That Goddamn Plant
Hearing the name “Little Shop of Horrors” baffled me a bit. That wasn’t “The Music Man” or “Beauty and the Beast” or any of the other shows I had seen before. I wasn’t sure what it would even sound like.
Happy Birthday Mom
My mother’s birthday is a few days after mine on the 30th, so we’ve always been birthday buddies—though she’s usually pretty happy to let me take the spotlight for myself.
Learning to Create From My Past Self
We came up with a strategy to try to get me to write faster, which was to play the Macklemore song “Can’t Hold Us” on loop until I was done.
The Gothic RomCom You Are Missing
Yes, these two who’ve never met before are crazy to immediately swear themselves to each other post dark ritual. But that’s why it’s fun!
In Adoration of Absinthe
I had studied the ritual of preparation and now would try this mysterious elixir for myself.
Sabrina Carpenter, Princess Ida, and the Battle of the Sexes
In ‘the battle of the sexes’ the question seems to be “Who is better: Men or Women?” The question I keep feeling like I need to scream is “Why do you keep wanting to find reasons to be better than someone else?!”
The Perks of Being a Burden
I kept making comments to my friends about when I was back on my feet I’d take them out to dinner. They’d say sure with a face that clearly suggested they expected no such thing from me.
I Was Wrong About Success
I cannot shame myself into being better.
Peter and the Starcatcher: Legacy and Inheritance
I got the Neverland stars tattooed on my wrist a few months later. I didn’t want to forget how special it all was.
My Dearest Video Disks
When I do a movie night at a friend’s house, I never show up without anything less than four DVDs on hand.
Christmas to a Halloween Fan
Is something even a part of American culture if there’s not an industry making profit off of it?
I Am Alive and That is My Choice
I had to change something or else, and the “or else” was really starting to worry me.
Illinois: Land of Abe Lincoln, the Vampire Hunter
What studio would take that kind of risk on a title that so clearly sounds like a joke?
God I Love Getting Older
I buy my own presents when the day is a bit rough.
I Keep Telling On Myself In Fiction
I got to a certain point in all of them and had to go, “This is about religious trauma, isn’t it?”
Confession of a Slighted Author
I saw all that blank space the first time and went, “Where the hell are the rest of my words?”
An Interview with Shayfer James: Summoning of Art, Audience, and Self
This is a self given permission to play, to enjoy things without expectation, and to be comfortable in his creative and physical skin.
My Life as Told by Shayfer James and His Strange Ability to Read my Mind
The two times I saw Shayfer live this year, he played “God Forbids,” and both times I got held by friends while I cried.
The Best Sport You’re Not Paying Attention To
Being a grown adult at a roller rink can be a bit of a trial as the primary attendees of roller rinks are families of young children hosting birthday parties.
How To Explain Your Love of the Damned to your Christian Family
If your only options are a Hell that fully embraces you and a Heaven that will only accept a part of you, the choice seems clear.
You’re Better at Improv Than You Think
Improv isn’t always about comedy.
Nonbinary Dating and Victor/Victoria
I shouldn’t have to achieve some kind of perfect androgyny in order to have my identity respected.
A Call Center Christmas
“That must be it then,” he said, “you must be my angel.”
For the Love of Frankenfurter
It’s a call to live it without shame from the mouth of an openly queer character, and it is powerful.
My Mother’s Favorite (Haunted) Houses
The main question would be does the portal to the ghost dimension in the children’s room count as extra square footage?
Falling in Love With Words Again
Maybe I was a writer, but I hated the words.
Just-A-Guy Syndrome: The Curse of Magic in Live Action
With preparations in place, the time comes. This ultimate, most dangerous beast is here.
