A response to somebody who made me feel scared...

A few days ago, I was scrolling through my facebook "On This Day" feature and a post from 2014 popped up. I read the first few lines and everything came flooding back. All of my fear, my feelings of helplessness came flooding back.

It's not public so allow me to share what it said:

I just got a super creepy voice mail from somebody with a NYC zip left on my phone. The person was saying the following as though it was a poem (lines made where they paused)...

out of my car
the car i thought i was driving
in the middle of nowhere
in the middle of night
in the middle of your body
the wrong turns i took
and ended up somewhere
in a place I never expected
in a place i could not recognize
the wrong turns that took me somewhere else
the sky there
the sea there
in the middle of your body
in the middle of nowhere
in the middle of night

When I texted "Who is this?" to the number, I received an automated reply that read, "Thanks for the message. Configure your number's SMS URL to change this message. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg and Data rates may apply." I replied, "STOP" and received this message, "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe." So then I called the number and received a clearly automated voice asking me to reconfigure my SMS URL.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm wtf?

At the time, I remember feeling so helpless, so scared. It felt like a threat. Whoever this human was, they felt entitled to read me anonymous words that talked about violating my body. This coward didn't even have the balls to identify themselves. Maybe they didn't know me? Maybe it was a random call? I googled the words to see if they were references; there were no helpful results in 2014 and none in 2018.

In 2014, several friends suggested it was a pre-recorded poem sent as a "goof" but there was nothing humorous about it.

I still don't know who sent it.

To be honest with you, I don't know why it's important for me to share this to my writing blog. Perhaps the notion that somebody used poetry to terrorize me. That's so fucked up.

Be ethical with your words and actions.

Procrastinating

This post is procrastinating and about procrastinating.

Are you familiar with the "You Should Be Writing" memes put out by Writing about Writing?

These are photos from the FB page. Familiar? Because I need them branded into my brain. I have been such a procrastinator. I am sure you are unsurprised, readers. This man provides a valuable service for humans such as me.

But I'm still going to get this done ya'll. It's happening. I need to be done with this series! Plus, I need to start editing so that it's vaguely cohesive! Queers saving the world! Needs more dragons. OH, that's A GOOD IDEA.

I guess I should be writing. Happy Camp NaNoWriMo month, y'all!

Pride is over- now some upkeep

I am working on an interview with a very awesome poet to share with y'all, and I was hoping to get it done last month, but I guess that means we'll just have a surprise later in the month.

Speaking of the month! It's camp NaNo! So let's all get our write on. I will either be totally absent from blogging this month or blog a lot while I'm procrastinating. Tis the way of life.

I would like to have a word with you

It's still Pride month! 

love, live, resist, drink coffee, write.

Cheers, Queers!

It's time for the last installment of the audios from a record of night. I hope you enjoy these tidbits. I had a lot of fun recording them!

As always, if you like what you hear please stop by Amazon and purchase my chapbook and/or leave a review.

A few words for you...

1. Easley River Road
2. Bur Oak Tree

Now go out and spread all the sparkly eco-friendly glitter while you speak truth to power. 

A few words, dear reader

Happy Pride, all month!

Gay agenda: eat fruit, drink coffee, read poetry, make out with gorgeous people.

I hope this post finds you well! I have finished editing my audios from a record of night and would love to share them with you! Grab a cup of coffee, some headphones, and join me for a journey into the awkwardly narrated audio files of K. Steitz.

And hey, if you like what you hear, please stop by Amazon and pick up my kindle chapbook or leave a review! A few words from you can really help others find my poetry.

After much ado, a few words for you, my dear reader...

1. When we die
2. Telescope
3. In the process, everything

Thanks for your support! Keep an eye out for more hella queer posts and more audio recordings this month!

A gushing book review or two

Really, this will be two book reviews combined into one, and neither will be particularly literary. Sorry, NO MLA CITATIONS Y'ALL. This book review is basically about how much I adore Leia Organa and Claudia Gray's portrayal of her. I'm writing at you all informal-like.

NO SPOILERS, I PROMISE! 

Leia, Princess of Alderaan

I found Claudia Gray's books after reading an article at The Nerdist, The Last Jedi Connections In The New Young Leia Novel. It piqued my interest. Fresh and raw still from Carrie Fisher's passing, I was looking for a way to connect more deeply with Leia, who was finally coming back to me in the rebooted Star Wars. Star Wars was one of the first franchises that I loved, and Leia was one of the first women I saw kicking ass and taking names, sass and class. To lose Carrie Fisher and the now regal, no-nonsense General Organa broke my heart. These books were the salve I didn't even know I needed.

