NYE

res·o·lu·tion  noun   \re-zə-ˈlü-shən\

Definition of RESOLUTION

1  : the act or process of resolving: as
    a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones
    b : the act of answering : solving
    c : the act of determining
    d : the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance
    e : the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents
    f (1) : the division of a prosodic element into its component parts (2) : the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable
    g : the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum

2  : the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)

3  a : something that is resolved  
    b : firmness of resolve 

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Da Bomb

This was a Christmas gift. It smells like if someone threw a hand grenade at you, but the grenade was filled with flowers. It is awesome.

The Things They Carried in Their Bras

"Throat cancer," he said, tracing the scar that ran from his ear to his windpipe.

It was sort of breathtaking, sitting in an office with a view of the lake in winter, talking to a man in a suit who was making a motion like he was slitting his own throat.

[READ, IMAGE]

Lowballer

Why do women lowball other women? Let's find out.

1. There is no sisterhood.

Read any site devoted to women and business, and you’ll stumble across various essays, articles, and posts in which it’s underscored how women must stick up for other women in the workplace. The reality is that it doesn’t happen. Rather than cry for a sisterhood that doesn’t exist in reality, women would be better off accepting that the dog-eat-dog mentality of business is as pervasive among women as it is among men.

[READ]

Santa

Christmas, Chicago, Illinois

Team Hell Yeah

I work for Team Coco.

How awesome is working for Team Coco?

This awesome.

Melancholia

I finally saw "Melancholia," which I thought was terrific. It's very beautiful, and powerful, and complex. Oddly, I found the ending somewhat anticlimactic. In any case, see it.

I get email

Hi Susannah,

Forgive me if this comes off as crass, but you make breast cancer sexy, what a wonderful picture. Best wishes for your recovery.

Warm regards,
[Redacted]

Biopsy

Biopsy, Chicago, Illinois

Age

How old am I?

Let's find the fuck out today on Forbes!

If you live your life in a box, maybe you end up looking perfect on the outside. If you live your life outside the box, you end up with a face like a map, the tributaries revealing all the things you’ve done, and you wear your battle scars for all to see.

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Strip

Letters from Men Who Go to Strip Clubs has 22 letters so far. If it continues at this pace, it will be the most popular letters project I've done.

Salon wrote about the project, it will be mentioned in an upcoming issue of Playboy magazine, and a UK publication will be profiling me in the new year.

You can submit your letter HERE.

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Winter

Snow Boots, Chicago, Illinois

TV

If you want to be like me, you should probably read this.

If you can’t condense your message into a 10-word soundbite, you don’t belong on TV. If you don’t get that part of doing well on TV means cultivating a look, you don’t belong on TV. If you think being on TV is where everyone will understand you, you don’t belong on TV.

TV is like gladiators fighting in a stadium. You have to be fast, you have to be telegenic, and you have to be able to dumb it down without sounding like an idiot. TV doesn’t play your game; it plays its own game.

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Exam

Exam Room, Chicago, Illinois

I get email

Susannah:

What if your next few Forbes postings had nothing at all to do with your current breast cancer battle?

What if your next article was entitled "What Strippers Can Teach Trophy Wives and Junior League Members"? (Juvederm and wrinkle fillers injected into the foot pads so the Louboutins don't hurt).

The next article could be "How Tampa, Fl Strippers are Gearing up for the GOP Convention". Somebody is going to write that article - why not you? Republicans; naked women; money...

Your readers are set up for the medical drama/heroic female victim/struggle in an unfair world storyline. But this isn't the Lifetime Television Network.

What if you gave them Susannah Breslin instead and made them wait?

[Redacted]

MRI

MRI, Chicago, Illinois

Shoot

I wrote a post on Forbes about my most recent trip to the doctor after my breast cancer diagnosis. Mostly, the piece is about facing questions like: Should I get both my boobs chopped off? These are questions one would prefer not to consider, but then there they are.

As I write in the post, I took my camera with me, mostly as a way to deal with the environment, and also as a way of manifesting a fantasy of control. The camera helped. It made me feel like I could compartmentalize everything into a box: the framed picture.

I brought my camera along. I took a photo of the building from the outside. I took a photo walking down the hall to the place where I would be the youngest person in the room. I took a photo of myself in a smock in an examination room. The camera was like a weapon, heavy in my hand, the thing between me and where I didn’t want to be.

[READ]

I get email

Dear Susannah,

I was wandering if you would be so inclined to attend an office holiday party with me, as my date. With you, I can guarantee a beautiful, yet intelligent type, proven by watching some of your work. You would of course be paid. Could we work this out?

best regards,

[Redacted]

How much?

Well, I see that you have not really turned the camera on yourself much since you have taken up photography (that I can find) so I probably could use an updated photo. But unless you have a going rate, and since you have a fetish angle that I am rather fond of, how about ticket (plane), hotel expense included plus $7,500 for basically a 24-hour period. You can also forego the hotel if you wanted to hang out the rest of that weekend (Dec 16-Dec 18), as I have a place to crash. If you are not interested, no worries, as I have others in mind as well, I just wanted to run this by you first, as I do like you.

[Redacted]

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Waiting

Waiting, Chicago, Illinois

Tough

The lovely Molly Crabapple created this awesome artwork in homage to my breast cancer diagnosis. Thank you, Molly! I will be tough like brass knuckles for you. She'll be auctioning it off and donating the funds to a breast cancer organization in the future.

[MOLLY'S HOUSE]

Award

Xeni made this for me.