I’m not a minimalist when it comes to my writing. My characters hunger deeply, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Continue reading
Kyriarchy 101
Earlier this week, I geeked out on a little feminist theory and explored the idea of intersectionality and how it relates to activism. Today I’d like to do the same for another term: kyriarchy. Continue reading
The Joy of Creative Flow
I’ve written about some pretty hard-hitting subjects for this month’s A To Z Challenge, but today I want to take time to celebrate something unequivocally positive: the joy of creative flow. Continue reading
An Intersectionality Primer
Even though I was a women’s studies major in college (not in the Dark Ages, mind you, but definitely last century), I never came upon the term “intersectionality” until a few years ago. Like the social model of disability, the concept was a revelation to me. Continue reading
How We Respond to Hidden Disabilities Makes a Huge Difference
Hidden disabilities include any which, as their name suggests, aren’t readily apparent. Chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, epilepsy — all fall under this category and affect millions of people on a daily basis. Continue reading
The Shadow Side of Gratitude
Self help mantras abound in our society about “cultivating an attitude of gratitude,” cute rhyme and all. And while I won’t discount the value of gratitude practice in our lives, I definitely think it has a shadow side. Continue reading
Why I Write Fiction Instead of Memoir
I don’t exactly keep it a secret that I’ve had some extraordinary experiences in my life. I published my first novel, Necessary Madness, at the age of 18. I’ve traveled the world on publicity tours and research trips. I’ve battled a major mental illness and, as an abuse survivor, a justice system that was anything but.
There’s enough material in that brief list for at least one memoir, maybe more. But I have no interest in writing one. Continue reading
Combating the Heartbreak of Erasure
Part of my commitment to courage in writing fiction is my desire to give voice to the marginalized: people with mental illness, people of minority sexualities, people who are neurodivergent. Almost all my characters, even those more superficially on the “inside” of society, find themselves in situations where they feel cast adrift, either geographical or emotional outsiders. Many are expats. Most cling to an equilibrium that’s fragile at best. Continue reading
How the Social Model of Disability Revolutionized My Life
For most of my life, I looked at my disabilities through the lens of a medical model: there was something broken about me, and I just had to suck it up and deal with it. But as I got older and the bravado of my youth faded, I began to feel more vulnerable, more disenfranchised, and — yes — angry. Continue reading
Jenn Crowell 