(And why states are like dating.) I had only been in LA once before when I stepped off the plane a few weeks ago, bedecked in black head to toe, feeling a proper level of New York constant low-level angst and anxiety. People often talk about “the coasts” and how they differ from the flyover states…

Sometimes our feelings are spot on, but sometimes they are an outgrowth of toxic societal messages — I hated being told what to do when I was a parent of young kids, and vowed I wouldn’t do it to other people. But I will admit that yesterday I cracked. Recently I went to spend the day with Jacob, a new parent. His wife was away for the…

The World According to Claire — Recently I was zooming with Sue, a dear friend I’ve known since middle school. Sue had battled breast cancer years ago, and won. Because of this people often label her “heroic.” “I don’t like it when people call me heroic.” she said, “What does that mean? If I’m heroic for…

Almost 250 years after Abigail Adams’ plea to “Remember the ladies,” we’re still an afterthought — As a woman who wrote a book rooted in women’s empowerment and intersectional feminism, I have had many people wish me a happy Women’s History Month. I’ve also been asked to write articles and will be giving talks in honor of the month. While I’ve been honored to participate, the…

How Trickle Down Feminist Authors Inspired My Book — People often ask me what books influenced my bestseller, “A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space.” Here’s the politic answer. Many authors informed my love of writing. Dr. Maya Angelou, whose books helped me survive middle school, was a major influence. While true, this is only part of the story. Here’s…

Dear Well-Meaning, Concerned Parents, Please don’t tell your kids not to go into acting. Please. (Or, for that matter, any career choice you may not agree with… but I digress.) I taught acting for over twenty years. Recently I caught up with Noah, a former student who is making a…

Part 1 in my No-Bullshit Guide to Book Publishing* — (*You may be able to circumvent this if you have been abducted by aliens or are Meryl Streep’s kid.) I know what I’ll do to get published… Start writing! (Well, sort of.) So, you’ve got a great idea for a book! Good for you! This is about what you should do a year prior to pitching your book. When pitching your book, publishers…

The motivational speaker and author overcame trauma. Now, Eliza VanCort helps women live “unapologetically.” Here is a link to an exclusive story People Magazine wrote about me today. My mother is still a missing person. I hope is that someone will read this, somewhere, and know what happened to her……

There’s Interrupting and Then There’s Friendterrupting — Many of the men I know, whether friends or colleagues, have been tiptoeing around me ever since I began writing a book about women claiming space. Those who know I wrote a chapter on interruptions have become hypersensitive (read — fully freaked out) about cutting me off mid-sentence. Yesterday I…