Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Not Taken Seriously
Periods... Every girl gets them eventually. For some, bleeding 3-5 days out of a month just passes by like any other day. Not for me. I got my period on the first day of seventh grade. I came home from school and just after I finished eating supper I went to the washroom. All day my stomach had been really bad, and I was light headed and nauseated. To my surprise when I was in the washroom I noticed some faint staining in my underwear and I realised what was happening.
By Ginger Curls8 years ago in Viva
Sexual Harassment and Seeing Women As They Are
In light of recent reports detailing Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's alleged acts of sexual harassment and assault, a Medium article was released advising male readers that if they are ever unsure of how to appropriately treat a female colleague, imagine her as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
By Caolinn Douglas8 years ago in Viva
The Rhetorical Analysis of Peggy Orenstein's 'Just Between You, Me, and My 622 Bffs'
When I first got into Facebook and Twitter, I got bullied because of my weight and looks. I would have people comment on my pictures "You're fat," "You are a cunt," "You need to lose weight," "It looks like your face got ran over a bus six times," and the worst one, "You're too ugly to be alive." This, of course, killed me inside. I stayed home for days at a time thinking to myself, "Am I really that ugly?" When I would go to school, I'd ignore everybody because I was afraid that they would start telling me all of those things to my face. But then I met my friend Adrianna in seventh grade. Adrianna always stuck up for me when people would start to call me names. Adrianna and my cousin Brittany were the two that made me feel good about myself. They made it so I wouldn't care what people would think, but then the bullying started to get worse. I went to my principal and tried talking to him about what was going on.
By Kristina Bratsch8 years ago in Viva
My #MeToo Story
Trigger warning. Trigger warning. Trigger warning! If you are triggered by talk of rape, sexual abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, mentions of drug use, allusions of parental abuse, victim blaming, vulgar language, etc. then do not read this story. This is your warning.
By Nikki Jones8 years ago in Viva
Rape Apologists List that Needs to Be More Heard
This is a rape apologists list that needs to be more heard. "Well what was she wearing?" A women's clothing should NOT give you the urge to force yourself onto her. It's her body and her clothing should not be a distraction to you. Men are topless quite a lot but you don't see a woman forcing herself onto him and saying "He was topless what did you expect?" So what's the difference if a girl wore a crop top or a low shirt?
By soph lauren8 years ago in Viva
#Metoo
I was roughly 20 years old when I got into my first serious relationship. I had been severely depressed and desperate to find someone who would love me. In my mind, I was ugly, fat, and unlovable. I turned to the only thing I knew of at the time: Craigslist personal ads. That’s where I found him—let’s call him J.
By Chelsea Kay8 years ago in Viva
Me Too. Not Me.
Just before I left for vacation, I published two of my short stories on Amazon. One is about a ghost who witnesses her own funeral and features my most popular character. The other is a tale that I should have probably written more of, but in just 1,500 words I drive home the point about what males go through when they are sexually assaulted. It was a story that started out as one concept and morphed into this piece that I am incredibly proud of. While talking about it with a few writer friends, one of them said something that struck me. She told me I should use the hashtag me too to promote the story. The sheer cynicism in that statement shook me to my core.
By Edward Anderson8 years ago in Viva
I Am Everything
Why do people think that rape is something that you can just forget, like it never happened? It’s a violation. It’s a reminder that your body is not your own. Your body belongs to society. You have no choices; no say in who touches you, who penetrates your very soul. You are not a person, you are a piece of meat to be consumed, a toy to be played with.
By Belle Bledsoe8 years ago in Viva
Dress for the Weather, Not the Calendar
It's mid-fall down South. While everyone else North of the Mason-Dixon is racing to slip on their Barbour jackets, tweed, and the like, some of us are still experiencing temperatures in the high 80s, with plenty of humidity to boot. While traditionalists argue that at this point its far past time to have the whites, linens, seersuckers and such away in storage until next Spring, I strongly oppose the notion. Just because the calendar reads late September or October, it doesn't necessarily mean it's time to break out the fall regalia with careless aplomb. If it's still sweltering outside, these superfluous rules certainly don't apply.
By Al Castiel8 years ago in Viva
