SF Chronicle Book Review: Young Adults Navigate Life’s Crossroads in Hong Kong and Philadelphia →
The best fiction is able to take readers along on a journey as characters grow and evolve (or don’t, in some cases). Of course, this is especially true of the young-adult genre, where protagonists are at a crossroads in their lives between childhood and becoming an adult.
In Maurene Goo’s “Somewhere Only We Know” and Elizabeth Acevedo’s “With the Fire on High,” the authors create a distinct sense of place, as well as food and the identities that others project onto us to take the reader deeper into the lives of their main characters, Lucky and Emoni, respectively.
Goo’s novel is primarily set during one day in Hong Kong, where American-born K-pop (that’s Korean pop music, to the uninitiated) superstar Lucky (not the name she was born with) has just finished a massive Asian tour. She decides to ditch her security detail in search of a great hamburger and some freedom before she heads back to America for a late-night show appearance that should send her career to the next level.
Soon she meets Jack, another American expat who’s a photographer for a tabloid. They spend a day together — “Roman Holiday”-style — where both are trying to hide part of themselves while simultaneously getting closer to figuring out what they want in life. Lucky tells Jack her name is Fern, while he pretends he’s not going to use their day together to get his big break with the tabloid.
Through it all, there is also a food journey with each dish — from fish congee for breakfast to bao (stuffed buns) — seemingly unlocking a piece of Lucky that she’s hidden away during her time in training to become Lucky and the years thereafter. Every moment of her life (and her diet) is regulated by someone who is not her, and she might just be done with it all. Her name and her unhappy pop-star status call to mind the Britney Spears song “Lucky,” which includes the lyrics:
Early morning, she wakes up
Knock, knock, knock on the door
It’s time for makeup, perfect smile
It’s you they’re all waiting for
They go
Isn’t she lovely, this Hollywood girl?
And they say
She’s so lucky, she’s a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there’s nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night?
As Lucky and Jack traverse the city, taking it all in, she’s rediscovering the girl she once was and the woman she wants to become — and possibly falling in love. The girl everyone knows as Lucky, but whom Jack knows as Fern, might just become someone else altogether.
Emoni Santiago, the protagonist of “With the Fire on High,” already has quite a sense of self when the novel begins, yet her future is in some ways as uncertain as Lucky’s. After becoming pregnant as a high school freshman, she is living with her ‘Buela (the paternal grandmother who also raised her) and her 2-year-old daughter, Emma, or Babygirl, as Emoni calls her. She’s balancing school, motherhood, her part-time job at a burger joint, a relatively absent father (both her own and Emma’s), and a passion for cooking that she’s not sure what to do with. But will the decision to have her daughter be the one that always defines her? It does to many of her fellow students at the Schomberg Charter School she commutes to from her mostly black and Puerto Rican neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Emoni stands up for herself when necessary and has a best friend named Angelica who is pretty much a dream BFF, and the new boy in school, Malachi, seems to have a thing for her. But what could life look like after graduation? Like Lucky, Emoni’s preferred method of self-care involves food — she’s a talented cook with a knack for putting her own spin on recipes in a way that feels God-given. More than once, her talent is referred to as magical.
Her journey of self-discovery is furthered by a culinary arts class taught by a tough chef, which forces her to reexamine both what she wants out of life and how to get there. It’s also in class that Emoni is able to become a leader while fundraising for the group to travel to Spain for a week — a week that changes everything. Acevedo’s style immerses the reader in the specificity of Emoni’s life, while also making it relatable to your own.
Both novels explore the identity that young women are given by the world around them and how they navigate their own sense of self in worlds where expectations (both high and low) could end up defining them. They also offer readers a sense of place and culture that further proves the need for diverse voices, storytellers and characters in the world of young-adult fiction and beyond. Though the journeys of their characters and the writing styles differ in appropriate ways — one grittier, one glossier — spending a day (or a school year) with Lucky or Emoni is a journey worth taking.
