Looks Like There's A Demand
So, this is interesting. I reposted something a friend posted, and was shocked at the huge amount of agreement and engagement I got on it:
![[alt="Text of online posts: 1st person - It's pretty funny how many young adult books have a premise like "I was just a DORK LOSER with NO FRIENDS, but then it turned out I actually have an Elite Skull Shape and I'm actually the Coolest Person Ever."<br>Second poster - I've been feeling insane about this for a good ten years because I remember that the books I read as a kid all had stories where the protagonist was completely normal and they found an object or a book and learning to read the book or use the magical object was what made them into the cool hero. An then partway during my childhood, suddenly all of the new books had heroes that were the hero because they were born the hero, and they were just temporarily uncool because they didn't know they were born special.<br>And I know that these things are trends that come and go, but I'm 30 years old now and the "you can only be born special, you can't work to achieve great things" narrative just WILL. NOT. DIE. as a trend in young adult literature.<br>Can we PLEASE go back to "find a weird book in the library and accidentally become an all powerful wizard because you can read aloud" being the dominant narrative of youth fiction?"]](https://friendica.world/photo/130334023168029978003bf157172585-1.png "[alt=\"Text of online posts: 1st person - It's pretty funny how many young adult books have a premise like \"I was just a DORK LOSER with NO FRIENDS, but then it turned out I actually have an Elite Skull Shape and I'm actually the Coolest Person Ever.\"<br>Second poster - I've been feeling insane about this for a good ten years because I remember that the books I read as a kid all had stories where the protagonist was completely normal and they found an object or a book and learning to read the book or use the magical object was what made them into the cool hero. An then partway during my childhood, suddenly all of the new books had heroes that were the hero because they were born the hero, and they were just temporarily uncool because they didn't know they were born special.<br>And I know that these things are trends that come and go, but I'm 30 years old now and the \"you can only be born special, you can't work to achieve great things\" narrative just WILL. NOT. DIE. as a trend in young adult literature.<br>Can we PLEASE go back to \"find a weird book in the library and accidentally become an all powerful wizard because you can read aloud\" being the dominant narrative of youth fiction?\"]")
142 reposts/quotes, and WOAH.... 767 likes so far. And some lovely people recommending things to watch and read as well as chat about the topic. So, BFF and I are going to attempt to maybe write what's clearly deeply desired. Still in coming up with ideas phase, though.
Looks Like There's A Demand
So, this is interesting. I reposted something a friend posted, and was shocked at the huge amount of agreement and engagement I got on it:
142 reposts/quotes, and WOAH.... 767 likes so far. And some lovely people recommending things to watch and read as well as chat about the topic. So, BFF and I are going to attempt to maybe write what's clearly deeply desired. Still in coming up with ideas phase, though.
Call For Submissions
My Poetry Successes This Year
Albuquerque, New Mexico!
I will be reading my winning poem from the NM Dept of Cultural Affairs 2025 Ekphrastic Poetry Contest at the Ntl Hispanic Cultural Center, Sun April 27 3-5pm. register here, but it is FREE. nhccnm.org/event/2nd-annual-dc…
I also have a poem in the 2025 Poet's Picnic event and chapbook, celebrated May 3rd, I'll be around when it starts at 10am. open Space Visitor Center on Coors, cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/op… chapbook copies $10 ea
AND I have a poem in this upcoming zine, to be printed and mailed by the end of April. Pre-order from the seller here: ko-fi.com/s/c8211f5427
Please note that since I am disabled, I will not be at each event for very long, just at the beginning. I have to take care of me, too.
Exciting News!
like this
Zine now open for submissions
Rogue's Elixir now open for submissions for issue 8! Prose, poetry or art due to harper.author@protonmail.com by March 28th. The theme for this issue, to be interpreted however you wish, is "Rabbit Hole". Literal, metaphorical, avant garde, etc., the choice is up to you. Zine is in B&W, so any color artwork will be converted to grayscale. payment is only that the contributors will be provided the PDF files of the finished zine for their own copy and a %50 off discount code for the ko-fi listing they can share. please address all questions to that email.
Other issues and other zines at the shop over on ko-fi.com/thorncake/shop
New Issue of Zine is Out
Get anything in my zine shop for free this month!
Writing
I've been getting some writing done; it feels good. Poems submitted to various places, a few revised, and editing of a flash fiction. I set Outlook (which I never use) to be a visual calendar for me to see when various submission windows are open. We'll see how that goes. There is no budget for task or calendar apps or programs, so hopefully this will help. I can't use my Google calendar as it's full of personal and health stuff and I don't want the two to cross. Now the main work is just finding places to submit stuff so I can block out the dates as "open".
Also, I've less than successfully been trying to to freak out about all the political things happening and how they could destroy my life. My therapist is giving my money's worth, ha ha. I did decide to create a "How to Protest Safely" free little zine and will see about putting it out in Spanish as well. The 8th issue of Rogue's Elixir is also coming out soon. Someone's just finishing up his short story for it. I've got the interior and cover art ready to go.
Words are powerful. Use them.