Me Time
Health Update and What I've Been Reading
In the last issue of this newsletter I mentioned some health issues I was dealing with and said I'd provide an update next time. Well, this is next time, so here's the update. I had two issues that needed attention: a large kidney stone that had to be removed and an ovarian cyst also needing to be removed. Happy to report that both are gone and that the cyst turned out to be benign. At this point, I have one more appointment with the kidney stone doc and then I can turn the page on this medical chapter of my life. Now I just have to do the normal stuff: annual mammogram, annual skin check, dentist, and 6-month checkup with my primary doc. At this point, the normal stuff is a welcome relief and I am so grateful for the outcome of all of this stuff, for the great providers I've had, and for all who've sent their best wishes. Thanks.
So now, books. Here are some of the books I've read this year that I've loved: Sapphic romance: The Broken Lines of Us by Shia Woods (debut novel); The Flight Risk by Macon Leigh; Whistleblower: The Senator's Wife #3: Tangled Roots by Marianne K. Martin (historical)
Other genres: Val Vega: Secret Ambassador of Earth by Ben Francisco (queer YA sci fi); We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (Jewish historical and now a series on Hulu); When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb (Jewish mystic historic YA, audiobook).
Look them up. They're all great.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Lambda Literary Award Finalists 2024: Announcing the 36th Annual Lammys Shortlist | Them
please find the shortlist finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards.
Queer Liberation Library: A new chapter in literary LGBTQ+ access and representation - News Is Out
Currently, the collection contains around 850 ebooks and audiobooks, focusing on genre diversity and patron interest consideration.
“We emphasize purchasing books from living authors and addressing demographic imbalances inherent in publishing,” said Dierking. “Our goal is broad representation, reflecting our community’s diversity.”
For The Love of The Feminist Bookstore - GO Magazine
Feminist bookstores aren’t just places to purchase queer books, they are gathering sites that bring local lesbian and queer communities together.
AI books are crowding the marketplace on Amazon : NPR
"Every new book seems to have some kind of companion book, some book that's trying to steal sales."
Hybrid Publishers and Paid Publishing Services: Red Flags to Watch For | Jane Friedman
if you’re an author starting out on your publishing journey, it’s important to know what to look out for.
What I Didn’t Know Before Hiring a Book Cover Designer | by Margery Bayne | Feb, 2024 | The Writing Cooperative
the process was a learning process, and hopefully from what I learned, I can spare fellow self-publishing newbies from the pain
5 Best Novel Writing Software.. Finding the Ideal Writing Software for… | by Bernard Loki | Medium
The choice of novel writing software depends on your preferences and needs as an author. While Scrivener is lauded for its organization, Ulysses offers a minimalist writing environment, Microsoft Word is widely accessible, Google Docs supports real-time collaboration, and Jasper.ai provides advanced AI-driven assistance for writers.
How to Teach Word a Scrivener Trick | Jane Friedman
this strategy was a huge help. It allowed me to play with my book’s structure and track where I had located case studies, visuals, and so on. It reduced scrolling and prevented messy cut and paste errors. As a final bonus, I didn’t have to master new software while under deadline pressure!
Like My Book Title? Thanks, I Borrowed It. - The New York Times
The name of a book becomes more memorable when it echoes something you might have heard — or think you should have heard — before.
The Secret To a Compelling Author Bio - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Establishes credibility and trustworthiness Connects with readers on a personal level Provides context for our work Acts as a promotional tool
9 Common Problems Editors See in Fiction | by Alison McBain | SYNERGY | Feb, 2024 | Medium
What they are & how to avoid them (with examples)
How Do You Know What Backstory to Include? | Jane Friedman
The challenge of incorporating backstory fluidly and organically is to know which aspects of a character’s past and the circumstances of their present are in fact essential and intrinsic to the actual story, not extraneous or distracting.
Writing the Other: 4 Not So Easy (But Doable!) Steps | Jane Friedman
representing people whose experiences are different than your own is a meaningful responsibility. Of course you want to do it well, so that you don’t hurt people. And some part of you is worried about backlash if you “get it wrong.”
