AJ Walkley

Most people have heard stories of innocent men and women being incarcerated throughout the U.S. for years, decades even before they are exonerated and released with an apology. Then there are the cases of death row inmates put to death and exonerated only after their lives were taken. Many of these cases have taken place in the state of Texas. Knowing some of the statistics, I began writing to a prisoner in Gatesville, Tex., three years ago to get an inside perspective on life in prison. What I’ve discovered since is a miscarriage of justice for this particular prisoner and, likely, dozens, if not hundreds like her.

Elizabeth Jane Burke has been an inmate in Gatesville since 2003. Despite the fact that she was sentenced to 77 years in prison for the smothering death of her seven-week-old son, Ian, who passed away on October 14, 2002, new evidence has since arisen, calling into question Burke’s incarceration.

The medical examiner on Burke’s case, one Paul Shrode, was fired from his position after lying on his resume; he also failed his pathology boards the very year he testified on her case. He admitted to performing over 400 autopsies a year by himself, despite the fact that the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) states that the “recommended maximum number of autopsies is 250 per year.” When you perform more than that recommendation, errors are bound to take place; when that number exceeds 350, the errors can become egregious.

According to trial transcripts, the police who arrived at the scene when Burke’s son was discovered to not be breathing went against protocol and transported Ian in the back of their patrol car halfway to the hospital before transferring him to EMTs en route — a mistake they were later chastised for. In fact, Burke was not considered a person of interest nor was Ian’s death considered suspicious until the tardiness of the ambulance’s arrival and the transport of the child was brought to the media’s attention; before the police and EMTs were brought under scrutiny, Ian’s death was considered to be from natural causes.

Living in a trailer park under impoverished circumstances, Burke could not afford a lawyer. After reading every single page of the trial transcript, I was shocked at how this woman’s court-appointed attorney handled her case. He waived the Daubert hearing, a ruling of evidence regarding the admissibility of expert witnesses’ testimony during federal legal proceedings. His “expert witness” to counteract Shrode’s testimony had not practiced in over 30 years and was ripped apart by prosecution.

The media also focused heavily on a supposed “confession” made to a neighbor Burke had never spoken to before her son’s death. That same neighbor was married to a man who was connected to the police and EMTs who had not taken proper care of Ian at the scene and on the way to the hospital.

Burke never had a chance, despite what I’ve come to believe whole-heartedly is her innocence. Why else would she not have taken the plea bargain offered her?

Sadly, Burke is one of countless others who have suffered at the hands of a flawed justice system. Just this month in the Texas Monthly, a panel was brought together to discuss why the state of Texas has had more wrongfully convicted prisoners exonerated than almost any other state in the nation. The panel consisted of Art Acevedo (chief of the Austin Police Department), Rodney Ellis (Senator from District 13 in Houston), Anthony Graves (wrongfully convicted exoneree who spent 1992-2010 behind bars), Barbara Hervey (judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals and chair of the Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit), Kelly Siegler (special prosecutor) and Craig Watkins (DA of Dallas County).

While there are many systemic issues discussed in the article, Ellis brings up the fact that, “A lot of times somebody’s income determines if they’re innocent.” He later adds, “Most of [the wrongfully convicted] are poor…”

Agreeing, Graves says, “You go in with this notion of being innocent until proven guilty, but it’s tilted so heavily in favor of the prosecutor, based on resources.”

Sadly, the article ends with Acevedo essentially saying that we have yet to reach a point where the system is ready to change. He says, “We’re a few more egregious cases away from people finally taking a step back and saying enough is enough.” Meaning, we need to imprison and/or kill a few more innocent people before a change is going to come.

Why can’t that change come now? Haven’t there already been enough cases of wrongfully convicted, incarcerated and government-funded killing of people to warrant an end to the death penalty and a change to the justice system as a whole? Just look up the cases of Michael Blair, Clarence Brandley, A.B. Butler, Cornelius Dupree, Chrisopher Ochoa and David Shawn Pope, to name a slim few.

The names are too many to list, but I urge you to take a look at the list of exonerees from The Innocence Project. Keep in mind that their comprehensive list does not include the many still fighting for their innocence at this very moment.

There is also strong evidence to suggest the following men were wrongfully put to death in Texas: Carlos DeLuna (Texas, 1989), Ruben Cantu (Texas, 1993), David Spence (Texas, 1997), Garry Graham (Texas, 2000), Claude Jones (Texas, 2000) and Cameron Todd Willingham (Texas, 2004).

