The following are my non-fiction essays and their publication information.
“Cleopatra” and “Emily Dickinson”
The She Series: 100 Portraits of Women Whose Actions Inspire
Art by Karen Hallion
Project Live on Kickstarter July 2021
Expected publication: May 2022
“The She Series” is a portrait series by artist and illustrator Karen Hallion, highlighting inspirational women from across the ages. Now the portrait series is being collected into a hardbound book with essays by more than fifty writers, including myself. One hundred amazing women from our era and throughout history are featured within its pages. I wrote essays on two of my personal heroes: 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson, and Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt. The She Series is available for preorder now.
Further information about the book will be available closer to official publication. Watch this space for more details.
“My Trickster Hero”
The WisCon Chronicles, vol. 12: Boundaries and Bridges
Edited by Isabel Schechter and Michi Trota
May 2020
The twelfth volume of The WisCon Chronicles explores our understanding of boundaries and bridges, and what they mean for us as individuals and for our communities. This collection includes essays from first-time WisCon attendees and former Guests of Honor, fans and Tiptree/Otherwise Award-winning authors and editors, cis het and LGBTQ+ attendees, affluent and less well-off, abled and disabled, white and POC, young and old, parents and child-free, English speakers and Spanish speakers, and hopefully more than just these categories can capture.
Structural changes in the convention that break down barriers to attendance and participation are important, and some of the essays recount the process and struggles of creating space and programming for POC attendees, access for disabled attendees, and affordability for all attendees. The words we use matter, as essays that talk about feminist terms, gendered language, and even the name of the Tiptree/Otherwise award (which is almost inextricably identified with WisCon) demonstrate. The definition of “community” is also examined, both within WisCon and beyond, as it spills out into the wider world—including online spaces.
Amazon | Aqueduct Press | Goodreads
“Challenging the Hierarchical View of Love: Being Asexual in a Monosexist Society”
Embraceable: Empowering Facts and True Stories About Women’s Sexuality
Edited by August McLaughlin
February 2016
A provocative blend of memoir, anthology and inspiration, EMBRACEABLE is a celebration of women’s sexual empowerment. Learn how August McLaughlin, creator and host of Girl Boner®, found her way out of the sexual repression to which too many girls and women are prone. She then weaves research and inspiring facts around stories contributed by women who’ve cultivated sexual empowerment in their own lives—on topics ranging from asexuality, kink and burlesque dancing to religion, “slut”-shaming and surviving sexual assault. Learn what girls do (and don’t) learn in sex ed, the truth behind widespread damaging messages, the role body image plays in embracing our sexual selves and more.
“Too Niche”
Invisible 2: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F
Edited by Jim C. Hines
May 2015
19 essays on the importance of representation in science fiction and fantasy, with an introduction by author Aliette de Bodard. Proceeds from the sale of this collection go to the Carl Brandon Society to support Con or Bust.
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Smashwords