Me Time
For Those Who Celebrate....
On the threshold of that great Hallmark holiday that comes around every Feb 14, I've got you covered with a great playlist and horror films that require lots of cuddling. As for me, it's dinner with the wife at a neighborhood favorite and who knows if she'll like the gift I got her (my batting average in this department isn't great).
Congrats to Virginia Black and Jen Lyon for great reviews in The Lesbrary (included here). I need to read Virginia's book, which is getting a lot of well deserved buzz. I have read Jen's trilogy and it's amazing. Fun fact: I've read 3 books/series where the swoon-worthy older love interest is named some version of Katherine. Maybe a Cate Blanchette or Kate Winslet thing? Magic 8 Ball says: Likely
As for me, I'm busy with consulting work that seems to ebb and flow without warning.
And as I sit here at my desk and turn to the window, you might be able to tell from the photo that it's snowing in Manhattan. And friends on Facebook tell me, in the words of a Ferron song, "it's snowing in Brooklyn, so snow's what we got."
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Sapphic Books by Black Authors Out in 2024 – The Lesbrary
some of the sapphic books out this year from Black authors! Quite a few came out in January, so you can buy those now, but this is also the perfect time to preorder the books coming out later this year.
An Enemies-to-Lovers Space Opera for the Ages: No Shelter But The Stars by Virginia Black – The Lesbrary
Virginia wrote a gorgeous novel that captures the things that make us all human. At its core, it is a story that explores all the things that connect us, no matter our backgrounds.
An Epic, Slow Burn F/F Romance: The Senator’s Wife by Jen Lyon – The Lesbrary
Lyon’s trilogy is best thought of as an epic novel, not unlike Shōgun or The Pillars of the Earth. (All three books were released in 2023, suggesting that the trilogy was written as an epic.) The Senator’s Wife begs to be turned into an epic miniseries like The Thorn Birds or Noble House. Except with women who love other women.
Picture Book About Gender Nonconforming Mexican Revolutionary Earns Caldecott Honor - Mombian
A book about a gender nonconforming Mexican revolutionary has received a prestigious Caldecott Honor, while other LGBTQ-inclusive children’s and young adult books also won recognition at the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards.
When Your Hyperfixation is Sapphic Books: A Shortlist of Sapphic Autistic Narratives – The Lesbrary
I went down a little rabbit hole of autistic queer literature, and found some fantastic titles that I’d love to share with y’all! Without any further ado, here are five of my favorite autistic sapphic titles.
Lesbian Romance & Sapphic Fiction Wisdom from Best-Selling Authors: Unlocking Insights – Part 1 -
Jae, Lee Winter, Clare Lydon, and Harper Bliss spilled the beans on their processes and the wisdom they’ve gained over their careers.
Mastering Turning Points in Relationship Plots - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Relationship plots (whether they be between allies, love interests, or enemies) need turns as well. So, let’s go over their critical components.
Lesbian Stories | Sinister Wisdom
Lesbian Stories Sinister Wisdom: Lesbian Stories Call for Submissions
What are lesbian stories in the twenty-first century? A new generation is choosing the term “lesbian,” sometimes alongside other terms, including queer, sapphic, nonbinary, and more. At the same time, established authors firmly grounded in their lesbian identities have for decades created work that deepens our understanding of what it means to be lesbian.
The First Rule of Writing Is Writer’s Block Does Not Exist | Jane Friedman
To write consistently for yourself, you must believe as a fundamental principle that writing is a matter of discipline. As soon as you believe (even partially) that writer’s block exists, you set yourself up for failure. Writer’s block is an excuse, based on fear, that a writer stores in their back pocket. The excuse gives you permission to quit as soon as writing gets hard.
The Official SCBWI Blog: For the Weird Ones: 3 Writing Block Rituals for Built-Different Brains
What if you aren’t a neurotypical writer? What if you have mental health struggles? What if you have ADHD or are autistic? What if you have chronic illnesses that make your everyday levels of motivation and stamina unpredictable?
Whew. That’s the question for the ages. How can we bust through creative blocks, when our brains and bodies don’t work like everyone else’s?
5 Ways to Make a Writing Retreat “Pay Off” | Jane Friedman
If you’d love to go on a writing retreat, but in addition to the cost, you worry about when, where, and whether your investment in yourself will “pay off,” I offer you five ways to reap rewards.