While Burke is not on death row, she has already lost a significant part of her life. Aside from Ian, she had three other children who have since been split up and placed in the foster system. She does not know where they are now and hasn’t spoken to them since her conviction, nine years ago. She is in need of a stellar attorney and a retrial.

To be sure, Texas is not alone in its incarceration of the innocent. This is a systemic problem that needs much more scrutiny for change to take place. Hopefully, such change is not too far from coming to fruition. Unfortunately, however, Acevedo is probably right — we are still several innocent deaths away from anything changing, if it ever does.

Welcome to a special post. Today, author Daniele Lanzarotta has provided us with an interview with her character, Travis, from her newest book, Shattered Souls.

Take note: this interview is part of a blog tour and there are giveaway items to be had! Comment at the end of this blog post for a chance to win one of the following: a Shattered Souls poster, a signed bookmark or a signed paperback copy of the book itself. All giveaways are US and international, ending on May 31^st. Winners will be announced on June 1st.

Shattered Souls synopsis: It has been 30 years since Lexi made her choice. With time, many things have changed, but others… never will. As her past comes back to haunt her, one vampire is destroyed, and Lexi is the one blamed for his true death. She is now being hunted by her own kind, and as much as Nicholas tries to protect her on his own, that is not enough. He needs help, and he values her far too much to ask for help from just anyone. They encounter ghosts of their pasts, face their worst fears, and above all, heartbreaks strong enough to shatter souls beyond repair.

INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS OF SHATTERED SOULS and the IMPRINTED SOULS SERIES

Alison: Hello Travis and welcome. It’s great to have you here to answer some questions from your fans. Our first question for you is how did you and Lexi meet and become so close?

Travis: Hi Alison. Thanks for having me. I met Lexi when we were in high school. I was sort of new in town. I was actually working that night, and then I saw her in the deserted parking lot and went to see if everything was okay. I guess you could say that we just hit it off. One thing led to another… every time we talked and everything that happened from that point on, just brought us closer together.

Alison: Any piercings or tattoos with some good stories behind how you got them?

Travis: *laughs * I have one tattoo with one crazy story! The tattoo is a five-pointed star on my back, which is meant for protection. I actually got it when I was 15 or 16. My mom was so mad, but it was a weird family tradition. Everyone on my dad’s side of the family has it. I thought it was silly at the time, but I later found that it wasn’t silly at all. 

Alison: We know that you have ancestors that have had a certain history with vampires. What has your personal experience with vampires been like in the past and how has it affected you?

Travis: Even though I have an ancestor who is a vampire, I didn’t even know they existed until after I started to hang out with Lexi. I love her to death, but she attracts trouble like no one I’ve ever met. Even in high school, she spent more time with vampires than humans, so it was only a matter of time before I found out. My personal experience is that most of them are trouble, but then there are the few who I got close to. The bad thing is that you cannot surround yourself with the good without attracting the bad ones.

Alison: You’ve had trouble in relationships due to your family vampire history, haven’t you? Can you talk about how vampires and your knowledge of the world have caused trouble for you romantically?

Travis: Eventually, I realized that even though the tattoo protected me, the ones I got in a relationship with were always at risk. Once I got attached to someone, I would get worried about their well-being and let them go.

Alison: How have your family and friends dealt with your sexuality?

Travis: I never hid who I was. I am who I am and I always felt that people could either deal with it or move on. For several years, in high school especially, my parents were in denial. I’m not going to say it wasn’t hurtful, but after a while it was funny to watch Mom try to push Lexi into my bedroom.

School was tough. I had just started dating someone openly and then, next thing I knew, my family was moving. Even after the move, I didn’t hide who I was. Being on the swim team, the guys felt weird around me, so I didn’t even bother making new friends until I met Lexi.

Alison: Do you have any words of encouragement for others who have had trouble coming to terms with their sexuality or come across negativity when they’ve come out?

Travis: I know it is easier said than done, but stay true to yourself. The ones who really matter will be there for you… even if it takes them a little time to adjust, which was the case with my parents. It is one of those situations where you’ll learn who your true friends are. Just remember that there is always someone out there that you can talk to. For me, that person was Lexi.

Alison: Does being in a world of vampires change the way you are perceived or the way you perceive yourself?

Travis: In a way, it does. I guess I feel more comfortable in their world… more accepted. I believe because most vampires have been around for so long, they view things in a different way. The challenges that I encountered with humans in relation to my sexuality were never once an issue with any of the vampires I ever met. It’s weird to think that some humans can be crueler than the vampires who they believe to be monsters.

