A Feminist Countdown to 2011 ~ Day Four

See the full calendar here.

A Feminist Countdown to 2011 ~ Day Three

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A Feminist Countdown to 2011 ~ Day Two

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A Feminist Countdown to 2011 ~ Day One

From my post over at the Ms. Blog:

When I was a very young child, I received a late November package all the way from my grandmother in Germany. It was a large, cloth Advent Calendar, designed to hang on the back of my bedroom door and fitted with little pockets, one for each day leading up to December 25. In each pocket she’d stuffed a tiny toy or bit of candy for me to retrieve day by day. I took so much pleasure in this calendar that my parents felt compelled to fill it for me each year around the holidays, well into my preteens.

I wanted to pass on the joy of this countdown-of-treats to Ms. readers. So, I present to you a secular version of my childhood calendar to help us at the Ms. Blog count down to 2011.

As the days pass, you’ll see more and more of the image behind the dates revealed. You’ll also be offered links to virtual feminist “treats”–a video, a game, a story. Check back each day to see what’s next!

Presenting my Feminist Advent Calendar! Day One is up...



(Click here to visit the home page with the full calendar)

Sex, Lies and Ballet: Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan

My review of Aronofsky's thriller Black Swan, opening on Friday, is up over at the Ms. Blog. Here's an excerpt and the trailer:

From now on, when someone claims that they were on the “edge of their seat,” I will always think of director Darren Aronofsky’s newest film, Black Swan, opening nationwide December 3. By the time the credits rolled, my hands were sore from gripping the armrests and my body protested with audible pops as I stood to exit the theater.

Black Swan is a top-form thriller–visceral, moving, and stunningly beautiful–but it’s also a film about the darkness our own minds conjure up when we’re overwhelmed by ambition. Aronofsky, whose other recent films (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) evidence a similar fascination with the intense humanity and obsessive desires of his characters, brings us, with Black Swan, a powerful and poignant glimpse into the fever dream of a perfectionist ballerina. However, there are moments when his narrative falters and when it feels like the director’s pandering to a mainstream audience that may not actually need to be seduced.

Read the rest here.

Coming Soon...

Just a note to say that new and exciting content is coming soon! I have a review coming out this week over at the Ms. Blog of Darren Aronofsky's balletic thriller Black Swan (starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel).

And, on Wednesday, I'll reveal my (epic!) Feminist Advent Calendar. Stay tuned!