SUMMERTIME!

I MADE IT TO SUMMER VACATION!

I finished my first FULL year of teaching! And honestly…since I graduated college in 2020, it was maybe the least stressful year of my life? I still have things to work through, but I’ve made major improvements in well-being.

And now I have my first full summer break when I am not working (except writing…more on that in a sec) since I was like…16-17?

But first, I went on a massive two-week road trip that I’ve just returned from. It was based around bookstores and events with local queer organizations for my partner Taylor Tracy’s recently published middle grade book, Murray Out of Water. We stopped overnight in Virginia and then went to Atlanta, Panama City, New Orleans, and Memphis with some stops along the way. We also visited my parents in Evansville, met with the queer youth group there, tabled in Indianapolis, met with an author friend in Lexington on the way home and then stayed in our favorite lodge.

You’ll be able to hear more about that all soon…but first, I just want to shout out the LGBTQ centers we worked with and where you can donate to them! They are doing good work in states where it is particularly difficult right now.

We made podcasts!!! (and other Patreon news)

So, my partner and I returned to our roots and have been recording podcast episodes about our road trip! I’ve got to lightly edit them and we still have to record a couple, but they will start going up soon.

I’m going to offer them on my Patreon on paid access but ALSO a la carte in the storefront so you can just purchase them all as downloads. I’m doing this because I don’t want it to be the most accessible thing that my students can find by googling me. (Also, it is work, and I make a bit less over the summer and I just spent $865 in car maintenance, so…)

I’m basically treating writing as my job during this summer (aside from a class I am taking), so here is what else I’m working on that you can get if you become a free member or more on my Patreon:

• Newsletters like this that are more personal (FREE membership) (one is currently up!)

• Book reviews (FREE membership)

• Creative writing/poetry from my archive (PAID)

• …and perhaps more I will figure out as I go along!

With everything that has been going on, I am relying on community support as one way we can help each other when things get dark. I’ve been making donations to people and organizations in need as well as creative people doing cool things, and I encourage you to join me!

This newsletter is free. If you would like to support me further, you can visit my  Patreon and Ko-Fi.