Materfamilias Writes

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About: an Epistolary Exchange

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About: an Epistolary Exchange

Yesterday, in the (Paris) Pompidou Centre’s exhibition of Alice Neel’s important and startling and often subversive work, I snapped a photo of this portrait of her, at 80, by Robert Mapplethorpe. I think his portrait offers itself as an intriguing counterpoint to an email conversation I had with a blog reader, an epistolary extension of the space I’m trying to clear here for chatting among ourselves about Women + Age + Sexuality. Click through to read more.

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As We Are: Women + Sexuality + Age

As We Are: Women + Sexuality + Age

A few months ago I wrote about a literary excerpt that featured a 60-something woman thinking back on a long sexual relationship with her husband. I wondered if there was room here for a conversation about topics that excerpt could open — and received many encouraging comments indicating interest. So I’m starting that conversation today with a memory of a Sixty-something birthday lunch I attended when I was young — Fortyish-young, at least. Then I turn to a memoir to introduce a Very Bold Sixty-Something (she did What?!) and hope by the end of the post, I’ve made some space for us to chat. Please click to read more.

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Book Chat Time Again: what I read in July

Book Chat Time Again: what I read in July

It’s that time again. Time for me to share the books I read last month and then for us to chat in the comments below about what you’ve been reading. If we hurry, we still…

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Getting (Productively) Messy with Maggie Nelson. . .

Getting (Productively) Messy with Maggie Nelson. . .

Despite all the other tasks calling to me from/for this blog, most of them pleasurably if time-consuming, I’m going to take a few minutes to transcribe a paragraph from Maggie Nelson’s memoir The Argonauts. Nelson’s…

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Reading Enroute — Trains, Planes, and Hotel Rooms . . .

Reading Enroute — Trains, Planes, and Hotel Rooms . . .

Settled in Bordeaux now, and I’m hoping to get back to a more regular blogging practice, but we’ll see… I’ve read the next ten chapters of Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend for our ReadAlong, and I’m putting…

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Copyright

Unless otherwise stated, all words and photographs in this blog are my own. If you wish to use any of them, please give me credit for my work. And it should go without saying, but apparently needs to be said: Do not publish entire posts as your own. I will take the necessary action to stop such theft. Thanks.