimplification. She also has seven new skin tones, because you know, real people aren't all the same skin color.

Mattel, according to their website, wants to illustrate more feminist ideals:

"By introducing more variety into the line, Barbie is offering girls choices that are better reflective of the world they see today. The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas collection includes 4 body types, 7 skin tones, 18 eye colors, 18 hairstyles, and countless on-trend fashions and accessories."

The new additions will be available for pre-order on Mattel's website. But it's still seen as a massive risk for the company (though, it's super sad we live in a world where being diverse is a risk), since young kids by age 6 are already conditioned to like a certain silhouette in their dolls, according to TIME. Evelyn Mazzocco, head of the Barbie brand, stated:

“I do all kinds of things for my kids that they don’t like or understand, from telling them to do their homework to eating their vegetables. This is very similar. It’s my responsibility to make sure that they have inclusivity in their lives even if it doesn’t register for them.”

Of course, the new curvy doll isn't necessarily that curvy--which some have already stated in the focus groups run by Mattel. One mom commented: “I wish that she were curvier." It's also important to note that while it's amazing Mattel is trying, women's bodies are shaped much differently than the ol'hourglass shape we idolize in the media. I don't have to tell you that women come in all shapes and sizes. Or don't all want to wear heels and miniskirts.

As a feminist who grew up playing with Barbie dolls, I'm all about changing the early ideas we plant into our children's minds (whether intentional or not), and educate our girls that bodies are beautiful no matter what shape or skin color they come in. But, I don't think offering three different body shapes is enough, either. Or seven skin colors. Is it really that hard for Barbie to sell customizable dolls? Or just have more options?

Poetry by Melissa Eleftherion

January 28, 2016

The ditch is a teen age girl
the girl is a ditch
all the little inserts
the pink gooey centers
what hardens inside

A Review of Thomas Fucaloro’s 'It Starts from the Belly and Blooms'

January 26, 2016

For me, It Starts from the Belly and Blooms is like having a conversation with myself–chaotic, messy, violent, aware, vulnerable, and scary. It’s a conversation you know the answers to but are too afraid to say. While the book is definitely am emotional journey not always easy getting through, it ends with beauty, with rebirth: “so I gave it a sound/a sunrise/a star.”

'Her': Feminism, Isolation, & Virtual Reality at Work

January 26, 2016

Yes, Her. Everyone I knew saw it–loved it, gushed about it, talked about it in a dream-like trance. To say the least, my interest was piqued–especially because I had read countless articles beforehand. I couldn’t help it, they were everywhere. In particular, one stood out where the author describes the film as essentially un-feminist, being that there isn’t a huge female presence. You could say I saw the film with the idea that women weren’t important, that they were conspicuously absent.

LISTEN: This Femme Neo-Noir Playlist Is Exactly What You Need

January 26, 2016

To me, every song is a story, and every story I read or write has a soundtrack. The two mediums have always gone hand in hand for me. I've recently turned my focus on screen writing and I see every song play out as a scene in a story. Because of this, I made this femme neo-noir playlist.

8 Women-Run Magazines We Read Everyday (& So Should You)

January 25, 2016

BY LISA MARIE BASILE

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There are literally countless gorgeous, intelligent and necessary blogs/mags/collectives out there, and we hope to one day discover, read and feature all of them, but lo & behold, time is not on our side.

So for now, we present some of our favorite magazines out there, each run, edited or funded by women.

To get a sense of each magazine, we offer up a representative article and a personal note on why we're into them. But even that can't do them justice. Please do check out these sites. You will wake up a better human being for it.

Oh, and if you have suggestions for other magazines we should feature, please leave them in the comments!

The Establishment: We're a multimedia company run and funded by women that’s predicated on a simple, yet radical notion: the world is a better, more interesting place when everyone has a voice.
The Inevitability of Creative Jealousy

Note: The editors over at The Establishment are unapologetic, brave and consistently devoted to progressive voices. They're exemplary at publishing high-quality work rather than clickbait, which is always refreshing. Also, they're funny. We here haven't quite nailed that yet.

Brown Girl Magazine: Founded in 2008, Brown Girl Magazine, LLC is an online publication tailored and targeted to young South Asian women living in the diaspora.
What Happens When You Write About Dating in a Culture Where Relationships are Taboo

Note: This magazine is dedicated to their demographic by always publishing really smart + service-oriented content that pushes boundaries and inspires readers. Also, I worked with Kamini, their managing editor, once upon a time. Kamini is veritably amazing.

Witch Craft Mag: Founded in 2015, Witch Craft is a print magazine and micropress with the goal of publishing work that moves us to believe in magic again.

Card of the Week: The King of Pentacles

Note: The coolest thing about this magazine, aside from its wonderful editors Elle & Catch Business, is that it really does create a sense of peace, creativity, magic and dedication to aesthetic. The tarot articles, poetry and overall vibe is a dream. It's a safe little place on the internet that makes life better.

The Slutist: Slutist is a sex positive feminist collective that was founded by Kristen Korvette in 2013. Slutist aims to uncover and undress the intersections between sex, gender, sexuality and feminism in art, entertainment, and politics while breaking down binaries of style/substance, brains/beauty, masculine/feminine, and virgin/whore.
Great Moments in Historical Sluttery: Messalina, Excess and Disgrace in Imperial Rome

Note: Luna Luna's staff attended the Slutist Legacy of the Witch party in Brooklyn last year and we can tell you: these ladies are badass, radical, and smart as hell. We read their brilliance on the regular.

