Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
On My Complicated Relationship with the Word “Okay”
Let me start with what I saw. The expanses above me were an aged off-white with the wildest, strangest assortment of clouds you can think of. Texture. Icy tile held accountable by gravity unyieldingly pressed itself to the back of my head, my shoulder blades, me, as I look up into the restless sea of plaster directly above me. A finite sky of drywall. The floor vent to my left puffs its wispy breaths, the plumbing pipes swishing fluid below me and above me and all around the tiny bathroom in which I laid. I didn’t feel; I saw.
By F. Elle Hull2 years ago in Viva
The Great American Tampon Shortage
So far this year, Americans have experienced shortages in baby formula, camp counselors, child care workers, lifeguards, and swim lesson teachers. It’s not a stretch to say, it’s been a rough year for parents. Add in record-high gas prices, and this summer does not look to be a fun one.
By Jennifer Geer2 years ago in Viva
The Dystopia I Feared Is Upon Us
I am a writer. Words and the stories I create with them are my identity and my life's purpose. But every now and then I go through these "no writing" spells, where the stories and words just won't come. I'm starting to recognize that these spells coincide with world events, over which I have no control. I'm trying little tricks to fool myself into storying, like leaving my docs open to the next paragraph or feeding my brain inspiring stuff–books, movies, videos–to get over the hump. But this time, as we face the defeat of women's reproductive freedom in the United States, the words won't come. All I can see is The Handmaid's Tale in my mind, which leaves room for nothing else.
By Hillora Lang2 years ago in Viva
Women in Television are Getting Messier, and that's a Good Thing
I love a good antihero. If the success of shows like "Breaking Bad" is any indication, I'm not alone. We love to cheer on a flawed character. We find ourselves rooting for characters like Walter White, whose actions progress from illegal to downright immoral and evil, at times. We can empathize with a villain's backstory, and understand how they became who they are.
By Maria Wallisch2 years ago in Viva
I didn't want to write this post
I didn’t want to write this post, because I have a story I want to write about a middle-aged woman who … blah, blah, blah. I’m not going to give away plot points here. I also want to write some new jokes for my stand up. And I don’t want to write any jokes about violence against women, whether it is verbal, physical or institutional.
By Rachel Robbins2 years ago in Viva