“With the Fire on High”
By Elizabeth Acevedo
HarperTeen; 400 pages; $17.99
“Somewhere Only We Know”
By Maurene Goo
Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 336 pages; $17
Glamour: Everyone Should Watch Grey’s Anatomy’s Powerful Message About Consent →
Leave it to a Shonda Rhimes show to give us one of the most definitive episodes of television about consent that I've ever seen. This week's Grey's Anatomy took on the topic from multiple angles—and the result was incredibly emotional, powerful, and, I hope, educational.
The episode centers around Dr. Jo Karev (Camilla Luddington) in two different story lines. In flashbacks we see Jo meet her birth mother, the woman who abandoned her at a fire station as a baby. But after finally letting her mother know how much resentment and anger she still feels, Jo learns she was the product of the rape of her teenage mother.
Then, back at Grey Sloan Memorial, Jo meets a patient named Abby (Khalilah Joi), who she believes has been abused in a domestic situation. Jo, herself a victim of domestic abuse, handles the situation with care—and soon she learns Abby has also been sexually assaulted.
When Jo brings in another female doctor, Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), to help with the situation, they make sure Abby knows she is in a safe space where she can talk if she wants to. Eventually Abby reveals she was raped after leaving a bar—but she's afraid to tell her husband as well as the police, because she knows all too well that her actions may be twisted into a victim-blaming scenario. The portrayal of Abby's reaction to her trauma is powerful to watch, and so is the doctors' desire to give her agency in her treatment while holding their own emotions in check.
Once they begin collecting evidence for a rape kit (after Abby gives her OK), the process is shown in heartbreaking detail. What stood out to me is how the doctors ask their patient at each step whether she's ready to proceed. They do nothing until they hear her verbally say, "Yes." And once they do have her permission, they are methodical yet still sensitive as they swab the bite marks on her skin and take samples from inside her body. It's even more gut-wrenching when you consider that it's possible some women may not receive the same kind of care. “What you did today, with Abby, that was not protocol…it should be," Teddy later tells Jo.
But when it's time to take Abby to surgery, she tells the doctors that every man she sees reminds her of her rapist. So the women of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital line the hallway with female faces—doctors, nurses, orderlies, administrative staff—and physically block male staff from entering space. All so Abby can feel safe. At this point, I sobbed. It was an amazing visual of women standing up for other women….
Glamour: The 'Markle Sparkle' Is a Real Thing—and the Women Who Shop Because of Meghan Markle Really Feel It
In 2019 it’s hard to imagine a world that isn’t filled with images of Meghan Markle or with endless commentary on everything she does, from touching Prince Harry’s back or wearing dark nail polish. In less than two years, she made her first public appearance with her now husband, announced an engagement, got married, became a duchess, announced she was pregnant, and became one of the most photographed and influential women in fashion and beyond.
Of course, as a star of Suits and the founder of a now defunct lifestyle site (long live The Tig), Markle already had fans who followed her moves on social media and looked to her for advice on fashion, food, and travel. But the power of a burgeoning influencer is nothing compared with that of a member of the world’s most famous royal family.
There’s a name for the phenomenon that occurs when the Duchess of Sussex wears a particular designer—it’s called the “Meghan Markle Effect” or the “Markle Sparkle.” The global fashion search platform Lyst reports that, on average, whenever Markle wears something, the brand will see a 200 percent increase in search demand over the following week. The site ranks her as the third top celebrity fashion influencer of 2018, behind Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian (and ahead of Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Blake Lively).
If you’re a small fashion brand, having Markle wear your products can translate to an uptick in sales, as well as in followers and engagement on social media. Take Strathberry, a line of luxury handbags that the duchess has worn on three separate occasions, dating back to her very first official royal engagement in November 2017. Founder and co-owner Leeanne Hundleby tells Glamour they saw sales increase by more than 200 percent immediately after the first sighting.
