Monthly Archives: December 2013

A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2013

“I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians.” Francis Ford Coppola

“Now more than ever we need to talk to each other, to listen to each other and understand how we see the world, and cinema is the best medium for doing this.” Martin Scorsese

First, I’m a cinephile not a film critic. Yet, like a critic, I’m able to talk about films pretty intelligently; I see a lot of movies, I often write about them, make recommendations to friends and family and followers of my blog. I’m informed and I’ve studied the art of film-making, not from behind the camera or in the classroom, but in the audience where I believe it counts the most. Continue reading

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Snow Days

It is the morning after the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice. Snow in big fluffy flakes is falling sideways, blowing easterly. Yesterday’s ice glazed trees and roads today are flocked in white. It is a snow day in Wisconsin. Continue reading

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Conversations w/My Next Girlfriend: Episode 3

Dear Next Girlfriend,

First, I want to apologize for not staying in touch. This is such a busy time of year with family gatherings, work parties, get-togethers with friends and the cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, gift-exchanging that comes with the holiday season. Last night, I was out on a Saturday night for the first time in a long time to the Madison Area Lesbian Women’s Social Meetup Group Holiday Potluck. Yes, it’s the season for holiday potlucks. The one last night was a good one for many reasons: lots of women I didn’t know (refreshing for a change), good food, and a lively White Elephant gift exchange.  Continue reading

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A Gender Journey in Three Vignettes

Preface

This week when beginning to write a piece for my LGBTQ Narratives Activist-Writers group, I was in a fog. The prompt was a broad subject, gender, and in fact I had suggested it. It is a topic that interests me. It’s a dynamic subject, it affects perception, language, challenges assumptions, and forces us to adapt to our changing culture, roles and identities. Continue reading

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