Queer writer of speculative and YA fiction
I saw The Empire Strikes Back when I was ten years old. We were traveling across the country, from Arizona to the East Coast, on our way to our new home in Maryland. We went first to Florida, where my aunt lived, and from there we went to Maine to visit literally every other relative …
Over on BlueSky, my friend ’Nathan Burgoine has been revisiting his daily book recommendations from June 2024 for Pride month. I love this because it’s a reminder that any time is the right time for someone to discover a new book, even if it came out years ago. I don’t get a lot of reading …
Continue reading "Queer book recommendations for 2025 Pride"
I’m not a minimalist by any stretch, but I do like getting rid of clutter. If I don’t want to save something or I’m not going to use it again, out it goes. Even books—it’s very satisfying to leave books in Little Free Libraries all over town to find their next ideal reader. There are …
When I was a kid, I remember, my dad had a framed quote in his office—you’ve probably heard it—by Calvin Coolidge: Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: …
Continue reading "Is failure an option? Because I think I could be really good at that."
Well, this is a fine mess, isn’t it. At the moment I’m on the other side of the world, so I was waking up while everyone else was waiting for the polls to close and probably feeling exhausted and jittery. We were heading to the ruins of the Heraion outside of Argos, a temple to …
*record scratch, freeze frame* Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this situation. (Sorry, I’ve always wanted to do that.) For some reason, this version of me has been on my mind a bit lately. Maybe that’s because I’m revising a young adult novel and trying to tap into the feeling I …
Continue reading "Being kinder to the memory of the kid I was"
My friend and fellow author ’Nathan Burgoine has been offering up daily reading suggestions for Pride Month over on his blog, and he's listed some real bangers so far, including Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon (bisexual fake marriage for the sake of an inheritance) and Soul's Blood by Stephen Graham King (sci-fi found family). And this …
I'm always kind of envious of people who are able to read new releases immediately when they come out. Or, maybe envious isn't the right word; more life baffled. How does anyone manage to keep up with all of the books they buy and have backlogged that they're actually able to clear the decks and …
Continue reading "What to read: Catfish Rolling, by Clara Kumagai"
Have you ever finished a book and been so excited for the writer’s next one that you go look up when their next one is coming out… and it’s two years from now? Or worse, they don’t have a new release scheduled at all? And do you ever want to just, I don’t know, call …
I wrote a guest post for Scott McGlothlen at his blog. It was inspired by an eye procedure I had done last year, not long after my 54th birthday. The confluence of those two events got me thinking about getting older and my relationship to time. (And, no big surprise, there's a Star Trek reference …
Continue reading "When I’m 54, or “Yours Sincerely, Wasting Away”"