Jun 9, 2019Member-onlyThe Half Plate RuleMisconceptions about Eating Disorders — A common misconception about anorexia is that anorexics never eat. They survive on sticks of sugar-free gum, cups of coffee and cans of Diet Coke. While you may never see your anorexic friend or loved one eat, I assure you that they probably do. A better statement might be, then…Mental Health7 min readMental Health7 min read
Jun 8, 2019Member-onlyI’m Jealous of a TV Character from 2005I Want to Get Pregnant — When I was three years old I told my family that when I grew up, I wanted to own a pizza parlor and have 36 kids. I’m not sure where the number came from, but I know the pizza parlor ambition had a lot to do with how much fun…Infertility5 min readInfertility5 min read
Jun 7, 2019Member-onlyWriting Against RelapseHow Writing Helps Me Challenge My Eating Disorder The edge of relapse is a highly recognizable one. I wake up in the morning certain that all I want for the whole day is a good cup of coffee. With cream, which I can afford, since I’m not having anything else…Eating Disorders5 min readEating Disorders5 min read
Jun 6, 2019Member-onlyWhy I Try to Write About AbuseAfter I posted an essay recently about an abusive experience I had growing up, I was seized with guilt and panic. I still have a relationship with my mother and not only do not I think she would remember the incident as I do (she never does), but I know…Abuse5 min readAbuse5 min read
Published in The Dissociative Femme·Jun 3, 2019Member-onlyTurning Up the GaslightHow I recognized an abusive situation — I know the moment when I knew something was wrong, when the gaslight flared and I could see my life for what it was. I was seventeen and borrowing my dad’s car to go see a friend perform in our school musical. You didn’t want me to go, and you…This Happened To Me5 min readThis Happened To Me5 min read
Jun 2, 2019Member-onlyWhy I’m Not Jealous of Successful Old FriendsAwhile back I made the mistake of looking up people I started college with. Most of them are easy enough to find. Their Facebook profile pictures are full of bouncing babies, their LinkedIn pages are impressive, intimidating even. I rarely bother with Instagram because even this preliminary searching gets me…Relationships6 min readRelationships6 min read
Published in Ascent Publication·Jun 2, 2019Member-onlyWhat Publishers Have in Common with Bad BoyfriendsHere’s why I believe in self-publishing. — I don’t submit to literary journals because I don’t like waiting weeks or months to hear that someone didn’t like my work enough to print or post it. While that probably sounds petulant and like I don’t understand writing as a career, I think my dislike of the submissions process…Writing7 min readWriting7 min read
Jun 1, 2019Member-onlyThe Movement Is InaccessibleHow Traditional Activism Shuts Out Disabled People — Some people say that one person can’t possibly change the world. Others argue that one person can make a difference. But what if you can’t get the world to call you back? I have been increasingly alarmed and motivated by the sociopolitical chaos continuously erupting here in the US. I…Disability5 min readDisability5 min read
Published in Upstairs Neighbors·Jun 1, 2019Member-onlyThe DirtDirt floods in under the door, spreading across the floor like a deconstructed carpet: the idea of a carpet. Footprints. It covers bookshelves and tabletops, lines the frames of windows, gathers in corners and grinds into grout. Dirt grimes our fingernails, cakes our tongues, dries our eyes and chokes us…Poetry2 min readPoetry2 min read
May 31, 2019Member-onlyFat is Not a Moral QuantityPeople are surprised to hear that I wear a size 16. The most common reaction is to deny it. “No, you can’t!” they shrill, stepping back to evaluate my figure. “No way.” I know that this is meant to be some kind of compliment, that they are trying to make…Body Positive5 min readBody Positive5 min read
