Not Stolen. Permanently Borrowed.

Megan Mayhew Bergman, writing for The Rumpus:

I’ve always been aware of how my femininity and appearance factor into a professional setting.  I’m five feet tall and blond; nothing about my physical appearance screams authority. I’m physically incapable of intimidating anyone while standing—believe me, I’ve tried. I was promoted more when I started working for my consulting firm remotely. When I was hired for one of my first teaching jobs, a man told me: some of our professors wear jeans, but you shouldn’t, because you look young. When I interviewed at a consulting firm down south, the interviewer, who clearly hadn’t looked at my resume and 8 years of work experience, asked me: are you looking for secretarial work or what?

An absorbing essay (by an excellent author) that ties together thoughts on the exhibitionist-who-wants-to-hide nature of writers, politics, and gender inequality.