YOU’VE PROBABLY NOTICED that posting around here has slowed to a trickle as of late. Sadly, the sisters of The Sister Project have decided to put our work here on hold while we chase other fancies on and off the blogosphere. For me, I’ll be wrapped up in teaching and writing.

It’s been truly a pleasure to explore and share sisterhood here with you for the past several years. While I’m away, the archives will remain, so feel free to get lost in a little history. (Here is my first post!) And most importantly: thank you, thank you for reading and being apart of this little family. A la prochaine…

(Photo of vintage Iowan siblings via Alison)

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Sana Javed discusses why she stopped wearing the hijab in 2009

I AM ENDLESSLY FASCINATED by trans-cultural feminism. This is in part because being reminded of the tenuousness of my convictions always makes me feel alive. (A bit dramatic, I know.) So naturally, the intersection of Western media, Muslim women, and feminism is a place of exhilaration for me.

There is just so much gray area that inevitably leads to questioning the boundaries of nebulous concepts like devotion, womanhood and agency. All too often, I find mainstream discussions of Muslim women to be problematic and shallow. (Remember this post from 2009?)

But currently NPR has an interactive feature on their website, which provides the stories of twelve American Muslim women and their common decision to stop wearing the hijab. One of the reasons why I think this story works is because it serves as a sort of pastiche of narratives told in women’s own voices that, when combined, introduce some interesting, broad questions about the symbolic heft of clothing, and the universal female struggle to define ourselves beyond appearance. (Which, of course, begs infinite other questions like: What do women hope to change in their lives by changing their appearance? Is this a struggle that will ever truly be resolved? Is resolution even important? What impact do individual choices have on religious or gender-based or global communities? Do these communities actually exist? Or are we needlessly imposing the idea of community on women? If so, who cares?)

Interestingly enough, many commenters on the site argue that by calling attention to these women’s stories, NPR is further fixating on the importance of appearance and dress rather than dismantling it, as many of the women featured in the piece have endeavored to do by removing their hijabs. It’s an area rife with contradiction.

I encourage you to listen in and join the conversation: where do you stand among these myriad of questions? What pieces of this complex, contemporary quagmire intrest you the most?

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BIG SISTER, DIRT-MONGER, WILD CAT-TAMER, plant-lover, bigtime blogger, partner in insanity (um, trust me I know about this one), pioneeress, surrogate mother, and now tack another roaring head above the proverbial mantel: memoirist! Margaret has written a memoir about leaving her wild corporate job for peace in the, well, wild. I read it on my vacation to Tokyo last month and let me tell you, among the flashing lights, towering buildings, and throngs of people, the book transported me to Margaret’s little farmhouse where the only sound I could hear were the bullfrogs croaking.

Her journey, as chronicled in this book truly inspires me to find my own way back to the land. Charming, indeed. Congratulations, Margaret!

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TOMORROW MARKS THE 38th ANNIVERSARY of the supreme court’s Roe v. Wade decision. I’m so grateful to have been born into a country where sisters (and brothers, too, of course) before me fought for women’s right to choose! So how are you celebrating? Need ideas?

The website Feminists for Choice has several events listed (in Texas and NYC) and here’s a post from feministing with the lowdown on other NYC-based celebrations.

P.S. Another happy birthday to my favorite feminist and fantastic boyfriend, Dreux! (photo by christine)

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I‘M DIGGING this photo post about girlfriends over at the blog size too small. It’s so sweet! This holiday season, I’m on the road, traveling in Japan with my boyfriend. We’re having a fantastic time, full of sticky rice balls and silly awkward bowing exchanges with strangers, but today, I’m feeling especially pangy for the Christmas-y comfort of my hometown girlfriends. Le sigh.

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MY BROTHER T IS NOTORIOUSLY hard to shop for. This is not to say that he isn’t grateful. (He’s actually a total sweetie about receiving gifts.) It’s just that he’s that guy at every holiday function who loves being the Santa–you know, breaking the bank to make everyone’s gift wishes come true. (Think Michael Scott as Secret Santa in season two of The Office.) So naturally, it’s tricky to buy for the boy whose personal Christmas shopping motto is “go hard or go home.” Is this person in your family, too? If so, take heed (clockwise from top left):

1. “Herban Lifestyle” men’s shaving soap made from certified organic essential oils.

2. Travel size shaving brush made in England of pure badger bristles, which I think is especially perfect since T and I used to live on Badger Road!

3. A very cool looking cotton skinny tie for his days on the job.

4. A case of his absolute favorite organic Shady Maple Stroopwafel Cookies to last him all year long until next Christmas.

5. A Star Wars tee to nurture the raging geek inside of him.

6. A blank idea book for writing down notes on his future workplace comedy screenplay / risque crime novel / poem collection on hallucinogen drug use. (Stay tuned.)

7. Festive gingerbread ale beer making kit. (Sorry, Mom.) I figure he’ll feel less motivated to play beer pong if the beer is homemade and artisanal, right?

P.S. I was kind of worried about using all my good gift ideas for T on my blog where he could see them, but then I realized it probably wouldn’t be a problem since he never reads my blog. That rascal!

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WE’VE TALKED GIFTS before on The Sister Project. (Here’s a great post from Marion on the subject.) But this winter, I thought I’d do a little gift guide for the many sisters and one big brother in my life. This week: (mostly) handmade goods under $40 for your adorable sister-friend!

She’s cute and crafty and puts up with way too much of your complaining on long video gchats. (Er, well at least my bestie does.) So here are some holiday gift ideas that are as sweet and stylish as she is (clockwise from top left):

1. Big Ol’ Bow Earwarmers for warmth in the wintry North.

2. 2011 Astrology Wall Calendar Prints, functional and dreamy.

3. Leather Mini-Clutch–perfect for nights on the town and for holding essentials at school.

4. A batch of the most delicous homemade molasses chocolate chip cookies!

5. Striped spear embroidered necklace (This would have to be a Happy 2011 gift since it’s made to order.)

6. RGB nail polish (DBP free!) in purple-y gray color “Haze.”

7. A Cuddly Cloud Cushion for lonely times in her apartment.

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THIS YEAR’S “5 Under 35″ fiction selections from The National Book Foundation features works from four women writers! How exciting! I must admit that last month, I was quite disappointed to read a Huffington Post article that labeled a whole slew of amazing female writers as “overrated.” So it’s great to see that some female literary fiction is getting good press, too. Have you read any of these books? (And if so, how did they rate?) I haven’t yet, but they’re currently on their way to the top of my to-read list.

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DID YOU SEE THIS NEWS REPORT about a Pennsylvania woman who has been keeping the embalmed corpses of her twin sister and husband in her home?! Freaky. I’ve found myself strangely fascinated with the whole story. Apparently the bonds of some sisters are…immortal?

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