A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR JUNE

The summer has gotten off to a pub-tastic start! Congratulations to all the women who have had work accepted or published in June.

From Alana Saltz‘s “How ASMR Videos Help Me Cope with My Anxiety” on Bustle:

Until six months ago, I’d never heard of ASMR. All I knew was that I had a fondness for particular sounds and voices. When people spoke to me kindly and softly, it eased some of the symptoms that came with my anxiety disorder. Certain accents and tones made my body feel tingly and calm.

From “The Reds” by Antonia Crane in Talk Tabu on Medium:

I said I was Candy but he could call me “Candy.” He chuckled, removed his rimless glasses looked at me closer, then put them back on. He had a deeply lined face and was pushing sixty-five. He ordered a Crown rocks.

“It’s what I order when I’m feeling romantic,” he said.

From”Britney Spears and the Mysteries of the Super Orgasm” also by Antonia Crane in Prime Mind on Medium:

“I’m in a constant state of orgasm,” she said. Tory explained that she learned this “state” from a sex cult in Northern California, called OneTaste, which is known for its “orgasmic meditation.” They offer classes where a partner learns how to properly stroke a woman’s clitoris for 15 minutes “with no goal other than to feel, connect, and be present,” according to their website. She wanted me to get on board.

From “The Gay Rodeo: Stories from Inside the Scene That’s Both a Celebration and a Wild Rebellion” by Melissa Chadburn at KQED:

Just one and a half miles off the interstate, I drive past some ranch gates and enter a whole different world, a place that serves cocktails all day long, where the smell of polish sausages fills the air, where belt buckles and t-shirts with arrows pointed down to the crotch and the words “Ask Me About My Buckle” are for sale. There are tons of cowboys and cowgirls. At first glance, it might seem like a regular rodeo. Look closer. This is the Hot Rodeo — a member of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association.

Melissa was also selected as a Teaching Artist for PEN in the Community. Congrats!

From Stephanie Abraham‘s “Stop Blaming the Alcoholic” at The Good Men Project:

“You know you’re going to miss me when I’m gone,” my brother Joseph says as I pick up the plastic wrap he ripped off his turkey sandwich and flung across the hospital room. He doesn’t typically throw things, but did so because he knew it would annoy me.

“More than you’ll ever know,” I mutter, cringing at the thought of living after my only sibling has died. I toss the wrapper into the trashcan and turn towards Joey (whose name has been changed for privacy). His eyes and skin look yellow from jaundice, his stomach’s so swollen he could give birth, and his hands shake like he has Parkinson’s. He’s stopped chewing and is blinking back tears. He heard me.

From “The Writing Life: Watching the Clock” by Kelly Shire at Hippocampus Magazine:

When my two children were both old enough to attend school, I was excited by the prospect of solitude and the chance to finally return to writing. But over a decade had passed since earning my MFA; I was out of practice at putting ideas into words. Knowing a daily routine would help, I faithfully sat with coffee and my laptop each morning, but found the silence of my empty house and the blinking cursor unnerving. In fact, I was afraid – of starting, finishing, or choosing a story to tell.

From “As I Was Driving Home” by Leilani Squire in bookscover2cover:

As I was driving home from Joshua Tree on a recent Saturday afternoon after a silk screening workshop for a project I’m involved with I thought of how vibrant, fresh, and innocent the young marines who attended the workshop are. I felt the joy still in my heart from sharing such a cool and tender time with them.

Congratulations to Mona Alvarado Frazier whose young adult manuscript, Beyond the Bars, is a finalist in the Writing from Color and Native Voices contest.

Congratulations also go out to Arielle Silver who had a piece accepted for publication in From Sac‘s fall outsider issue. She is also a finalist for The Poet’s Billow Bermuda Triangle Poetry Prize.

A round of applause for Carla Sameth who was selected as a Teaching Artist for PEN in the Community this fall.

Another round of applause for  Elline Lipkin who was named the new Poet Laureate for the Altadena Library District.

Elline will also be headed to the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony where she will be a writing resident in July. Great news!