(Updated 7/17/23) — The Basics ✅ ✍🏾 Since my first short story (an absolute ✨masterpiece✨ I wrote in first grade about my Barbie doll going camping with her friends) I knew that writing caused something within me to come to life. 🏳️‍🌈 Today, my intersectional identity — I’m a neurodivergent Black lesbian — informs much of…

Everything I’ve written on Medium is now organized by subject — Hello there! If you’re new to my page, figuring out what to read and where to find it can be tricky. Don’t worry: I’ve got you. To make things easy for everyone, I’ve used Medium’s handy list feature to separate all my work by subject. Below, you’ll find stories covering…

From sweet to smutty, I’ve got you covered — Last week I admitted to all of you that, when I need a dose of escapism, I turn to romance novels. I even tried (really hard!) to convince you to try them too and join me in this fun world of spicy sex scenes and happy endings. Modern romance novels…

Seriously—I’m not kidding — Right now life in America is a hellscape for the majority of citizens. Between the booming cost of living, nonstop gun violence, and a political divide that feels like it’s building up to a dangerous climax, most of us are looking for a means to escape this reality—even if only…

Try this instead — Over the past few weeks, I’ve struggled with my writing practice. There’s no one problem or issue that causes me difficulty—it varies from day to day. On Monday, I sit down in front of my laptop and find that I have no ideas. The typically ceaseless stream of ideas in…

Let’s talk about why that is — Before we begin, let’s get something out of the way right from the jump: I listen to true crime podcasts, I watch Law & Order: SVU marathons on USA with my spouse, and I peruse the Citizen app on my phone. …

Spoiler: It doesn’t involve a mansion or fancy car — Everyone has fantasized about winning the lottery. It’s fun to think about what it would feel like to go from working every day to overwhelming wealth in just a few days. Many of us long for the freedom to quit our jobs, eliminate our debts, trade our used cars for…

Lessons learned from serving on a murder case — Before she even stood up, I knew that potential juror number thirty-two was going to say something chaotic. Earlier, as all hundred or so of us potential jurors stood in a nervous throng outside of the courtroom, Thirty-two had approached me randomly to explain that she was “beyond hungover.” …

8 Tips to help you avoid causing additional pain — When I was 22, one of my best friends died. It’s hard to talk about this as my experience because, in many ways, it was a collective journey. Hazel died less than six months after graduating college, so every part of her story is full of friends and classmates, family…