A Queer Query

Last night I went to sleep debating the possibility of participating in NaNoWriMo this month. Do I have time? Am I interested in writing a novel? Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus wrote autobiographies, so I’m old enough to write a memoir… right?

This morning my usual social network review turned up this post in which Bee determines to blog more in November.

Well.

Now.

That I could get into: regular posting, a return to a simpler, more prolific time. And, unlike NaNoWriMo, no one would be holding me to word counts. (Oh heeeeey, 50,000 words!)

I excitedly tweeted Bee to let her know I might steal her idea and the whole thing snowballed from there. Folks joining in, sharing ideas, and generally getting excited about writing. There was talk of writing prompts, blog community, and even media moguls… all of it queer.

Do I need to tell you what all of this did for this queer writing teacher’s heart? DO I?!

So… here I am. Writing the first post of my November attempt to blog more. Regularly.

And in this post, I’m going to set up the first prompt for our little queer blogger community. There are no rules, restrictions, or binaries; just respond to the prompt if you want to. I’ll probably come back later tonight to respond to the prompt myself. Here goes nothing!

What is your root?

I’m sure many of us have seen But I’m a Cheerleader. And many of us have joked about our “roots.” If you haven’t seen it, or you’d just like the refresher, enjoy:



Now, we all know that none of these things made our beloved characters gay. Graham’s mom’s wedding pants didn’t force her into lady love.

But.

It’s pretty damn funny to, as a grown ass lesbian, look back on my childhood and point out the queer bits that I didn’t notice at the time. I’d love to tell you about one of my queer roots and read about yours too.

What is one early memory that makes you nod your head and say, “Yep. I was born this way?” Tell us about your root.


Annnnd... Here’s a sneak preview for my root, if you’re interested:


Now... go forth and blog, my friends! About this prompt or about anything your hearts desire! If you do respond to the prompt though, let me know! Send me the link in the comments or on twitter. I want to read!

Thank you all for helping me get back on track with the blog world. : )

A Tweet Deferred...

"What happens to a [tweet] deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"

- bastardization of a Langston Hughes line

Some days I think in tweets. A lot of them.

And some days, I tweet all of them. Just throw them out there and say, "there you have it."

Other days (most days), I pick and choose. I tweet some. I send some to friends. I consider others and let them go.

But today... TODAY, kittens.

Ima compile them right here. For you.

Let's get started. In no particular order...

TWO DAYS AND A WAKE-UP.

There will be baking this afternoon. I have spoken; all depart.

I might have put brown sugar in my coffee this morning. Mama's walkin' on the wild side!

I've been happily singing Gasoline & Matches for the past two days. You're welcome, huddled masses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCT17rUr_Jo #babybabybabybaby

Me: "What are some concepts, theories, principles associated with college?" Student: "Don't get caught." #touche

I wouldn't let myself bake earlier this week, so the pent up baking need is STRONG. This could get messy. (cc: @TheKateSullivan)

Things I want to do: blog, bake, nap. Things I need to do: emails, class prep, workout. If I get 4 out of 6, I'll be ecstatic.

Dear God: I'd like clouds all day while I teach (shades up, projector on, FTW) and a thunderstorm when I arrive home. Thanks in advance, Amanda

TWO DAYS AND A WAKE-UP.

Yeah. See? A smathering.

I assure you, my head is a fun place to see from the inside.

But... I really should get back to it.

(And by "it" I mean work and actually tweeting.)

Day One: The Tweets You Missed

Today was Day One of my 30 Day Challenge to Separate Church and State. It was tough, but I was predictably productive even though Thursday is only on a half-ban.

Here's the breakdown:
7:30am - 9am: Grade Rubric Development
9am - 10am: Teaching
10am - 12pm: Reading Questions, chatting with colleagues, etc. (Not tweeting.)

12:01pm: Tweet!!!

Let me tell you, it was hard to stay away from social networks while in the office. By around 11:43 (okay... it was exactly 11:43), my arms were crawling when I wouldn't let them reach for the computer. But I survived! And.. I'm optimistic about continuing the challenge.

So... because I literally thought in tweets today, knowing that I couldn't share them, here are the tweets you missed.

A. Fiercehair:

= slept until 6:28am, leaving no time to contemplate her last tweet of freedom!!!

= overheard this in the faculty bathroom, "I've only ruined one shirt doing that and I didn't have my glasses on... so... ya know..."

= made plans for Rocky Horror while standing in the office kitchen with her hair styled like Prince William. Brilliance.

= cursed her unflattering sweater vest for making her look pudgy, until she found the open expectant mother parking spot at Walmart.

= doesn't know what to do for dinner.

Okay, so that last one is really just about the present. And... because of those Rocky Horror plans, I should get on the business of dinner so I can dig out my fishnets and decide exactly how much eyeliner is too much eyeliner.

But, if you liked what you read here, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I can only promise that future tweets will be as random and as these.

And wish me all the luck... tomorrow is Day Two of my challenge, but it's the first day that I'll be off the networks from 6:30pm - 4:30pm.