domestic violence

How ‘Young Love’ Becomes a Trap
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How ‘Young Love’ Becomes a Trap

Picture it: Small Town, U.S.A., 1994. R&B songs about the kind of deep heartbreak that 11-year-old me couldn’t possibly understand play on repeat on the Walkman. A redheaded, freckle-faced girl with too much hairspray in her bangs stares out a rain-streaked window. I’m torturing myself over a boy who’s rejected me. This would happen over…

Raised by the Real-Life Beauty & the Beast
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Raised by the Real-Life Beauty & the Beast

Imagine a lanky, Italian guy straight out of the 80’s. We’re talking neon short shorts, blown-dry hair, creeper mustache, and a signature scent of onions. Tony (not his real name) was my mom’s third husband. We avoid saying his name in our family, sort of how everyone avoided saying Lord Voldemort’s name in the Harry…