Elevate Difference

Reviews by Cheryl Santa Maria

Cheryl Santa Maria

Cheryl Santa Maria is a freelance writer from Toronto. She likes cats, yarn, shoes and chocolate. On the web, you can find her at cherylsantamaria.com and Enviro Chi Chi, a blog dedicated to sustainable fashion.

The Reality Shows

Described by Ben Brantley of the New York Times as someone with the “power to disturb,” Karen Finley is a woman with her finger on the pulse of America. Renowned for her performance art, she is an underground favorite and a feminist idol.

Gay Bar: The Fabulous, True Story of a Daring Woman and Her Boys in the 1950s

Will Fellows has uncovered a gem with Gay Bar, a re-issue of the 1957 novel by Helen Branson. The original memoir, typed up on an old Polish typewriter, tells the tale of the gay establishment she operated in 1950s Los Angeles. The story revolves heavily around her clientele, a group of businessmen and entrepreneurs whom she affectionately refers to as “her boys.”

Fearless: The 7 Principles of Peace of Mind

A healthy dose of fear is necessary at times, but I often wonder how much further ahead humanity would be if it wasn’t bound by insecurity. Fear-based emotions like jealously, aggression and insecurity have wreaked havoc on our collective development, leading to war, oppression and famine. Oftentimes we are hindered by the “worst case scenarios” that we dream up in our minds.

The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life

I’ve always admired Ivanka Trump. As the Vice President of Real Estate and Acquisitions for the Trump Organization and owner of her own luxury jewelry line, I look to her as a role model. Her first foray into literature has been wildly successful, landing on the New York Times Bestseller List and garnering praise from the publishing community.

Bad Shoes and the Women Who Love Them

With my feet encased in a pair of red Mary Jane pumps, I sat at my desk reading Bad Shoes and the Women Who Love Them. As a self-described “shoe girl” and vehement hypochondriac I nervously turned the pages, bracing for bad news.

Jay Stay Paid

Throughout his short career renowned hip hop producer, DJ, and rapper J Dilla (a.k.a. James Dewitt Yancey) maintained a vault of unreleased tracks. Three years after passing away from Lupus-related complications, a sampling of his unfinished work has been compiled into a full-length album, a project helmed by his mother (known as "Ma Dukes") and acclaimed producer Pete Rock.

Free From Lies: Discovering Your True Needs

In her latest study, Free From Lies, famed psychologist Alice Miller examines the way child abuse shapes the psyche and the effect it can have on humanity. While the human brain has an incredible ability to normalize traumatic events, Miller argues that abuses suffered in childhood can never truly be repressed. It appears as though humanity is suffering from a collective amnesia regarding the wrongs we suffered in infancy.

Gaining Ground: A Tool for Advancing Reproductive Rights Law Reform

Any act, implicit or implied, that limits or refuses a woman reproductive self-determination is a violation of her human rights. Countries have begun to move forward on this issue via the reformation of existing laws and the implementation of new ones. While progress appears to be afoot, many women remain without access to a safe pregnancy and childbirth, the right to a legal abortion, the right to use birth control and the right to equal partnership within a marriage.

Vintage Ornament Charm Bracelet

Angel Court Jewels, the self-proclaimed “craftsmen of little saints” creates beautiful products with old age appeal. Their Vintage Ornament Charm Bracelet is truly a capsule piece; it is beautiful today, and it will remain so twenty years from now. The bracelet consists of three deep green beads and three large gold charms, fastened to a sturdy gold-plated chain. This is a piece with substance. It is well-built; I have worn it almost daily for two weeks and did not once worry about the charms falling off or the bracelet becoming unclasped.

Remembering Women Murdered by Men: Memorials Across Canada

Every day, women are dying. We outnumber men nine to one as victims of violence, and it is affecting society socially and economically. A recent study by the government of Canada estimates the health-related cost of violence towards women costs the Canadian taxpayer $1.5 billion annually. If women are dying at such an alarming rate, why hasn’t our plight received more attention? In the book Remembering Women Murdered by Men, The Cultural Memory Group attempts to provide a voice for the millions of victims of femicide.

Feels Like Home

Feels Like Home really does feel like home. Jessica Bailiff’s folky sounds and soothing voice are more toned down from her previous albums Even in Silence (1998), Hour of the Trace (1999) and her self-titled release in 2002. In the past, Bailiff’s shielded her softness with harsh sounds. Here, Bailiff has stripped down and makes her music truly inviting.