Comments on: Straddler On The Street: Ketzel

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:53:21 +0000

no worries! i totally understand work craziness…i’m experiencing some of it myself right at this very moment! i’ll look forward to getting an email from you/her/both of you whenever things settle down for you guys. i’ll be here…forever

By: Marisa

Marisa — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:59:31 +0000

This is just to say that she/I will absolutely email you but it’s taking us longer than we expected because of working like crazy.

By: Paper0Flowers

Paper0Flowers — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:42:45 +0000

I vouch for a Teen Column here on AS. Ketzel, you sound like an incredible person. You are proof that age ain’t nothing’ but a number.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:50:17 +0000

hi! thank you for all the feedback. i’m always looking to evolve this column and make it the most interesting, inclusive, diverse thing is can be!

i completely agree with you about the college question. as i asked it i sort of kicked myself, especially because i remembered how annoying it was to have adults ask me that 24/7 my junior year of high school (and i was planning to go, it was still just super annoying and stressful to keep being asked about it!) i mostly asked it because i was curious how important it was for ketzel that she attend a queer-friendly campus, as when i was 16 i thought i was straight so none of my college choices had anything to do with the identity that became so important to me when i was actually at school (i mean i went to nyu so it’s not like i was lacking a queer scene, but i wish i’d been encouraged to pursue smith or mount holyoke or bryn mawr, for example). anywho! that’s my own personal baggage, but hopefully gives insight into why i felt the question was important to ask (especially because ketzel is our very first teen).

i am also VERY interested in how people set up their lives on an internal level — i agree, it’s completely fascinating. these interviews are usually via gchat and last about an hour, so they definitely only scratch the surface — i also like to focus on what the straddler wants to talk about so if they’re anxious to tell me about their work or their jobs etc. i’m gonna let them talk about it. but there’s an interview coming up where i spoke with a writer and we discussed process and structure and how she works, not just what she does, so look out for that and hopefully you’ll enjoy it!

ALSO. i am SUPER FASCINATED with the entire idea of unschooling, so if your girlfriend has even the TINIEST desire to be featured in this column, PLEASE have her email me — vanessa [at] autostraddle [dot] com — for real, i would LOVE to do a straddler interview with her (or with anyone who has had unorthodox experiences with education).

sincerely, thank you for the feedback. this column exists because i love you guys so much, and i want it to keep growing and changing and evolving. thank you for giving me some things to think about.

By: Marisa

Marisa — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:51:45 +0000

It’s always cool to ready about different kinds and ages of ‘Straddlers, but I wish the No. 1 question for teens wasn’t always college college college. I mean, college can be awesome, but it shouldn’t be a defining thing about anyone until they’re in college (and maybe not even then). Why not start with the present and what inspiring things a person is currently doing (which you did get into later on, to be fair)? I did go to college, after homeschooling through high school, but my girlfriend unschooled all the way through and got mightily tired of all the adults constantly asking about college, as if that was the most important thing in a teen/early-twenty-something’s life…
So anyway, go Ketzel, but remember that college isn’t everything!
Also, I think you should consider asking people not just about what they do but about how they work and how they like to set up their lives on a more internal level — I’m always fascinated by that.
Thanks for listening! I love this feature.

By: Digger

Digger — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:51:33 +0000

Simply astonishing! I want Ketzel to be my Life Coach and help me get my shit together!

By: crazyqueerclassicist

crazyqueerclassicist — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:30:24 +0000

Bryn Mawr all the way! It’s seriously the land of rainbows and castles.

By: Sang

Sang — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:54:35 +0000

Living in Singapore, with only two other queer acquaintances that it’s getting awkward to talk to(for personal reasons), I totally get the crappy feeling of isolation. Hang on, man, we’ve only got a while more to live through. Like Tray said above, we’ll find our place.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:51:38 +0000

GO TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AND RUN WOMEN’S INITIATIVE OKAY?!

ketzel you’re amaze. stay amaze. also i wanna fist bump you but i was a slutwalk organizer too so we’re gonna call it a #slutbump and just wait to see how others interpret that.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:49:47 +0000

this is my feeling too like omfg what am i doing in life

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:19:31 +0000

this is awesome. go ketzel, go!

By: moho

moho — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:45:55 +0000

I TOTALLY SECOND KATE about the womens colleges, and as a Mount Holyoke student i am a little biased, but i think you’re meant to be here!!! we have a kickass riding program with a beautiful equestrian center where you can board your horse AND have your queerness be extremely accepted and embraced at the same time! pretty much everyone is a feminist, our accessability department is INCREDIBLE, and studio art is a really popular major… ya gotta come visit, ketzel. kate really hit the nail on the head, though — consider the women’s colleges, you won’t regret it