Contemporary UK feminism. http://www.thefword.org.uk/ Movable Type http://www.thefword.org.uk/images/logo2003.gif 2012-02-20T22:02:45Z

Feminist icon Ani DiFranco has released 17 studio albums over the last three decades and, with Righteous Babe Records in 1990, became one of the first independent artists to launch her own label. Ruth Rosselson listens to her first album to be released in over three years and finds that DiFranco is still not afraid of tackling thought-provoking issues while making us smile and sing along

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/which_side_are_you_on 2012-02-20T22:02:45Z 2012-02-20T22:00:39Z Ruth Rosselson http://ruthrosselson.net/

Sophie Mayer hugs, shares, learns and grows with Barbara Hammer's Active Cinema during the latter's retrospective at Tate Modern in London

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/Barbar Hammer Tate 2012-02-20T15:59:55Z 2012-02-19T15:02:00Z Sophie Mayer

In her first book, Lisa Bloom urges women to disengage their minds from gossip and celebrity trivia and focus on more consequential topics instead. Leonie Taylor reviews this social-critique-cum-recipe-book, which appeals for women to spend more time considering sex trafficking and good literature and less time worrying about getting fat

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/think 2012-02-18T19:48:22Z 2012-02-15T21:14:14Z Leonie Taylor

Music is a universal language. But don't tell the UK music press, which is marketing itself to a definitively male readership. Cazz Blase takes a look at the marketing materials put out by the big music magazines

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/02/women_and_the_music_press 2012-02-15T21:46:20Z 2012-02-12T21:41:33Z Cazz Blase

Hit US sitcom New Girl arrived on British TV screens in January. The 'girl' is freshly heartbroken Jess (Zooey Deschanel), who finds herself sharing a house with three men. Emily Kenway and Kaite Welsh watched the first episode, to see how the show fared from a feminist perspective

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/manic_pixie_dre 2012-02-15T13:29:07Z 2012-02-09T11:22:15Z Various Authors

Selina Robertson reviews the queer shorts programme shown during this year's London Short Film Festival and finds all the mini-flicks passing her rigorous selection

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/9_bob_note 2012-02-14T11:34:58Z 2012-02-08T18:24:00Z Selina Robertson http://www.clubdesfemmes.com/

Hugely successful gaming giant World of Warcraft has introduced a new package that allows even more customisation of player's avatars: including choosing skimpier outfits for female characters. Teri Shelly wonders what it means if she wants her avatar to wear a plate bikini

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/02/youll_catch_you 2012-02-12T16:23:35Z 2012-02-02T11:11:39Z Terri Shelly

Going clothes shopping as a disabled woman is a nightmare, says D H Kelly

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/01/no_access_ 2012-02-06T23:11:32Z 2012-01-30T18:00:27Z D H Kelly http://blobolobolob.blogspot.com

Emilia di Girolamo, the lead writer on Law and Order: UK, takes an unflinching view of gang rape in the show's next episode. Siân Norris met her to discuss her motivations

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/01/challenging_rape 2012-02-18T22:02:57Z 2012-01-29T12:03:35Z Sian Norris http://www.sianandcrookedrib.blogspot.com/

Kaite Welsh listens to Laura Gibson's latest album and finds her recalling the musical quirks she is best known for but also exploring new territory

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/01/a_grand_return_ 2012-01-28T14:57:32Z 2012-01-27T20:00:12Z Kaite Welsh http://www.kaitewelsh.com/

An unpleasant incident with a fellow cinema-goer notwithstanding, Chrissy D left a screening of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in high spirits and hopeful for a change of the tide in Hollywood's take on female leads in action movies

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/01/Girl with the dragon tattoo 2012-02-03T16:36:13Z 2012-01-19T23:45:55Z Chrissy D

Wild Flag are a supergroup comprising Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium's Mary Timony and The Minders' Rebecca Cole. Sophie Mayer examines their formation and delights in their debut self-titled album

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/01/Wild_Flag_Album 2012-01-16T18:23:51Z 2012-01-16T18:00:16Z Sophie Mayer

An empowered mother is an outlaw mother, argues Jane Chelliah

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/01/outlaw_mothers_ 2012-01-19T20:55:46Z 2012-01-14T22:17:24Z Jane Chelliah

Porn is not for everyone: but it can be for feminists, Mia Engberg tells Sophie Mayer, as her programme of shorts screens in London

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/01/she_gives_me_fever 2012-02-20T17:19:30Z 2012-01-13T17:46:48Z Sophie Mayer

All woman punk choir Gaggle are a diverse group who integrate openly feminist concepts into their performances. Their radical reworking of The Brilliant and the Dark at the Royal Albert Hall was sold out in September. Hayley Foster da Silva reports on their all-too-brief follow-up performance at Hackney New Empowering Church on 15 December 2011

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/01/Gaggle_Gig_Hackney 2012-01-12T14:20:18Z 2012-01-11T18:30:18Z Hayley Foster da Silva http://djmoonlightmusic.blogspot.com/

Annie Clark began her career with the Polyphonic Spree, has released two albums of dark but sweet left-of-centre pop, and has been touring her new album Strange Mercy across sold out venues around Europe. Louise Allan reveals that Clark hasn't lost her taste for the disturbing and the angelic

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2012/01/St_Vincent_Strange_Mercy 2012-01-13T20:37:22Z 2012-01-09T23:00:00Z Louise Allan

In Cairo and New Dehli, smart phone apps are being used to map sexual harassment and report sexual assault. Farah Jassat reports

http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/01/take_back_the_tech 2012-01-08T16:29:55Z 2012-01-05T09:50:47Z Farah Jassat http://www.farahjassat.com/

Cazz Blase reviews Florence + the Machine's latest album and finds Welsh's ability to follow her own path and confound people's expectations, while soaking up diverse musical genres, to still be in full force

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2011/12/florence_ceremonials 2011-12-29T17:09:54Z 2011-12-29T16:38:35Z Cazz Blase

Girls for Gender Equity, a not-for-profit organisation based in New York City, work to empower youth, fight sexual harassment and address gender violence. Sara Clarke reviews their guide for young people - and those working with them - on exactly what is sexual harassment, and what needs to be done about it

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2011/12/heyshorty 2012-01-09T17:05:15Z 2011-12-27T21:55:04Z Sara Clarke

Hazel Tsoi-Wiles reviews a production of Her Naked Skin, a suffragette romance which whisks the audience back to a time of protest on the street, activists smashing windows and police clamp-downs

http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2011/12/her_naked_skin_suffragette_theatre 2011-12-23T20:51:09Z 2011-12-23T20:01:55Z Hazel Tsoi-Wiles