Rebel Wilson Recalls Romantic First Date with Fiancée Ramona (Exclusive)
I’m also worried that if Ramona and I do hit it off, I don’t have much sexual experience with a woman. And I’ve only had time to read half of the Girl Sex 101 book."
Friends, colleagues, and family gather to remember Amber Hollibaugh
“I am passionate about this kind of historical narrative, one which sets out to mark and detail the too-often forgotten, ridiculed lives most people lead,” Hollibaugh wrote in the introduction to her essay collection “My Dangerous Desires, a queer girl dreaming her way home.”
Ella Matthes, award-winning publisher of Lesbian News, has died at 81 - News Is Out
Ella Matthes, the publisher and editor of the iconic Lesbian News Magazine, also known as LN, passed away due to a heart attack on March 16, 2024, at the age of 81. Her death marks the end of an era for North America’s longest-running lesbian publication and a significant voice in the LGBTQ+ community.
News You Can Use
Sue Bird on Her New Documentary, Building a Legacy, and the Future of the WNBA
in the face of injustices that became increasingly hard to turn away from—workplace conditions, racism, sexist double standards, LGBTQ+ discrimination—Bird began to speak up.
Fletcher Pretending Music Video Has Big Sapphic Crush Feelings | Autostraddle
The music video for her song “Pretending” has been released and it has the Fletcher signatures: girls kissing and lots and lots of gay yearning.
Marsha Warfield Takes Her Place as a Legend of Black Queer TV | Autostraddle
And when you’re standing on the mountain, and been climbing it as long as I have, you can look back and say, ‘no baby, we’ve come a long way,’” she tells me seriously. “We’ve come a long, yeah, there’s work to do, but we’ve come a long way.”
Who are Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik? Inside the Lesbian Influencers' Cheating Drama on TikTok | Them
Over the weekend, influencer couple Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik announced that they had called off their wedding weeks before the fact after Malik publicly admitted that she had cheated on Chakra. But for the unaware, who are they? What exactly went down between them? And why has it all gone so viral?
Inside Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian’s Sapphic Fever Dream on Steroids | Them
The stars of Love Lies Bleeding are proving that lesbian film can be shocking, sexy, and strange.
I know how to use my femininity, says Kristen Stewart ｜ BANG Showbiz English
"I’m created by the world that we live in, which is a patriarchal world and so I know how to appeal and it never felt like a lie because I am a pretty fluid person.
Kristen Stewart Calls Out Rolling Stone Cover Sexism
"Female sexuality isn't supposed to actually want anything but to be had."
Niecy Nash-Betts Says She Feels “Completely” Loved By Jessica Betts | Them
The actor said that while she couldn’t have seen herself married to a woman five years ago, meeting her wife was a matter of meeting “the most beautiful soul I have ever met in my life, and I said, ‘Now, wait a minute.’ Things done change.”
Reneé Rapp and Elmo Are the Lesbian Pop Star/Children's TV Crossover of the Century | Them
An unabashedly lesbian pop star appearing on one of the most beloved children’s programs of all time does mean a lot, especially right now.
Reneé Rapp, Towa Bird Make Couple Debut at Vanity Fair Oscars Party
Rumors have been swirling on TikTok about a possible relationship between lesbian multihyphenate Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp and guitarist and songwriter Towa Bird, and Vanity Fair appears to have confirmed their relationship status by posting that the two made their red carpet debut as a couple at the celeb-packed annual Vanity Fair Oscars Party last night.
New research helps explain why lesbians report more orgasms than straight women
sexual scripts — or what people expect to happen during sex based on what they’ve seen in movies, television or even pornography. Cisgender women’s expectations for those sexual scripts and for orgasms can vary based on the gender of their partner, the study found.
12 Underrated Lesbian Television Shows You Haven't Seen Yet
Maybe you can treat this as a game. You get a point for every show you have seen. Or treat it like a challenge and try to watch them all in a certain timeframe. They’re all certainly worth it!
Helpful Tools
Q&A: How do I choose where an embedded YouTube video starts playing?
it’s actually pretty easy to force a YouTube video to start playing at the place of your choosing.
