Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain is a nicely constructed, complex tartan noir about a 20-year-old cold case; a murdered woman and her missing baby, and a missing miner. Though the book isn’t character-driven on the surface, it’s the characters who stand out for me, in particular DI Karen Pirie and Bel Richmond. Neither Bel, the ...
All women are real. I don’t mean to jump the gun, but there, I said it. I’m just so sick of women being separated into two distinct groups, one being “real” and the other “fake.” First of all, it seems downright derogatory to say that any woman is not real. I mean, is she some metaphysical ...
France has gotten rid of the terms “Mademoiselle” and “nom de jeune fille” in all official documents. The French terms for “Miss” and “maiden name” are sexist because they describe the marital status of a woman. “Miss” implies that a woman is available, something that not every woman wants shared. The idea of a maiden ...
Last week a member of Canada’s Parliament did the unthinkable. No, she didn’t infringe on anyone’s rights, didn’t offend any minorities or start any wars. NDP MP Sana Hassainia brought her 3-month-old son to work. Gasp! Don’t women, especially female politicians, know that you’re not supposed to remind people that you have a uterus! Controversy started when ...
Feminists have a bad rap. And it starts with the word. For some men and even a number of women, it tends to leave a bad taste in the mouth. Though the concept has significantly evolved over time, some people figure it still has something to do with hating men. Consequently, self-proclaimed feminists may suffer ...
First, a disclaimer. I used to work as a sub-editor on the Australian edition of FHM, a men’s magazine that was not exactly known for being politically correct. But while I may have written off-colour captions, including an alarming reference to Chuck Berry’s penis and a spooky prediction of the death of Michael Jackson five ...
![[Un]veiled Contempt: Why I Choose Not To Cover Up](http://morningquickie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Lifting-the-Veil.jpg)
Wedding veils have been a point of contention for progressive brides since the birth of feminism. “I didn’t want to walk into this life-changing event looking like I didn’t have my eyes open,” my mother, married in 1970, told me. “It didn’t make sense to me that I should want to hide myself or imply ...
Usually getting fired is a bad thing. But, somehow, this woman is happy about it. Can you imagine if this was how your man propsed to you?! “Yes” certainly wouldn’t be my answer. Amazing what they used to get away with in Hollywood, eh?
I’ll get straight down to the point. Who is responsible for educating who when it comes to issues of oppression, sexism, racism and the like? As Lena Chen of the Chicktionary eloquently writes, I don’t expect gay people to prove to me, a straight person, that there’s actually homophobia. I don’t expect poor people to ...
The Superbowl is almost here, and I couldn’t be more excited. Looking forward to getting rowdy and yelling at the TV also makes it all the more disheartening that Saudi Arabian women still aren’t allowed in sports stadiums. This has been the law for a long time, but we were reminded of the restriction this week. ...
John Burnside’s novel A Summer of Drowning takes us into the mind of Liv, a woman remembering the strange,...
Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship. ~...
Are you a couple? Aren’t you? Maybe it’s just complicated. Thanks to xkcd.
This week I had a meltdown. In its wake, the remains of a Very Nice and Thoughtful Man who...
If you are breastfeeding your child, they are less than six months old, they only eat breastmilk (no other...
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Actually, some time in the 1980s in a flat...
Dear Madame X, I have been on a few dates with a guy I met online. He is really...
Achmat Dangor’s novel Bitter Fruit begins in post-apartheid South Africa, when Silas spots the police lieutenant who raped Lydia...
