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Articles by Claire Rudy Foster
World War II vet is about to join the centenarian club
World War II veteran Sergeant Warren Newman is cheerful and fit as a fiddle as he approaches his one hundredth birthday on April 11. Throughout his service and civilian life he has been uniquely privileged to witness some notable moments in the history of the mid-20th century. With a sharp mind and memories intact, Newman recalls names of people, places and dates with ease. Born in 1924 and raised in Wilmington, California, his life was influenced by being in the famous Port of Los Angeles area.
Former Mayor Jen Miles is back in Kingman and on the mend
Former Kingman Mayor Jennee Miles actively served the Kingman community in various roles for thirty years, but all that came to an abrupt end almost two years ago when she found herself in a fight for her life. In February of 2022, just as she was preparing to run for a third term as mayor, Miles’ four-year stint in that position was cut short by the stunning medical diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A serious disease of the lungs, this illness threatened to take Miles’ life.
Former Mayor Jen Miles is back in Kingman and on the mend
KINGMAN — Former Kingman Mayor Jen Miles actively served the Kingman community in various roles for 30 years, but all that came to an abrupt end almost two years ago when she found herself in a fight for her life. In February of 2022, just as she was preparing to run for a third term as mayor, Miles’ four-year stint in that position was cut short by the stunning medical diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A serious disease of the lungs, this illness threatened to take Miles’ life.
(K)ink: Writing While Deviant: Claire Rudy Foster
(K)ink: Writing While Deviant: Claire Rudy Foster There’s evidence that D.H. Lawrence enjoyed an erotic power exchange relationship with his wife, that James Joyce was into scat (among other things), and that Oscar Wilde—well, most of us know what Oscar Wilde liked.
How Brow Lamination Helped Ease My Gender Dysphoria
I used to have great eyebrows. But in high school, I attacked my Brooke Shields-thick arches with a pair of tweezers, methodically ripping each strand from its follicle. I looked down into the sink and was shocked by the mass of loose hairs in the basin. Skinny brows were supposed to make my face seem more open, lighter, and less aggressive — that is, more feminine. I thought the look was timeless, but two decades later, I am trying to revive what came to me naturally.
Set aside money and resources for Oregonians harmed by opioids | Guest Opinion
OPINION Claire Rudy Foster, Guest Opinion Published 4:38 p.m. PT May 29, 2020 Amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, communities across the country are reporting a rise in the number of opioid overdose deaths. The social isolation and closure of support services are placing enormous stress on those struggling with opioid use disorder. These deaths, however, are the result of decades of inaction and failures at the state and national levels.
What Should I Wear To A Protest?
Road-Tested Riot Grrrl Basics for Exercising Your Freedom of Assembly While Staying Safe, Comfortable, and Fly as Fuck I started protesting in the late 1990s. I lived in the Washington, DC area and there was plenty to protest: the WTO, the right-wing threat against Roe v. Wade, Promise Keepers, you name it. I attended May Day protests in Stockholm with the Student Social Democratic Union. Wherever I went, I talked to other people about how they protested, and why.
Being Convinced
I’m not a bad person trying to get good; I’m a sick person trying to get well. I took my last drink in 2007. Someone bought it for me, of course. I drank because I wanted to feel invisible. Being conspicuous only got me into trouble, and I couldn’t hide from the way men’s eyes snagged on me. My last drink was a double shot of Jameson, rocks, and it went down like a swig of acetone.
Dear Nathan, Forever
This story was published in Transformation Is Real, thanks to Daniel Maurer. I met Nathan in a Heroin Anonymous meeting about two years ago at a downtown social services agency. He was the new guy, this super-thin, hollow eyed gutter punk. He looked strung out as hell. His face was covered in little tattoos, a star map of arrows, triangles, dark dots. Underneath, his cheeks were high and sharp as two knives under his skin. There was something feline about him. He caught my eye and parted his dry lips.
Comic Books For The Apocalypse
The only book this nonbinary trans person wants to read right now. What are the best comics to read during the apocalypse? I woke up with an insane craving for Transmetropolitan, an epic, Hunter S. Thompson-infused futuristic thriller by Warren Ellis about a gonzo journalist who untangles a conspiracy theory that is hiding in plain sight. I called Bridge City Comics and, lucky me, they had the entire series. I placed my order over the phone and picked up all 10 books a couple days later.
Secret Life of an Anonymous Speechwriter to the Stars
The first thing I can recall clearly was sitting in a hospital room in the dark. I knew something was wrong — that there was something wrong with me — and yet, I couldn’t tell exactly what. I realized the left side of my face was numb. Hanging on the wall in front of me was a television, but there was something wrong with it too. A ghostly copy was superimposed over the standard set; it was rotated at roughly a 15-degree angle and faded away into the burnt cream walls.
The Arts Grant
Elliott Smith knew a few things about being an artist on the down and out. Around the time Heatmiser’s last record came out, Neil and I were both on unemployment, which we thought of as an arts grant. But I was also doing odd jobs around Portland, like spreading gravel and transplanting bamboo trees. I had this one job where I had to paint the roof of this warehouse with this heat-reflective paint, and I just burnt the fuck out of myself.
Necessity Is the Single Mother of Invention
This personal essay appeared in The Review Review in September 2016. What do you need to write? A pen and paper, for some people. Keyboard. You need a table or a lap or a drawing board. If you’re making an outline or storyboard, you need a wall to pin your notes on and watch them as they migrate. These objects and surfaces have to be secure, too. The worst fear is leaving a notebook open and losing pages to the wind. A writer is usually one hard drive crash away from total misery.
