Diagram: A Review of Mandy Gutmann-Gonzalez’s A/AN

Coming Soon: “Confession of A/An Rampent Hag” in DIAGRAM.

I find in this articulation of “witch”—excommunicated yet communicable—a kind of whore praxis. “To whore” within and against the laws & mores of the whole, in survival and subversion of a (cultural, biological, mythological) body, challenges purity obsessions that have shaped queer life since the 80s, offering a power and practice in harmony with mother nature to move and let move.

Fugue: A Review of [sarah] Cavar’s Bug Butter

Read “Biomedical Transition Comes to Dinner: A Review of [sarah] Cavar’s Bug Butter” in Fugue.

If I learned anything from Bug Butter, in trying to resolve conflicts between the internal and external, and maybe any assumed binary, the answer is likely a mixed plate and ouroboros-like, consuming and swallowed.

Plume Podcast: Revision as Spiritual Practice

Listen to “Revision as Spiritual Practice” on Plume or wherever you stream podcasts

I think daily about lines. Lines of prose. Lines of communication. Storylines. Lifelines. I wonder about their resilience and loss, their impact and shape. Are they straight and narrow like the lie I was living? Braided and broken like my stories? Thick and curly like my hair? As a writer of not quite fiction, I parse these patterns and layers for meaning, for a miracle, something like truth.

An interview with Todd Wellman about identity, genre, and what’s next.

An interview about Goodnight, how misleading marketing hurts a creative work’s reception, the joys of somber music, and more.

An interview about Goodnight,  the difference between YA and adult literature, hometown and human tragedy, the failure of Texas schools, and the Twitter empathy that might save us all.

An interview about Goodnight, craft, and the inseparable nature of art and politics.

The genius posturing of some artists is tired and false. Authorship is as slippery as selfhood—we’re all coauthors of each other in some way, no? I accept the limits of my experience yet aim toward the polyphonic novel. At some point I need you and others to point out what I can’t see. I think that’s more than OK. It’s healthy.

An excerpt from and brief discussion of Goodnight.

Greg’s point of view is one of seven in the novel. This excerpt snapshots his white cis hetero adolescence, mid-attempt to figure it all out—the new and raw emotions, the transience of relationships, Life, his talents and passions, with his intense attraction to Erika underpinning every thought.

An article about "5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Selling My First Book."

While the writing matters most, a successful debut requires a lot of legwork. Even if your publisher has an experienced publicist, you will need to work hard to put the book in readers’ hands. The good news is it’s never too late to set yourself up for greater success. To help, here’s five things you should do before attempting to sell a first book.

An article about revision, Goodnight, and being saved by Roberto Bolaño.

Revision is a process of discovery. Listen to your doubts. Don’t force them aside. Don’t cave to them and give up, either. Hear them and be receptive to answers or maybe to more problems and then answers. Churn out another draft using one of these revision techniques and find the joy in intricately crafting a story. When it’s locked in print forever, you will be glad you did.