Author Archives: SJF
Unburdening Our Girls
This week I am speaking to a group of teenage girls in the church Young Women’s program about my education and career. I have mixed feelings about it. I was initially flattered and surprised that an acquaintance thought to ask … Continue reading
“I’m From Nowhere”
Last winter was a tough one. Chicago was miserably cold, and I know I’m not the only one who reached a breaking point with week after week of plunging temperatures and dumping snow. It’s August now, but the rose-colored glasses … Continue reading
Unconscious Bias: I Am Not A Paralegal
I don’t have a lot of feminist gripes about my job. The legal profession is not necessarily woman- or family-friendly on a structural level, but my firm is pretty progressive and flexible. In part, this is a blessing of working … Continue reading
Mormon, Interrupted
I wrote this post months ago, before the church excommunicated Kate Kelly, and I never published it because I felt prompted to take a step back from religiously-motivated gender activism. Not because it was wrong, but because it was too … Continue reading
This is not a pregnancy announcement. When I put on a newish funky purple dress this morning, I didn’t think I would need to clarify that. I say newish because Robert gave me the dress for Christmas last year when … Continue reading
And Now For A Post On The Thing That’s Consumed My Life For The Past Year
Don’t worry, it’s not Mormon Feminism. It’s breastfeeding! Is that worse? Probably. Oh well. As my pregnancy progressed, I planned to breastfeed. I spent $300 on a double electric pump and somewhere in the $40 to $60 range on a … Continue reading
“Don’t Let Me Into This Year With An Empty Heart”
For years now, as long as I can remember, I’ve rung in the new year with a pen in hand. Not at midnight. At midnight I’m wielding the requisite fondue stick or glass of fake champagne. The real shift comes … Continue reading
Cold War
The landscape of my faith is pocked and scarred. I’m not the victim of some Holy War, though. This isn’t no scorched earth. No, this is just weather. Erosion, corrosion, wind and rain. Life. Sure, I dodged friendly fire, but … Continue reading
How To Make A Joke About Mormons
I accidentally buzzed a pair of shifty solicitors for a nonreputable energy company into my building this weekend. Dylan was wailing in my arms while I rocked her back and forth back and forth willing her to nap, Arty worked … Continue reading
Do you have that friend who makes you feel like your life is just utterly pedestrian? That insanely cool person who won’t give it a rest? Sunday morning brunches, Thursday evening benefits, Saturday karaoke, trips to Europe, worked for a … Continue reading
Bending the Rules 