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Randy Susan Meyers

My Opinionated Self

Tony Soprano, Rhett Butler, or Atticus Finch: Who’s Your Type?

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I’ve been accused of harping on domestic violence, and after working in the field (with batterers) for many years, I admit my abuse-radar may be higher than some. There were times my daughters dreaded my meeting their boyfriends, anticipating my narrowed eyes as I looked for signs of danger.

Recently I took a hard look at this, after the woman editing an article I was writing warned me not to throw ‘exciting’ men in the same pot with ‘dangerous’ ones. Was I being too hard in my judgments? How does one know the difference between edgy and over-the edge? You may think you have Hans

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Hate the Way You Lie: Eminem’s Video

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Does violence at home have a throbbing beat for a backdrop and erotic sex burning up the house? Eminem might think he’s presenting a case against domestic violence, but with lines like these:

“Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

But that’s alright because I like the way it hurts”

pouring from co-star Rihanna’s beautiful lips as her liquid kohl-rimmed eyes show us how caught in erotic fascination she is, we see one long rationalization about how two people caught up in alcohol and sex flame out to a passion-soaked burn.

That’s the song your kids will be humming and dancing to while they watch a glamour-drama of domestic abuse amidst love gone wrong.

After watching Eminem’s “Love The Way You Lie” video, I wonder if it’s meant to warn women from bad boys, or if the message tells us to be more understanding girlfriends, and thus rescue our tortured battering boyfriends. Certainly Eminem shows himself as an alarmingly appealing, if dangerous,

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It Takes a Bureaucracy to Raze a Library

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According to yesterday’s Boston Globe, writing about the Boston Public Library system: Circulation in the system has risen 31 percent in the last three years.   This in an article headlined: Boston Public Library may close 10 of its branches. According to me: The dollars that a city or state will invest in their libraries, … Read more

Quiet and Everyday Heroes

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The tragedy in Haiti points ever more poignantly at the amazing deeds of everyday heroes. Right now, somewhere in Haiti, selfless men and women are putting their lives at risk and sacrificing comfort, sleep, food, peace of mind and who knows what else to pull someone from rubble, to deliver a baby in the midst … Read more

Countdown to Publication: Day 36, Behind the Scenes of Extreme Narcissism

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  SHE WRITES, a terrific site for women writers, asked if I’d like to be included in the group of writers they’ve invited to participate in writing a “Countdown to Publication” blog. Well, let me tell you this: having a debut novel launch includes many tasks—some Sisyphean, some plain fun, and all feeding into the … Read more