My journalistic or other true narratives have appeared in publications such as The Huffington Post, Bustle, Next Avenue, Ms., YourTango, Rooted in Rights, and probably others I’ve forgotten to mention. If you need a quick description of what my “voice” is like, I’ve been described as “diplomatic but honest”, “passionate and educated”, or “total garbage”. (That last one is sponsored by Never Read The Comments. Ever.)
Disability and Mental health
I have Tourette Syndrome and other co-morbid conditions, like a twitchy cornucopia at Thanksgiving. I’m passionate about using storytelling as a medium for disability advocacy. The featured stories include a mix of journalism, Op-Eds, and personal essays. Bylines include Next Avenue, NAMI, Rooted in Rights, Mookychick, The Dot + Line, and others. Click the links below to read the pieces featured and more:
Next Avenue – “A Place Where Artists With Disabilities Thrive”
Rooted in Rights- “Billie Eilish Isn’t Just a Musician with Tourette’s, But She Makes Me Feel Seen”
NAMI – “My Relationship Isn’t Doomed Because of My Mental Illness”
Mookychick – “How Frozen Helped Me to Accept My Anxiety Disorder”
The Dot + Line – “Diane Nguyen Taught Me Not to Be a Martyr for My Writing”
Quail Bell Magazine – “Why Using Identity-First Language Empowers Me (But Doesn’t Have to Empower You)”
Quail Bell Magazine – “The ADA Can’t Bring Disabled Communities Equity Until We Address Inequities in Diagnosis”
Quail Bell Magazine – “Your Rap Lyrics are Bad, and You Should Feel Bad: Nick Cannon’s Eminem Feud and Tourette Syndrome”
The Mighty – “My Anxiety Doesn’t Make Me Less of a Christian”
The Mighty – “Targeting ‘Illness Fakers’ Doesn’t Help Disabled People”
Blanket Sea – “What ‘Raising Tourette’s’ Means to Me as Someone Diagnosed in Their 20s”
The Handy, Uncapped Pen – “Authentic Experiences of Disability in Young Adult Literature”
Monstering Mag – “Rating Suggested Cures for My Various Mental and Chronic Conditions”
Maed – “Symptoms & Signs of Anxiety in the Body”
Maed – “Hit Pause: 3 Mindfulness Techniques for a Mama’s Busy Schedule”
Maed – “What is Tapping and How Can It Help Anxiety?”
Social Justice, Pop Culture, and Feminism
Current events often inspire me to talk about bigger ideas about injustices in the world. These pieces have appeared in Bustle, The Huffington Post, Ms., and others.
Bustle –“Why Are There So Few Biracial Dolls?”
Ms. – “The Manchester Bombing was an Attack on Women and Girls”
The Establishment, Role Reboot, and The Huffington Post – “What My Kidney Stone Taught Me About Sexism in the ER”
YourTango – “You Don’t Actually Care About My Health If You Congratulate Me On My Unhealthy Weight Loss”
Quail Bell Magazine – “A Complicated Apology: Lady Gaga and R. Kelly”
Education
As an educator, I like to share my perspectives on effective methods in education and accessible tips for both other teachers and parents. My education-focused writing has appeared in Learning for Justice (formally Teaching Tolerance), Maed, and Life360 Tips. See more education content in my blog.
Teaching Tolerance – “Engaging Students in Social Justice with ‘Zines”
Life360 Tips – “6 Qualities of a Good Teacher”
Life 360 Tips – “4 Ways to Stop Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes in Elementary School”
Maed – “A Teacher Shares: 3 Tips to Encourage Your Child to Read During Quarantine”
Maed – “3 Sustainable Crafts and Activities Your Kids Can Do for Earth Day”
Lifestyle, features, Special Interest Pieces, and Reviews
Ever heard of the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none?” I like writing about a little bit of everything. My content writing covers a wide range of subjects, such as tiny homes, animals, weddings, cars, and more. I’ve written content for sites such as Life360 Tips (MGID), Maed, Car Story, Unite Virginia (Q Magazine), projects of the San Francisco Globe, Aleteia, and other sites. On occasion, I’ll write reviews of books, music, movies, and other media. If you have something I might like to review, let me know and I’ll consider it.
Maed – “6 Books That Honor Our Parents During Mother and Father’s Day”
Maed – “How To Celebrate Your Graduate During Quarantine”
Maed – “Hit Pause: 3 Mindfulness Techniques for a Mama’s Busy Schedule”
Life360 Tips – “Cold Weather Style Essentials”
Life360 Tips – “LGBTQ Parenting: What You Need to Know”
Car Story – “Things to Consider Before Buying a Used Mustang”
Car Story – “Weighing the Ford Escape vs. Chevy Equinox”
Car Story – “Rare and Unique Car Colors”
Aromatica Poetica – “Honeysuckle: The South’s Favorite Weed”
“13 Breathtaking Cemeteries from Around the World” – Aleteia For Her (discontinued)
Tiny Home Tour – Various pieces focusing on interesting tiny home set-ups, legal questions, and more.
World of Animals – Fun, special interest pieces about a variety of domestic and wild animals.
Q Media / Unite Virginia – Spring 2016 “Love Wins” Wedding Issue, Summer 2016 Pride Issue, the 2017 LGBTQ Wedding Book, the 2019 Wedding Book, and several online-exclusive pieces.
BOOK REVIEWS
“The Wicked + The Divine” – Luna Luna
“There Plant Eyes Review” – Wishbone Words Issue 5
On Desert Fox by the Sea by Christine Sloan Stoddard – Parhelion Literary Magazine
Where the Wolf by Sally Rosen Kindred – Quail Bell Magazine
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante – Quail Bell Magazine
“The Small Crimes of War and Living” – Quail Bell Magazine
American Sentencing by Jen Karetnick – Quail Bell Magazine
“Southern Merry Go Round: A Review of All That Held Us” – Quail Bell Magazine
Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women by Linda Kay Klein – Quail Bell Magazine
Gretchen Gales 