Polyamory: An interview

I’ll admit to being uncomfortable with, but not judgmental of, polyamory. My discomfort could be a direct consequence of my having been socialized to believe in one-person romantic love. (One person at a time, that is.) I blame pre-teen readings of Danielle Steele. (“Blame” is the wrong word. I’m quite happy with my belief that … Read more

When pro-choice means not only “right to choose” but also “Think of the damn kids for a second.”

I think it’s natural that people will see a book cover heading this post and assume, “This chick’s trying to sell her book again.” It’s a safe assumption, because I am. But for a reason. The whole thing was written for a reason. (Please indulge me.) “I would never want a book’s autograph. I am … Read more

Self-Publishing “Lacks the Cool Factor”? But, Hasn’t Independence Always Been Cool?

Note: This post was originally published at my old website location, but my opinions haven’t changed, so I moved it here. I don’t know whether Edan Lepucki’s opinions have changed.- K In “Kill the First Novel? Are You Insane?” I responded to author Edan Lepucki’s decision to semi-permanently put away her first novel after it … Read more

Farewell, foul word

A pre-mortem eulogy . Banned from dictionaries ‘til as late as ’69, Its birth forever shrouded in the myst’ry gauze of time— It is perhaps Germanic, or bequeathed by Scotts, or Swedes— The Word of Words, our giant, drags forth, bleeding, on its knees.   Outlawed in print in England, once, and, too, in our … Read more

A cliche story told in cliches

Ah, to be young and foolish. In one fell swoop, Jenny had learned that history repeats itself, and she was therefore resolved to never again put her cart before the horse and to always look before she leaped… When she was a little less long in the tooth and still a babe in the woods—before … Read more

Forget FOMO–What about FODIW?

When a friend told me recently that she’d been judged for enjoying alone time when her kids spent summers with their dad, I worried—about myself. Had choosing not to parent meant I’d doomed myself to a life free from arbitrary and unwarranted criticisms? Sure, there’d been the occasional, highly conspicuous side-eye because I was a … Read more

kristen j. tsetsi