“Visitor numbers to the website were also amazing—at one stage, they were up tenfold against our daily average,” Hundleby says. “Each time Meghan has carried one of our bags, we’ve seen a spike in sales.” Because of this demand, the Edinburgh, Scotland–based brand has been able to expand its business internationally and even open a store in London.
But the Markle Sparkle is more than just a business trend. It's something consumers feel too. “There is a distinct sense of sparkle every time I put on that [Misha Nonoo] husband shirtor the Self Portrait dress because I know she’s worn the same (or almost the same) exact thing,” says Michelle, 37, a writer and royal superfan based in New York, who purchased both items after seeing them on Markle. “It’s like the royal clothes version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: You’re just one garment away from the duchess.”
“I'm not hugely materialistic, but it's a sentimental, special, and supremely fun purchase for me,” Michelle says. “I love totally unabashedly telling people and sharing on social media that I'm wearing the same thing as Meghan or Kate—as a crazy royal watcher, I put my money where my mouth is.”
Markle's “brand” as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex—as laid out by her official speeches, engagements, and patronages—isn't incredibly different from that of Meghan Markle, actress: She's a confident woman with a passion for female empowerment and education who is using her platform to further those causes. Dressing in a way that's inspired by her can feel like you're bringing a bit of her confidence and collection along with you.
Sarah, a 34-year-old corporate attorney in Chicago, estimates to have spent around $3,500 on Markle-inspired fashion. “Meghan wears a lot of reasonable-length dresses, blazers, etc., that actually translate quite well to being professional woman in the legal industry," she says. "She wears clothes really well in a way that elevates pieces and makes them compelling. She also seems effortless in a way that I aspire to.” One of her favorite buys is her Sentaler coat, which Markle wore to Christmas services in 2017: “When I wear it, I feel like someone who has their life together, who knows what they're doing and can handle what the day throws at them," she says. "Even just seeing it in the closet, it's a reminder of ‘Oh, wait, yes, I'm a successful professional woman.’" (She’s also bought pieces spotted on Markle’s equally fashionable sister-in-law Kate Middleton.)
One of the most reliable sources for Markle’s outfit credits is Meghan’s Mirror, which documents the duchess's fashion choices. Amanda Dishaw is the site's editorial director, and she and her team started the hashtag #MirrorMeg, which women use to show off their Markle-inspired looks and has become very popular among its audience.
“I think the reason that the #MirrorMeg is so powerful is the woman behind it,” says Dishaw. “When women are looking to the Duchess of Sussex for inspiration from a fashion perspective, they’re seeing the strong, modern, and self-confident woman that Meghan is.”
Glamour: 32 Holiday Gifts for Die-hard Fans of the Royal Family →
The British royal family is so hot right now. Chances are that you have at least a handful of people in your life who spend hours poring over fan accounts dedicated to the stylish goings-on of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, and devour even the silliest of gossip coming out of the tabloids about what Prince Georgeis studying at school or whether Prince William and Prince Harry are fighting…. Do any of them have an actual connection to their royal highnesses? No. But why not make them feel like they’re but a few degrees separated from them this holiday season with a positively regal gift? Whether you want to help them relive the magic of the royal wedding or to re-create the Duchess of Cambridge’s preppy fashion, there are many ways to indulge the royal-obsessed—we rounded up 30-some of them right here.
Glamour: The Best Movies Directed by Women in 2018 →
Earlier today, the 2019 Golden Globes nominations were announced—and, yet again, the directing category is 100% male. It seems no lesson was learned from last year's ceremony, when Natalie Portman called out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the organization that gives out the awards) live on air for its lack of female nominees in the directing category.
And don't get us wrong: The 2019 Golden Globes Best Director nominees—Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuaron, Peter Farrelly, Spike Lee, and Adam McKay—are all great talents, but we find it hard to believe there wasn't one female-directed film that was worthy. Actually, we know there was more than one worthy film. So, we put together a list of our favorites from the year, below, to watch throughout awards season. These are all great works done by women, and they all feature complex female characters. Here's hoping we'll see more progress in 2020. Until then, take a look—and add these to your queue, stat.