The Bookworm's New England Road Trip | The Discoverer
New England, in addition to its history and charm, has been home to many a famous writer throughout the years. In fact, there is so much literary distinction to be found in the northeast that an entire trip can be constructed around the region’s illustrious writers and poets.
News You Can Use
More Sapphic Tracks for Your Valentine's Day Playlist - Tagg Magazine
playlist featuring twenty additional tracks for your enjoyment this holiday and beyond.
The Ultimate Sapphic Yearning Playlist | Autostraddle
sapphic yearning is an intense feeling of desire tinged with obstacle, often directed at an ex, a crush, a friend, or a fickle or chaotic lover
Cuddle Close for Date Night With These 5 Underrated Sapphic Horror Films - Tagg Magazine
more often than not, you’ll find queer subtext or outright queer characters and storylines within popular horror content.
(2) 5 Lesbian Films You Probably Haven't Seen - by Kira Deshler
Every time I think I’ve seen every lesbian film ever made, I discover new ones hidden on Amazon Prime or the lesbian ally known as Tubi. Many of these films never had a theatrical release and never found a large viewership, but are available to stream online. What follows is a list of five films (from five different countries, including the US) that you’ve likely never heard of but are worth checking out.
Renée Rapp Identifies as a Lesbian Now! | Autostraddle
Reneé Rapp identifies as a lesbian now! She was sort of soft launching this information over the course of the Mean Girls press tour in various interviews, but she explicitly talked about it on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show recently. And also in this very hilariously captioned instagram story
Ali Krieger on Breaking Up, Winning Big, and Making New Goals | SELF
You can see how unmoored a person might feel in a moment like the one Krieger is in, when nothing is what it used to be. Soccer—which was Krieger’s job, her community, her home for her entire adult life—is over. Her relationship—which lasted 13 years and is inextricably tied to her experience of soccer and motherhood—is over. But Krieger is clearly excited for what’s next, even if she’s not entirely sure what it will look like.
Amber Glenn Is the First Out Queer Woman to Win the U.S. Figure Skating Title | Them
Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, had previously come close to the title, winning the silver medal in 2021 and the bronze medal in 2023. This year marked the 24-year-old’s ninth time competing in the competition.
Queer Ukrainian escaped as Russian invaders hunted for her
Ukrainian LGBTQ+ activist Marianna recalls how she and a minibus full of queer refugees escaped from Russian troops invading the city of Kherson in February 2022.
The TikTok Lesbian Bar Drama, Explained | Them
Suffice it to say, queer TikTok wasn’t thrilled with Stout’s decision to make a video centering the feelings of a cis, straight guy who walked into one of the roughly 30 remaining lesbian bars in the country.
What Is the Lesbian Masterdoc? And Can it Help Me Come Out? | Them
Now dubbed by readers as “The Lesbian Masterdoc,” this piece of queer internet canon is essentially a guide for women questioning their sexuality. With sections like “What is compulsory heterosexuality?” and “How do I know I’m a lesbian?”, the document is designed to help sapphics navigate questions that come up in the early stages of understanding one’s queerness.
Generation Z Is Gayer, More Anxious and Less Conservative Than Other Generations | Autostraddle
A new survey from the PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) is making the rounds for its conclusion that Generation Z is gayer than other generations — a conclusion also reached by nearly every study on this topic over the past several years.
The Realities of Travel as a Butch Lesbian - Tagg Magazine
I’m misgendered constantly, stared at routinely, and often met with confused faces upon seeing my size and appearance. This is a dead giveaway that I’ve landed in a country where the stereotypical male/female gender archetypes are customary and followed
Online Harassment Field Manual - PEN America
concrete strategies for how to defend yourself and others. We wrote this guidance with and for those disproportionately impacted by online abuse: writers, journalists, artists, and activists who identify as women, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQIA+.
Digital Safety Snacks - PEN America
PEN America, the Online News Association, and the International Women’s Media Foundation have teamed up to create Digital Safety Snacks, step-by-step videos to help you defend yourself against online abuse. We’ll explain how to protect your most sensitive accounts from hackers and how to dox yourself before someone else does. We want to empower you to feel safer and more secure while maintaining the public profile you need to do your job.
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