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How Chocolate Reached the Eastern Hemisphere
Originally published at Curationist. In the past 500 years, chocolate has gone from a spiritually significant Central American beverage to a global culinary commodity. It inspired reverence and debate, while the European appetite for chocolate fueled colonial exploitation. Ceremonial cacao cups and delicate porcelain vessels chart the evolution of this “food of the gods.” Introduction…
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Getting Into Drag With the Stars of “We’re Here” Proves Queerness Is Always Political
It’s raining in New York this November morning, one of the first really cold rains of the season. But Shangela’s suite at an upscale Manhattan hotel is warm and floral. Orchestral Taylor Swift plays in the background, and a candle burns on her coffee table. Shangela loves a scented candle. Lighting one is part of…
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Art of the Atomic Bomb
This article originally appeared at Curationist. The American development of the atom bomb heralded a new chapter in the human power to destroy. These images document the invention, use, and dangers of the first nuclear weapons during World War II and the postwar period. American propaganda attempted to erase the experiences of Japanese victims. Introduction…
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How Trauma Affects Your Body — And How Your Body Protects You
“I’m on an anti-resilience kick right now,” says Dr. Janelle S. Peifer, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Richmond. It is, at first glance, a surprising statement. The founder of The Center for Inclusive Therapy and Wellness, Peifer supports clients, especially women of color, as they process the ongoing traumas of patriarchy, heterosexism,…
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How Affirmative Consent Can Up Your Massage Game
How Affirmative Consent Can Up Your Massage Game When you hear the word “massage,” what comes to mind? One of the most popular images is of a thin, white woman relaxing on a table. “Massage therapy is so often put on a pedestal in a privileged way,” says J Sheffield, a body worker, massage therapist,…
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How to Be a Good Friend (And What to Look for In Others)
From children’s movies centered on the princess marrying the prince, to adult social events that exclude folks who aren’t coupled, our society draws a stark distinction between romantic love and friendship. Typically, romantic love comes out on top. Yet, according to Candrea Davies, “The conversation around healthy friendships to me is the conversation around healthy…
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Is Casual Sex for Me?
Recently, I realized I’d never had casual sex. Let me clarify: I’ve had a lot of sex with people I didn’t have an intimate or committed relationship with. At the time, I would have called it casual. But something nagged at me. Most of those experiences felt unfulfilling, often boundary-violating, and left me emotionally hungry.…
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The Art of Gifting a Sex Toy
It’s February again, and love is in the air. And by “love,” I mean, “the sweet buzz of my favorite vibrator.” Valentine’s Day, with its many corporate advertisements commodifying romantic love, can be a grating holiday. But it doesn’t have to be. Whether single, partnered, polyculed, or somewhere in-between (we see you, situationships), we can…
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A Guide to Learning What Turns You On
Every couple months, I’ll have a twinge of anxiety. “I’m a sex writer,” I’ll think. “I’ve written about sex, for a living, for years.” And yet, my own desires often feel like little hummingbirds I’m just waiting to alight on my hand. Do I actually want to have sex with that person, or do I…
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Virginia Woolf and the Complexities of Cottage Loaf
WHAT WE MOST OFTEN REMEMBER from Virginia Woolf’s 1929 essay A Room of One’s Own are her thoughts on real estate: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Yet Woolf also recommends something that’s less commonly cited, but no less important—a good meal. She writes, “One cannot think…
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Reina Gattuso 