Me Time
"I Wish I Could Text My Cats"
This was the message on a t-shirt I saw someone wearing in the hotel elevator at the Golden Crown Literary Society Conference in Albany. Given how long I've been away from home this month, I completely identified with the sentiment.
Jenny and I had a wonderful time on the longest cruise we've ever taken (9 nights) and then, upon our return, I just had enough time to unpack and re-pack to catch an Amtrak train heading north along the Hudson River up to Albany for the GCLS Con. It was a great time with amazing energy laced through with a sense of relief that, for at least a few days, we could breathe more easily in community with one another before going back to the hellfire of life under this current regime.
When I got home, I again unpacked and re-packed for a short trip to our place in Cherry Grove, which was mostly relaxing. Then once again, I unpacked and re-packed for a long weekend on Long Beach Island, NJ for a memorial for Jenny's mom who passed away earlier this year. It was a wonderful few days tinged with sadness, love and appreciation for an amazing mom, sister and mother-in-law.
Now we're home again with the cats, so texting is no longer needed, and I'm not even annoyed by being woken up at 7am by a cat walking on my sleeping body and meowing for her breakfast.
PHOTO CAPTION: Me and Jen Lyon, Gold Level winner of the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award for her amazing book, The Unfinished Line.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
150+ Sapphic Books Coming Out in the Rest of 2025
the sapphic books out from July-December of 2025, sortable and searchable by genre, release date, and representation. (These should all have a sapphic main character, but not necessarily an F/F romance.) Just make a copy and you can sort, filter, and edit the list.
Author Promotion Versus Book Promotion: Why You Need Both | Jane Friedman
Author promotion doesn’t stop when the launch buzz dies down. In fact, it’s most powerful when you’re not promoting a new book, because that’s when readers get to know who you are without a sales pitch. Think of it as planting seeds for future harvests.
Cover Design Toolkit: Tips Every Indie Author Needs | Independent Publisher Book Awards
Designing a book cover is part art, part strategy. It’s not just about what looks good—it’s about what works. By understanding your genre, prioritizing readability, and investing in the right tools or talent, you can create a cover that captures attention, builds credibility, and opens doors for your book.
Judge Blocks Cancellation Of $175M In Arts Grants - Joe.My.God.
A district court judge in New York issued a preliminary injunction Friday night stopping the mass cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities grants to members of the Authors Guild on the grounds that their First Amendment rights were violated.
PBS and NPR are Being Defunded. Where are the Publishers?
The media ecosystem is essential to book publishing. Without it, book coverage would suffer more than it already has. When media conglomerates “kiss the ring,” so to speak, publishers should worry.
Read OUT Loud National Day of Action Aims to Show Support for Queer Kids' Books and Their Readers - Mombian
Read OUT Loud, a national day of action in support of queer children’s books and the children who read them, will take place August 2 and 3. Watch part of the 24-hour read aloud on Zoom, sign up to read during the Zoom, or attend in-person events at bookstores and other venues.
Half Price Books stands against book bans and supports LGBTQ+ inclusion
There is one week that Half Price Books gears up for all year long: Banned Book Week is at the end of September, and Thomas knows that this year there will be more books than ever on multiple displays in every one of her stores, encouraging readers to support banned authors.
Artistic Integrity vs. Market Trends: Writing What’s Yours While Catching the Wave – Writer Unboxed
striking the balance between artistic integrity and market awareness started with trying to understand trends.
The Secret to a Writing Career May Boil Down to Sheer Grit | Jane Friedman
Simply put, a writer’s capacity for grit (or anyone’s) isn’t tied to how smart they are, but rather, how they manage and regulate emotions and responses to external stimuli.
How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Often writers focus on likeability, giving a character admirable traits, a passion, or a noble mission that readers can get behind. But the secret sauce is something more subtle yet nuanced: emotional common ground.
News For A Challenging Time
Opinion | I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students. - The New York Times
As a teacher of creative writing, I set out to understand what A.I. could do for students, but also what it might mean for writing itself. My conversations with A.I. showcased its seductive cocktail of affirmation, perceptiveness, solicitousness and duplicity — and brought home how complicated this new era will be.
AI Or Nay-I? 5 Tips for Spotting AI-Generated Fake News
Here are some concrete steps you can take to inoculate yourself against an impending fake news virus.
The Phoenix LGBTQ+ Film Festival Has Been Canceled Because...Trump - GO Magazine
Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC), which hosts the event, said it must shut down DEI-related initiatives or risk losing federal funding. The college is part of the Maricopa County Community College District, which has begun rolling back programs across its campuses
Fighting for Our Lives: The Rising Popularity of Queer Fight Clubs
Queer interest in learning to fight is skyrocketing, and much of that desire is tied to the current political environment, the Trump administration, attacks on trans rights, and a reaction to interpersonal violence that continues to disproportionately harm trans people.
Over a Million Queer Women Rely on Medicaid. What Happens If They Lose It? | Them
Lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be low-income, more likely to be parents and more likely to rely on Medicaid. They could fall through the cracks of Trump’s new tax law.
