Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Continuing my project of improving my understanding of what it means to be transgender, I finally tackled Julia Serano's foundational text on transgender politics, sexism, and the intersections between all sorts of gender-related biases. The book was first published in 2007, which makes it dated in some areas, and was updated for the 2014 re-release, which is already 10 years out of date. An afterword written in 2023 helps to keep it up to date and puts things in perspective, as we enter a new period of virulent anti-trans hysteria (made concrete by a lot of laws being floated, too many of which are passing).   Title: Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity Author: Julia Serano  Publication Information: Originally published 2007, Seal Press (390 Pages). I read the 2016 Kindle edition, with an afterword from 2023.  Source: Library Publisher's Blurb:   In Whipping Girl, biologist and trans activist Julia Serano shares her experiences and

Having beta-read a later book in this series and enjoyed it very much, I was delighted to get a review copy of The Scry's the Limit and learn more of Aly's story.   Title: The Scry's the Limit. Shady Grove mysteries #2. Author: Ada Bell Publication info: Empress Books, 2021. Read on Apple Books, 133 pages. Source: Review copy gifted by author Publisher's Blurb: Now that she’s accepted her psychic gifts, Aly’s determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister-in-law.  Unfortunately, between work, starting classes, and her brother’s unwillingness to seek answers, Aly’s having more trouble getting answers than she expected. Just when she thinks Kevin may be warming up to the idea of helping her, they find Aly’s academic advisor and favorite professor dead. Professor Zimm was one of the school’s most beloved teachers. Who would want to kill her? The professor who could make tenure in her absence? The privileged student who hates having to retake the

Since I'm still struggling to even get a good start on my photo edits from the recent Africa trip (hey, I took over 5000 shots. That's a lot of editing, even when I delete all the photos of the spot where an animal was a moment before, accidental videos of my feet, and blurry images shot in too-great excitement). The majority of this trip was organized through Popote Africa Adventures , who did an excellent job at a very reasonable price, and are completely locally owned (based in Moshi, the standard jumping-off point for climbs of Kilimanjaro). To get us started, here are a few shots from our arrival and brief tour of Arusha, our jumping-off point for our Tanzanian Safari and, later, climb of Mt. Meru. My companions on this trip were my brother-in-law, our nephew and his partner, and in this first part of the trip, a backpacking friend of mine. Packed and ready. Carry-on daypack includes such essentials as my camera and hiking boots. Strapped outside my checked bag is a waterp

Possibly the fact that my Wednesday post is only being written and posted after Wednesday is well along tells you everything you need to know about the state of the writer just now! I have been home from my travels for just over a week, and am *finally* getting things sorted out enough to start turning my brain to writing, though not with the focus I'd like. I chose not to do any writing work while on my Africa trip, beyond keeping my journal. Only at the very end did I succumb to the itch to write and began drafting a bit of flash fiction (not finished, which also says a lot about my state of mind--how hard is it to at least draft a story of under 1000 words?). And on the trip home (during a16 1/2-hour leg of the roughly 41 hours door to door) I finally opened the emails from my beta readers and began thinking about what they said. Flying over places we never expected to go. It was no part of our intention to have *quite* such a long trip home, but the strikes at Lufthansa sent us

Participating in the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop  hosted by Greg Pattrige of Always in the Middle , with loads of reviews of Middle Grade fiction (books for roughly ages 8-12).   Title: The Language of Seabirds Author: Will Taylor Publication Info: Scholastic, 2022. 256 pages Source: Library Publisher's Blurb:  A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer. Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice, though, so he goes... and on his first day takes a walk on the beach and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually, he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet -- and what starts out as friendship blooms into something neither boy is expecting... and also something both bo

Followers of this space may have figured out that I've been in Africa for the last month. After a very full schedule of hiking, safaris, and a visit to Victoria Falls, I came back to the US in time for my son's wedding (a schedule that was undeniably a little fraught). Naturally I don't have the photos edited and I'm not quite ready to do a proper trip report, even of the first bit, but I thought I'd throw out a teaser with a few highlights. The trip had basically five parts. 1. Tanzanian Safari.  Petey Possum is ready for adventure!   Some things have to be seen to be believed. 2. Mt. Meru Climb (Tanzania) Are we really going up there? Yes, we did! 3. Mt. Kenya circumambulation (Kenya) Going around that. Weather. 4. Kenya Safari Animals large... ... and small 5. Victoria Falls Hope that this has caught your interest enough to keep you coming back! I'll be posting full trip reports (lots of photos!) as I get the photos edited. Watch the weekend posts over the ne

  It's the first Wednesday of the month--time for the IWSG post.       Why? The IWSG is here to share and encourage, to offer a place for authors to admit their insecurities and offer help and support to each other. How? The official IWSG posting day is the first Wednesday of every month. Hop around the list and see who has worries, triumphs, and news to share.  Every month we have an optional question to spark discussion.  Our motto:  Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.   The awesome co-hosts for the  March 6 posting of the IWSG are  Kristina Kelly,   Miffie Seideman,   Jean Davis,  and  Liza @ Middle Passages! Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.  Remember, the qu