Arielle Loren

A very wise young woman gave me the title of this post while I was listening to the post-screening panel discussion of The Black Girl Project. She declared, “love is not an emotion, it’s a discipline.” While the young woman was referring to romantic love, I’d like to remix the sentiment of the quote, so [...]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing these last few weeks on my usual topics. I guess it makes a difference when you know you’re writing for an audience versus simply for yourself. I’ve been privileged to have my piece on Female Masculinity published by two major online platforms, Clutch Magazine and Carnal Nation. Both very different in [...]

Stories of love and rejection, triumphs and failures, and key moments on the path to self-acceptance. With the media’s relentless focus on what’s wrong with the modern black woman, readers will share key moments when they realized, as Zora Neale Hurston put it: “I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in [...]

I guess I’m some sort of anomaly. Yes, I’m a heterosexual woman and I care DEEPLY about LGBT issues. I’m not an armchair activist. I’m a vocal one and I’m willing to debate with anyone (who can be constructive) about the importance of recognizing and combatting heteronormativity. Awhile back, I took on a writer on [...]

I first discovered Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones through my mother. Attempting to change her diet and live a healthier life, she sought the book out as a blueprint to a possible lifestyle change. I browsed through it, did some internet research, and found the subject matter quite fascinating: there were pocketed communities all around the [...]

Will Smith is one of the most inspirational men on this earth. This video is one of the few that I can re-watch over and over again and still take away something new. Everytime I hear him talk about success, work ethic, and making a CHOICE on how your destiny is going to roll out, [...]

Outside this sacred sexuality realm, the stereotypes of sexually active women with multiple partners still exist. What is a ho’? The definition should be simple, but with the evolution of women embracing their sexuality and shamelessly expressing it, the word has become quite complex. Recently, the good folks over at Merriam Webster added the word [...]

I once heard that love is simple. You care for someone, you’re willing to sacrifice life for them, and if they love you in return you’ll never have to. I am learning to love myself and in the process I am going insane. They don’t teach you to love yourself when you’re young. Everything else [...]

“We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest” Photo Credit: here

Genius Child by Langston Hughes This is a song for the genius child. Sing it softly, for the song is wild. Sing it softly as ever you can Lest the song get out of hand Nobody loves a genius child. Can you love an eagle, Tame or WILD? Can you love an eagle, Wild or [...]