Leia, Princess of Alderaan tenderly describes her strained though loving relationship with Bail and Breha Organa throughout the book and how Leia resolves to aid the rebellion. Gray gives us a young Leia who is resolutely dedicated to her people and to justice, clever and already learning to be politically savvy, who is a sure-fast friend and willing to re-evaluate her estimations of people when they show kindness, she is passionate, and deeply committed to her family. The greatest gift of this novel, and harshest curse, is that we get to see and feel everything Leia loses when the death star obliterates Alderaan. It is a must read for any aspiring Space Generals and spunky rebels.

Notable mention to Amilyn Holdo who is introduced in The Last Jedi and is possibly one of my favorite new Star Wars characters. If you read the book, I hope you enjoy her as much as I did!

Bloodline

Bloodline brings us a middle-aged Leia, now a war-worn Populist senator in the New Republic, who is disillusioned with the new government but still retains hope for the lives around her. Claudia Gray opens up the book with Leia at a dedication for a statue of her adopted father, Bail Organa of Alderaan. She is heartbroken and missing her family and for lack of a better word, bored. She's bored with the inefficient bureaucracy and duplicitous, Imperial-worshiping Centrists; but also, dare I say, the fractured nature of the Populist party. 

This Leia has been looking into the eye of the void for most of her adult life and fighting it with every ounce of her being. She is brilliant and strong, but heartily misses Han and the thrill of adventure in the stars. In this book, we get an insight into how Leia has dealt with the loss of her planet and family, and some startling and public revelations. Princess Senator (soon to be General, right WINK WINK) Organa is such a warm embodiment of fierce hope and strength during times of chaos. The book itself is action-packed, fast-paced, and has a special cameo by everybody's favorite bad boy-grown up. 

Notable mention to Centrist Senator Ransolm Casterfo, who is an unlikely ally and a deeply intriguing character. 

So if you're looking for a clever, plucky youth learning to fight for good or if you're looking for a cunning leader still fighting the good fight, you have found your cinnamon roll. Check out Claudia Gray's books and thank me later.

Happy Pride- Let's get gay!

Happy Pride Month, y'all!

 Here is a picture of my perfect chihuahua taking a nap. Don't say I never gave ya nuthin!

What super queer poets or fabulous trans, non binary, or ace poets do you like to read during pride? 


Meanwhile, in rainbow-studded update land, I am recording a few poems from a record of night (you know, that chapbook I wrote). I'll share them a little bit later, when I've done editing. Keep an eye out!

(psst. Gratuitous plug incoming: want to support a queer poet this month? Buy my chapbook or leave me a review at amazon.com! Thanks, readers!!)

bur oak tree

This poem is from my chapbook, a record of night. There isn't a lot of story behind this sonnet- just making out with people under trees. College, am I right?

If you're interested in reading more of my poetry, please check out my chapbook at Amazon!

Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

easley river road

This is a poem from my chapbook, a record of night. This almost-sonnet was written about a tryst with a married man (shock! gasp!) who was separated from his husband but was still remarkably unavailable. If you don't pine for a few emotionally unavailable humans in your college years, can you really say you went to college?

If you're interested in reading more of my poetry, please check out my chapbook at Amazon!

Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

when we die

This is a poem from my chapbook, a record of night. My soon-to-be ex-wife and I didn't talk much about what would happen when we died, but I thought about it. I find the idea that I could be a part of feeding the plants and integrating fully with the natural world after death to be very soothing. Our ashes won't mix together after death, but I still enjoy reflecting upon my ashes mixing with the roots of a chicory.

If you're interested in reading more of my poetry, please check out my chapbook at Amazon!

Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

telescope

This poem is from my chapbook, a record of night. This poem was started on a night with a clear sky, full of stars, and a cold longing for a dear friend who was very far away.

If you're interested in reading more of my poetry, please check out my chapbook at Amazon!

Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

In the process, everything

This is a poem from my chapbook, a record of night. I was inspired to write this poem by a jar of honey I had left in my mud room/writing room. The room was not as well insulated as the house, an add-on where a porch used to be, and I found myself staring into it as the seasons progressed. It was like staring into a bonfire or candle flame.

