“What About the Cat?” Feedback from an Online Writing Workshop

By Helen Raica-Klotz

“You asked for feedback on the ending of this essay, specifically the last sentence. I agree; it is problematic. You write, ‘I put down the pencil….’ Clearly, this object is a phallic symbol, but what does this action represent? Turning away from the patriarchal system that has dominated your entire life? A rejection of your cis-gendered sexuality? The recognition that your creative potency, your life-force, has disappeared altogether? This is a rich metaphor, one that...