Decembery round up from 80-degree Texas
*sobs(sweats) quietly*
2020-2021 were easily the worst years of my life, which I guess is normal when your dad dies during a global pandemic and people react badly to you coming out. 2022, on the other hand, has been kind of… good? Especially in terms of prioritizing people and art and hobbies that don’t make me hate myself. Cue “Bae” by The Front Bottoms (who, by the way, I saw a couple weeks ago— SUCH A GREAT NIGHT).
I am obsessed with this blurry photo from the show.
Anyways, literary things:
Porter House Review has 3(!) new pieces up today! Be sure to read Jessica Nirvana Ram’s personal essay “of snakes and skin.” This essay discusses sexual assault and the treatment of women of color under white patriarchy. It’s an important read and I’m grateful PHR gets to publish this piece that hits home for so many of us
Volume 2 Issue 1 of The Woodward Review launched last week. Please check out this new lit mag— their mission and response aspect is so cool! I got to be a part of their Zoom reading last week, and I have a prose poem from my upcoming chapbook, Last Stop, in the issue
My poetry pal Kale Hensley has a knock-out poem in Red Ogre Review’s latest issue. Read “Self Portrait as St. Lucy’s Grocery List” here (and you can even hear them read the piece!)
I also have a visual poem in FATHERFATHER’s third issue, which is not usually a thing I create. The whole issue looks fantastic
The always wonderful Delicate Friend also has a new issue this month
My birthday was last week and I got two books that I’m super excited to read, Slug by Megan Milks (thank you Diamond) and Empanada: A Lesbiana Story en Probaditas by Anel Flores (thank you Miles). Empanada is currently breaking and healing my gay gordita Xicana heart
I’m also currently reading Community as Rebellion: A Syllabus for Surviving Academia as a Woman of Color by Lorgia García Peña. Highly highly highly recommend for any person of color who wants to pursue grad school and/or a career in academia
(I’m always down to talk about how the institutions are quite literally built to keep us out and how that has affected my time in grad school)
Inspired by Lone Star Zine Fest and unable to sleep the other night, I made a tiny Modern Baseball zine, available here, photos below
God this newsletter is longer than intended. Speed round favorite reads of 2022:
Poetry:
Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency by Chen Chen (2022) — I can’t write about how much this book means to me without betraying the promised “speed round”
A Fresh Young Voice from the Plains by Eileen Myles (1981) — out of print; shout out interlibrary loan!!
The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi (2022) — title says it all
Nonfiction:
Heaven by Emerson Whitney (2020) — one of my favorite explorations of gender
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022) — I was super impressed by her writing style, and this book was definitely was a comfort in the aftermath of 2020
Tacky by Rax King (2021) — this book is so fun! and also involves grieving a dead parent… wait a minute… Anyways, this essay collection is a great companion to the podcast Low Culture Boil
Fiction:
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (2022) — one of the first and most memorable books I read this year. I desperately need more novels like this in the world
Nevada by Imogen Binnie (2013) — I know, I know, late to the party
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) — even later to the party. I found a gorgeous 25th anniversary edition at Half Price Books over the summer and then devoured the book within a couple days
Thank you for reading this far into this longer-than-anticipated newsletter1 Thank you for supporting queer writers.
<3