aspen whispers

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Tips for Attending A Conference When You’re Autistic

lis, archives, autism

Tips for Attending A Conference When You’re Autistic

aka, aspen’s declassified conference survival guide (results may vary)

A Poem, and Thoughts on Waiting

transgender/nonbinary, poems

A Poem, and Thoughts on Waiting

Sometimes an acknowledgement of rage and pain is more meaningful than trying to skip ahead to a future of peace and contentment

Photograph of a small puddle on concrete, with a red building and blue sky reflected in it. A large rock, smooth and round like half a softball, sits on one of its edges.

When There Aren't Words to Say

“Bless your heart.” In the span of our minute-long conversation, my coworker repeats this phrase a good five times at minimum. I had hoped that my brief explanation would move her along, but she lingers by my desk, continuing to talk and sprinkle that phrase in. I start to wonder

Grainy photograph of Andrew Garfield playing Spider-man, wearing the blue-and-red suit except for the mask. His face is a bit scraped up.

transgender/nonbinary, exvangelical, essays

Spider-Man Saved My Life

a tale of transness and evangelicalism

On the white-topped table is a notebook, laying open with a pencil along the crease, and three grey Hollinger boxes. A metal cabinet for oversized items stands behind the table.

archives, transgender/nonbinary, exvangelical, essays

Archives, A History

Or, how I got here (working toward an MLIS degree)

Black and white photo of a dark wave cresting, the top of it white and foamy

transgender/nonbinary, exvangelical

Where do we go from here?

Pondering a future in a dangerously transphobic nation

On a light blue background sit three pill packs, a small group of loose pills o, an injector, a medication bottle, a pair of small scissorcs, and three colored tongue depressors.

transgender/nonbinary, essays

(Medical) Transition in the Time of Fascism

Starting HRT at possibly the worst time ever

On Not Working in the Publishing Industry

exvangelical, transgender/nonbinary, essays

On Not Working in the Publishing Industry

Reflections on how I wanted to be a book editor—and why I'm glad I didn't make it there

black and white close-up photograph of a small stack of five books: a thick hardcover, a thin pamphlet, a battered-edged journal, a paperback, and a small hardcover.

resource library

I tend to read a lot of articles and essays, and sometimes I want to share them even if I don’t have a lot of thoughts to add. This page is where I’ll post links to interesting, useful, and/or insightful materials. They will span a broad range

An stone mansion sits behind a wrought-iron fense in a dark blue fog, surrounded by bare trees. Three windows are lit a soft yellow. A man carries bags and walks toward the mansion.

movie reviews, exvangelical, essays

2025 Horror Movies Wrap-Up

an extremely belated post, but it took awhile to get this blog up and running, so what are you gonna do? Anyway, Schafrillas posted his top 20 movies from 2025 in late Feb 2026, so I’m really not *that* behind. In a bit of a surprise, I got very

A small, ramshackle wooden shed resting on a pile of stones sits in the middle of a scrubby field at night. Overhead is a navy sky speckled with stars.

First Post! (and a poem)

I’m having some trouble “breaking the seal,” as it were, so for my first post I’m going to share a poem I originally wrote 5+ years ago for a creative writing project in undergrad. I present it today with some edits and changes to reflect my current perspectives