Hello, my beautiful wintertime darlings! As 2014 draws to a close, everybody is doing Facebook posts and blog entries about their year in review. I was grumpy at first and was all, “My 2014 was dumb. I’m not writing one of those.”Because this year has been a major shit show for the world at large, and I’ve been kind of sick and grumbly for a while. But then I started thinking about it and, actually, my 2014 was pretty fabulous. So, a year in review, with much gratitude and joy and hope, and a bulleted list. Because who doesn’t love a good bulleted list? Or a sort of random bulleted list that’s not presented in any particular order? Cause that’s what this one is?
In 2014, I:
- launched a new column, “Dispatches from a Dark Corner,” at Nerve.com;
- published my article on financing feminist porn in Bitch Magazine’s Love/Lust issue;
- was honored to have poetry published at Menacing Hedge and Stirring: A Literary Collection;
- finished chapbook of poetry that’s currently seeking a publisher (one of my 2014 resolutions!);
- did a reading that with some badass poets for Luna Luna;
- began a partnership with visual artist Jayel Draco,in which he creates illustrations for articles I write;
Illustration by Jayel Draco - interviewed some amazing native women–Angel White Eyes and Inez Jasper–who are making the world better through art and activism;
- interviewed some fantastic burlesque performers, like Nina La Voix, Stormy Leather, Faux Pas le Fae, Jan Tina, and more;
- interviewed badass comics creators Erica Schultz and Enrica Jang;
- went to New York Comic Con and had some things to say;
- gave some really fantastic sex advice (another 2014 resolution!);
- dressed in drag and read a chapter of The Outsiders for a marathon drag king reading of the book;
Me as a greaser - was interviewed for the Bitch Media “Popaganda” podcast;
- Was mentioned on Dan Savage’s “Savage Lovecast,” which makes me, like, totally famous;
- got interviewed by budding feminist Alexandra Fileccia for her undergraduate media course;
- had my graphic novel, Tracy Queen, rejected by more publishers than I can count on both hands. This sounds bad, but it’s actually good (I keep telling myself) because every successful writer goes through like a billion gazillion rejections before they get super-rich. Right? (This is sorta-kinda a 2014 resolution checked off the list–I didn’t get funding, but I worked really hard to try to get it!);
- relaunched my website with a new design (one of my 2014 resolutions!);
- launched TracyQueen.com;
- launched my freelance editing business;
- started talks for something big that I still can’t talk about aaarrrrgggghhh;
- visited two foreign countries (Canada–shut up it counts!–and Ireland);
- was blessed with visits to and from some of the people who are dearest to me in the whole world;
- got a tattoo;
- moved to a cheaper (and friendlier apartment) so I can save up to leave New York someday, or start a business, or whatever the hell I want;
- joined a gym and started eating mostly-vegetarian, and took control of my health.
Not a shabby year at all. Thank you all so much for taking this wild ride with me! With your support and our combined efforts, I feel like I can take 2015 head-on. No problem.