Catherine Gigante-Brown

Catherine Gigante-Brown

Bio

Catherine Gigante-Brown is a freelance writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Her works have appeared in Time Out New York, Essence and Seventeen. She co-wrote two biographies for Prometheus Books and her short stories appear in fiction anthologies. Catherine’s first novel, The El, is available from Volossal Publishing. You can learn more about her on her website.

Catherine Gigante-Brown Articles

Statue at the Zen Buddhist Monastery, Upstate, NY

My Wild and Crazy Zen Retreat Adventure

At first, I felt like an abandoned ten-year-old, dropped off at a remote summer camp—with the extra added attraction of no cell phone reception or Wi-Fi. I thought the hardest part of the weekend was going to be picking out a robe. Boy, was I wrong!

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My Father Never Said I Love You, But I'll Be Different

I realized my father was from a generation that never said those three little words. He was saying he loved me without them. But I didn't realize it then.

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The Brutally Honest Mom Manifesto That Changed My Life

Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions wasn't your typical cutesie baby fare. It was raw, real—and unabashedly funny.

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Ticking Time Bomb: Life As A Cancer Survivor

I go for checkups when I’m supposed to: every three months to the oncologist and every six months to the breast surgeon. I go to SHARE support group meetings to bolster myself. I try to get enough sleep, despite the occasional night spent wide-eyed with dread.

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Image: NY Post

Love, Candice: A Farewell to Candida Royalle

Candida Royalle pretty much invented couples erotica. She made it socially-acceptable. Respectable. The women in her films looked like real women and had real, comfortable female bodies. And her movies actually had stories. Good stories. She hired her friends—adult legends like Annie Sprinkle, Veronicas Hart and Vera, and Gloria Leonard — to create Femme films too.

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5 Cool Things to Do for a New Mom, Besides Buy Cute Baby Clothes

"Bring over a meal—and leave. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, from soup to nuts. And coffee. Plenty of coffee."

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Why I Took My Son Off His ADHD Meds

I dreaded putting him back on Concerta in the fall but I knew I had to. Or did I?

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new life, old traditions.

Postpartum Practices Worldwide: How The World Takes Care Of Moms And Babies

Although America’s “lying in period” fell by the wayside in the 19th century with the disappearance of the frontier, it’s alive and well today in many cultures globally. Seclusion traditions where both mother and child recover and bond are still the norm in many cultures worldwide.

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5 Reasons Why I Can't Stand Shakespeare

The hell with his elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases. Iambic pentameter is cruel and unusual punishment.

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Credit: Thinkstock

How I Learned To Get Naked With Strangers Again After My Mastectomy

I fumbled with my lace bra, hoping my silicone form wouldn't fall out from the left cup. I wasn't exactly ready . . . yet I was.

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