For Harriet: For Harriet is an online community for women of African ancestry. We encourage women, through storytelling and journalism, to engage in candid, revelatory dialogue about the beauty and complexity of Black womanhood. We aspire to educate, inspire, and entertain.
Dr. Linda Chavers on #BlackGirlMagic and the Article that Started a Firestorm

Note: This is such an important publication. Its content is always of the highest quality, really pushing readers to think--they also have a badass fashion sister site, Coloures, which is really cool (they really make fashion + beauty work well). All the content has a thread of power, opinion, race, society and gender. So smart.

WEIRD SISTER: WEIRD SISTER explores the intersections of feminism, literature and pop culture. We feature essays, interviews, comics, reviews, playlists, secret diaries, and love letters written in invisible ink.
Three Pieces of Feminist Advice From Jackie “Moms” Mabley

Note: We love the pop culture aspect of this site. It's always on-point. But the most rewarding thing about WEIRD SISTER is the rotation of voices: it's diverse, always sincere, and really fun to read.

Smarty Mommies: Smarty Mommies is a website dedicated to intelligently discussing the experience of being a smart, thinking mother.
There's Hope: Clothes for Girls

Note: Our staff isn't made up of moms over here, but we sure do appreciate reading Smarty Mommies because it is a progressive blog for mothers who want to shatter stereotypes and gender roles--something plenty of other parenting sites are ignoring. Not to mention, a few of our own writers/former staff work over there, and it's nice to watch them bring the badassery to others.

Autostraddle: Autostraddle is an intelligent, hilarious & provocative voice and a progressively feminist online community for a new generation of kickass lesbian, bisexual & otherwise inclined ladies (and their friends).
Rebel Girls: 9 Queer, Feminist, and/or Gender Theorists (Who Aren’t Judith Butler)

Note: Autostraddle is just the best site. Honestly, if you're ever looking to read progressive voices or you need to be reminded that humanity has a soul, this is the site for you. Every article is smart and fun and cool, like this one about Dana Scully, everyone's favorite investigator.

Lisa Marie Basile is a NYC-based writer and editor. She’s the founding editor-in-chief of Luna Luna Magazine and keeps a blog at Ingenuex.com. Her work has appeared in The Establishment, Bustle, Bust, Hello Giggles, The Gloss, xoJane, YourTango, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and The Huffington Post, among other sites. She is the author of Apocryphal (Noctuary Press, Uni of Buffalo). Her work as a poet and editor have been featured in BuzzFeed, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, The New York Daily News, Ravishly and Bust. She currently works for Hearst Digital Media, where she edits for The Mix, their contributor network of more than 1000 writers. Previously, she was the director of content for a marketing platform, and a managing editor at a social content platform. She earned her Master's degree at The New School and attended Pace University for undergrad as well as Columbia University as one of 20 selected for an editorial workshop. She has spoken about writing or read her work at universities, such as NYU, Columbia and Emerson College.

How Can We Stop Heteronormative Parenting?

January 22, 2016

I’ve often wondered how to move away from heteronormative parenting. I want to give my kids choices — to leave room for them to be themselves, whoever that turns out to be. But it takes a conscious effort to back away from what I was raised with and what I see around me, from what is provided for us and staring us in the face. It requires forethought to present the alternatives.

George Wakes Up

January 22, 2016

She stood there staring at him wide-eyed for so long that he felt his hands go clammy, realizing his mistake too late of having fecundated yet another triviality. Finally she let out a great horse whinny of a snort, rolled her large bright eyes exaggeratedly, and began to giggle uncontrollably. She spilled onto the floor in a fit of hysteric giggles, so tickled was she by this gesture of his, so transparent in meaning. She knew she ought to stop, so as to avoid hurting the man’s feelings further, but the fact that he had found this declaration worthy of rousing her from a most comfortable slumber allowed her a few giggles more, or so she reasoned.

A LGBTQ Comic Book I'm Obsessed With: The Wicked + The Divine

January 20, 2016

My recent obsession with comic books may inconvenience my wallet, but has visually opened colorful, grandiloquent worlds for me. Already one of my favorite comic book publishers—Image Comics—recently released their collection of “Image Firsts” comics, reprints of popular and iconic comics for only $1 each. Among these is the first issue of my latest obsession: The Wicked + The Divine.

The Contemporary Poetry Book For You, According To Your Zodiac Sign

January 20, 2016

Editor’s Note: This column was cobbled together by several Luna Luna staffers. It is dedicated to pairing the zodiac with the arts, but don’t worry; this isn’t a final list. Watch out for this column again and again, as there are far too many other poets we love!

How Horror Movies Help Me Cope With Anxiety

January 20, 2016

I want movies that will give me the same feeling of dread that I experience when faced with making basic life choices. The same dread I experience when the manicurist uses what looks like a filthy towel to wipe the exfoliating slop off my feet. The flushing of my face, dropping of my heart, and drying of my tongue when I get ready to teach a new class. Give me the creature from the swamp, but don’t force me to confront the hairstylist who has stridently shamed me for chopping my own bangs.

Tori Amos & The Écriture Féminine: Boys for Pele 20 Years Later

January 19, 2016

My problem? I couldn’t find any female writers who wrote in this way. Even Cixous’s ultimate examples of écriture féminine writers were men: James Joyce and John Genet. I hadn’t discovered the postmodernist novelist Kathy Acker yet. I adored female poets like Plath and Sexton and Millay, but they seemed to assimilate into the male canon rather than defy it. But listening to Tori Amos’s 'Boys for Pele'—twenty years old as of January 22nd—felt like the purest expression of this mode I’ve been able to find. And it was a revelation.

Review of 'Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology'

January 19, 2016

When I received "Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology" (Minor Arcana Press, 2015) in the mail, I was pretty excited. Anyone who knows me even a little knows I love anything Tarot-related, so Tarot poetry is basically my favorite thing in this world. I'm happy to say this anthology did not disappoint.