Barbra Streisand Takes on Donald Trump in Her New Music Video →
Barbra Streisand is one of the most famous voices in the world—and she's never shied away from using that voice to share her political views. So it's fitting that the election of Donald Trump is what inspired her to create Walls, her first album of primarily original songs since 2005. "He's dividing the country," she tells Glamour. "He's pulling us apart."
Walls, which will be released on November 2, also got Streisand back into the director's chair for the music video of the first single off the album, "Don't Lie to Me." In addition to the new songs, Walls also includes Streisand's 2018 reimaginings of classics like "What the World Needs Now" and "Happy Days Are Here Again," which once served as the unofficial theme song of the Democratic party. "I tried to make the songs universal," she says. "They're not just political rants."
During Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony, Contempt for Women Was on Full Display →
As Christine Blasey Ford took her seat at a table in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee today to answer questions regarding her allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh, I was not working under any pretense that she would be treated fairly by the Republican senators, every one of them male and quite a few well past the age of 60. History (see: Hill, Anita) and the members' own reluctance to allow an FBI investigation into Blasey Ford's claims were evidence enough.
Before today's hearings even began, Blasey Ford had been referred to as "mixed up" by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and he bookended that dismissive comment by calling her "pleasing" and an "attractive witness" after her testimony today.
As today's proceedings went on, that low hum of condescension grew louder and louder.
To see how these Republican men conducted themselves in real-time blinded me with the kind of rage I haven't felt since Donald Trump loomed menacingly behind Hillary Clinton during that presidential debate back in 2016. The contempt for women was, to me, on full display and indicative of a type of behavior that we see from the right too often.
Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Predictions: 15 Things That Absolutely Must Happen →
"15 seasons of feels." That's the new Grey's Anatomy tagline, which you can see in the trailer below, and it's hella appropriate. Honestly, it's hard to believe 12 years ago a plucky group of surgical residents landed at Seattle Grace hospital and asked us, "Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"
My answer has always been a resounding YES. Since then it's been appointment television, even through the rough patches and those characters we'd rather forget. (Here's looking at you, Sloan's daughter Sloan, Penelope Blake, Eliza Minnick, and Dr. Stark….)
We've loved and lost and loved and lost and loved and lost with these doctors, and we've shared so many tequila shots at Joe's and won Harper Averys (before we found out he was a lecherous abuser of Weinstein-like proportions).
And while I have no right to ask anything of this show that's already given me so much, here are 15 things I want to see happen in season 15.
Read the full story on Glamour.com
Death Threats and Discrediting: The Treatment of Christine Blasey Ford Is a Reminder of What's at Stake for Sexual Assault Survivors →
Christine Blasey Ford. Over the past few days, you've likely heard her name on the news and across social media platforms. You might know that she's a 51-year-old research psychologist and professor in California, and you've almost certainly heard her allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were both in high school. He has categorically denied her allegations, which you also may have heard.
If you're paying attention, you'll realize a familiar narrative emerged this week, one that tends to create an invisible line between those who believe Blasey Ford's claims and those who attribute her coming forward as a partisan way to derail the confirmation of Donald Trump's second SCOTUS nominee. Immediately following Blasey Ford's decision to go public, however reluctant, doubts were raised about the veracity of the story and the motives behind it. Excuses were made about Kavanaugh's behavior—even if he did it, he was just 17. "Boys will be boys," they said. "I know how honest he is," one Senator Orrin Hatch said in defense.
