Catherine Gigante-Brown

Catherine Gigante-Brown

Bio

Catherine Gigante-Brown is a freelance writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Her works have appeared in Time Out New York, Essence and Seventeen. She co-wrote two biographies for Prometheus Books and her short stories appear in fiction anthologies. Catherine’s first novel, The El, is available from Volossal Publishing. You can learn more about her on her website.

Catherine Gigante-Brown Articles

Atop Joppenbergh Mountain in New York, channeling Rosie the Riveter's fierceness

25 Ways To Conquer Chemo

After I got over the initial devastation, I pulled myself up by my big-girl panties and got on with it. Chemo was no picnic—but it was do-able.

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Children need to be on their own — when it’s safe and the time is right. Image: Thinkstock.

The Joy Of Letting Go: Why You Should Raise Independent Kids

When David was about 12, he told me that he wanted to take the train to school alone. My gut reaction was, “No way in hell!” I mean, we live in a safe neighborhood and all, but David has ADHD and was easily distracted. What if he missed his stop? What if someone messed with him?

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Alexa: Friend? Foe?

8 Ways Amazon Echo (AKA Alexa) Isn't All She's Cracked Up To Be

Alexa is like a nosy neighbor: She’s always listening. That’s how she can respond when you ask her to do something. So, when you’re getting busy on the kitchen counter — Alexa’s listening. When you’re telling Capital One the last four digits of your SSN — Alexa’s listening. And who knows who else is.

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In The Wake Of My Mastectomy, I Got A Tattoo

To the tattoo artist, I was a flesh canvas that she could transform into something beautiful.

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Having someone steal my cancer history and co-opt it...is unbelievably violating.

Someone Plagiarized My Cancer Story

Having someone steal my cancer history and co-opt it for their first-person Facebook blog is unbelievably violating. Somehow, it feels almost as invasive as my mastectomy.

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Fighting Cancer On My Terms

"I was afraid this thing was going to do me in. But I took a deep breath and decided very early on that I would face cancer on my own terms."

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Since my battle with breast cancer in the spring of 2013, my life changed forever.

Compassion Is Complicated After Cancer

Upset you lost your keys? Try losing your breast. Pissed off about missing that train? Try missing your son’s 8th grade graduation because of a horrific infection from fluid buildup in the previously-mentioned missing breast. See what I mean? It kind of puts life into perspective.

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Your Mother-In-Law Doesn’t Have To Be Your Frenemy

I saw my present mother-in-law in a whole new light the first time she held my newborn son.

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Americans spend too much time working and not enough time relaxing.

Working It: How Work Sucks For Everyone In America

The overinflated American work ethic is slowly killing us. It’s constantly pushing us to do more — put in longer hours, check business emails on personal time, take calls from our bosses when we’re chilling in Cancun.

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