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Snow White Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Laughter, pleasure, malice, and the pursuit of adult fun

Anxiety
Have You Become More Brave or More Anxious as You Age?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on October 7, 2024

Do we become less brave as we age because we treasure our lives more fully, knowing them better, or does wisdom give us courage to act on our behalf as well as to help others?

Do we become less brave as we age because we treasure our lives more fully, knowing them better, or does wisdom give us courage to act on our behalf as well as to help others?

Mating
Misogyny Disguised as Attraction Should Be Labeled HAZMAT

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on May 24, 2024

You turn to self-hatred because it's easier than hating everybody else. Maybe if you hate yourself, you have the power to change what can happen. Emotional chaos is overwhelming.

You turn to self-hatred because it's easier than hating everybody else. Maybe if you hate yourself, you have the power to change what can happen. Emotional chaos is overwhelming.

Education
Why Go to College? Is a University Education Worth It?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on May 13, 2024

It’s not what you “get” out of college that changes your life; it’s what you’re given. Knowledge, curiosity, an appetite for learning and perspective are portable property.

It’s not what you “get” out of college that changes your life; it’s what you’re given. Knowledge, curiosity, an appetite for learning and perspective are portable property.

Education
Literature vs. Ledgers: What Is College For?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on February 15, 2024

If the days of bettering oneself through a liberal arts education have transformed into simply “making more money,” then let’s just teach kids to write ransom notes.

If the days of bettering oneself through a liberal arts education have transformed into simply “making more money,” then let’s just teach kids to write ransom notes.

Anxiety
Are Holidays Not Your Thing?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on December 12, 2023

Is it wrong to confess that, especially as I age, I'm content to stay home, make a good meal, and enjoy a quiet day even when others are out jingling their bells?

Is it wrong to confess that, especially as I age, I'm content to stay home, make a good meal, and enjoy a quiet day even when others are out jingling their bells?

Anxiety
Did Your Mother Make You Feel Fat When You Were a Kid?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on November 22, 2023

Of a woman who gained weight, people once said "She lost her figure." My mother's despair at no longer being a shapely girl made me worry that a heavy woman would lose herself.

Of a woman who gained weight, people once said "She lost her figure." My mother's despair at no longer being a shapely girl made me worry that a heavy woman would lose herself.

Meg Moore
Creativity
Hercules Shoes: Disability, Visibility, Creativity, and Joy

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on August 22, 2023

A lyrical, funny, energetic memoir takes us through real-life challenges faced by a young woman whose life is informed by her disability but not erased or impoverished by it.

A lyrical, funny, energetic memoir takes us through real-life challenges faced by a young woman whose life is informed by her disability but not erased or impoverished by it.

Fantasies
Your Barbie Doll Knows Things About You. Barbie Knows a Lot.

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on June 29, 2023

The ur-Barbie gives a sideways glance, avoiding eye contact, hoping someone nearby has a Marlboro. She's not interested in what we have to say; only what we have to give her.

The ur-Barbie gives a sideways glance, avoiding eye contact, hoping someone nearby has a Marlboro. She's not interested in what we have to say; only what we have to give her.

Self-Esteem
"I'm Dining Alone, So I'll Need a Great Table": Self-Worth

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on June 12, 2023

Women resist being labeled as demanding—as if being treated with respect is unexpected and extravagant. Shouldn't we possess enough self-esteem to know our value as a patron?

Women resist being labeled as demanding—as if being treated with respect is unexpected and extravagant. Shouldn't we possess enough self-esteem to know our value as a patron?

Guilt
Which Board Game Sums Up Your Life: "Aggravation"? "Risk"?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on February 23, 2023

“Sorry!” is designed for players aged 6 and up. You learn to apologize for anything you do that helps you achieve your goal. Guilt and success become forever intertwined. What fun!

“Sorry!” is designed for players aged 6 and up. You learn to apologize for anything you do that helps you achieve your goal. Guilt and success become forever intertwined. What fun!

Not going gently into that good night
Suicide
Don't Put Me on an Ice Floe: What to Do With the Elderly

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on February 13, 2023

Dying with dignity is one thing. Having somebody under 40 tell me to seriously consider the nuanced act of dying in a convenient fashion is something else.

Dying with dignity is one thing. Having somebody under 40 tell me to seriously consider the nuanced act of dying in a convenient fashion is something else.

Friends
10 Things to Stop Doing Today!

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on October 18, 2022

Lesson No. 1. I will stop purchasing objects from flea markets, antique fairs, and online dealers in a thinly disguised quest for my long-lost and occasionally misspent youth.

Lesson No. 1. I will stop purchasing objects from flea markets, antique fairs, and online dealers in a thinly disguised quest for my long-lost and occasionally misspent youth.

Relationships
Camilla as Queen Consort: The Second Wife Wears a Crown

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on September 9, 2022

We can revise fairy tales if we choose. Intimacy, companionship, a shared sense of humor, and love can become more meaningful choices in relationships than securing primogeniture.

We can revise fairy tales if we choose. Intimacy, companionship, a shared sense of humor, and love can become more meaningful choices in relationships than securing primogeniture.

Career
Finding a Therapist: The Best Professionals Work With You

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on June 30, 2022

My therapist could read my mood when I walked into her office; it was as if she were a meteorologist and I was my own weather system. She knew and understood my inner landscape.

My therapist could read my mood when I walked into her office; it was as if she were a meteorologist and I was my own weather system. She knew and understood my inner landscape.

Loneliness
Writing on Bathroom Walls: Loneliness and Unseen Others

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on May 30, 2022

Those who care about us deeply can wound us if they don't pay attention to our true feelings. Yet a brief remark by an unknown entity can offer an authentic sense of connection.

Those who care about us deeply can wound us if they don't pay attention to our true feelings. Yet a brief remark by an unknown entity can offer an authentic sense of connection.

Media
Buffalo: Angry, Bored, Frustrated, White Gun-Lover Murderers

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on May 16, 2022

If the Columbine shooters were known as “Strawberry Muffin and Lemon Cake," maybe the mythology surrounding them wouldn’t have appealed to the next generation of disaffected youth.

If the Columbine shooters were known as “Strawberry Muffin and Lemon Cake," maybe the mythology surrounding them wouldn’t have appealed to the next generation of disaffected youth.