In the week that the public has come to know her name, and the disturbing claims of sexual assault she unearthed, never once was Blasey Ford afforded the same benefit of the doubt. Not even now, in the age of #MeToo. In fact, a good amount of commentary about the woman who says Kavanaugh drunkenly groped her in 1982 (and placed his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream) is negative. Violent and threatening, even. This rhetoric isn't exclusive to those on the right who hope to seat another conservative justice. A quick look at Twitter reveals that many civilians are having a difficult time recognizing the credibility of her claim—yet somehow buy into Kavanaugh’s version of the story with ease. Essentially, the situation is a boiled-down version of what it means to be a woman: The burden lies on you to prove your worth and your truth.
Taylor Swift & John Green: BFFs →
Becoming Besties: On September 15, Taylor Swift takes the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium, much to the glee of Midwestern Swifties—like local star author John Green.
Who’s John Green? And what’s a “Swiftie”?
He’s the YA writer, 41, behind best-sellers like The Fault in Our Stars. She’s the planet’s biggest pop star, 28. Together, they’re our favorite power couple—in a strictly professional sense, of course. Green has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 12 years. And as Swifties (the singer’s ride-or-die fans) well know, her paramours get exhaustively documented in the celeb-gossip sphere—and in her own songs—with Green’s name never making the list. But their long-distance lovefest on social media has been setting the internet on fire for years.
First, the meet-cute.
When Swift’s new album dropped in fall 2014, Green blogged about it within hours. “I’m in Paper Towns movie meetings all day and they think I’m making notes on the script but I’m actually listening to 1989,” read his Tumblr post. An apparently agog Swift reposted his comment, with an addendum: “My. Favorite. Author. Just. Said. WHAT?!?!” Then it was Green’s turn to be stunned. He announced to his Twitter followers—5.2 million, these days—“Taylor Swift reblogged me on tumblr and called me her favorite author. Trying not to freak out.”
It was the mutual crush—a platonic one, whatever—we never knew we wanted.
Fans squee-ed all over Green’s Twitter page. Vox.com reported that the convo was “all the Taylor fanbase can talk about today.”
There May Be a Very Logical Reason We're All So Obsessed With the Royal Family Right Now →
The world can feel like an utter and complete garbage fire at times, and our news cycle is both faster and more chaotic than ever before. Just logging on to social media in the morning can send me into a panicked state before I've even brushed my teeth—and I know I'm not alone in this. But everybody deserves a reprieve from time to time, and I've finally settled into mine: royals content.
Now, I'm no newcomer to British royal family fandom. As a kid, I followed along with the ups and downs of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's relationship via my mom's People magazine subscription. I know exactly where I was when news of Diana's fatal car crash broke. And until he got serious with Meghan Markle, I used to joke that Prince Harry was my longest (fictional) relationship. Although my dream of him marrying a slightly older American woman didn't pan out exactly as I had planned, I am very happy for them.
I have devoured every episode of The Crown, The Tudors, and even the CW's Reign. I've oohed and aahed over Prince George and his siblings like a faraway aunt they'll never meet. But recently there's been a shift in my focus—and my intensity. Given the sheer number of official royal handles, royals reporters, and Instagram fan accounts, I have quite literally altered my feeds' algorithms.
In other words, I wake up to each morning to an onslaught of imagery and tweets that don't make me want to crawl back under the covers. It's a delight, this royal Xanax.
Read the full story on Glamour.com
Black Women Are Dying During Childbirth. Sen. Kamala Harris Is Working to Change That. →
"For women of color, pregnancy and childbirth are often a matter of life and death. The risk of death from pregnancy-related causes for black women is three to four times higher than for women of other races. It's something California Senator Kamala Harris has been vocal about in the past. And she's pushing to make sure this maternal mortality crisis is being recognized and rectified through new legislation, as well..."
How Justice Anthony Kennedy's Retirement From the Supreme Court Could Erode Women's Rights →
Presidents come and go, but Supreme Court justices last a lifetime—and their rulings can affect women for generations to come.
The privilege of nominating a high court judge now falls to President Donald Trump for the second time with the coming retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Trump has vowed to put conservative judges on the bench, and he kept that promise when he chose Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Antonin Scalia last year. In choosing Kennedy’s replacement, Trump could shift the court further to the right, changing the landscape on issues affecting American women—including abortion rights—and could fire up both sides of the aisle in an already tumultuous election year.
