Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Church in my Rearview Mirror

(Photo credit: David Blaikie via Flickr. Some rights reserved)

A poster full of different cross designs hangs on Pastor Kay's office wall. Her computer chirps occasionally with the latest storm warning. Indeed, it's getting darker outside, so the pastor turns on the overhead light. At first we chat about college. I tell her that I've got at least another year before I get my BA in English. After that I plan on trying to be a Library Assistant, which doesn't need a Masters.

Then she finally says, "So, I heard you've been having questions lately. Tell me about that."

This isn't the first time we've met to talk about my doubts. We met back in September when the doubts started. Actually, I've had brief periods of doubt prior to that meeting. But this was the first time the doubts lasted more than just a week. Pastor Kay and I had a good talk then, although she didn't give me any concrete evidence that God existed.

Now several months later, I don't think I can call myself a Christian anymore.

The best word to describe what I currently believe is pantheist. I'm not so sure about a bearded man in the sky who breaks the laws of nature to help football players score touchdowns anymore. If there is a God, then it would have to be synonymous with nature. My religion is a cosmic religion. I'm made of star stuff, and the universe is inside of me. As Neil deGrasse Tyson says, "We are all connected. To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe, atomically."

I've also been attending a Unitarian Universalist fellowship during the past few Sundays. I already knew some of the members from a local LGBT group. After reading up about Unitarian Universalism, I finally decided to give it a try, thinking that it might be a better place for all my uncertainty. So far it's been great. There's no creed I need to recite. The people there are really nice. And it's great to be in a place where being queer isn't a "controversial issue."

I tell all this to Pastor Kay. Surprisingly she doesn't tell me what I should do. She just listens. She does, however, tell me that I don't need to read the Bible literally in order to be a Christian. She also says that because I'm still technically a member of the church, everyone is there for me if I ever need anything. I thank her.

Outside, it's raining. I run quickly to my car and drive off, with the church in my rearview mirror.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Ask a Pansexual: How I Perceive LGBTQ People in Public


Lexine suggested this topic. It's kinda weird, but I gave it a go anyway.

And I promise I'll write a real blog post eventually.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Rebel Girl: The Official Mixtape For "The Other Hidden Wound"


As I did for my previous two e-books, I have created a mix for my new e-book The Other Hidden Wound. These are songs that inspired me while writing the e-book, and the mix is meant to be a soundtrack for the book. Here's the playlist:

1. Nellie McKay - "Mother of Pearl"*
2. The Raincoats - "Fairytale in the Supermarket"
3. X-Ray Spex - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!"
4. The Slits - "Typical Girls"
5. Queen Latifah - "U.N.I.T.Y"
6. Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl"
7. Sonic Youth - "Kool Thing"
8. Alix Olson - "Subtle Sister"*
9. Bratmobile - "Gimme Brains"
10. 7 Year Bitch - "Dead Men Don't Rape"
11. Ani Difranco - "Out of Range (Acoustic)"
12. Hole - "Violet"
13. Sleater-Kinney - "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone"
14. Jonatha Brooke - "Always"
15. Lunachicks - "Less Teeth, More Tits"

You can listen to the mix here on Spotify.

(*Tracks not available on Spotify.)

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Other Hidden Wound - My New E-Book!


Ladies and gentleman, it's finally here: my new e-book The Other Hidden Wound: Uncovering the Effect of Patriarchy on the Male Psyche!

Inspired by Wendell Berry's 1970 book The Hidden Wound, The Other Hidden Wound explores the hidden effect of patriarchy on men. No, that doesn't mean men suffer from patriarchy the same way women do. It means that patriarchy has distorted the way men view women, as if they are some how less than human. This e-book chronicles my journey from participating in institutional sexism to finally understanding my male privileges.

It's $1.99 on Amazon, and you can buy it here.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Work-In-Progress Meme

1) What is the name of your current WIP?
The Other Hidden Wound: Uncovering the Effect of Patriarchy on the Male Psyche
2) Ready to do a cover reveal?
Soon
3) How many words are you into it?
About 8,500
4) Goal word count by the end of the week?
Same
5) Goal word count for the entire manuscript?
It's done.
6) What genre does your work in progress fall within?
Either Women's Studies or General Nonfiction
7) When would you *like* to publish this project?
Tomorrow
8) Go to page 5 of your manuscript and pick a sentence at random to share with us!
"That was the first time I became aware of my own misogyny, although I didn't know there was a word for it."
9) Will this WIP turn into a series book?
No. Just the one
10) What has been the hardest challenge in working on this WIP?
Not saying anything unintentionally sexist.
11) What has been your favorite part of working on this WIP?
Getting some stuff off my chest.
12) Any special treat planned for when you finish the final draft of your WIP?
A beer?
13) Tag three people to complete this WIP meme!
Whoever wants to do this.