The name comes from a line in a terribly problematic movie, Shag. The antagonist hollers the phrase "Your roots are showing!" at Melana as an insult. And that line always stuck with me. Always. I said it all the time. And in 2006 I saw the movie But I'm a Cheerleader on one of my first dates with Mallory (of course she helped expand my queer touchstones). And that whole scene of them talking about their roots. This one.
They call it the Frequency Illusion (or the Baader–Meinhof Phenomenon), that once you see something, you can't stop seeing it. And now all I can see is Icarus flying, falling. It started with Private Rites by Julia Armfield. Our queer book club loved Armfield's debut novel Our Wives Under the Sea so much so that when her sophomore novel came out, we immediately placed it on our to-read piles. The novel's drenched in literary allusion...
Each creative family is creative in its own way, and it’s that uniqueness of artistic expression that Derby Arts Council offers for consideration in their “Art in the Family” exhibition on display through June 24 at the Derby Public Library. The library sits just off the bustle of Rock Road, yet the building is quiet,... Continue Reading →
Looking through the list of books I've read so far in 2022, it's pretty obvious that I've got a reading type. Yeah, I'm full-on romance reading. I *could* say that it's research for my own novel, Deckled Edges. (And it is, kind of. But it's also more.) Honestly, lounging my way through this string of... Continue Reading →
Django walked past me this morning, gave me a harsh look, and kept moving until he stationed himself resolutely on the dining room rug. And glared at me. Intuitively, I knew. He shit in the back room. The turd. (Please note: I cleaned the litter box yesterday.) I got a text from Mallory: the furnace... Continue Reading →
I entered a writing competition, a 48-hour short story race. Maybe I'm making it into more than it actually is, but because I'll be judged and I'll receive feedback, I'm putting some serious level pressure on myself. "No pressure, no diamonds" So. From 7:00 p.m. tonight until 7:00 p.m. Sunday, I'll be plot diagramming, drafting,... Continue Reading →
To get the full value of joy, you should have someone to divide it with. ~ Mark Twain
shelly. walston. writes. 