Although reviewed as “one of this year’s most inviting summer novels” by the New York Times, J. Courtney Sullivan’s first novel Commencement is the perfect back-to-school dorm room read to carry any undergraduate woman through the first days of their fall term. Whether you are a first year or a senior, Sullivan’s story about friendship, feminism, and the climb towards maturity will find its way into your heart.

A narrative about four friends at Smith College, an all women’s college in Massachusetts (famous alumnae include Gloria Steinem, Julia Child, Sylvia Plath, Betty Friedan…just to name a few), Sullivan captures the essence of what it means to make friends in the richest sense of the word, while chronicling life on campus and post-graduation adulthood.

Each character is truly distinct, making the novel easy to identify with. Think the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except more adult. Sally, Celia, Bree, and April are four very different women, but their individuality weaves together beautifully, showing that sisterhood looks past Sally’s love for Lily Pulitzer, Celia’s conservative-yet-wild side, Bree’s Southern Belle charm, and April’s radical feminism to form a life-long bond, even if the girls couldn’t be more uncommon from each other.

Sullivan, alumnae of Smith herself, paints the all women’s atmosphere just as it should be, a unique and tradition-filled roller coaster of emotions. Giving an accurate glimpse of what it means to be a young woman at a college without men, Sullivan does not degrade Smith or the single-sex setting, but instead lifts it up and showcases it in a light that most do not see when they hear “all women.” Read More »

With the economy in the toilet, finding a job these days is like lookin’ for a needle in a haystack (or a good guy in a college town. Ayooooo!). But for those of you interested, San Francisco is looking to decriminalize prostitutes in the city in an effort to free up some $11 million police spend on arresting prositutes every year!

Woo! Work for everyone! Forget that English major; sex is the way. to. go.

Proposition K is being proposed, not to illegalize prostitution, but to eliminate the power of the po-po to go after the Vivian Wards of San Francisco.

Opposers of the proposition say passing it will result in an overflow of prostitutes, pimps and possibly harm the fight against sex trafficking; since the proposition would not allow the investigation of prostitution, authorities wouldn’t have the opportunity to help those being victimized by sex trafficking. Clearly, that is incredibly serious.

On the flip side, though, this could be the push the economy needs! $700 billion bailout, schmailout – San Francisco has the right idea.

So what do you think? Should the pretty women of SF be allowed to keep their posts on the sidewalks without worry of being handcuffed (and not in the good way)? Or should the po-diggies be allowed to continue their investigation of prostitution and sex trafficking?

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