Over the last few years, you may have heard that libraries and schools across the U.S. are removing “pornography” from shelves, especially books that children or teens might access. That framing sounds reasonable at first. Most people agree that libraries shouldn’t hand explicit adult material to kids. But when you look more closely at which … Continue reading Queer Book Bans: What’s Really Happening When Queer Books Get Labeled “Pornography”
Category: Writing
Subtle sexism in storytelling
Sexism isn't always blatant and obvious - sometimes it's so subtle that we don't even really think about it. The unevenness between genders and how gender is presented is so ingrained that not only do we miss it, but sometimes as writers we perpetuate it. It can be little things. Who gets to talk, and … Continue reading Subtle sexism in storytelling
Why Fan Fiction Matters to the Queer Community
I’m a big fan of fan fiction, both as a pastime and as a general concept. My introduction to fan fiction came in the 1990s, when I stumbled onto an online forum where people were writing alternate storylines for a popular TV show. At first, I thought it was just a fun way to imagine … Continue reading Why Fan Fiction Matters to the Queer Community
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
Doubt
I saw this movie back in 2008 in the theater, and really liked, but I haven't seen the whole thing start to finish since then. This morning it happened to be on, and I sat and watched it and was amazed all over again. It's actually quite good, and it's a great movie for a … Continue reading Doubt
Misogynistic characters vs misogynistic writing
I've talked about this with a number of women who write over the past few years, as we have been exposed to stories where misogyny is featured and stories where the narrative itself - and often the writer - is actually misogynistic. Conflating those two things is dangerous. One is a way of exploring and … Continue reading Misogynistic characters vs misogynistic writing
Institutions will not save us
To all my fellow writers: There was a book published back in the late 1970s about the Holocaust, in which the author concluded that while there were a lot of individuals who did speak out and attempt to do what they could to push back on Nazi policies and protect Jewish people and others who … Continue reading Institutions will not save us
Resistance through representation
As I troll through my various islands of internet camaraderie and outrage, I'm seeing the word "resistance" a lot. There is certainly a spewing plethora of negative impulses and cruelty and just plain stupidity out there that needs to be resisted in various ways. Through the ages, writers and artists of various kinds have done … Continue reading Resistance through representation
Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.
I beta read a lot, and am involved in writing communities of various kinds, and I briefly taught English way back in the day, and I consume much storytelling media in general - and one of my biggest pet peeves is sexual assault backstories. While I think this is improving, it’s still annoying to me … Continue reading Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.
Notes in the Margins 