Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
My Best Friend Was Raped
It was July of 2016. We were laying in a small canvas tent with our matching pillowcases we had tie-dyed and braided hair. She was snoring softly, I always made fun of her for that. The top of our tent was plastic so I was able to watch the stars. I always had trouble falling asleep, but I enjoyed listening to the mountain sounds. I turned towards her and watched her sleep for a moment. She went still, her snoring stopped. I thought maybe she was waking up. Instead, she let out the shrillest scream I have ever heard.
By Tabitha Shiloh8 years ago in Viva
Survival
Brittle, hollow, not exactly broken, but very near it. That is how I felt after everything. Everything that I was, the strength that I had built over the last few years, and the courage that I had come to expect of myself, was carved away by this process. The process of naming my attacker, facing my attacker, and listening as his lawyer took apart my character piece by piece in open court. I feel brittle. Like pieces of me might break off at the slightest touch.
By Heather Clarke8 years ago in Viva
How I Made Myself Feel Better About My Body
I never thought that I would get this far. I had no future plans. I really thought that by the age of 16 I would kill myself. Here I am today now 21. I still struggle with things but I'm not as bad as I use to be. For the record the picture featured is not mine. I don't own it.
By Jess Perry8 years ago in Viva
Why I Like to Let the Sistas Hang Low
So let's talk about something that most of us, if not all us women have had to deal with at some point or another in our lovely lifetime. There's a lot that falls under this category: some good, some bad, and some just simply annoying. Right now, I will complain about bras because I know for a fact that I am not the only one out there who hates wearing them. Don't get me wrong, some of them can be very cute, especially when you get one in your favourite colour and it just adds that little bit of confidence you need to conquor the day. But most of them have something annoying about them.
By Marissa Matthews8 years ago in Viva
How I Dealt with Repetitive Sexual Assault
In today's world, most women are afraid to tell their sexual assault stories. For some, they have kept themselves in silence for so long, why would they talk now? For others, they fear the disbelief, or that others will blame them. A small percentage will say it's because of the celebrity misconduct happening, which is paired with the fear of disbelief.
By Megayn Fall8 years ago in Viva
Guys We F*cked
I am an avid Podcast listener. My obsession began this past summer, when I was looking for a healthy distraction from a lot of chaos in my life. I am fortunate to work at a job where I am not micromanaged, I work at my own pace, and I have the freedom to put in my Air Pods and listen to Podcasts all day long. I love it and I recommend Podcasts to anyone who needs a good distraction. Honestly, they have helped me overcome my depression and anxiety and feel less lonely during a period of time in my life that proved to be extremely difficult. I discovered the Guys we F*cked Podcast about two months ago, and I have been binge listening ever since. If you haven't heard of this amazing Podcast or if you have and are unsure of what the hell you just stumbled upon, allow me to introduce you.
By RaeAnna Mercado8 years ago in Viva
What It's Like to Be the Manic Pixie Dream Girl
So, by this day in age on the internet, I would like to assume that everyone and their mother has heard of the term "manic pixie dream girl." However, if by some chance you've been living under a rock for the last few years, I'll give you the low down. The term was coined by film critic Nathan Rabin after watching Elizabethtown starring Kirsten Dunst. Rabin describes this character trope as "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." So basically, a manic pixie dream girl is this wildly interesting girl who just so happens to have no real backstory or purpose, other than to show the male protagonist that life is awesome! It's really worth living! But the girl herself... is rather empty.
By Mary Devlin8 years ago in Viva
Body Positive
I was told as a child your body is your temple, ever heard that saying before? But what I wasn’t told was not all bodies were accepted and celebrated in society or on social media. I was never told that even though it is beautiful that women's bodies come in different shapes and sizes… not all shapes are acceptable.
By Patrice Boothe8 years ago in Viva
I Am So Tired of Getting Raped
I used to believe I caused my own rapes because I am a woman so I am wrong and deserve to be punished. The rules were clear (don't wear slutty clothes, don't ever drink, don't ever do drugs of any kind prescribed or otherwise, don't meet new men, don't trust anyone) but the application was checklist style. My Don't Get Raped Today kit was mainly well rehearsed behaviors and a never used taser. I had to figure out, on my own, how to not get raped which varied from situation to situation. I might trigger one guy with my clothes that covered me completely which caused him to think I think I'm special or something so I need to be knocked down a few pegs. A different guy would be triggered because I said no but I really meant yes, you know how women like to play games. Our favorite game being hard to get, the best version is yanking away while saying stop and no interchangeably. Obviously the tears were for dramatics. When it happened, as it sometimes did, I'd pull out my How Not To Get Raped checklist with my faulty pen and get to mulling over what I did this time.
By Imam Qadriyyah Mabel-Dorothy8 years ago in Viva
