I’ve been on a forced hiatus from writing because of tendonitis, brought on by too much writing and the added labours of gardening. Honestly, that’s the only thing I’ve been doing differently! It’s a demanding art/craft that I’m really enjoying, but also must put on hold. When I take Elliott on her 30-minute morning strolls…
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I'm an Associate Professor in the School of Health Studies at Western University in London, Ontario. An anthropologist with cultural and medical expertise, I conduct ethnographic research with women and others in sex work, people with HIV/AIDS, and Indigenous populations. My special research interests include sexuality and sex work, gender, marginalization, and the politics of health. Along with contributing to different academic and community settings through her research and activism , I enjoys creative writing and recently had a poem published in Anthropology and Humanism, entitled ‘Arboreal’ I'm currently working on on a manuscript that examines how feminist culture, sexuality, and gendered power dynamics are being (re)configured through Bumble, the worlds first ‘feminist’ dating app. I live with my cat, Elliott, and enjoy yoga, engaging with the arts, travelling, spending time with family, and finding new ways to experience the world.
Why am I obsessed with Big Little Lies?
I have asked my mom to get me the book Big Little Lies, by Australian author Liane Moriarty, for my birthday. In our family birthday lists are still requested and happily furnished, even on the cusp of my 48th year. Last night I finished watching the two-season series for the second time in as many…
Read MoreIn case you missed it
We all have our morning routines, right? Mine usually begins with pretending to be asleep while Elliott, my lovable and domineering orange Tabby cat, patrols the parameters of my bed. I lay motionless while she does her rounds and then hops on the bed, heading straight for my face. There are incredibly urgent things that…
Read MorePalm
Love travels a sticky flow of energies that ignite, excite, and sometimes cool. The meaningful relationship I Tindered my way into a year ago has come to a close. My heart is tender but ok. This relationship taught me a lot and was by far my most healthy, which I’m proud of and grateful for.…
Read MoreWe love you Michelle, but dating is more than monogamy & marriage
It feels sacrilegious to disagree with the former First Lady, but her recent comments about Tinder demand some teatime. On the September 6th episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast with guest Conan O’Brien, she said: “you can’t Tinder your way into a long-term relationship.” The dating app dis prompted hundreds of people to post their Tinder success…
Read MoreFlushing our stresses away: How Bathrooms Can Save Us During Covid Joan Didion’s epic book The White Album opens with the line: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” These eight words of clarion wisdom ring with urgency as biological and social unrest sweep the globe. Whether it’s baking, sewing, or writing, people are…
Read MorePlaid Blues
Leaves dappled with black spots blow into my yard with more frequency, signalling the onset of Fall, the season of sweaters, boots, and back to school. I loved getting my “Supply List” at the beginning of the year and used to gleefully skip down the clothing and stationery isles at Macleod’s, the discount department store…
Read MoreEmerald
We are drawn to the things we need, so goes the gemstone lore. If courage and protection are required, reach for tiger’s eye. Tapping into calming feminine energies that also ignite your intuition can be accomplished with the blue marble beauty of rainbow moonstone. Emerald recently spoke to me from inside a homespun store full…
Read MoreThings are wild
Yesterday was full all kinds of love that stretched across my divergent relationships. There was eros in the morning and sprinkled throughout the day, mediated by voice and letters strung across small screens. There was friendship love, too. It felt grounding and made me smile with much gratitude. Primal love of the kind that streams…
Read MoreWhy should I perform your erotic capital?
The responses to my public writings about dating have been very varied. I’ve had lovely emails, article comments, and DMs from women and men who support and relate to my experiences about sexuality, gender and digital life more broadly. The trolls, incels, and conservatives who ‘believe in equal rights, just not feminism’ have also crawled…
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