Alison: Well, Travis, I just wanted to say thank you for being here with us today. This has been a great interview and I’m sure readers can’t wait to see what you’re up to in Shattered Souls.

Daniele Lanzarotta is the author of YA paranormal novels, including the Imprinted Souls Series and Academy of the Fallen.

She enjoys reading and writing young adult novels with just about any sort of paranormal or supernatural bent…vampires… ghosts… She also enjoys watching hockey, playing rock band, guitar hero and spending time with the family.

Follow Daniele on Twitter @DaniLanzarotta!

Manuel Sebastia is at it again, this time translating my personal Vagina Monologue - My Vagina is Schizophrenic - into Spanish for interested readers. Here we go:

Monólogo de mi vagina

My Facebook friend, Manuel Sebastia, has been kind enough to translate several of my articles/blog posts into Spanish. His next is my post on “The Dearth of Bisexual Literature,” originally published at The Lesbrary, for all of you Spanish speakers out there.

Please enjoy:

La escasez de la literatura bisexual

By A.J. Walkley

Translated by Manuel Sebastia

Si escribes “bisexual” en Amazon.com, las primeras cosas que aparecen son descaradamente eróticas. De hecho, algunos de los términos utilizados para describir los títulos en la primera página son “gang bang”, “strap-on”, “sexo en grupo”, “cuentos calientes” y seducción”. Imagínese encontrando estos libros como un adolescente, poco a poco aprendiendo términos de tu propia bisexualidad, y en busca de un libro que explique qué es normal y que todo lo que estás sintiendo es natural.

No sé ustedes, pero estos términos antes mencionados no me harían sentir más segura.

El título de uno que aparecía en la primera página de los libros de Amazon con respecto a la bisexualidad que podría ser suficiente es “Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual people speak out”por LoraineHutchins y Lani Kaahumanu, un título que está más basado en entrevistas que en literatura. Un títulos entre cientos no es muy tranquilizador.

Si realiza una búsqueda en Google de “ficción bisexual”, lo creas o no, se le redirige a una búsqueda de “ficción lesbica” en su lugar. ESO ES CIERTO.

¿Dónde diablos están todas las novelas bisexuales y ¿cómo se supone que se encuentran?

Cuando yo estaba aprendiendo términos de mi propia bisexualidad en la universidad, hace casi una década, no tenía nada a que recurrir en forma de literatura. Como lector de toda la vida, esto era muy preocupante para mí. Los libros siempre ha sido no sólo una manera de escapar de la realidad, que pueden ser muy duro para cualquier persona lidiar con ese proverbial “armario” y cuándo sales de el, sino también una manera de aprender acerca de mí mismo. Yo anhelaba un personaje que experimentaba lo que estaba experimentando.

En el momento en que me gradué, yo todavía no había encontrado la literatura que buscó así que, ¿qué debo hacer? Me decidí a escribir yo misma.

Queer Greer es el relato de un adolescente que se muda a una nueva escuela en un nuevo estado con su familia y comienza a enamorarse de dos personas, un hombre y una mujer. El personaje del título, Greer MacManus, experimenta la mayor parte de los mismos escenarios que personalmente experimenté en el prólogo, en el que ella tiene su primer encuentro homosexual, mientras que sólo una niña, a través de su comprensión de que no es hetero y todas las implicaciones que vienen con ello.

Yo sé que mi libro no es el único libro que hay para los adolescentes bisexuales, estos libros están ahí fuera, aunque son menos frecuentes que los de hombres gay y estrictamente de ficción lesbica, pero no son los más fáciles de localizar.

Más aún, cuando un supuesto título de bisexuales aparece, quienes se identifican como bi son reticentes a aceptarlo por temor a que el resultado final es que el personaje bisexual en el libro finalmente elige una de las partes o la otra, esencialmente decidir que la bisexualidad para ellos fue sólo un momento de transición y en realidad son completamente homosexuales, o que se trataba de un período de experimentación, sólo para encontrarse en una relación heterosexual, cuando todo está dicho y hecho.

De hecho, durante mi campaña para dar a conocer Greer Queer, me encontré mucho con esta reacción cuando me acerqué a varios grupos bisexuales a través de Facebook. Un miembro de uno automáticamente asumió que mi personaje era realmente gay, antes de leer el libro y me atacó por promocionar un verdadero “libro de lesbianas” a la comunidad bisexual. Hubieron muchos mensajes y respuestas antes de que llegaran a creer que no, al fin y al cabo mi protagonista es una bisexual aceptando esa identidad.

