That’s a lot of pep talks

Ugliness. Part 1: The aesthetics of working

I’ve hit my limit on working as an aesthetic, and I don’t think I’m alone. How do we find creativity authenticity in a world where companies trip over themselves to tell you life and creation might finally be effortless, painless, and free of all discomfort?

Hakone Open Air Museum: a piercingly blue sky with some clouds over a yellowed grassy hill with a few sculptures, some dark trees, and a white building

Working while short (on anything)

We all do it—work while burned out. It doesn’t take much for life to Life at us, and remove our creative capacity. Learning to work short is a skill all working artists need to develop, because inevitably, conditions will not be ideal.

They are trying to destroy your imagination

1. Appearances, news 2. Pep talk 3. Scenes Appearances and news Amplitudes is on the longlist for the BSFA Awards for Best Collection! I’m very excited for all of us at how much positive reception this anthology continues to receive. It’s truly heartening in these dark times. — Applications

Creativity is constant adolescence, and I’m sorry for that

Howdy howdy, friends ~ Happy New Year! In today’s installment: 1. News and appearances 2. Pep talk: Creativity is constant adolescence, and I’m sorry for that 3. Scenes from life News and appearances I’m teaching two virtual novel workshops in March. One will be a two-part craft intensive,

Get thee a hobby that can’t be monetized

Meowdy! 1. News and Appearances 2. Pep talk: Get thee a hobby that can’t be monetized Story Hour I’ll be reading at Story Hour tomorrow the 10th, at 7pm PST with Dee Holloway. This is my second time at Story Hour, and it’s a very chill sit

Are ‘creative discipline’ and ‘gentleness’ at odds?

In this issue 1. Updates and appearances 2. Pep talk: Are ‘creative discipline’ and ‘gentleness’ at odds? 3. Random life stuff Updates and appearances Thank you anyone who attended the Brown Handler Residents reading at LitCrawl! You were an amazing audience, and I hope you were as enthralled with everyone’

Your creativity is benevolent, and you can always return to it

In this installment 1. Publications and news 2. Scenes from the summer 3. Pep talk: Your creativity is benevolent, and you can always return to it. Publications and news Safe Face in Nightmare To save face, run the razor along your hairline, oh so carefully, do not mar the skin.

Welcome to my toad induced meltdown

Well. Every day in February went by like a decade—what, with all the horrors (…you ok bud? Me neither. I'm sending you strength). The horrors do not persist, they escalate ! ! ! and yet, April has gone by in a blink. Contents 1. Reviews (and a preorder discount, sick)

The never ending content hose

Yo! I always sit down to write one of these things, all, lemme just bang this out!!! And then…and then…so please do pardon the length of this one. I almost subject lined this, “Splash me with the content hose, daddy” but I suspect that would have sent me

Recalibrating your taste and conviction

Contents * News * Pep-talk: Recovering your creative conviction * Random News I’m so so honored to be in Lee Mandelo’s upcoming Anthology, Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity. Just check out that ToC! My contribution is a cozy vignette inspired by ‘if it fits it sits’. It will be