d. tafakari

Saying Goodbye to My Blog “Reckless Acts of Punctuation”

When I started this blog in May 2013, I envisioned it as a word nerd’s lair. Book reviews and adjectival clauses and discussions on Roland Barthes galore! And then I actually started writing the blog regularly. I quickly found that there are not enough words in my vocabulary to talk about writing topics ad infinitum.Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to My Blog “Reckless Acts of Punctuation””

Wading Through Grief One Tear at a Time

Last night I saw my grandmother in my dreams (she passed away on October 5, 2013). I had moved to a new home and stood watching a honey-toned, elderly woman rock on a porch swing across the street. She looks like Grandma…wait, no, that’s her sister! And when my dreamself realized that I had aContinue reading “Wading Through Grief One Tear at a Time”

Pretty Helps and Hurts: Examining Internet Beauty Bias

I hate the color pink. It is Pepto Bismol branding for girls and women, assigned to us before we were born. We are bred into choosing pink by virtue of the clothing put on us from infancy. Rebel that I am, my favorite color has long been the shade of blue most like the GulfContinue reading “Pretty Helps and Hurts: Examining Internet Beauty Bias”

3 Reasons Men Shouldn’t Hate Independent Women

Ever since Destiny’s Child gave women a titular anthem to declare their independence, so-called Independent Women have had a bad reputation in the black community. The result of the misconception has been a “conversation” where men and women talk around the subject of independent women, casting blame and dodging accusations. But what if, this wholeContinue reading “3 Reasons Men Shouldn’t Hate Independent Women”

Dooky Twists + Farts: Can Women Keep it Funky in Love?

Generally comfortable in my own skin, I have never been a glam girl who “puts on her face” every time I leave the house. I see a lot of #nakedface posts on Instagram and I chuckle because my naked face is my default, rather than a marked occasion. I actually have to remind myself thatContinue reading “Dooky Twists + Farts: Can Women Keep it Funky in Love?”