Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
The Summer Cottage: 4 Stars
The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman tells the story of a woman who finds herself later in life. Through her wish to break free of the chains that have held her back for so long she makes a life-changing decision in order to honor the past of her family and her current desires. Below I've included a brief summary along with my recommendation for Viola Shipman's novel, The Summer Cottage.
By Leah Lawrence 2 years ago in Viva
Body Acceptance
Like most (if not all) women and girls, I have insecurities about my body. I’ve had these insecurities since I was nine years old. I take after the women in my mother’s family, curves everywhere. Even when I’ve been at my skinniest, I’ve had curves. Wide hips, big chest, and always a bit of fat around my belly, thighs, calves and upper arms. I’m 5’5, and my skinniest was 135lbs, wearing a size 2. My weight has gone up, then down, then up, then down, then up again. I’m currently 255lbs, wearing a size 20. I feel the same way about my body now, as I did then. As far as I can tell, those curves and that thickness is always there. The only difference is how obvious it is in photos, how big those curves are. I’ll never have a flat stomach. My arms and legs will never look skinny in proportion to the rest of me. These are facts.
By Erin O'Neil2 years ago in Viva
Be Your Own Hero
I’ve been pondering the subject of “Be Your Own Hero”. Here in the Western world, and maybe your part of the world also, we were told fairy tales in which a ‘hero’ came along and rescued the fair maiden who was in dire straits, be it a dragon, evil stepmother, witch, sorcerer, greedy king or whatever. This instilled in us as young female children, that we needed an outside influence to rescue us from whatever life brought us that was beyond our control to overcome.
By Jean Sumrall2 years ago in Viva
Why I will not give up on the Red Dress
She's there. She's always there. Carefully hung in my wardrobe and laying at the back of my mind whenever she feels like to. I sometimes forget about her, and sometimes, I cannot help but worship her. She's me, and I am her. I love and despise her, for I know I should probably forget about her. But I will never, and here's why.
By Bérengère Balteau2 years ago in Viva
My Mind An Artist, My body The Canvas
Growing up, I’d revel in all the mysterious ways to make myself beautiful. Straightening my hair, learning how to use eyeliner, plumping my lips, the best overnight cure for a pimple. What outfits were trendy? What made me look amazing? Anything! The world was my oyster when it came to beauty.
By Aathavi Thanges2 years ago in Viva
B.L.T.
To fully understand my plight, you should know that by the seventh grade, my baby sister had breasts that could rival a pornstar's. They grew in less than a week. On Monday, they were little salt piles that she refused to tuck into a training bra, and come Friday, our apartment was echoing with the sound of shower drizzle mixed with screams of, "Where did those come from?" and, "Mom, shut the curtain! Ohmygod—"
By Eilish Toohey2 years ago in Viva
I am Human, and Nothing Human is Alien to me
In the light of the release of ‘Framing Britney Spears’ documentary, portraying, what seems to be a perpetual tragedy, Spears’ life, I decided to make a little YouTube search and ran across a fan-made documentary series, and the story of Spears’ life shook me.
By Autumn Rose2 years ago in Viva
Picasso - An Artistic Genius or a Bullying, Misogynistic Womaniser?
Pablo Picasso was inarguably the most prolific painter of the 20th century. A pioneer of the avant-garde movement and whose artistic genius is unparalleled. But do you know that his tumultuous relationships were expressed in his art pieces in the form of misogyny, prejudice, and male chauvinism?
By Kamna Kirti2 years ago in Viva
Who Defines Authenticity?
We were tasked to define our "authentic selves". Each of us looked deep and came at the question from entirely different directions. We invite you to let your mind wander in ours a while. Then perhaps dig out your journal and see what words come to mind to define your own sense of authenticity. The challenge may be complete, but the opportunity to write for a prompt continues.
By The Vocal Creators Chronicle2 years ago in Viva