Mientras yo estaba irritada por el inicio de este debate con este grupo en particular, hacer mi propia investigación sobre el asunto me ha hecho comprender por qué se había tenido tal escepticismo contundente acerca de mi libro. Entiendo su frustración. Por desgracia, no ver el libro a la venta en sitios como Amazon o Barnes y Noble, cambiando la forma en que clasifican como libros basados en “minoritarias” sexuales a corto plazo, en todo caso, los títulos que sí incluyen personajes bisexuales están mezclados con el más amplio panorama LGBT de la literatura.

A menos que el libro se titule, obviamente, algo muy bi, al igual que “Bisexual men” de Jacqueline Applebee o “Bisexuales: Tales from the wildside” de Michelle Houston, están destinados a perderse en la confusión.

Te dejo una lista de libros (en ningún orden en particular) que hacen frente a la bisexualidad y vale la pena leer:

Bisexualidad masculina

1. “A home at the end of the world” por Michael Cunningham

2. “Both sides of the fence” por M.T. Pope

3. “Rainbow boys” por Alex Sánchez

4. “Boyfriends with girlfriends” por Alex Sánchez

5. “Franky Gets Real” por Mel Bossa

6. “The two Krishnas” por Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla

7. “Krakow melt” por Daniel Allen Cox

8. “Pride / prejudice” por Ann Herendeen

Bisexualidad femenina

1. De la serie Milenio (Los hombres que no amaban a las mujeres, La chica que soñaba con una cerilla, La reina en los Hornets) por Stieg Larsson

2. “Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café” por Fannie Flagg

3. “Sing You Home” por Jodi Picoult

4. “Complementary colors” por Kate Evans

5. “The correspondence artist” por Barbara Browning

6. “Pink” por Lili Wilkinson

7. “Torn” por Amber Lehman

8. “Arusha” por Knowles J.E.

A.J. Walkley es la autora de “Queer Greer” y “Choice”. Actualmente está escribiendo su tercera novela, “Vuto”, inspirado en su experiencia como voluntaria de la salud del Cuerpo de Paz de los EE.UU. en Malawi, África. Síguela en Twitter @ AJWalkley y Facebook en facebook.com / ajwalkley.

Enlace para comprar Greer Queer: http://bit.ly/zsnW8Y

Several weeks ago one of my first blogs for The Huffington Post went live: Bisexual in a Gay/Straight World. The article sparked some debate and one of my readers was kind enough to translate it into Spanish for all of the Spanish-speakers in the LGBT community. While I don’t speak Spanish myself, I wanted to post Manuel’s translation for all who do to enjoy:

Bisexual en un mundo gay/lesbico/hetero

By A.J. Walkley

Translated by Manuel Sebastia

Todos hemos oído hablar de los estereotipos: indeciso, confundido, queriendo lo mejor de ambos mundos, promiscuos, homosexuales o lesbianas en la transición, la participación en una moda, la búsqueda de atención. Si usted se identifica como “bisexual”, es probable que hayas encontrado al menos algunos de estos tópicos durante y después del proceso de salir del armario. A mi me pasó. A pesar de la gran cantidad de nosotros que vamos por ahí tratando de disipar los mitos diariamente, siguen  perpetuándose, y continúan haciendo la vida difícil para todos nosotros. La verdad es que puede ser más que difícil ser bisexual que homosexual o lesbiana en este mundo en que vivimos, un mundo de blanco y negro, esto o aquello. Cuando usted no es un modo u otro, sino a ambos lados de la línea, la vida puede estar llena de problemas, tanto externos como internos, que los homosexuales y los heterosexuales no encuentran.

‘Los bisexuales son simplemente incapaces de elegir’

  No siempre está rondando en mi mente cuando me encuentro con la gente, sobre todo dentro de la comunidad LGBT, quienes creen que los bisexuales simplemente no han ”elegido” un sexo / género o el otro a sentirse atraídos. La comunidad LGBT está constantemente luchando contra la “naturaleza-contra-educación debate”, llegando en contra de quienes creen que la homosexualidad es un pecado y una opción. Si no es una opción para los gays y las lesbianas, ¿por qué iba alguien a pensar que era una opción para los bisexuales? Las mismas reglas se aplican. Cynthia Nixon tiene un montón de críticas por utilizar la palabra “elección” para describir su relación con una mujer. A pesar de que lo calificó diciendo que ella no ”elige” ser bisexual sino simplemente para entrar en su relación homosexual actual, me desafía ese concepto al decir que ninguno de nosotros ”podemos elegir” de con quienes nos sentimos atraídos - gay, heterosexual o bisexual. No tenemos ningún control sobre la atracción. Cynthia no eligió ser atraída por el hombre que la acompañaba durante una década y por lo mismo para estar con la mujer que ahora se va a casar. Aunque algunos todavía puede ver la bisexualidad como querer lo mejor de ambos sexos, lo cierto es que más a menudo, los bisexuales se citan con una persona de un sexo / género cada vez.

