Ancient Grains Archive

Ranking Female Actresses in Male Drag

Previously: Male comedians in drag, ranked by attractiveness. No woman, regardless of orientation, can long resist a boyish woman dressed in a well-tailored men's vest. Whether it was this scene from Just One of the Guys or this scene from Young Americans, ...Read More

Link Roundup!

R. Kelly.

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Are you familiar with POOR Magazine? Spend some time there.

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A+ tweet: Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 9.50.35 AM

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How ...Read More

Supporting Survivors of Prison Rape

Last week I got an email from Jesse Lerner-Kinglake at Just Detention International, a health and human rights organization that "seeks to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention." She thought Toast readers might be interested in participating in their holiday campaign to send letters and cards to prisoners who have ...Read More

The Chickenhead In Me: Hip-Hop Feminism

I can remember the precise moment I fell in love with hip-hop. It was 2003, and I was 14. I was mesmerized when the first notes of Nas’ “Ether” rattled the radio’s speakers. His raspy voice and aggressive cadence captivated me as he hurled insults for more than four minutes at fellow ...Read More

Our Middlemarch Book Club: Part Two

If you’ve somehow missed being hounded by me to read (first) Middlemarch and (in the New Year) My Life in Middlemarch, you can catch up here. I thought our last discussion was delightfully engaging and sprightly, and I really appreciate how many of ...Read More

You’re Not Watching Enough Blade

I read Dracula for the first time when I was ten years old.  It kind of made me feel weird about sex -- at least, I realize now it made me feel weird about sex. But I still got up at 6:00 one morning to watch the Hammer Horror version of Dracula ...Read More

On Not Having a Story About Losing Your Virginity

When was your first time? What was it like? These are bonding questions in this society, in which we are supposed to gain intimacy by sharing the the awkwardness and gentleness and oddness of our burgeoning sexualities. There’s a whole show devoted to the question, in which ...Read More

Lip Gloss, Joshua Harris, And The Woman I Was Supposed To Be

There are seven children around the table. My youngest brother has yet to be born. When he is, he will bring the total to eight. But for now, there are seven children circled around the broad oak table in the kitchen. The dishwasher hummed and ratted and the counters were wiped clean. ...Read More