Ellen regrets her historic coming out didn't have the impact she hoped for: "People are still scared" - Queerty
She said coming out remained “a really hard decision” for many people.
“If it was [better], all these other people that are actors and actresses that I know they’re gay, they’d be out, but they’re not, because it’s still a problem. People are still scared.”
Lesbian couple goes viral for being shocked by "crazy" LGBTQ+ kids book section & the gays are divided - Queerty
So, who’s in the right here?
There’s no real answer, but the diverse viewpoints show us that maybe not everything needs to be a kid’s book — and more importantly, you don’t need to buy every book for your kid, either.
Culture and Joy
What Is a Stud? The History of Black Lesbian Masculinity | Them
Long before the term “stud” itself was popularized, Black queer masculinity has been the backbone for countless groundbreaking moments in the queer community and the world.
All Of The Queer Chaos From WNBA All-Star Night One - GO Magazine
From drunk dancing, multiple lesbian hard-launches, and overall madness, the first official night was as dramatic as could be. Here’s what you may have missed:
At Gay As Hell WNBA All-Star Weekend, The Stud Budz Are Changing the Game | Autostraddle
Stud Budz, who brought their followers on an unedited journey into Indianapolis’ hotel hallways, messy rooftop parties, hungover practices and tunnel gossip.
Most Porn Is Made by and for Men. This Queer Director Is Changing That [WATCH]
Although “lesbian” has remained one of the most searched for terms on porn sites over the past few years, the majority of mainstream porn is made by and for cisgender men. That’s part of the reason Shine Louise Houston founded Pink & White Productions, the queer porn company behind the award-winning site CrashPadSeries.com.
‘It’s not just pleasure – it’s resistance’: portraits of people with their sex toys around the world | Sex | The Guardian
The subjects look into the camera with small, sly smiles, giving the impression they know something delightful that we don’t
Lesbian Sex, Explained: What “Counts” and How to Have It | Them
From scissoring to fisting to outercourse, there are so many ways to have hot lesbian sex.
7 questions we had after watching the batsh*t trailer for 'Amy Bradley is Missing' - Queerty
This week, Netflix released Amy Bradley Is Missing, a three-part docuseries investigating the 1998 cold case that ripped a young queer woman from her family at the age of 23. Many mysteries surround Bradley’s disappearance, and the doc promises to get into the many theories around the tragedy.
Amy Bradley Sent Girlfriend 'Message in a Bottle' About 'Ocean Between Us' Before Vanishing
In January of 1998, Amy Lynn Bradley, 23, of Virginia, confessed over the phone to her girlfriend, Mollie McClure, that she had kissed another woman while both of them had been drinking.
Needing time to process the news, McClure, then 23, stopped taking Bradley’s calls.
Determined to reach McClure, Bradley sent her a “message in a bottle,” expressing her remorse in a handwritten letter — one that took on new meaning after Bradley vanished in March of 1998 during a Caribbean cruise with her family.
Liv Hewson Teams Up With the Lesbian Bar Project In New Fundraising Campaign - GO Magazine
Hewson created a one-of-a-kind shirt in collaboration with The Lesbian Bar Project to raise money for lesbian bars throughout the country and abroad.
7 Revealing Findings from a First-of-Its-Kind Map and Analysis of American LGBTQ Bars
Lesbian bars and POC-focused queer bars are harder to find
LGBTQ+ film festivals you'll want to know about this summer and beyond - News Is Out
Summer and fall mark peak season for LGBTQ+ film festivals, and we’ve rounded up the ones you’ll want on your radar. From indie gems to major cultural staples, there’s something here for every queer cinephile.
In 'The Hunting Wives', All The Women Have Guns and Sex With Each Other | Autostraddle
The result is an eminently watchable, over-the-top, fully realized viewing experience with the panache of a soapy beach read and the electricity of ’90s hotel room soft core pornography.
Just Give Robby Hoffman the Emmy Already - Hey Alma
Television Academy voters would be meshugga not to recognize this queer Jewish comedian.
(@gaspthepod) -"The Straightification of JoJo Siwa" - YouTube
VIDEO: This week, Hailey digs into the whole controversy and explores why the gays are mad and why the straights couldn’t be happier about this "new Joelle."
4 Queer Celeb Couples Shared New Relationships on IG in June -
Queer stars love to say, “Happy Pride” by sharing their love on social media during June, and this year was no different.
Soccer Stars Christen Press And Tobin Heath Surprise Announce Marriage - GO Magazine
Since 2015, fans of the USWNT have wondered about #Preath and the relationship between the two champions. For years, it was a constant guessing game to determine whether the two women were romantically involved. Over the past few years, however, the couple has been much more open about their relationship, creating a brand and popular podcast as a duo.
Emmy Nominations Are In And They're Gayer Than Ever - GO Magazine
This television year was full of queer women both within fictional storylines and the actors themselves, and we couldn’t be happier that they are getting their flowers.
Here are the wins, shocks, and snubs for queer women within this year’s Emmy Award nominations.
Helpful Tools
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A Terrific Quote
Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
Just because things hadn't gone the way I had planned didn't necessarily mean they had gone wrong.