Highly unQualified: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos

Thirty-five years’ experience as a public educator, and it comes down to this. I somehow knew all along that I’d be sorry for getting a teaching degree and wasting my life’s work on educating children and young people. How could I possibly save enough money to buy that job as Read more

Marsha Owens

Marsha is a retired educator who lives and writes in Richmond VA. Her favorite quote for these troubled times: “Take your broken heart and turn it into art.” (Meryl Streep) Her work has been published at NewVerseNews, The Wild Word, and Life in 10 Minutes. #Resist

Crunches and Compassion: Transgender Rights and the Cisgender Community

I began referring to him privately as “The Swede.” From in between my crunches on the exercise mat, I snuck glances at his pale, chiseled face. His square jaw and high, sculpted cheekbones stood out as if his face was sketched from the pages of a superhero DC comic. I Read more

Sheila Moeschen

My name is Sheila, I'm a Boston-based writer and regular contributor to the Huffington Post; I primarily write creative nonfiction. My work has appeared on MariaShriver.com, Niche Literary Journal, and Red Line Roots. In 2015 my blog, Spirit Meets Bone was awarded a WordPress Freshly Pressed designation and featured as part of their Discover New Writers gallery.

Day 156: On Knowing the Nine Justices. On Becoming a Feminist.

When I was 13, I let a boy violate me. I let him. Because I thought that was the only way he would love me. When I was fourteen, I let a boy abuse me. I let him. I opened my arms and heart to him and let him crawl Read more

Amye Archer

Amye Archer holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Her memoir, Fat Girl, Skinny, was named runner-up for the Red Hen Press Nonfiction Manuscript Award, and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She has two poetry collections: BANGS and A Shotgun Life, both published by Big Table Publishing. Amye’s work has appeared in Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write, Nailed Magazine, PMS: Poem Memoir Story, PANK, and Provincetown Arts. She is the creator of The Fat Girl Blog.

The Thin Line Between Funny and Mean

“There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” ―Erma Bombeck This morning I was playing on my favorite Monday morning activity, #MondayBlogs, created by online book marketing guru, author, and poet Rachel Thompson @RachelintheOC, and I came across an interesting tweet. Typically, Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.

Why I Won’t Spend $1 at Whole Foods

I would like to believe, that we are a country built on assured values. One value that most of us would hopefully agree on is that sexual violence, against children, women, and men – is a reprehensible act. The facts tell a different story: 1 in 5 girls and 1 Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

Melania Trump, What is Your Truth?

“The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”- Martin Luther King Jr. The world has currently Read more

Sophie Winik

I was a writer for I Am That Girl, a place that helps empower young girls. A place that was so safe I knew I could write about personal things and feel safe in doing so. Not only that but a place where my words would make a difference. And that is something I continue to be passionate about. To share my truth, even if it means I have to show my own vulnerability, and make a difference. To use my voice as an outlook for others. To help inspire and encourage others to share their truth. If I have made a difference to one single person, I know I have done good.

We Are Present. We Are Aware.

I am a part of something much bigger than myself. I woke up and decided to do good. I dragged my dad out of his office and told him we needed to go downtown to march for my rights, human rights. On January 21, 2017, I participated in the San Read more

Alana Marcelino

With everything going on in the world, it is important to know just how powerful your voice can be. Through art, music, writing, whatever; we can really do something about the world that often feels like is trying to silence us. Writing seems to be the best form of communication for me, so here it is. As a young adult or teen in this generation, it can feel like the people of generations above us don't believe we can really make an impact. This world is just as much ours as its there's. I am on the brink of growing up, and I want the world I am a part of to really pay attention to everyone in it, not just a select few.

The Resistance

these are the times that try men’s souls indeed I tell myself just keep calm and breathe and resist, resist, resist these are the waking hours no one has a monopoly on anger we have it we are the inheritors the everyday warriors the true patriots not the sunshine ones Read more

John Michael Antonio

John Michael Antonio is a freelance writer, photographer, poet and screenwriter. He claims his Midwestern roots while at the same time admitting his incurable and insatiable love and addiction for all things New York City. He has been the husband to his wife, the love of his life, for almost thirty years and is a father of three wonderful children. He is an unapologetic male feminist as well as a passionate lover of fashion, art, movies and music from all eras and genres. An endless dreamer, John Michael is also an avid historian, ex-punk rocker and a legendary Internet surfer who sleeps, on average, about four hours a day. His work has also been featured on The Good Men Project.