It was lovely to be a part of an in-depth article on asexuality and aromanticism over at Geeks OUT.
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JULIE SONDRA DECKER
This long-form print interview discusses identity discovery and coming out, the pressures of writing a book, the shifting environment surrounding asexuality’s reception in society and media, the evolution of the ace-spectrum community, and media/upcoming projects.
The Invisible Orientation is now available in a French translation.
This is a translation of the original material with some very nice formatting and additions.
But it is available in bookstores, through the French publisher (Alliance Magique, Améthyste Éditions, Pluriel·les), and through its French Amazon page.
French title: Asexualité – Comprendre l’orientation invisible.
Publishing Date: July 8, 2021.
I was a guest on the podcast Graying Rainbows. Episode 52 discusses asexuality. Ginger Campbell hosted a lovely, sensitive interview with me.
This episode is an interview with Julie Sondra Decker, author of “The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality.” Most people acknowledge that sexual orientations includes homosexuals, bisexuals, and heterosexuals, but there is actually a fourth possibility. A person who identifies as asexual does not feel sexual attraction to anyone. Unfortunately, many assume that this represents a disease when actually it is part of normal human diversity. We discuss what asexuality IS as well as what it is NOT. Asexuality is about attraction NOT behavior.
Our goal is to embrace human diversity and acknowledge that each person’s identity should be respected as equally valid. If the idea of asexuality is new to you, I hope you will listen to this informative interview.
You can listen to the interview on Graying Rainbows’ website or check it out on their YouTube channel.
Again outside my usual but still something I care a lot about: I was invited to be on Where’s My Jetpack?! and did a lengthy interview about queer media, my favorite show Steven Universe, and the importance of representation.
Pride #1.5: Steven Universe With Guest Ivy Decker
Outside my usual schtick but still very much a delight: I was invited to be on Where’s My Jetpack?! and did a lengthy interview about queer media, my favorite show Steven Universe, and the importance of representation.
Pride #1: Steven Universe With Guest Ivy Decker
The Invisible Orientation will soon be available in a French translation.
French title: Asexualité – Comprendre l’orientation invisible.
Publisher: Alliance Magique, Améthyste Éditions, Pluriel·les (a new LGBTQIA+-focused imprint).
Publishing Date: Summer 2021.
After Dinner Conversation has discussed my short story “Everyone’s Gay in Space” on their podcast. They have promoted the story on Twitter and on their podcast page.
You can listen through one of the links on their post. It’s carried on these podcast providers. I personally like Stitcher.
To quote from their site:
STORY SUMMARY: Douglas Junior and his wife both have a rare, recessive, genetic disease. They donate their blood to a lab to help them find a cure. Through a medical mix-up, Douglas Junior’s DNA is used to create his clone. 20 years later he finds out about his clone and reaches out to meet him. Things don’t go exactly as planned as Douglas Junior is a blue-collar working man, while his clone is a top-of-the-class gay student who plans to join the space program.
DISCUSSION: Interesting story that mirror some of the research done with sexual orientation differences between identical twins, as well as nature vs. nurture. Creates a springboard for good discussions about what information we would want to know about our clone. For example, are there unexplored genetic aptitudes I missed out on? Douglas seems to be very picky about which science he believes in, and which he doesn’t believe in, as so much of it is tied up how he self identifies. His clone is rightly frustrated by all the questions and says what may often be on the mind of others gay individuals, “it’s not my job to teach everyone in the world ‘Gay 101’”.
After a very long hiatus from taking publishing seriously, I got the bug and decided to jump back into this party. I have multiple finished manuscripts and my fiction agent (who last talked to me in 2017) vanished into the ether without wrapping up her affairs. (I understand she was ill, but didn’t disclose to me specifically.) And my nonfiction agent for my published asexuality book does not want to rep the fiction. So what am I waiting for?
Let’s face it: nothing I write is particularly “easy” when it comes to genre. It’s always got something weird going on and it’s pretty much guaranteed to have a word count problem (though I’ve also undergone some pretty epic word diets and succeeded). But my novel Stupid Questions seems like the most likely possibility for publication right now (well, in my opinion), and even though I wrote it quite some time ago I still love the story. The familiar desire to have my work out there to be read and loved has returned.
So I bit the bullet and started querying agents again today. It feels great to be back to this and I really HONESTLY TRULY enjoy the process, even if rejection is the most likely scenario. I’ve been offered representation TWICE and have assisted HUNDREDS of authors with their queries in Pitch Wars–I am absolutely not bothered by the idea of rejection and not intimidated by the process. I’m super looking forward to meeting whoever might become my agent. I love publishing. Even the ugly and difficult parts.
Details on who I’m querying or what the outcomes are will, as always, not be shared here, but I hope to share good news sometime in the near future.
My short story “Everyone’s Gay in Space” sold to After Dinner Conversation. It’s in the November 2020 issue.
Reading this one isn’t free on the Internet but as of today it can be accessed through a monthly subscription or by purchasing the story individually.
Here’s my post about when I wrote the story if you want more info.
I’m doing a live YouTube event today to celebrate Asexual Awareness Week. I’ll be kicking it off with some thoughts I have on asexuality-related nonfiction.
Subscribers and interested parties can chime in live in the attached chat, and if appropriate, I will address whatever they’d like to talk about. The video will be available to rewatch if you miss the event.
You can tune in on my YouTube Channel: An Ace Evening with Swankivy 2020!