The Cheerleader captures what it feels like to be a teen and trying to figure out who you will become as an adult as well as the intensity of discovering and coming to terms with your sexuality.
23
May
May
May, mental health awareness month, makes me more aware than usual of the standard narrative that goes along with mental health—medication and therapy are the fixes. This May 60 Minutes aired U.S. kids grappling with mental health crisis made worse by the pandemic and it focused on the months-long wait time for teens to receive […]
01
May
May
Netflix nailed handling how the nuances of racism played out in the two-hour documentary The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch yet failed to address the mental health and addiction issues in the 2022 four-hour long Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. docuseries. Bad Vegan focuses on the rise and fall of New York City […]
27
Feb
Feb
Author Dana Spiotta noted So’s ease with traversing so many different subjects, “from pop culture to genocide to the deep tentacles of the family romance with unfailing precision, wit, and sensitivity.”
10
Jan
Jan
How teachers are characterized in the 2007 movie Freedom Writers makes me jump out of my skin. Freedom Writers portrays the four years brand new teacher Erin Gruwell taught English at Long Beach, California’s Wilson High School. It is highly unusual for a teacher to have the same students for English classes all four years […]
06
Dec
Dec
What would it sound like if you were singing for your life? Singing to stay alive? Paris Winningham’s voice has been haunting me this season of The Voice. The semi-finals are tonight. The competition is down to eight singers. Vote for Paris at NBC.com or by downloading The Voice app. Between my daytime job, writing […]
22
Nov
Nov
Former mayor of Stockton Michael Tubbs gave a recent interview to the Los Angeles Times regarding his new memoir The Deeper the Roots. He talks about learning from rejection, “‘Nos’ are such a gift,” he says. “Not the ‘no’ in and of itself, but what you learn from the ‘no.’”
03
Oct
Oct
Why would a brilliant, young, beautiful woman kill herself? Heather Clark’s new biography, Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, digs deep into the life and times of literary legend Sylvia Plath. It sheds light on the trajectory and treatment of her mental health condition and what role key interpersonal relationships […]
31
Jul
Jul
The more I learned about the intricacies of depression and anxiety, the more amazed I became by all the factors that could influence them. A number of years ago, I shopped a proposal for a book entitled Depression Zappers: 45 Ways to Fight the Blues and the Blahs. The book would provide brief engaging descriptions […]
07
Jun
Jun
It is possible to live in a bubble and ignore everyone and everything outside that bubble. However, when the product you sell contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance, and the long-term use of nicotine has been linked to addiction and long-term health consequences, it’s time to venture outside your cozy bubble.