by AnnSheybani | Oct 5, 2015 | Life, Reading, sex
It was the 70’s. Playboy and Penthouse were ubiquitous on suburban coffee tables, at least in the households where I babysat. My parents, in keeping with the make-love-not-war attitude of the era, kept a stash of porn star tell-all’s, Penthouse Forum volumes,...
by AnnSheybani | Aug 11, 2014 | Alcoholism, Boundaries, Codependency, desire, Intimacy, Life, manipulation, nice girl complex, people pleasing, recovery, sex, Tony Robbins, vulnerability, Walt Hampton
I have a pug that turns to stone the minute I try to pick him up. He absolutely despises being man handled and will squeal like a pig. The thing is, I can totally relate to Max. There were years, and I mean DECADES, where I couldn’t stand to be touched, even though...
by AnnSheybani | May 12, 2014 | Alcoholic rules, Anne Lamott, Authenticity, connection, Courage, criticism, Cultural Issues, culture shock, dealing with criticism, grace, Honesty, identity, Iran, mistakes, Motivation, risk, Self-acceptance, sex, voice, vulnerability, Writing
This week I was asked an interview question that really got me thinking: “Much of your writing is deeply personal and provocative; some of it seems almost intended to shock. Is there a cost for being so forthright?” A lot of us who choose to write memoir or personal...
by AnnSheybani | Dec 16, 2013 | 10 Stupid Things WomenDo to Mess Up Their Lives, Alcoholic rules, Alcoholism, attachment, choosing a mate, connection, Daddy Hole, dating, desire, Emotional Unavailability, growing up, Honesty, identity, Intimacy, Life, love, Rescue, sex
It was the 70’s. Playboy and Penthouse were ubiquitous on suburban coffee tables, at least in the households where I babysat. My parents, in keeping with the make-love-not-war attitude of the era, kept a stash of porn star tell-all’s, Penthouse Forum volumes,...