Tuesday, January 8, 2008

PARENTING

GQ, January edition

"All My Children" is a candid article about how the anonymous author "became a father the first ten or twenty times": by frequenting sperm banks while in his 20s.

A decade later, he discovers that some of the mothers are looking for him online and debates whether to make himself known.

Furious Seasons

Seattle-based journalist Philip Dawdy infuses his blog about mental illness in America, "Furious Seasons," with his own experiences. Dawdy, who no longer takes medication for his bipolar disorder, is highly critical of the mental health establishment but stresses that he is not a member of the anti-psychiatry movement.

Although some may balk at his disdain for potentially lifesaving drugs, he serves as a vigilant watchdog of the pharmaceutical industry and speaks out about issues that many still find taboo.

Heart & Soul, December/January edition

A straightforward trend piece in this magazine aimed at African American women explains how churches, such as Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, offer health ministries. The programs combat preventable illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes by convincing congregants that honoring their bodies is God's will.

One example, courtesy of a California churchgoer: "When we bury someone, we don't give the family fried chicken. That's what put them in the grave in the first place."

-- Rachel Beckman