“Political nihilism is the position holding no political goals whatsoever, except for the complete destruction of all existing political institutions — along with the principles, values, and social institutions that uphold them.” — Donald A. Crosby, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

When most people consider the Russian Revolution, they think of men like Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Still, there were many women involved who were just as committed to toppling their imperialist oppressors. Here are a few of their stories.

Sophia Bardina (1853–1883)

Writing

There’s a website you may know that encourages writers to open a free account, allowing them to put a call-to-action button at the end of their posts, on their websites, newsletters, etc. The CTO button allows their grateful readers to buy them cups of coffee. I won’t name it because you can find it yourself if you must and because I have no desire to promote the concept.

At the risk of offending someone (and I most assuredly will), I have one question for you: Are you a writer or a panhandler? Sorry, but there’s just no nice way to…

When I first saw Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor, I was fascinated, not only by its artistry but by the realization that the story was new to me. Not once in all my years of schooling did I recall learning anything about what happened to China’s Imperial family after the formation of the Republic of China in 1912 and or when the Communists took over in 1949.

The schools I attended focused on American and European history. We kids could find China on a map (How could you miss it?), but…

Poetry

Genesis

Writing

I don’t write erotica. I’ve never even tried. I’d like to because let’s face it, there’s a lot of money in it, and I could use some more of that. There are several reasons why I don’t write sexually explicit material. Some of them are the usual suspects:

• I wasn’t brought up that way.
• It would embarrass my family.
• I’d have to use a pseudonym, and my ego demands that, if I write something, I want everyone to know that it was me who wrote it.

There are a lot of people who enjoy writing and reading porn. I neither…

WTF?

There’s a lot of fake engagement going on around here, especially since Medium began shelling out bonuses for ringing up claps and comments. Some of it is understandable; the rest is annoying, and in more than a few cases, it is mystifying.

This morning, I read about two-thirds of a story that I thought had some useful information, but it wasn’t good enough for me to spend the four minutes it would have taken to finish reading it. I’m not sure if I clapped for it or not, but I might have. No guilt here. It’s a legitimate recognition…

Poetry

You stole my skin and took me for your wife,
You did not ask if this would be my choice,
And now I am condemned to live this life,
I plead but you won’t listen to my voice.
You speak to me of your undying love,
Oblivious to how it’s not returned,
My skin belongs to me like hand to glove,
We must be reunited, this I’ve learned.
One day I’ll find its hiding place and go,
Back to my selkie husband in the sea,
Away from cares and biting winds that blow,
I’ll dive down fast and deep and…