I Was One of Anne Hathaway's 'Hathahaters'—Until Now →
"Sometimes it's just easier to be snarky. It's certainly my default position more than I'd like to admit. Really, what's so wrong with being earnest or trying too hard? I remember once joking that Hathaway seemed like a not-so-great hang—but once I removed my snark-colored glasses, she was, dare I say, delightful."
What Does That Supreme Court 'Narrow Ruling' on the Same-Sex Wedding Cake Case Really Mean?
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case, siding with the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
While LGBTQ+ groups pointed out that the Court acknowledged their rights, they also noted something that was noticeably missing—Monday’s ruling was neither a hit or an advance for our current civil rights laws, as many expected it would be...
But what exactly does it mean for the LGBTQ community and religious freedom going forward? And what does it mean that the decision was “narrow"?
My First Kate Spade: 12 Women on How the Designer Impacted Their Personal Style →
"To me, that bag was a sign that I'd made it. I was a young magazine assistant at Jane in late nineties, basking in the glow of New York City and being part of a world that I had grown up dreaming about from my bedroom in Indiana. I may have had the cool job, but that didn't mean I always felt cool. Oh, but that chic black nylon bag with the small—but instantly recognizable—black and white label made me feel like I belonged. I'm 42 now, and I can still vividly remember the feeling like it was yesterday."
Read the full story on Glamour.com
This One Quote From Bill Clinton's Latest Interview Says a Lot About His Feelings on #MeToo and Monica Lewinsky →
"The conversation was an uncomfortable watch, albeit an important one. Two decades have passed, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look back and reflect on what happened in hopes of learning from the situation. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be Clinton's point of view.
Yes, it's great that he has supported women in many ways during his political career, but that doesn't absolve him from bad behavior, especially as it relates to Lewinsky. Doing good work and behaving inappropriately are two things that can be true at the same time. But the defensive and smug tone of his responses indicates to me that Clinton is unchanged in looking at the role he played in the situation.
And that's incredibly disheartening.
As women, we can continue to tell our stories, to speak our truth, to call out bad behavior that has been tolerated for far too long. But when men, especially leaders, refuse to acknowledge their own roles in the culture of harassment, progress will come much more slowly."
Read the full story on Glamour.com
Yes, That Arrested Development Roundtable Was Shocking—but Not Unfamiliar to Many Women →
"This situation will feel all too familiar to many women. Who among us hasn't sat in a meeting and been talked over by a man with a terrible idea? It's some next-level mansplaining, what Bateman is doing here. Does he really think he needs to explain the dynamics of a set to a woman who's worked in the industry for 60 years? Apparently, yes. Then there's the fact that Walter seems to feel compelled to be the one to diffuse the situation and "let it go" when none of this was her doing in the first place. That rings so true to the female experience as well."
Read the full story on Glamour.com
How One Article Changed My Perspective on Mother’s Day Without My Mom →
"If you watch television, go on the Internet, or are just engaged in the world, you know that it's Mother's Day season. It probably feels pretty innocuous to many of you, if not completely annoying. I know it did for me—until my mom died suddenly in January of 2014. Then Mother's Day changed forever.
The Mother's Day Industrial Complex is vast and all-consuming from April to early May each year. Every commercial. Every email from a brand. Every gift guide on your favorite website. Every special episode of TV. (Hell, even The Handmaid's Tale was maternally themed last week.) They all just become painful triggers after your mom dies, reminders of a relationship that you can no longer celebrate the way you'd like to. My first motherless Mother's Day came just a few short months after losing my mom, and I wasn't ready for it in any way. I was still wracked with a grief I wasn't sure would ever lessen and trying to figure out how to get through my day-to-day life. How was I going to cope on a day dedicated to moms?"
Read the full story on Glamour.com