‘Los bisexuales no pueden ser monógamos’

Muchos, si no todos los que son bisexuales han sido presentados con la afirmación de que no podemos ser monógamos, si nos atrae a más de un sexo / género. Un antiguo empleador de la mina, incluso tuvo el descaro de preguntarme si yo ”pensaba mas en el sexo que otras personas” porque yo era bi. Sé que hay momentos en que las personas que se sienten atraídos por nosotros no se citan con nosotros porque nos identificamos como bisexuales, creyendo erróneamente que somos más propensos a engañarles. Si bien no puedo hablar por todos, desde mi propio punto de vista yo diría que el hecho de que alguien pudiera ser atraído a más de un género no significa que ellos van a querer tener más de una relación o tener relaciones sexuales con más de una persona a la vez. Claro, hay personas que tienen relaciones poliamorosas a la vez, pero muchos que se identifican como bisexuales quieren estar en una relación amorosa con una persona a la vez. Ser bisexual no iguala automáticamente a la promiscuidad a la igualdad o la necesidad /querer múltiples parejas en un momento dado.

‘Los bisexuales están en transito’

 Esto puede ser un estereotipo que tienen mas que ver con hombres bisexuales  que las mujeres, pero es casi una certeza que si se identifica como una persona bi, alguien en tu vida te dirá que “tal vez tu eres realmente gay / lesbiana y no lo sabes todavía ”.También es probable que lo contrario se produzca: “Tal vez sólo estás experimentando y realmente eres hetero”, sabes, que “estas pasando por una fase”. Para algunos, puede ser cierto que la transición o la fase que esté ocurriendo, pero para la mayoría que se identifican como bisexuales y mantienen esa identidad, no lo es, y para estas personas puede ser muy insultante escuchar estas líneas de razonamiento una y otra vez.

‘Los bisexuales están siguiendo una tendencia’ 

“LUG” y “GUG” son las siglas típicas que muchos en edad universitaria hombres y mujeres escuchan, que se traduce en “Lesbianas hasta la graduación” o “Gay hasta la graduación”, respectivamente. En estos días, es casi considerado “cool” el ser “bicurioso” en algún momento de su vida, sobre todo para las mujeres en la universidad, que se animan a fingirlo para la diversión y la emoción de los hombres heterosexuales que los rodean. Mientras que la experimentación sexual debe ser alentada, en mi opinión, estas representaciones son perjudiciales para los bisexuales reales. Para nosotros, no es una moda pasajera, y no estamos participando en la conducta bisexual para la atención de los demás, es nuestra vida.

‘Estamos aquí, somos Queer…’ 

Cuando todo está dicho y hecho, los bisexuales existimos, no importa a quien podamos o no estar en una relación en cualquier momento en particular. Estamos una parte tan importante de la comunidad LGBT como las lesbianas, los gays o los transexuales, y no  reconocernos como tal, niega un aspecto importante de nuestra identidad y un componente importante de la comunidad en su conjunto.

After over a month of hard work on behalf of my good friend Hunter LeMoine (videographer/editor) and Lou John B (musician), the official book trailer for Queer Greer is here!

In honor of women’s rights in the U.S. and their continued protection and expansion, I am posting my own Vagina Monologue (thank you Eve Ensler!) that I wrote back in college:

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know whether to be hairy or bare.  She has a flowing mane of kinky, auburn hair that she felt proud of… until she was told she might be sexier without it.  She wants her hair or her nudity to be her decision.  She wants to feel empowered by that decision.  But my Vagina is schizophrenic and has trouble choosing.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if it should feel pleased or unfulfilled.  She doesn’t know enough to know what she wants, or who she wants it from.  She wants to please herself, but sometimes she’s too tired, or she doesn’t feel deserving.  She wants to feel pleased on her own, but she doesn’t always feel comfortable doing so.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and wants to understand whether she is displeased or content with her discontent.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if she should feel beautiful or lacking.  She wonders how she measures up to other vaginas.  Sometimes she feels beautiful when she doesn’t worry about comparisons…but other times she feels like she might be strange or abnormal.  Sometimes she has image problems.  Her feelings about her appearance vary day-to-day.  She wonders if she should seek counseling.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and wants to figure out whether she is pretty or not, on her own (and she’s pulling for pretty).

