Rita Arens

All Posts

  1. Get to Know Eleanor Brown

    2/8/12 6:57am by Rita Arens
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    Eleanor Brown

    Eleanor Brown is the New York Times and national-bestselling author of BlogHer Book Club pick The Weird Sisters, hailed by People magazine as “a delightful debut” and “creative and original” by Library Journal.  Read more >

  2. (EXCERPT) The Weird Sisters

    2/8/12 6:53am by Rita Arens
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    The Weird Sisters cover

    Haven't had a chance to pick up a copy of the BlogHer Book Club pick, The Weird Sisters yet? Here's an excerpt to get you started.  Read more >

  3. Breaking Down Proposed Don't Track Kids Online Bill

    2/2/12 1:36pm by Rita Arens
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    Kids Online

    This afternoon I sat in on a conference call for bloggers hosted by Common Sense Media and attended by Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX), the co-sponsors of the bill H.R. 1895, Do Not Track Kids Online. I admit to not understanding exactly what was involved, so this call was really helpful. I remember living through the changes brought about by the Children’s Online Privacy Protect Act of 1998 (COPPA), which went into effect as I worked at my first Internet start-up job. As such, I face all online regulation suggestions with hope and concern -- the nature of the Internet can make even the smallest changes operational nightmares, even when we all agree they're a good idea.  Read more >

  4. Stress & Why I Can't Deal, or Maybe I Can Learn

    1/31/12 11:46am by Rita Arens
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    Stress Door

    I began my stressing career early in life. My first clear memory of stress involved Little League softball. I played right field back when nobody ever, ever hit to right field. I thought it was my responsibility to pray over every pitch, that if I forgot to say a prayer for that pitch and we lost the game, that it would be all my fault. Perhaps this was stress, perhaps delusions of grandeur -- I'm sure we could all have a lot of fun with armchair psychology with this story, but my point is that when it comes to stress, I'm a black belt. (Don't worry, I've learned to stop wasting my prayers on minutiae.)  Read more >

  5. Bloggers! Ask Rep. Markey About Kids and Online Privacy

    1/31/12 9:47am by Rita Arens
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    Ed Markey

    Do you worry about your kids' privacy online? Do you even know what information marketers are gathering about your child and his or her online habits? Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) -- who authored the Children’s Online Privacy Protect Act of 1998 (COPPA) for the House -- is holding a conference call for bloggers with Jim Steyer from Common Sense Media at 1:30PM EST/12:30 PM CT/10:30 AM PT on Thursday, February 2nd (that's this week!) to discuss a new bipartisan bill he's co-sponsoring, H.R. 1895, Do Not Track Kids Online -- and he wants our questions, BlogHers!  Read more >

  6. BlogHer Talks to Jeffrey Zaslow

    1/24/12 1:25pm by Rita Arens
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    Little Girl in a Wedding Dress

    Editor's Note: We sincerely regret the passing of Jeffrey Zaslow on February 10, 2012. We enjoyed his work and his commentary. Our deepest sympathies go out to Jeffrey's family and friends. -Rita BlogHer recently caught up with Jeffrey Zaslow, the author of BlogHer Book Club pick The Magic Room.  Read more >

  7. Get to Know Seré Prince Halverson

    1/18/12 9:50am by Rita Arens
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    Sere Prince Halverson

    BlogHer Book Club is reading Seré Prince Halverson's debut novel, The Underside of Joy. Here's more about Seré!  Read more >

  8. (EXCERPT) The Underside of Joy

    1/18/12 9:40am by Rita Arens
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    The Underside of Joy cover

    If you haven't yet had a chance to pick up BlogHer Book Club's pick The Underside of Joy, here's an excerpt to get you started.  Read more >

  9. (EXCERPT) Why Women Need Fat

    1/11/12 9:49am by Rita Arens
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    Why Women Need Fat cover

    If you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy of BlogHer Book Club pick Why Women Need Fat, here's an excerpt to get you started.  Read more >

  10. Marriage Contracts: Should We Should Have Marital Term Limits?

    1/3/12 8:56am by Rita Arens
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    Courthouse Fountain

    Last year marked my ten-year wedding anniversary. I love the legal protections of marriage -- no one argues that my husband can't visit me in the hospital or shouldn't be able to pick something up for me or inherit my money. I love the psychological aspect of marriage, too -- but it's the LEGAL aspect of marriage that ups the ante societally from living together. The legal aspect is also the part that I think we should change: We should have marital term limits.  Read more >

Rita Arens

Full Name
Rita Arens
Member Since
February 2006
About Me: 

Rita Arens authors Surrender, Dorothy and Surrender, Dorothy: Reviews. She is BlogHer.com's senior editor. 

Her parenting anthology and BlogHer's first book, Sleep is for the Weak was published by Chicago Review Press in September 2008 and won a 2009 gold NAPPA.

She lives with her husband and daughter in Kansas City. She has a BA in communications studies from the University of Iowa and a MA in English/professional writing from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. Follow Rita on Twitter.

Location Tags: 

iowa city,chicago,kansas city

School Tags: 

university of iowa,university of missouri kansas city

About Me Tags: 

health,business,work,parenting,mommyblog,politics,current events

Causes Tags: 

healthcare,environment,childcare

 

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