Hello!
I hope your 2022 is off to a great start. I’m happy to be back in your inboxes after taking some time away to travel and to get settled at my new job. In lieu of an essay this month, I thought I’d update you on some exciting things in my life and talk about the future of Christina Shouts into the Void.
First of all, CSITV (what an awful acronym) just had her first birthday! Thanks so much to everyone who has been here since January 2021, and to everyone who has joined since. Proceeds from paid subscribers directly support me and my writing, and free subscriptions help me feel connected and accountable to all of you. Your support means the world!
I’d like to get the serious stuff out of the way first. For several months, I’ve been considering switching platforms because of some actions Substack has taken that do not align with my values. If you haven’t heard about Substack’s issues with monitoring anti-trans hate speech and paying huge salaries to people who perpetuate harm, you can check out a quick run down here.
While I’m still exploring other possibilities, at the moment Substack’s platform is a good fit for me and my purposes. If I do switch platforms in the future, I’ll make sure you know about it! In the meantime, to address these issues I will be offering free access to my paid subscription content for my trans readers. If you’d like to be added to that list, just send me an email (brown.christina.leigh@gmail.com) from the email address you’d like to subscribe from. If you put “trans subscription” or something similar in the subject line, I’ll add you. Zero questions asked, anonymity honored.
I’ll continue to explore other options this year and keep you posted. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to send them my way!
In terms of content, I’m looking forward to trying new things this year! Paid subscription content won’t change too much. Readers who subscribe for $5/month (or $50/year!) will still get monthly poetry content that might feature a rough draft of an unpublished poem, an alternate draft of a published poem, some behind the scenes reflections, top secret sneak peeks, and, of course, writing prompts! If there is anything else you’d like to see, please leave a comment here or send me an email! I love requests.
I’m looking to switch things up with my free content as well. I’ll still aim to visit your inbox about once a month, but my pop culture essays might be a bit more sporadic this year as I try out other things. Most immediately, I’m excited to use this space to tell you all about my forthcoming book! I’m planning to share some behind the scenes writings about the muses that inspired different sections of the book, and maybe some other notes on the process of writing a book during a panDemiLovato. Expect some shameless plugs in March, when Girl Teeth is available for purchase!
Speaking of the book, this feels like a great time to remind you that annual subscribers and super supporters (sliding scale of $50-$120/year) will be thanked by name in Girl Teeth! If you select that subscription before the end of February, my very flexible and understanding layout editor will get you in there <3
There will be more information to come about Girl Teeth, but I thought it would be fun to start off by sharing my book playlist with you! I should warn you, this playlist is a wild ride with a wide range, and it is NSFW (that’s not safe for work, for those of you who may not be familiar). The songs aren’t in any particular order, as I am always chaotically on shuffle mode. Each song connects to a vibe, a line, a moment, or a feeling I chased at some point in the writing process.
Sharing it with you all feels….vulnerable? Being perceived is a lot! There is still a chance that as soon as you open your copies of the book, I will immediately explode into a million tiny little stars in response to the sheer terror of being known.
Anyways! You can find the playlist here. I hope you enjoy this terrifying glimpse into my shimmery little poet brain.
I’ll be back in your inbox in a few weeks! As always, thank you for being here.
<3 Christina