Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body), #Survivor, (forthcoming, The Operating System), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente
5 Women-Centric Horror Films to Watch This Halloween
Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams (Aldrich Press, 2014), The Gods Are Dead (Deadly Chaps Press, 2015), Marys of the Sea (ELJ Publications, 2016) & Xenos (Agape Editions, 2016), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault (CCM, 2017). They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes, Poetry and the managing editor for Civil Coping Mechanisms and Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in Prelude, BUST, Spork Press, The Feminist Wire, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente
My Interview With The Vampire: A Xicana Reflects on Claudia Fashion
…She begged her mother to let her get the Vamp shade…
Read MoreShades of Noir: Gaspar Noe's Love
'Her': Feminism, Isolation, & Virtual Reality at Work
Yes, Her. Everyone I knew saw it–loved it, gushed about it, talked about it in a dream-like trance. To say the least, my interest was piqued–especially because I had read countless articles beforehand. I couldn’t help it, they were everywhere. In particular, one stood out where the author describes the film as essentially un-feminist, being that there isn’t a huge female presence. You could say I saw the film with the idea that women weren’t important, that they were conspicuously absent.
Read MoreHow Horror Movies Help Me Cope With Anxiety
I want movies that will give me the same feeling of dread that I experience when faced with making basic life choices. The same dread I experience when the manicurist uses what looks like a filthy towel to wipe the exfoliating slop off my feet. The flushing of my face, dropping of my heart, and drying of my tongue when I get ready to teach a new class. Give me the creature from the swamp, but don’t force me to confront the hairstylist who has stridently shamed me for chopping my own bangs.
Read MoreAn Unofficial Compendium of Cinema’s Best 30 Female Relationships
So, everyone who writes for Luna Luna comes from some mystical, aesthetically-charged world of hazy afternoon sunlight and magical realism and intoxicating desire. This is proven by the staff’s delicious cinematic choices. So, dear readers, we offer to you this compendium of cinema’s (and TV’s) most amazing female friendships. Many of these films showcase friendship as something absolutely wonderful, but there are many selections (like My Summer of Love), that venture into the dark, toxic edge of the female friendship woodland. Enjoy. xo
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