Materfamilias Writes

Postcards from Paris

Postcards from Paris

We’re no longer in Paris (took the train to Turin for a few days, now we’re in a seaside town near Rome), but I’m sending you a few postcards of windows I admired there. On lèche les vitrines!

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Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About: an Epistolary Exchange

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About: an Epistolary Exchange

Yesterday, in the (Paris) Pompidou Centre’s exhibition of Alice Neel’s important and startling and often subversive work, I snapped a photo of this portrait of her, at 80, by Robert Mapplethorpe. I think his portrait offers itself as an intriguing counterpoint to an email conversation I had with a blog reader, an epistolary extension of the space I’m trying to clear here for chatting among ourselves about Women + Age + Sexuality. Click through to read more.

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A Pre-Flight Sartorial Survey . . .

A Pre-Flight Sartorial Survey . . .

Just before we leave for the airport, a quick post on What Didn’t Go Into my Carry-On, but I’ve enjoyed wearing lately as the weather’s cooled. In fact, though, a couple of OOTDs did make it into my travel wardrobe. Click through to see whether this (bulky!) boiler suit was one of them. . .

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As We Are: Women + Sexuality + Age

As We Are: Women + Sexuality + Age

A few months ago I wrote about a literary excerpt that featured a 60-something woman thinking back on a long sexual relationship with her husband. I wondered if there was room here for a conversation about topics that excerpt could open — and received many encouraging comments indicating interest. So I’m starting that conversation today with a memory of a Sixty-something birthday lunch I attended when I was young — Fortyish-young, at least. Then I turn to a memoir to introduce a Very Bold Sixty-Something (she did What?!) and hope by the end of the post, I’ve made some space for us to chat. Please click to read more.

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Rentrée Reading. . . September’s books. . .

Rentrée Reading. . . September’s books. . .

The Vancouver Public Library was very good to me last month! Latest books in favourite mystery series, a wonderful memoir about life in an Italian village; an important novel by a pre-eminent Ukrainian writer set near the Russian-Ukrainian border; and a charming Italian classic. Click through to read my recommendations.

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Copyright

Unless otherwise stated, all words and photographs in this blog are my own. If you wish to use any of them, please give me credit for my work. And it should go without saying, but apparently needs to be said: Do not publish entire posts as your own. I will take the necessary action to stop such theft. Thanks.