{"id":425,"date":"2012-06-21T16:25:53","date_gmt":"2012-06-21T16:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lisabravermoss.wordpress.com\/?p=425"},"modified":"2022-06-07T20:30:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T20:30:37","slug":"why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Write about Men’s Body Parts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnother essay about that<\/em>? Aren\u2019t multiple articles and a novel enough, already?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the ills in the world, and this is what you focus on?\u201d<\/p>\n

[Attempt to keep a straight face]<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re attacking a sacred tradition. And you\u2019re making me feel very uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s an AIDS cure! Don\u2019t you realize that in Africa, men are lining up for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

[Attempt not to squirm]<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa, you\u2019re squandering your talents. Write Moby DICK<\/em> instead! Get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah, the occupational hazards of writing about circumcision.<\/p>\n

If I could change the fact that I still find this topic so deeply compelling, I would. I\u2019m a nice girl. I don\u2019t relish conversations about the male anatomy. I don\u2019t enjoy confrontation. I don\u2019t like risking anger, irritation, ridicule, or condescending tolerance every time I explore another aspect of what friends call my \u201cfavorite subject.\u201d<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t seem to have much say in what interests me as a writer. It\u2019s almost physical. The first clue I get that an idea is brewing is that my blood pressure goes up. I might be reading an article, and find myself thinking: Grrr, why doesn\u2019t anyone ever point out the fact that\u2026? <\/em>And soon, my fingers start tingling with the desire to tap.<\/p>\n

As J. D. Salinger said, the best way to write is to ask yourself what you\u2019d most like to read. Then, he said, \u201cYou just sit down shamelessly and write the thing yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even aside from circumcision, I\u2019m drawn to provocative topics, and I feel driven to write mostly when there\u2019s something that hasn\u2019t been said. Though at times I\u2019d like to weigh in on issues like foreign oil dependence, other writers are already doing that, and admirably.<\/p>\n

So, given that writing is hard, and given that I\u2019m fortunate enough to have the time to write freely, I go with what shouts at me. Change what shouts at me? I can\u2019t, any more than a gay person can be straight.<\/p>\n

Currently, I\u2019m up to my eyeballs juggling a nonfiction book that shouts at me, a new novel that has reached up and grabbed me by the neck, and a few other irresistible projects. That\u2019s why you haven\u2019t heard from me in awhile.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my latest, published on the Huffington Post<\/em>\u2014<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/lisa-braver-moss\/metzitzah-bpeh-circumcision-ritual-inconsistent-with-jewish-principles_b_1598281.html<\/p>\n

Comments on the post may drive its prominence upward, so if you feel so inclined, please do join the conversation.<\/p>\n

Thank you all so much for your patience. I\u2019ll keep in touch!<\/p>\n

Lisa Braver Moss<\/p>\n

www.lisabravermoss.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnother essay about that? Aren\u2019t multiple articles and a novel enough, already?\u201d \u201cAll the ills in the world, and this is what you focus on?\u201d [Attempt to keep a straight face] \u201cYou\u2019re attacking a sacred tradition. And you\u2019re making me feel very uncomfortable.\u201d \u201cBut it\u2019s an AIDS cure! Don\u2019t you realize that in Africa, men…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[193],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cAnother essay about that? Aren\u2019t multiple articles and a novel enough, already?\u201d \u201cAll the ills in the world, and this is what you focus on?\u201d [Attempt to keep a straight face] \u201cYou\u2019re attacking a sacred tradition. And you\u2019re making me feel very uncomfortable.\u201d \u201cBut it\u2019s an AIDS cure! Don\u2019t you realize that in Africa, men…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lisa Braver Moss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-06-21T16:25:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-07T20:30:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Braver Moss\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Braver Moss\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/\",\"name\":\"Why I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-06-21T16:25:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-07T20:30:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/99a2ac9706b22007bf5913f9f0bd9765\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why I Write about Men’s Body Parts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/\",\"name\":\"Lisa Braver Moss\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/99a2ac9706b22007bf5913f9f0bd9765\",\"name\":\"Lisa Braver Moss\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/050c2063403f3181c2a85711d1aafafc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/050c2063403f3181c2a85711d1aafafc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lisa Braver Moss\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/author\/lisabravermoss\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss","og_description":"\u201cAnother essay about that? Aren\u2019t multiple articles and a novel enough, already?\u201d \u201cAll the ills in the world, and this is what you focus on?\u201d [Attempt to keep a straight face] \u201cYou\u2019re attacking a sacred tradition. And you\u2019re making me feel very uncomfortable.\u201d \u201cBut it\u2019s an AIDS cure! Don\u2019t you realize that in Africa, men…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/","og_site_name":"Lisa Braver Moss","article_published_time":"2012-06-21T16:25:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-06-07T20:30:37+00:00","author":"Lisa Braver Moss","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lisa Braver Moss","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/","name":"Why I Write about Men's Body Parts - Lisa Braver Moss","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2012-06-21T16:25:53+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-07T20:30:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/99a2ac9706b22007bf5913f9f0bd9765"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/why-i-write-about-mens-body-parts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why I Write about Men’s Body Parts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/","name":"Lisa Braver Moss","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/99a2ac9706b22007bf5913f9f0bd9765","name":"Lisa Braver Moss","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/050c2063403f3181c2a85711d1aafafc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/050c2063403f3181c2a85711d1aafafc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lisa Braver Moss"},"url":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/author\/lisabravermoss\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1706,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions\/1706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisabravermoss.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}