Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Yes, I Had An Abortion
“Tell me, were there any complications following your abortion?” The doctor stood looking down at me as I sat encased in a paper robe, stiff uncomfortable paper sheet crackling beneath my bare buttocks.
Paula ShabloPublished 3 days ago in VivaThe 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.
Hillora LangPublished 8 days ago in Viva
5 Things I'm Gifting Myself to Achieve My Goal This Year
As I sat by the roadside, watching people move in different directions, the traffic was starting to build up. The sun had started to shine as I waited for the bus; all looked blurred from my peripheral view.
Jessey AnthonyPublished 11 days ago in Viva
The Importance of Boundaries Around Diet & Body Image
Boundaries. A word that may sound scary and limiting, but when used properly in various areas of life can bring a sense of comfort and reassurance.
Erin R. WindrimPublished about a month ago in Viva
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Might Be Here to Stay
She's the "one". The Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She'll be the one that got away. The one he thinks about years later when he's bored and disappointed with everything his life has become.
Ariel JosephPublished about a month 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.
Maria WallischPublished 2 months ago in VivaFalling out of Intimacy
One time my OBGYN prescribed me antidepressants. Her name was Tracey, and she had cutesy pins of uteruses on her white doctor’s coat. Do we have to hyper-femininize everything?
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.
Rachel RobbinsPublished 2 months ago in Viva
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.
Leah LawrencePublished 2 months ago in VivaDirt, Debutantes, and Feminine Expectations
I still vividly remember the conversation I eavesdropped on a few years ago from the stands of a youth softball field. It had to be the most “This is so Southern” and also “Am I in the Twilight Zone?” conversation ever.
Cheryl WrayPublished 2 months 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.
Erin O'NeilPublished 2 months ago in VivaBe 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.
Jean SumrallPublished 3 months ago in Viva
