By Adam Katz Playing piano is one of the main reasons I am surviving the pandemic. If we recognize (and if you don’t, I have some news for you) that the mind is part of the body, and so emotional health is physical health, then it shouldn’t be surprising that within a few weeks ofContinue reading “London Letters #6: A Tale of Two Pianos”
Tag Archives: lgbtq+
Writer’s Block: Bad Days are Easier
By Erika Grumet I’ve been staring at blank pages for days, deadlines lurking right around the corner on my calendar… wandering between in a funk because I can’t think of what to write about and Kermit-arm-flailing panic that the words are never going to come back. I don’t exactly think of it as “writer’s block”Continue reading “Writer’s Block: Bad Days are Easier”
A Few of Our Favorite Things: LGBTQ+
After a year of podcasting and six months of writing and editing essays for this website, Adam and Erika are leaving the Ivory Tower Boiler Room at the end of November. We’re sad to go, but also eager for whatever comes next. This is not the end of our adventure in writing, of course. YouContinue reading “A Few of Our Favorite Things: LGBTQ+”
I’m Queer. Please Pass the Peas?
By Erika Grumet A few weeks ago, a thirteen year old I know showed up at my house wearing a t-shirt that read:“Bisexual Trash Panda.” Even before I was a parent, I knew adolescent sexuality pretty well–years of teaching about HIV and STIs, contraception and LGBTQ101 gave me a lens into that topic longContinue reading “I’m Queer. Please Pass the Peas?”
Watch, Listen and Read with Us
Erika has still been wrestling with a difficult piece of writing, and getting ready for the new Thursday Night Writes group. Cats, visitors and her media choices have definitely provided some solace from writing this week. Working on such a difficult piece has shown Erika some new things about her own writing process andContinue reading “Watch, Listen and Read with Us”
Watch, Listen and Read with Us
Another weekend has arrived, and we’re here with highlights from what we’ve been watching, reading and listening to. Mary’s had to sit this week out due to illness, but we know she’ll be back soon. Meanwhile we all wish her a speedy recovery (and you can leave your well wishes for her, too.) In theContinue reading “Watch, Listen and Read with Us”
Featured Writer: Tyler Albertario
Octobert is LGBT History Month in Australia, Canada, and the United States. It is particularly appropriate, then, that we are finishing our first Creative Writers’ Showcase with Tyler Albertario. You may remember we featured Tyler’s work “‘Pride’ and Prejudice: The Craig Schoonmaker Story” when we were psyching all you lovely readers up for this series.Continue reading “Featured Writer: Tyler Albertario”
Adam’s Big Think #6: Wrong Tent
By Adam Katz For this month’s Big Think, the theme is “Things that go Bump in the Night.” Enjoy! It was a weekend camping trip with the Boy Scouts. Yes, I was a Boy Scout for a couple of years. The autumn leaves were fresh and crisp—mostly oak with some maple and ash and someContinue reading “Adam’s Big Think #6: Wrong Tent”
What it Means to Ban a Book
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.” Potter Stewart, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court By Erika Grumet The only book my parents ever took away from me was Catcher in the Rye. There are a lot of reasons someone might want to take that book away from a child, but none of thoseContinue reading “What it Means to Ban a Book”
Back to the Big Think
This week’s Big Think is a bit of a special edition. This month’s theme is Back to the Books, and we wanted to celebrate (in slightly punny fashion) by going back to our favorite passages from our previous Big Thinks about reading and about books in general. Of course, if you find one of theContinue reading “Back to the Big Think”