Shel Graves' Sensorium

Taste: elderflower and cardamom; coconut cheddar cheese Sound:  trickling water and steady low hum; an airplane passing overheard -- sky tremors Smell:  vinegar Sight: an orange wig Touch: pulling, tugging Extra: rainbow-colored hair; I dreamt that I dyed my hair rainbow-colored by accident.; a loose leash caught; an orange wig - a post-death ritual horror -- the bag -- dying in space; "You don't want to be mysterious or rare."; "I wake up fraught with fear and so fear has infected my dreams and so these become nightmares." Grateful for:  completing a story

#amreading This summer, I was planning to spend a week hiking with my father-in-law in California. Along the way, this morphed into a whale watching trip in the San Juans. Being a planner, the change caught me off guard and I was skeptical. Why would I want to be on a small boat in the big ocean next to a huge animal, particularly? Now I'm thrilled with the idea. Why? A book, of course! Cathrin Hagey one of my fellow editors at Luna Station Quarterly (a volunteer gig I don't talk about often enough, honestly) recommended Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life by Darcey Steinke and then LSQ Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Lyn Parsons pointed me to an article about the book . I immediately put aside the audiobook I was in the middle of and began listening to Flash Count Diary (narrated by the author, a bonus!). I was hooked. Then, via the magic of Twitter and synchronicity, I found out that Darcey Steinke would be at the newly reopened and renov...

Relatable — I used this word in my reviews of Depression Hates a Moving Target   by Nita Sweeney on Goodreads and Amazon . It's a nice word, but overused of late. So, it feels lazy. What do I mean? I connected with this book. It made me reflect more on my own first marathon experience. It made me want to put on my running shoes and head out the door again. In fact, I did. Now, typically, my mental health doesn't hinder my ability to do the stuff I want to do and my body flies under the radar. Still, I also felt goofy stepping out in my running gear a lot of the time. I didn't see myself as a "runner" or an athlete. And, I had no idea if I could run 13 miles let alone 26.2 when I started. More to the point, could I stay moving for the 4+ hours straight it would take to complete the marathon? To do the training mileage, I knew I'd have to run through streets and trails on my own and that made me nervous, too. Waves of grief wash us to strange shores. Whe...

Taste: elderflower, cider, rosemary Sound: bellowing cow; squealing pig Smell: watermelon slices Sight:  dogs playing Touch:  salt scrub; burning feet Extra: laughing in dream; beside me are books and sugar; menopause and whales; The body ...,” Foucault writes, “is the heart of the world ... from which all possible places, real or utopian, emerge and radiate.”; the call of the cake -- sudden awkwardness greed Grateful for: dogs playing; playfulness; playful spirits

It's happening! World Weaver Press just announced the table of contents for the short story anthology Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters . I can't wait to read it. As a huge fan of eco-lit and optimistic science fiction, I was inspired by Solarpunk Summers and excited to have my story, "Watch Out, Red Crusher!" included. In writing my story, "Set the Ice Free," I included a lot of imagery from a puppy mill rescue I went on as part of my work at Pasado's Safe Haven , an animal sanctuary and a nonprofit on a mission to end animal cruelty. We were helping care for dogs with medical needs rescued from an abusive situation. The dogs were part of an active cruelty investigation so as I traveled across the state with my team, I couldn't talk about where I was going or what I was seeing. Instead, I journaled as we went and stored those visuals...I love the phrase "charged images." Later, I used them in my story. I also fixed a personal issu...

What is solarpunk? My fellow Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers authors Commando Jugendstil and Tales from The EV Studio put together this video for the Turin International Book Fair . It features editors and authors from the solarpunk community sharing their thoughts. Together we're imagining optimistic futures based on renewable energy. My soundbite was: "Solarpunk futures are — green spaces with clean water that are pedestrian, collective, feminist, creative communities. And they include non-human animals. " Mary "solarpunk" Shelley cat did a great job (at 6:15) helping from her rather ridiculous cat tree which she absolutely loves. And what better time to wear this solar-colored "Veganism is Feminism" tee from The Herbivore Clothing Company . Seriously. I'm holding a stack of solarpunk books: Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers  edited by Sarena Ulibarri which includes my story "Watch Out, Red Crusher!".  Wings of R...

Taste: ginger beer; Dole whip; basil and cucumber Sound: prehistoric bellowing, supernatural and ground shaking Smell:  a mist of coconut water Sight: pink gin; the Seattle skyline on a sunny summer day Touch: waving, holding arms up Extra: rowing a chair to an island, drinking a red liquid (cranberry juice), not enough boats; a performance of extroversion; introverts on parade; tourists Grateful for: people