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if she’ll ever be accepted as is, or will have to conform to another’s standards.  She does her best to stand on her own, uncaring of what others say or do or think…but, sometimes, she is insecure.  She is holding out for a partner who will accept her unconditionally, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t worry that that partner doesn’t actually exist.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and is sometimes deeply concerned about how she is perceived.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She feels strong and weak at the same time.  She has come a long way through childhood, puberty and adolescence.  She knows she has become the vagina she is now through many tests and takes power from that knowledge…but she also doubts herself.  ‘What if my strength is gone?’she thinks.  ‘What if my weakness takes over?’ she worries.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and cannot see herself as tough without agonizing over being overcome by weakness.

 My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She is confused by the messages she takes in from all around her.  She doesn’t know how to look or feel at any given moment.  My Vagina, however, is intelligent.  She knows right from wrong.  She is compassionate.  She is loving.  She is trying to justify her thoughts with herself.  She knows that she can count on herself over anyone else.  It is her decision whether to be hairy or bare.  She can fulfill herself and tell herself, ‘I am beautiful.’  She can accept herself, faults and all.  And all of these thoughts and actions add up to her unwavering strength, no matter what has happened before, no matter what may come in the future.

In honor of women’s rights in the United States, and their continued protection and expansion, I am posting my own Vagina Monologue (thank you Eve Ensler!) that I wrote originally back in college:

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know whether to be hairy or bare.  She has a flowing mane of kinky, auburn hair that she felt proud of… until she was told she might be sexier without it.  She wants her hair or her nudity to be her decision.  She wants to feel empowered by that decision.  But my Vagina is schizophrenic and has trouble choosing.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if it should feel pleased or unfulfilled.  She doesn’t know enough to know what she wants, or who she wants it from.  She wants to please herself, but sometimes she’s too tired, or she doesn’t feel deserving.  She wants to feel pleased on her own, but she doesn’t always feel comfortable doing so.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and wants to understand whether she is displeased or content with her discontent.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if she should feel beautiful or lacking.  She wonders how she measures up to other vaginas.  Sometimes she feels beautiful when she doesn’t worry about comparisons…but other times she feels like she might be strange or abnormal.  Sometimes she has image problems.  Her feelings about her appearance vary day-to-day.  She wonders if she should seek counseling.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and wants to figure out whether she is pretty or not, on her own (and she’s pulling for pretty).

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She doesn’t know if she’ll ever be accepted as is, or will have to conform to another’s standards.  She does her best to stand on her own, uncaring of what others say or do or think…but, sometimes, she is insecure.  She is holding out for a partner who will accept her unconditionally, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t worry that that partner doesn’t actually exist.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and is sometimes deeply concerned about how she is perceived.

My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She feels strong and weak at the same time.  She has come a long way through childhood, puberty and adolescence.  She knows she has become the vagina she is now through many tests and takes power from that knowledge…but she also doubts herself.  ‘What if my strength is gone?’she thinks.  ‘What if my weakness takes over?’ she worries.  My Vagina is schizophrenic and cannot see herself as tough without agonizing over being overcome by weakness.

 My Vagina is schizophrenic.  She is confused by the messages she takes in from all around her.  She doesn’t know how to look or feel at any given moment.  My Vagina, however, is intelligent.  She knows right from wrong.  She is compassionate.  She is loving.  She is trying to justify her thoughts with herself.  She knows that she can count on herself over anyone else.  It is her decision whether to be hairy or bare.  She can fulfill herself and tell herself, ‘I am beautiful.’  She can accept herself, faults and all.  And all of these thoughts and actions add up to her unwavering strength, no matter what has happened before, no matter what may come in the future.

So the second edition of my book, Queer Greer, went up for pre-sale on my birthday this week (March 13). I’m so excited about this. Here’s a look at the newly designed cover:

I was also thrilled to read a new rave review that was posted on Amazon.com today:

Have YOU read Queer Greer yet? What did you think?

My 2009 novel, CHOICE, is now being listed in the Barnes & Noble Rising Star Collection!