If you're interested in reading more of my poetry, please check out my chapbook at Amazon!

Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

Remember that time I published a chapbook?

No? I forget sometimes, too. But I did! Did you mean to check it out but forget about it in the flurry of daily life? Now is your chance, my friends.

I'm reviving the chapbook! a record of night is available on Amazon! This chapbook contains my favorite poems that I wrote during college and my soon-to-be-legally-over marriage (angsty divorce poems not currently forthcoming). If you are into nature imagery, love, and longing, this chapbook is for you!

Over the next several weeks, I'll share with you some of the poetry contained in the book. If you like what you hear, please share the images or buy the chapbook (buy the chapbook!).



Don't forget leave a review and rate the chapbook at Amazon! It will help raise visibility and your feedback means a lot to me. 

at Planet Comicon in Kansas City

I don't talk about my comic-nerd side very often on this blog- I save it mostly for my tumblr, but I have an announcement!

I was invited to be on the Out in Comics: LGBTQ Trends in Popular Culture panel (room 2503A) from 2-3 pm. Please come check out all the amazing panelists and watch me say things confidently that I instantly regret. Jokes, jokes, I'm sure it will be years before I regret them. Or when I'm trying to go to sleep and I can't remember if I said something or didn't. But I promise, I will definitely say them with a great deal of confidence.

My doodle blog can be found at http://foonalina.tumblr.com

Brainstorming writing projects for this year

I have a couple project ideas that I'm thinking about and I just wanted to write them out to see if I like them. I don't know if they'll stick. If you're reading this and you have an opinion about something you'd like to see/read/hear, definitely chime in! I'm really feeling the audio this year.

• Spoken poetry series based on a record of time. I've been thinking about this for a little while. I could read out poems from my chapbook and link to the actual chapbook in case folks are interested in buying the kindle copy. 
• Definitely starting to work on a second chapbook. Posting new poetry here is something that has helped my productivity in the past but if I'm interested in submitting to journals rather than self publishing again, this would be a poor choice. Do I go the route I know works for me or do I try something more traditional to see if I can make it happen?
• Do more "little poetry reading" posts more, because that is fuuuuuuuuuuuun.
• Perhaps do an audio book of my Mauri Kor books? If I do this, I won't be able to publish it through a legit publisher. Maybe my goal should be to finish this book and then start a new one and podcast it as I go. But I definitely want to get this last book finished before I start in on a new one. Maybe I could pick up the weird kitty people mad scientist horror story I was working on. OR I could do a series of short stories! That would be fun, too.

Ultimately my goal for this year is to just remember to write. I want to try to sit down everyday and at least look at the projects I'm working on. What should I be doing? Writing. Mantra for this year: write more! PUBLISH!

A little poetry reading~

Good still-barely-morning!

I woke up, drank some coffee, and felt pulled to some of my old favorite books of poetry. The bookshelf, it calls. This post isn't about creating today, but about sharing- sharing some poetry that I love. Forgive all of my ums and uhs, because I'm hopeless without scripting or editing, but I didn't want to overthink this.

So if you're still drinking your barely-morning coffee and want to listen to some poems, please feel free click on the links below.

Demeter's Prayer to Hades by Rita Dove
First & Second Fig by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Strange Fruit by Seamus Heaney

Feeding the creatures...

My partner in most things interesting has picked up her pen again
And I like writing with her, next to her, about her, so. Maybe it's time to revive the poetry portion of this blog again. That's where the creatures live, anyway.

I'm 100% sure nobody really reads my blog. Anyway here's a sassy poem.


The quiet of your bedroom,
or the hush of fresh snow
on a meadow or an abandoned lot
between two looming
city buildings at 3 am.

The way your skin tastes,
salt, a kalamata olive, after night
and the way we tangle like sweaty hair,
breath at the nape of your neck.

The way you punctuate your sighs
like the dropped fragments of
Sappho's lost volumes, or thunder
that rolls up from your stomach
and slips out in a jaw-clenched growl.

The way young women speak with
a flip at the end of their sentence, a question on pointe,
like we don't know how this will end
but breathless, stumbling, we find our way.

A fragment of a thought

When I breathe your name
It's a red cheek creep
As good as store bought
Your name catches in my throat
A simple word with two syllables
a common name
A fever