Locked

On June 26, 2024, a group of feminists whose work focuses on all things reproductive gathered to begin strategizing for the long term about how to regain the rights lost by the Dobbs decision. Our group ranged in age from seventeen to seventy-eight and included a journalist, a playwright, three actors, a novelist, two lawyers, a doctor, and the founder of a women’s health clinic. We started the meeting with a scene from Rose of

Gloves In another century he gives her a pair of chicken skin gloves. Chicken skin gloves, dark cream from the top of the bottle, worn so close the ripples of her cuticles show through—fine gloves, rolled up inside a walnut shell and carried with a ribbon. Chicken skin gloves. Draped over a mouth, they soften a beard, take the bristle out of a goodnight kiss. How’s this? Wear them to bed, your hands age free

Dear Men, This is mostly a note to straight, cis men but it also goes out to trans men, queer men, and all who participate in masculinity. If you see yourself in these words, this is a love note to you. Patriarchy (the system in which those who are perceived to belong to the social role of “man” hold the power and those perceived to belong to the social role of “woman” are excluded from

Just So Bird shadows crossthe pear tree, slashingup or down,as it slowly leafs out—events!The children like to talkabout what isor isn’t likelyto happen.“Some people dye their hairbut not many,” one saysas she colorsthe dog’s bobgreen.The effortto be definiteis cute, I think:the arch in the middleof her top lipjust so About Time 1“It all happened so fast,”God said.2Everyone knows what “once” meansJust as everyone knowsthat “now”is a new set upeven if nothing much has changed. 3Some

Was not mine becauseeven in HS, I knew I wanted no oneto track me down in later yearsor the present for the shamefulact of even getting a pap smearat PP, a pregnancy test ora procedure. So many wordsthat start with the letter P.My abortion name had to be easyto respond to when I came outof twilight, like Emma or Mandy.Like, when someone talked to mein the locker room where Wednesdayabortion patients changedinto white paper robes