There may soon be a glitter and rhinestone shortage in San Francisco. Why? For the third year in a row, over 30 local burlesque performers will convene for the annual Burlesque Extravaganza at EXIT Theatre. It’s all going down March 18-21. As a frequent patron and performer at EXIT Theatre,

by Laurie Riihimaki From the astonishing tricks of Houdini to the spectacular world of Harry Potter, magic has always been a part of our society. The idea that something dazzling and unexpected could wondrously appear in our average existence is a concept that continuously blows our minds and makes our

by Laurie Riihimaki It’s February, and all the candy aisles are stocked with red heart-shaped boxes filled with sticky caramels and nutty chocolates. There are giant teddy bears near every register. Florists are pushing roses by the dozens to everyone passing by! Valentine’s Day is near, and looming. Valentine’s Day

by Laurie Riihimaki  In the last decade, there has been a big switch in the way we perceive mental health. Now, the topic of mental health is widely talked about and the stigma is being slowly wiped away. A lot of the positive and open conversation about mental health has

by Kate Brunotts As someone who is constantly paranoid about the effectiveness of her birth control, I can’t wait for the day that my partner has a vasectomy. I promise I’m not a sadist, but we both agree that the shared anxiety of having an unplanned pregnancy will only go

On a cold January afternoon in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, I stopped under a flashing rainbow sign on Eddy Street to meet Gina Stella dell’Assunta. Gina is a writer and performer from San Francisco, with deep roots in queer and trans sex worker and disability communities.

by Laurie Riihimaki ‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, or should I say tears? For some, this time of year can be heavy with seasonal depression brought on by toxic family get-togethers, dreaded semester finals, literally darker days, and holiday weight brought on by grandma’s famous pecan pie and mac

by Ben Mangelsdorf In case you were wondering, college has been going amazing. I definitely spent the first two years of the best four years of my life contemplating whether life was truly worth living, but I’ve gotten past that and have developed a strong sense of apathy and disregard