Spooky season is upon us, somewhat redundantly when every day is terrifying. Pumpkin spice dictatorship, anyone? I’ll take mine to go. Your boi was interviewed on the queer storytelling site I’m From Driftwood, an archive of short videos by LGBTQ folks talking about pivotal moments in their lives. Watch me talk about becoming Mommy-Man in
October Links Roundup: Act Like It Matters Read More »
February already? When the passage of time surprised me, I used to think “Have I done enough work on my novel?” but now I think “One fewer month of the Trump presidency.” Close friends of mine recently became first-time parents. When I check in with the mom about her sleepless little angel, I remember the
February Links Roundup: Monkey Mind Mother Read More »
The author of this poem is a fierce mom in Florida protecting her queer kids from legalized bigotry. She shared this poem in an email to me on the weekend of the inauguration, and has kindly permitted me to publish it here, without attribution to protect her kids’ privacy. Why I Want to Resist Why
Poetry by a Mom of Queer Kids: “Why I Want to Resist” Read More »
My estranged mother, Irene, died shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve/Day. She was 84 years old. I last had contact with her in January 2011. My husband, our son, and my mom-of-choice Roberta (her ex) attended her graveside funeral in New Jersey yesterday, along with her late brother’s widow and a good contingent of
In Memory of My Mother Read More »
I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse: buy Origin Story Elation, exhaustion, fear, creativity, fury, and perseverance are the competing flavors in the boiling stew that is 2024 in retrospect. I had some tremendous breakthroughs and brought some years-long dreams to fruition. At the same time, I’m anxious and grieving about what lies
Reiter’s Block Year in Review: 2024 Read More »
Pagan god or Eastern States Exposition parade float? You decide! Welcome to spooky season, readers. This month there will be two links posts, this catch-all literary and cultural one, and a forthcoming one to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the war in Gaza. To start the Halloween pumpkin rolling, let’s appreciate Taisiya Kogan’s flash
October Links Roundup: Hermit Crabs and Other Art Forms Read More »
Autumn is on the way! Soon it will be time to switch from my closet of 50 short-sleeved button-down shirts to my closet of 50 long-sleeved ones. This makes me not-so-nostalgic for a problem I had from the ages of 12 through 50: Boob Gap! I’m talking about that awkward pulling between the second and
September Links Roundup: Boobs Week and Dad Caps Read More »
In my misspent youth, Princess Diana epitomized fairy-tale feminine perfection. I still have my Charles and Di royal wedding paper dolls. Now, watching Season 5 of “The Crown,” I see the people’s princess as a role model of a different kind, the family member who breaks the code of silence about emotional abuse and neglect.
December Links Roundup: We Trans’ed Princess Di Read More »
Several of my trans male and nonbinary acquaintances were mothers before they transitioned, and are now exploring alternative ways for their children to address them. I’ve started to introduce myself to new people as “Shane’s parent” but I haven’t asked him to call me anything different. On his own, my creative boy decided to call
Here Comes Mommy-Man Read More »
It’s March! Spring is coming and links are a-blooming. It was reported this morning that Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business that manages the author’s intellectual property, would cease reprinting six of his picture books because of racist illustrations. The best-known of these titles were On Beyond Zebra, To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,
March Links Roundup: Unseen on Mulberry Street Read More »