I’ve Been Staring at the Edge of the Divine: Feminist Theology in Moana

Moana is Disney’s latest adventure that follows its new pattern of spinning narratives of female empowerment that appeal to growing mainstream feminist thought. We have a film without a single white person that tells the story of a young woman whose goal in life in no way, shape, or form includes romance with a man.… Continue reading I’ve Been Staring at the Edge of the Divine: Feminist Theology in Moana

The Tunes Behind “Forgive Us Our Trespasses”

Music is a huge influence for my writing. The songs and bands I listen to every day seep into my subconscious and work their way into my projects. This is especially true for my fiction–I have playlists in my iPod for several different projects. While creating the poems in Forgive Us Our Trespasses, I often… Continue reading The Tunes Behind “Forgive Us Our Trespasses”

Memories of “Trespasses”

I first heard the Lord’s Prayer in the Catholic church my mother brought me to every week when I was in elementary school. Sometimes, I liked going. The lady who usually sat in the pew in front of us always smiled and waved at me. I liked trotting up to the marble altar at the… Continue reading Memories of “Trespasses”

What Is Blackout Poetry?

To celebrate the upcoming release of my poetry collection Forgive Us Our Trespasses, I’m running a blog post series about it, starting with the most basic question: What the heck is “blackout poetry”? Blackout poetry is a form of poetry where you take a newspaper article, a book, or some other pre-existing material, box off… Continue reading What Is Blackout Poetry?

Book Release Announcement: Forgive Us Our Trespasses 10/3/17

Hello to all of my supportive and patient readers! I am stoked to announce that on October 3rd, 2017, I’m publishing my first poetry collection as an ebook on Amazon! The collection is called Forgive Us Our Trespasses and the poems are in a form called blackout poetry. Check out the book cover below, created… Continue reading Book Release Announcement: Forgive Us Our Trespasses 10/3/17

The City of God is Made of Intersections: Reflections on the ONA Coalition Gathering and General Synod

Intersectionality is growing as the preferred approach to unpack identity and justice. I heard the Church discuss this term much more than I expected during the Open and Affirming Coalition gathering and General Synod. The United Church of Christ’s Open and Affirming (ONA) movement is celebrating 45 years of diligent work to change the Church… Continue reading The City of God is Made of Intersections: Reflections on the ONA Coalition Gathering and General Synod

Legend of Korra: Turf Wars: Balance and Relationship Fragility

Legend of Korra: Turf Wars begins a new spinoff of the Avatar franchise that continues right where the TV series ended. Though the writing is, at times, heavy-handed with its info dumping on the history of homophobia in the Avatarverse (and part of my opinion there may be that I’m above the targeted age range… Continue reading Legend of Korra: Turf Wars: Balance and Relationship Fragility

My Church’s Witness: United Church of Christ Joins #BoycottWendys Movement

Every two years, the United Church of Christ gathers for General Synod, where church members from all over the country come together to worship, learn, complete acts of service and sometimes civil disobedience, and vote on resolutions concerning social justice issues and the church’s operations. This year was my second General Synod and my first… Continue reading My Church’s Witness: United Church of Christ Joins #BoycottWendys Movement

Orange is the New Moral Dilemma: Season 5’s Tensions and Gray Areas

Like everyone else who’s been keeping up with Orange is the New Black, I, in my lack of self-control, marathoned the new season in two days despite having other things to do. After letting my thoughts stew for a bit and discussing some of them on Tumblr, I found myself thinking a lot about this… Continue reading Orange is the New Moral Dilemma: Season 5’s Tensions and Gray Areas

Almost Adults: I Like It, But…

Almost Adults follows two best friends, Mackenzie and Cassidy, during their last years of college as they grow up and grow apart. Mackenzie comes out as a lesbian while Cassidy navigates her way to independence after ending a serious relationship with her boyfriend. Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman of Carmilla fame star as the main… Continue reading Almost Adults: I Like It, But…