Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Menstruation and the Moon
I was taking a while to make my post for today because I had many thoughts running through my mind but was having a hard time keeping organized. I apologize ahead of time to my "male" readers for what I am about to write about, however, I do believe that this is not only a very natural thing and shouldn't be considered gross or weird in any way it's also something pretty cool to read about and know.
Celia SanchezPublished 3 years ago in VivaThat Ain't Ego- That's How We Go With Black dynamite
This piece is dedicated to all the women of color who, in embracing their strength, taught me to harness my own. I have come across a lot of authors on my journey to become a semi-successful writer. There have been many strong women whose stories and words have inspired me and made me become more confident. From Joyce Carol Oats to Alice Walker and lastly Maya Angelou, each of them had one thing in common: These women were honest in their expression of a world that tried to contain them. They took this same world and liberated many through their stories. In participating in their journey to find themselves and in their love for truth, I've realized the power of my own words. From a girl and then to a woman, I have been endlessly inspired, everyday, to become the best version of myself.
2 minutes of Redirection
Covid- 19 had me bent all-the-way out of shape. I got laid off the job I always loved to complain about pretty early on, and now had the time to do whatever I so pleased. A small percentage of the laziest part of me was ecstatic for the time off but simultaneously I was weirdly worried to death that I would have nothing to show for all this free time I had spent many years wishing for.
Ashanty FebPublished 3 years ago in VivaAll About Corsets
The corset has a bad reputation. And unfairly so, according to real women, and actual evidence, who say this undergarment of centuries past is not nearly as evil or confining as modern folks have come to believe. First, though, a bit of quick history - The corset has been an indispensable article of clothing for several centuries in Europe, evolving as fashion trends have changed. Women, as well as some men, have used it to change the appearance of their bodies. The corset first became popular in sixteenth-century Europe, reaching the zenith of its popularity in the Victorian era. While the corset has typically been worn as an undergarment, it has occasionally been used as an outer-garment; corsets as outer-garments can be seen in the national dress of many European countries. Even as it gained popularity, the corset was not worn by everyone. Mary, Queen of Scots, for example, did not wear a corset. During the reign of Louis XV of France and again during the French Revolution, the corset went out of style, as the fashions were simpler. But, what you know as a corset, and the term corset itself only came into use at the start of the Victorian era (1820s and 1830s) and lasted up through the 50s and 60s. Previously, women (and mostly in England - the french were less keen on them) wore stays. In early 16th century Europe, corsets called “payre of bodies'' or ‘stays’ pushed the breasts upward and shaped the torso into a slim cylinder, thanks to boning made of horn, buckram or whalebone, and a flat wooden “busk” running down the center. But by the 17th century, corsets took on more of a cone-like shape, often made of two separate pieces of boned fabric known as stays, held together in the front with the busk. For a brief time, from 1800 to 1830, the Napoleonic high “empire waist” allowed for short stays to reign briefly.
Jules MonfortPublished 3 years ago in VivaWhat Women Should Know About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones, which creates problems in the ovaries. Ovaries make the egg that is released every month during a woman’s menstrual cycle. The effect of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is that the egg may not develop as it’s supposed to or it may not be released as it should be during a woman’s ovulation process.
Terry MansfieldPublished 3 years ago in VivaCuz I'm My Own Soulmate
Thick. Sassy. Gorgeous. Those were my first thoughts as I watched her music video for "Truth Hurts" with my sister. My second thought, I want to be her when I grow up.
L. M. WilliamsPublished 3 years ago in VivaTransformative Trajectory - Possible new horizon for women in the music industry.
There are many societal viewpoints, processes and systemic structures that mean it is not easy for women to own their sovereignty in music. For women to get to this point it is important to ask the question “ What would need to be true, to allow this to be?”
Abigail Rooley-TowlePublished 3 years ago in VivaIf You Talk to Me About Sexual Abuse One More Time I Swear I'm Gonna Hug You
This story was supposed to be about the recent wave of #MeToo incidents in my country, Greece. But as I waited for it to grow, it became more than that.
Giorgos PantsiosPublished 3 years ago in Viva#21
#1 Getting through the time of the month without breaking up with your boyfriend, disowning your family or being an object of embarrassment.
Olivia AnastasiouPublished 3 years ago in VivaAyn Rand: The Unknown Ideal Woman
Two morally perfect men came out of the mind of Ayn Rand. From her two most popular novels, The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957), Howard Roark and John Galt, respectively, exemplify the grandeur of what it means to be an absolutely ethical person. Their genius may surpass the common man, but anyone can relate to their ironclad virtues. All of which Miss Rand made possible.
Skyler SaundersPublished 3 years ago in VivaI Was Assaulted 4 Months Ago. Now What?
In October, an ex of mine had sex with me without my consent. Afterwards, when I approached them explaining how violated I felt, they told me I was wrong and accused me of trying to 'ruin' them. Despite having a black belt they created a narrative of being afraid of me that relied on misogynoir and painting me as an angry black woman. After launching a uni investigation that was mishandled at every turn and incredibly traumatic for me, I was told that there wasn't enough evidence to go further. My rapist then used this outcome to tell people I was lying, outing personal and sensitive information to friends. Despite the fact that I had actually gone out of my way to protect their reputation, and encourage their friends to support them, nothing I did stopped them from believing I was lying.
Luwa AdebanjoPublished 3 years ago in VivaJennifer Hudson goes for the real and emotional
As I sat down on my floor, overhead lights off, lamp on, snacks within reach and journal open ready to take notes, I could only think of three words to define the In Conversation Panel I had watched.
Kaitlynne RainnePublished 3 years ago in Viva