Me Time
Restored and Focused PLUS Another Poll for You
I was stressed and angry and having a hard time with focus. The news was coming at me at a relentless speed. Perhaps this describes you as well? Fortunately, we had a long-planned vacation scheduled last week, which overlapped with my wife's school vacation. So off we went on a ship to Key West and the Caribbean for 7 days (see photo of my signature back float).
While I still had wifi and my laptop, I studiously deleted every news-related email and only opened up the NY Times site every day to do the crossword puzzle.
It made an incredible difference. I feel rested, restored and focused. The news is still bad but I'm dealing with it in a calmer, more constructive manner. I guess it's true what they say about the value of unplugging.
Another Poll: The Weight of Included Content I'd like to get your opinions about whether this newsletter should include updated content about what's going on in the US and abroad given the state of things. This content would still relate to book, writing, Sapphic, and LGBTQ issues, but would likely be on the weightier side. Another option would be for me to start a Substack as a place to speak out on these issues. These aren't mutually exclusive, of course, but mostly this newsletter has included more fun and light stuff, and it would continue to but would also now include the other.
Let me know what you think by responding to this very short poll here
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Download Your Kindle Books While You Still Can | Lifehacker
If you're an avid e-book reader or someone who has an extensive library of Kindle content, now is the time to back up your books: Amazon is killing the option to save e-books to your computer.
Authors and Illustrators of LGBTQ Picture Books at Center of Supreme Court Case Speak Out - Mombian
The case began when Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland added a number of optional, LGBTQ-inclusive picture books to its supplemental curriculum after they went through the standard evaluation process. A group of parents in the county brought a lawsuit against MCPS, claiming that it was a violation of the parents’ religious freedom not to let them opt out their children before the books were read in the classroom.
Georgia Writers Submission Manager
Generously supported by the Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA), the four LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants will be awarded annually, one each in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Winning recipients will receive $500 each, and a full scholarship to attend and read their work at the 2025 Red Clay Writers Conference. There is no submission fee to enter.
Deadline: Monday, March 10th, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Hayley Kiyoko’s New Queer Victorian YA Book ‘Where There’s Room For Us’ is for the “Tumblr Lesbians” | Them
I have a new YA called Where There's Room For Us. It comes out November 4th of this year.
Very exciting! I'm doing all of the finishing touches for the design right now and it's a queer hyper-reality set in the Victorian era. Imagine Pride and Prejudice meets Little Women and it's inspired by my meet-cute with my girlfriend, Becca
How to Set a Daily Word Count Goal That Works – Writer Unboxed
Here are three ways you might go about setting your personal number. One of these might resonate more than the others. Or it’s possible that your own best strategy may vary between these options – what works often depends on what type of story you’re writing, what stage you’re at in the process, what else is going on in your life, and much, much more.
To Blurb or Not to Blurb | The Brevity Blog
By Andrea A. Firth I’ve blurbed a few books. It’s been nice to be asked to provide a brief quote about a book to be used on the cover or in the front pages. To start, I took several books off my sh…
Thirty Ways to Promote Your Book - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
over the years I’ve personally tried dozens of strategies to reach readers – some that worked, and some that didn’t. I’ve also worked with hundreds of writers who are successfully marketing their books, each with their own special flair.
The Perfect Guide for Where to Submit Your Writing (Does Not Exist) | Jane Friedman
If you are submitting a full book without an agent, you will likely be looking for small, independent publishers.
5 Unique Challenges ADHD Writers Face | by Lindsay Redifer | Feb, 2025 | The Writing Cooperative
I had to find strategies that got me started, helped me build up a habit, and kept me focused. I still slip once in a while, but now I have consequences built into my process to help me get back into my daily routine.
6 Tips on Writing Disabled Characters | Jane Friedman
Too often, writers become lazy and rely on disability stereotypes and tropes, turning these characters into not much more than scenic décor and plot devices. As abled writers, how can we do a better job?
News For A Challenging Time
How to Identify AI-Generated Speech | Lifehacker
When the current tech makes it all too easy to make anyone say anything, how can you trust that what you're listening to online was actually said?
Cynthia Nixon Has Strong Words For NYU Hospital Denying Gender-Affirming Care To Trans Kids - GO Magazine
I am here today as the mother of a proud trans man,” Nixon told the crowd of hundreds. “I am here today as the aunt of a proud trans man. My best friend’s kid is trans. My kid’s best friend is trans. My wife and I, our lives are filled with the most amazing, beautiful, brave trans people—young and old, but especially young.”
LGBTQ Federal Workers Brace for a McCarthyist Purge | Them
“They’re not asking people, ‘Are you gay? Are you lesbian?’ They’re asking, ‘Who is participating in DEI?'”
Cynthia Erivo Is Hosting the Tonys in Historic Win for Theater Gays Everywhere | Them
“I am looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year,” she said, adding, “I hope I can rise to the occasion.” We can certainly think of at least one way that she might rise to the occasion… literally. And perhaps she’s thought of this too, because if there’s one thing theater people love, it’s wordplay.
Idina Menzel Returns to Broadway as a Lesbian in 'Redwood' | Autostraddle
Conceived by Menzel, along with writer/director Tina Landau, Redwood is about a woman named Jesse (Menzel) who leaves behind her wife (De’Adre Aziza) and art gallery in NYC to drive across the country and be with the redwood trees.
Hollywood Erased Lesbian Activist Sally Gearhart: New Documentary 'Sally!' Corrects The Record - GO Magazine
Sally! spotlights the radical lesbian feminist who stood shoulder to shoulder with Harvey Milk in the battle against Proposition 6, the 1978 Briggs Initiative that sought to ban gay and lesbian teachers in California.
Let's See More Same-Sex Skating Pairs On The Ice Already | Autostraddle
Retired Olympians Want to Change the Game for Same-Sex Figure Skating Duos
Two-Mom Pro Hockey Couple Launches Parenting Podcast - Mombian
Two-mom couple and former pro hockey players Madison and Anya Packer’s new podcast looks at “everything from professional women’s athletes, to sports, to raising children, and all the messiness in between.”
Amber Ruffin Says She Was “Wrong” to Think She Didn’t Ever Need to Come Out | Them
As she announced for the first time on Instagram last June, Ruffin is also proudly queer — and since coming out, her calendar has seemingly graduated from “packed” to “overflowing.”
‘Lesbian Space Princess’ Is Exactly As Gay and Fun As It Sounds | Autostraddle
Lesbian Space Princess is an animated comedy (for adults) about a shy princess with zero self-confidence who has to go on a journey across space to try to save her ex-girlfriend. It’s full of hilarious jokes and bright, colorful animation, and it’s just the kind of joyful romp we need right now.
Jenny Hagel Knows What Makes a Good Gay Joke and a Good Lesbian Bar
Jenny Hagel has received numerous accolades and been nominated for her Late Night work since, from the Emmys to the GLAAD Awards. Now, the loud, proud, and deeply funny Hagel has returned to live performance with her show “Jenny Hagel Gives Advice,” featuring other comedians and friends providing advice to audience members on everything
Helpful Tools
Bluesky Now Has Its Own Version of TikTok | Lifehacker
Bluescreen is a Bluesky client with one singular purpose: It identifies the videos from your Bluesky feed and delivers them to you in a TikTok-style endless scrolling interface. You don't interact with text-based posts, nor do you see still images. It's as if Bluesky offered a "video only" feed. But, since they don't, Bluescreen exists.
This Free Browser Extension Lets You Bookmark Bluesky Posts | Lifehacker
Save the posts you like to check 'em out later.
