A Memoir Isn’t a Self-Help Book
Author Jeanna Kadlec talks about her new memoir Heretic, the loss of leaving a life, gay Bible stories, and more.
When Survival Isn’t Just About Yourself
Writer Blair Braverman talks preppers, survival, queer love, and her gripping new novel, Small Game.
Ciara Smyth’s Queer YA Books Remind Me of Being a Teenager
The Falling In Love Montage (2020) and Not My Problem (2021) are as hilarious as they are moving.
A Queer Woman’s Place Is in the Horror Story
Domestic horror is gay as hell.
Chance and Error Are Friends to Sadie Dupuis’ Writing Process
Poet and musician Sadie Dupuis talks new collection Cry Perfume, scent and memory, and using autocorrect as a co-writer.
Interview With a Tranpire
It’s not hard to see the connection that trans readers and storytellers can find in vampire media.
Author Meryl Wilsner on Writing MILFs, Age Gaps, and Twisting Tropes
“We never learned to write books, we only learn how to write the book that we’re writing.”
The Unspeakable Shadows of Nightwood
You fear Nightwood because of what it reveals about you.
Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya on Writing a Lesbian Horror Protagonist Who Has Been to Therapy
Autostraddle Managing Editor Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya’s debut book — Helen House, a queer horror novelette — comes out October 18.
Life Is Not a Novel
I’ve always had a very active daydream life.
In Queer Horror Anthology “It Came From the Closet,” Carmen Maria Machado Considers Jennifer’s Body
On queerbaiting, bisexuality, and Jennifer’s Body. This essay is an exclusive excerpt from the queer horror anthology It Came From the Closet, on sale next week.
Author Melanie Bell on her YA Novel “Chasing Harmony” and the Messy Process of Growing Up Queer
“The people I met who were identified as musical prodigies had long journeys involving conflict between their abilities and personal needs and finding who they were beyond the weight of expectations. When I was younger, successes and failures felt huge, and this is the case for Anna too.”
Things I Read That I Love #328: You Never Called That Girl Back Even Though You Were Dating
Topics include the mall, Tinder, Gabby Petito, the abuse scandal at an acclaimed L.A high school, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Crime Junkie, amusement parks, dog breeds and more!
“Middlesex” Has a Complicated Legacy — 20 Years Ago, It Changed My Life
When I read Middlesex, I felt that tinge of recognition I think a lot of queer and trans people look for when they realize something is different about themselves.
Keah Brown on Her New Picture Book and the Importance of Disability Representation for Children
“I was excited to talk about rest for children, to talk about how even rest can be an adventure.”
Author Lydia Conklin on Being Queer in the 90s and Writing Characters in Transitional Moments
“Somebody told me that pretty much everyone who grew up queer, especially in our generation, is a secretive person or has an ability for secrecy.”
K-Ming Chang on Writing Sex Scenes, Profanity in Myths, and Letting Flash Fiction Be Messy
I’m finally getting to write the sex scenes of my dreams — some really weird, some really tender, and others in between.
Honey, I Shrunk the Books: A DIY Guide to Making Miniature Book Replicas
Every time I finish reading a book, I get to work on its tiny counterpart. Now I’ve got a shelf full of minis that make me happy every single time I look at them. Wanna make one with me?
Joe Osmundson on Expansive Science Writing and Living in an Impossible World
“It is tension: living well on a viral warming planet is too much to ask of any person. And yet it is what our circumstances are asking of us.”
Michelle Tea on Queer Pregnancy and Writing a Memoir in Present Tense
“I really want it to feel like you fell down a rabbit hole into this world, because that’s how I felt. That was the reality of the experience for me.”