Reshaping Reality

July 6, 2021

My Open Letter to City Designers

I originally wrote this email for the Des Moines City Council. For the past year, I’ve adjusted the verbiage to reflect what I’ve heard in their City Council Meetings with the Public. I also adjust the bullet points and actions I (and others) wish to see them take. Otherwise, most of the letters are verbatim Continue reading

activism, Author, disability, Race, transgender

ableism, access, accessibility, Accessible Cities, disability, disability justice, Disability Pride, Fight Ableism, Homelessness, No More Ableism
March 19, 2015

This weighs heavy on my mind

Note: I first posted this to Facebook. Placed it here with links as a call to action. I know a lot of trans people in my life, and in the past year, I had to convince several of them to please stay alive. At least two of them were unsuccessful in attempts. This terrifies me, Continue reading

Author, Writing

discrimination, hate crimes, LGBT, trans*, transgender
March 11, 2015

Each of us holds a story

Within each of us lies a story. a small seed, insignificant at first, but with proper care and nurturing — it may one day grow into a tree. There it will shine with all the glory of the sun — the impact reeling across the minds of all who touch its leaves. Within each Continue reading

Poetry, Writing

poem, poetry
February 17, 2015

The Bullets We’ve Taken

When I was a child, I used to walk along the cracks in the pavement at recess. Carefully walking as if on a tightrope. Each step I took a vivid reminder of the fine line I walked at home and at school, where one false move and I might garner attention. Whether it was good Continue reading

Author, Blogging, Feminism

feminism, gender identity, LGBTQ, life, Race, transgender
February 10, 2015

Encapsulated

The box is a deep maroon, the texture somewhat akin to cardboard but stronger and thinner. Inside lays a wealth of memories, not forgotten, but held in the confines of four walls, protected from the elements and from my own grief. It is unknown exactly when I received this box in the mail, but it Continue reading

Author, Blogging, Writing

friends, life, Memories
February 5, 2015

Let’s Write! Constructing and Developing Ideas

In a writer’s life, there are times where ideas seem plentiful, like the molecules in a river, and other times, ideas seem scarce like water in a desert. No matter how plentiful or scarce your ideas are, the hardest aspect to them is constructing those ideas into workable stories. In the following writer’s exercise from Continue reading

Characters, Writing

constructing ideas, developing ideas, first draft, imagination, story concepts, story nuggets, themes, writing
January 19, 2015

Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King Day, where service events abound. I chose to volunteer at a Poverty Simulation, where I was given the job of being the SuperFood Clerk. Those involved in the simulation had to buy their food, clothing, miscellaneous supplies, and prescriptions through me. Fifteen minutes represents a week, so an hour is Continue reading

Author, Blogging, Feminism, Writing

equality, fighting injustice, food, homeless, mlk, mlkday, poverty
January 18, 2015

Developing Musical Ideas

I sit here with bongos in my lap. The rhythms I tap out invoke melodies, many of which I discard as being too fragmented. I sometimes will sing these melodies out loud with the drumming to see if they match up as well in reality as they do in my head. Other times, I will Continue reading

Music, Writing

melody, music, music composition
January 2, 2015

Memorial to Those We Have Lost

On December 28, 2014, Leelah Acorn jumped in front of a truck and died. Not long after her death, a scheduled post to her tumblr appeared on the internet — her suicide note. Why did she die? She details it in her suicide note; how her parents forced her into conversion therapy, isolated her, and Continue reading

Author, Writing

LGBT, queer issues, suicide, trans*, transgender
December 6, 2014

Worldbuild: Cities

In a society, people tend to gather in communities, and over time these communities can expand and grow, developing into cities. Thus, when world-building, cities can prove to be intensely beneficial to your stories. Taking the time to develop them can help you better understand the setting of your story and how your characters may Continue reading

Aliens, Elivera, World Building, Writing

cities, city building, city designs, city maps, designing cities, environment, world-building, worldbuilding
December 1, 2014

Three Fingers

I hold up three fingers in the silence between us. Her brown eyes meet mine, shining with tears. “I am sorry,” she says, even though there is no need for it. She has done nothing wrong, yet that is often the only words people are able to say once they learn my history. The scars Continue reading

Author, Feminism, Writing

advocacy, domestic violence, feminism, hope, rape victim advocacy, Sexual Assault, survivor, survivors