To be pure or not to be?

In The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti dissects the modern trappings of the virgin-whore dichotomy

American Wife   Issue #37

By Curtis Sittenfeld

When there is no choice

24 essays on abortion show that when scaled back to an individual context, the politics of the womb melt away

Culture and couture

Judith Thurman's collection of essays Cleopatra’s Nose can be the most pleasurable or painful reading experience imaginable, depending on the subject

RIP Madeleine L’Engle

The Wrinkle in Time writer took us through space and time in the company of her realistic heroines

They did what to look good?

Emma Forrest's 'Damage Control' exposes the plucking, contorting, and slicing that goes on in the name of female self-improvement

Jessica Valenti

With a new book, Full Frontal Feminism, this blogger is putting the ‘in’ back in feminism

Book Reviews   Issue #31

Dork Whore

'Lucky' by Gabrielle Bell

An honestly drawn graphic novel chronicles the downs and outs of the hipster-artist lifestyle

'The Thirteenth Tale' by Diane Setterfield

This enjoyable spine-chilling tribute to the gothic mystery novel tries hard to keep up with the genre it celebrates — and loses pace

This is what it’s like to be a real California girl

In Myriam Gurba's short-story collection, Dahlia Season, we meet young Mexican Americans coming of age in unorthodox ways

M.I.A.   Issue #33

With big love for her mama and her signature punk approach to dance music, is she the modern girl next door or the most exciting thing since riot grrrl? We're convinced she's both.

By Anne-Marie Payne

Get into Flower Arranging

By Cortney Heimerl

Elsie Flannigan of A Beautiful Mess

By Amy Strauss

Venus Zine Crowns the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll!   Issue #44

PART 1: STAFF PICKS

By Venus Zine Staff

The Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time, H–M   Issue #35

By Venus Zine Staff

Fans get double doses of rain and Radiohead at All Points West

August 8-10, 2008, at Liberty State Park

By Dominick Mastrangelo