Far too many people feel broken—as if there is no light at the end of a long, dark, and fear-inducing tunnel. In fact, brokenness is a normal feeling as schools remain underfunded, an illness can send a family into bankruptcy, and churches prey on the very parishioners they should be protecting. So, amid seemingly uncontrollable chaos, this issue asks a simple question: Is it possible to repair broken systems and, in the process, repair ourselves?
FIRST OF ALL
Letter from the Editor | Evette Dionne
Love It/Shove It
Wisdom from Marie Antoinette | Dahlia Balcazar
7 on Broke | Cathy Saidi
Feminist Fill-In: Maria Hinojosa
Bitch List
DISPATCHES
Cold Calculus: Students in Michigan Sue for the Right to an Education | Casey Quinlan
Grand Theft Creative: The Gaming Industry’s Exploitative Crunch Culture | Naseem Jamnia
Trust Fail: Is Public Service Loan Forgiveness Too Good to Be True? | Caroline Reilly
FEATURES
PleaseSaveMe: When Crowdfunding is the Difference Between Living and Dying | Kim Kelly
Swindling Faith: The Big Business of Prosperity Gospel | Nyasha Junior
Consumer Retorts: Are Anti-hauls the Antidote to YouTube’s Cult of Consumerism? | Andi Zeisler
Mothers of Contention: For Female Authors, Parenthood and Legitimacy Are Still Linked | Abby Minor
Photo Essay: Nostalgia and Borders | Jess X Snow & Sonia Guiñansaca
FROM THE HQ
Letter from Our Director of Community
Fellowship Frequency: Abby Minor
Rage Report
Community Focus
Callout Corner/Staff Sound Off
CULTURE
Behind the Pink Curtain: The Soft Sell of Multilevel Marketing | Hannah Steinkopf-Frank
A Worn Out Mother’s Week in New Hampshire on a $46,250 Salary | Gaby Dunn
BOOKS
Behind Self-Help’s Progressive Rebranding | s.e. smith
BitchReads | Evette Dionne
What We’re Reading: Abby Maslin
SCREEN
How Debbie Allen Became Black Hollywood’s Fairy Godmother | Cate Young
The Truth About TV News is Far Scarier Than Fiction | Diane Shipley
Journalists are Tireless Crusaders for Justice | Evette Dionne
What We’re Watching: Kristina Wong
Jacqueline Priego Spins Multidimensional Latina Characters Into TV Gold | Ruby Mora
MUSIC
Streaming Isn’t Music’s Magic Bullet | Liz Pelly
What We’re Listening To: The TXLips
Justice in America Dreams of a World Without Bars | Cate Young
Lyrics We Love
BitchTapes: A Playlist by Emmy Wildwood
Adventures in Feministory: Dolores Huerta | Rachelle Baker
