Queer people have always existed. In every era, in every culture, even when the world around us refused to see it, we’ve been here. And wherever queer life was forced underground, queer language finds a way to surface. Sometimes it’s in coded gestures or private diaries. Sometimes in poems, letters, or novels that seemed innocent … Continue reading Queer people have always found each other
Category: Literature
Whitman’s Gospel of the Body: Queer, Democratic, and Sacred Flesh
I’ve been rereading Walt Whitman recently. He’s a good autumn read – heavy nature imagery and blatant queer joy, which is what I tend to crave this time of year. I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,I am mad for it to be in contact with me. Walt … Continue reading Whitman’s Gospel of the Body: Queer, Democratic, and Sacred Flesh
Female Desire & Forbidden Truths in Le Fanu’s Carmilla
In Victorian literature, women often became the canvas for society’s unspoken fears and desires. The era was obsessed with controlling female sexuality and codifying gender roles, yet also fixated on the possibility of what might happen if those boundaries were crossed. Morality fiction thrived, and morality tales were even applied to history books in how … Continue reading Female Desire & Forbidden Truths in Le Fanu’s Carmilla
Queer book review: The Last Nude by Ellis Avery
Ellis Avery’s The Last Nude paints an intoxicating picture of 1920s Paris – its art, its women, the haves, the have-nots, and the dangerous glamour of being desired. For queer readers, it’s a novel that both seduces and unsettles, capturing the way infatuation can swing into self-delusion. The first section of the novel is, in … Continue reading Queer book review: The Last Nude by Ellis Avery
Storytelling & Resilience
Stories aren't just for entertainment - they're integral to our survival and humanity. And now, more than ever, we need storytellers. The Ancient Secret to Resilience (That Science Is Only Now Catching Up To) Long before there were research papers and data charts, there were stories. Stories told around fires. Stories sung in ceremonies. Stories … Continue reading Storytelling & Resilience
Queer book review: Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
Writers can learn a lot by reading. This novella is a great study in plot and character arcs, pacing, feminine horror, representing less represented queer identities, and toxic relationship dynamics. Overview Bloom by Delilah Dawson is the story of Ro, a very new assistant professor of literature, and her obsessive relationship with Ash, an artisan … Continue reading Queer book review: Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
Appetence
Defined as intense desire, strong appetite, a craving or an inclination. Appetence is the story of an awakening, a discovery, and a loss. One of its poems will be published in a literary journal in October. Currently revising the draft for submission. This narrative came out quickly and tore things up along the way. It's … Continue reading Appetence
“The misprint seemed meant for me.”
I've been thinking about Elizabeth Bishop's poem The Man-Moth, which is a really interesting poem but also has interesting origins: A typo from a newspaper- the writer meant to use the word mammoth. "The misprint seemed meant for me," she later explained. Inspiration is a slithering thing - you never know where it might be … Continue reading “The misprint seemed meant for me.”
Narrative prosthesis
As someone who has a chronic illness that technically qualifies me (by law) as disabled, I think a lot about how much I dislike fighting language - I'm not a fighter or a warrior, bravely battling this disease. If anything, I'm an ally. We have to live together, so we need to get along. Really … Continue reading Narrative prosthesis
Quotes I have breathlessly admired
I've been pierced by a few quotes this summer. Some I read and reflect upon the way a religious person might reflect upon a scripture. Some describe my stories, or remind me of something, or are a lesson, or reflect something True. Here are a few of them... A quote that resonated with me personally. … Continue reading Quotes I have breathlessly admired
Mental Wanderings: Art, Nature, Life 