It’s time to say “so long” to 2015. It’s been a tumultuous 365 days for me, and for the world. What a year. Back to the Future day came and went, and while we are sadly still waiting for hoverboards and flying cars, a lot has happened. From the legalization of gay marriage nationwide in the U.S. to the further criminalization of sex acts in U.K. porn to the slow but quickening roll of transgender acceptance worldwide to the devastation of climate change, political unrest, social justice groundswell, growing conversation around sexism, street harassment, and sexual assault, and, I mean, come on, the new Star Wars movie amirite, it’s been a massive year. Even for this writer right here.
My Jetpack plug-in on WordPress tells me that this little steam engine of a website got around 11,000 views in 2015. Considering that for most of the year, the comments section and search functions weren’t working properly, that my affiliate links haven’t been correctly linked(which means I don’t actually make any money on them), that my blogging frequency went way down after numerous health problems told me that I had to slow down, and that I waver between thoughtful articles and random, off-topic rants… I’m amazed and humbled by that number. 11,000 is impressive AF, and I’m just over the moon about it.
Thank you so much to all you readers who make this non-paying job worthwhile by showing up. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In case you’d like a bit of a recap before the Earth completes this orbit around the Sun…
In 2015, I :
- Published some poetry (links here)
- Published some articles at some other places, like Bitch and Refinery29 and Luna Luna and Nerve (links here)
- Interviewed a bunch of really amazing humans (links here)
- Reviewed some excellent books, films, and websites (links here)
- Ranted a lot, and got a lot of people to read those rants–especially the ones about supporting sexual assault victims, the Autoblow vaginal beauty contest, and Cytherea (you can read all my rants here)
- Quit my full-time job to go freelance! So far so good!
- Moved to Montana! I know. WHAT.
- Started growing my hair back out (but I will probably chop it all back off soon)
- Relaunched my website with slick new mobile responsiveness, a search function that functions, and comments galore! (Subscribe now!)
- Had my graphic novel rejected by around twenty publishers (dammit)
- Had my poetry chapbook rejected by around twelve publishers (dammit)
- Developed and overcame some really strange health problems, including a skin allergy to…the sun. I’m not kidding.
- Signed a book contract with the Overlook Press (forthcoming in probably 2017)–working title, Watching Porn
- GOT ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED?! WHAT!?
I’m looking forward to the next loop around Solaris! I really hope, in 2016, to:
- Finish my book
- Launch a publishing company (more on that soon!)
- Self-publish that damn graphic novel with said publishing company
- Either land a publisher for, or self-publish, that damn poetry chapbook
- Pitch and publish articles more frequently in more places (starting at Bust! more info to come!)
- Focus more on making fiction, poems, and art
- Learn how to ski, because now I live in Montana
- Keep this blog going, and maybe aim even higher than 11,000 views next year!
Have a safe and enjoyable and fucking rad New Year’s Eve, everyone! I’ll see all you sexy beasts next year!