October 20th, 2022 For the second installment of my Halloween series, let’s take a closer look at Steven Quincy Urkel. First things first: can we just give my mom a massive round of applause for acknowledging that her white boy loved Steve Urkel but also understood that he did not need to look EXACTLY likeContinue reading “The Characters Who Inspired Me, Part 2”
Tag Archives: America
I Heart Kaleidoscope
October 19th, 2022 Unlearning can be learning. For a second year, I was lucky enough to be invited to teach Kaleidescope, an arts program for LGBTQ+ youth in Faribault. We meet in the Buckham Memorial Library, which is surreal, because I grew up just a block away and spent so much of my young lifeContinue reading “I Heart Kaleidoscope”
The MCU: Far Better World
October 13th, 2022 My favorite part about watching people complain about the current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that they are objectively wrong. The future belongs to those who can see it. At the convention in Rochester over the weekend, I had no problem choosing my favorite cosplay: a little girl, painted green,Continue reading “The MCU: Far Better World”
On The Ground
October 10th, 2022 I just read an essay in which the writer was feeling paralyzed with fear because she felt as though she was living in the shadow of her audience’s expectations of her; she knows she can’t be the best of herself at all times, and people want to believe that you are theContinue reading “On The Ground”
For You or Not For You
September 5th, 2022 When I saw the State Fair water tower on the horizon this year, the nostalgia hit me harder than normal. Instead of a general flavor, nostalgia tends to get colored by people whose loss feels recent, like yesterday, even though they’ve been gone, say, nearly two years. It got me thinking aboutContinue reading “For You or Not For You”
Trauma Like Candy
August 25th, 2022 When I was growing up, my dad took us camping a lot. That meant a lot of s’mores, mosquito bites, boat rides, sunburns, worms pierced with hooks, hammocks, and campfires. On one particular trip, during elementary school break, I had become fascinated with the fire pit on the grounds. It was madeContinue reading “Trauma Like Candy”
Cold World Trailer
August 15th, 2022 It has not been a cold summer, but for my readers, it has been a Cold World summer. Some of the best reviews of my writing career have made their way to me from people who have discovered the secrets of this story set on Earth in 2222; Cold World is aContinue reading “Cold World Trailer”
The Best of the Worst
August 1st, 2022 This is your semi-annual reminder that my posts are personal opinions made by a very, very flawed person with little-to-no common sense. It can be hard for us, especially once we designate something or someone as “good” or “bad,” to remember that everything is actually somewhere in the middle. This feels especiallyContinue reading “The Best of the Worst”
Lowered Expectations
July 29th, 2022 Why is everyone so angry? It’s a tough question, but never fear, because I have the answer. No one’s going to read it, but I have it. Over the years, I’ve had to develop ways to deal with myself, because I am the worst. Perhaps the most important tool I’ve gained (besidesContinue reading “Lowered Expectations”
Negative Space
July 24th, 2022 Criticism isn’t fun. It can be helpful, though. But it’s also stupid and people should mind their own business. I had to understand why I felt this way. And I realized it wasn’t about criticism. It was, as the whole universe is, about balance. People talk shit. It’s just a fact ofContinue reading “Negative Space”
The Den 