October 2025 Newsletter: Sinister Wisdom 138
Welcome to this month’s newsletter! Each month, I try to share what I’ve been up to, what things I’ve published that month, and exciting news if there’s any to be shared.
News and updates
October has been a bit of a slower month for us. No new hubs this month, but there’s still two to go, so look for that soon! Additionally, Sinister Wisdom 138, which I co-edited, released this month. Read more about that further on in this newsletter.
For Macalester students, registration time is nearly upon us! This year I’m teaching LGBTQ2S+ Literature in the spring semester, so if you haven’t had a chance to take it and want to explore lots of wonderful queer/trans lit, please sign up. More thoughts on that class to come from me soon, and you can also see my previous interview about teaching the class.
Blog posts from this month
Over the summer, Ashton read The Queering of Corporate America by Carlos A. Ball. It taught them many things about the history of big business’ involvement in LGBTQ+ politics throughout American history. In part two of two, they explore the more negative sides of having the support of big business. They also navigate the tricky maze of anticapitalist politics in a capitalist world. Read more in The Role of Big Business in LGBTQ+ Politics, Pt. 2: The Master’s Tools and Jostling Anticapitalist Politics.
Sinister Wisdom 138 Launches!
At last the historic issue of Sinister Wisdom that I’ve been working on for the last two years has launched! You can see the launch event on YouTube. You can order a copy or see more info about Sinister Wisdom via their website. And you can see the full version of the cover image above, titled “We Will Not Wait to Love Ourselves,” courtesy of StuffStud.io.
This issue kicks off Sinister Wisdom’s 50th year and celebrates the legacy of Dorothy Allison. It also features some of my favorite editors and trailblazers: Katherine V. Forrest, Penny Mickelbury and Judith Katz. Judith initially brought me the suggestion (from Sinister Wisdom Publisher Julie R. Enszer) to compile an issue of stories–and wanted it to be intergenerational. In the LGBTQ community, we never seem to have as many intergenerational bonds as we need, in large part because most of us aren’t born into LGBTQ families.
I first wanted to add Katherine, because her editing expertise is amazing, and Penny, whose attention as a novelist and journalist would be an essential support to this endeavor. Then we brought in five Macalester students as interns to help select and edit stories, as well as doing interviews with the editing team. The students were in lively conversations with each other and the rest of the editing team. Students on the team were: Addie Daab, Beja Puškášová, Ella Stern, Jamila Sigal Vásquez and Kendall Kieras. Read an interview with them about the process starting on p. 194 of issue 138 or see an interview with Addie and Ella in the video of the launch.
With the team in place, we were able to select eighteen stories that spanned a significant swath of lesbian experience–as well as commission custom art for the cover that evoked some of the sense of the stories within. I won’t say we covered all of it or even close to all. Many more volumes would be needed–probably a whole library worth. There were other stories we wanted to include but couldn’t because of space constraints and I hope if there’s a Lesbian Stories 2 those authors will resubmit–or submit new work. And we did cover an impressive array of lesbian experiences.
I have tremendous gratitude for everyone who participated in this project with a particular huge thanks to Katherine who did the lion’s share of the developmental and line editing on the selected stories. She also brought a lot of grounded sanity to the group and toughness when we needed it. After having my novels edited by Katherine for many years, it was great to learn more about the editing side of the process from her.
Including contributors and editors, the team ranged in age from sixteen (at the time of submission) to eighty-six. I hope the generation-spanning nature of this issue will foster more connection and more conversation!
Stay tuned next month for more blog posts, resources, and another newsletter. Thanks for being a reader!
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