Our “Go with the Flow” Giveaway

Psst! There is a hip, hilarious and truly eye-opening cultural history of menstruation revealed in Flow. Elissa Stein’s latest book, with Susan Kim, Flow spans its fascinating, occasionally wacky and sometimes downright scary story: from mikvahs (ritual cleansing baths) to menopause, hysteria to hysterectomies—not to mention the Pill, cramps, the history of underwear, and the movie about puberty they showed you in 5th grade.

And are you wondering about the wandering uterus? Huh? Well, the ancient Egyptians believed the uterus was a free-floating, independent, autonomous organ that wandered the body. Yes! Read all about this in the Wonders & Marvels post right here.

We are giving away three copies of Flow. You can enter the drawing by commenting below. Please tell us (1) an example of a doozy of a menstrual taboo or (2) the strangest euphemism for menstruation that you’ve heard. Good luck! The drawing ends at midnight Eastern time on December 7, 2009. Sorry, at this time we can only mail in the United States. And by the way, the winners of our last drawing for THE POISON KING were Gian T. and Ann. Congratulations!

Fellow Travelers

It's a Girl!

Real Life Sleeping Beauty

Lori Plummer

2.) “Ink spotting,” a euphenism I recently heard from my tweener daughter. Go figure.
Vicky Alvear Shecter

My absolute favorite euphemism: “Taking Carrie to the Prom.” I’ve never used it but I saw it somewhere and it cracked me up.
http://lizadonnelly.com lizadonnelly

1) throwing a goodbye party to your period when you reach menopause (or perhaps NOT throwing a goodbye party)

2) the curse (didnt use many euphemisms!)
http://www.sandragulland.com Sandra Gulland

“The General has come.” Marie Antoinette, I believe.
Sheri McCord

1) In the 17th c., some recipes included the menstrual blood of virgins (yes, to be ingested).
2) “the red tide”
http://www.miettecast.com Miette

1, 2) Where I once lived, the land where teenage pregnancy was (frightfully) championed, it was considered such a hallmark day when some girls got their first period that they’d leave stained bottoms proudly on and bleed freely into them for the duration of the day. We foreigners, who found the native habits peculiar if not disgusting, referred to this as ‘spackling.’

damn, i’ve disclosed too much not to read this book now.
Vicky Alvear Shecter

Wow. Miette–where was this? And was it recent? Now, I’m very curious!
http://www.miettecast.com Miette

About ten years ago– I was curious too, but wasn’t there long enough to pick up on many other cultural oddities. I’ll tell you where, but I’ve said condemnatory things about the place and don’t want to offend anyone (I’ve lived in lots of crap places, honest) but if you want to know, send email.
http://www.wondersandmarvels.com Editor

Very interesting, Miette. Vicky, thanks for being curious and asking!
Mary Minshall

Once my mother told a friend of hers that, “you sat in some strawberry jam” to tell the lady she had gotten her period and it had shown through.
mel

Alabama (The Crimson Tide) won the game.