What #MeToo Looks Like When You’re In Recovery
A woman’s treatment for addiction shouldn’t require her silence about sexual abuse. Last month, Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and creator of the recovery group Refuge Recovery, was accused of sexual misconduct.
Letter to the Editor
CLINICAL CORRESPONDENCE Claire Foster Corresponding Author E-mail address: clf1@soton.ac.uk School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton,United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern , Ireland Correspondence Email: clf1@soton.ac.uk Search for more papers by this author PDF PDF Share No abstract is available for this article.
Shine of the Ever: Songs to Fall in Love With Portland Again by Claire Rudy Foster
I started writing the stories in my new collection Shine of the Ever over a decade ago. I was a student at Reed College, it was 2004, and I was falling in love with Portland for the very first time. Over the next 15 years, the Portland I knew changed dramatically. I wasn’t a newcomer to Oregon. It was the place I’d come every summer since I was born, the place my father’s family had called home since they came out in a covered wagon in 1842. As Portland transformed, so did I.
Shine of the Ever (Paperback)
$17.95 Description By turns tender and punk-tough, Shine of the Ever is a literary mixtape of queer voices out of 1990s Portland. This collection of short stories explores what binds a community of queer and trans people as they negotiate love, screwing up and learning to forgive themselves for being young and sometimes foolish. About the Author Claire Rudy Foster is a queer, nonbinary single parent in recovery.
Shine of the Ever
Shine of the Ever (Paperback) By Claire Rudy Foster Interlude Press, 9781945053870, 222pp. Publication Date: November 5, 2019 List Price: 17.95* * Individual store prices may vary. Description By turns tender and punk-tough, Shine of the Ever is a literary mixtape of queer voices out of 1990s Portland.
Survival of the Feminist: “Dad Joke”
Last week, my tits flew away. I use the word “tits” for three reasons: because I like it, because it is a single syllable, and because it’s the name of a passerine songbird. Tits are small, stocky, woodland birds with short, stout bills. Tits nest in cavities and tend to be monogamous. Mine were not always monogamous. Six days ago, I had a double incision mastectomy with nipple grafts: top surgery, the aesthetic masculinization of my chest.
Rumpus Exclusive: “Field Medicine”
Rumpus Exclusive: “Field Medicine” Rent was due, so I did my makeup and took my card table to the farmer’s market. My hand-lettered sign said Spirit Healing, Love Signs, Femme Magick. Each tarot reading was an easy twenty bucks, and all most people wanted was to feel as if someone was listening—and the sparkle, the magic. For readings, I wore my candy-pink wig and painted glitter triangles on my cheeks and forehead. I looked like something from a world where human kinds of trouble don’t exist.
A five year longitudinal study of people living with and beyond colorectal cancer: key findings from the ColoREctal Well-being (CREW) study
To view the full text, please login as a subscribed user or purchase a subscription. Click here to view the full text on ScienceDirect. Introduction: The ColoREctal Well-being (CREW) study is the first study to prospectively recruit a representative sample of Dukes A-C colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, carry out the first comprehensive assessment pre-treatment and follow up longitudinally over five years to explore the impact of treatment on health and wellbeing.
Identity Is A Moving Target
A conversation between authors, Lauren J. Sharkey and ND Chan on Asian American identity, adoption, being queer and being seen. Model minority? White on the inside? No way. Asian-American women, nonbinary people, and femmes are often portrayed as one-dimensional. Authors Lauren J. Sharkey and ND Chan discuss the complexities of their own identities as Asian-American writers with rich personal histories. Photo by Seth Casteel, via The Guardian.
HORIZONS protocol: a UK prospective cohort study to explore recovery of health and well-being in adults diagnosed with cancer
HORIZONS protocol: a UK prospective cohort study to explore recovery of health and well-being in adults diagnosed with cancer Claire Foster1, Lynn Calman1, Alison Richardson1, Carl R May2, Anne Rogers1, Peter W Smith3 1School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK 2Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK 3Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK Correspondence to...
When I Started HRT, I Discovered a Sweeter Side to My Masculinity | Claire Rudy Foster
When I started hormone replacement therapy last October, I wanted a lower voice, bigger shoulders, an androgynous waist-to-hip ratio, maybe a beard. I wanted to look like someone you’d call sir. Most importantly, I wanted a sense of finally being at home in my body. I realized a couple of years ago that I am trans, the non-binary kind. I’d been dancing around, coming up with many other explanations for why I didn’t wear my body well. Maybe I had an eating disorder or was coping with PTSD.
Deadly Frog Pathogen Wipes Out 90 Species, Is The Most Destructive Disease We’ve Ever Seen
(Jonathan Kolby/Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center) BENJAMIN SCHEELE & CLAIRE FOSTER, THE CONVERSATION 29 MAR 2019 It started off as an enigma. Biologists at field sites around the world reported that frogs had simply disappeared. Costa Rica, 1987: the golden toad, missing. Australia, 1979: the gastric brooding frog, gone. In Ecuador, Arthur's stubfoot toad was last seen in 1988. By 1990, cases of unexplained frog declines were piling up.
The $60,000 Retweet: Why I Won’t Give Credit to My MFA Program For My Success As A Writer
The $60,000 Retweet: Why I Won’t Give Credit to My MFA Program For My Success As A Writer I spent at least two minutes composing my email’s subject line before diving into the message to the program director of my MFA. I settled on a neutral “Checking In.” I assumed she’d remember me, although I graduated four years ago. After all, I’d been a bit of a problem from an administrative perspective. I was nervous as I tapped out the email, sticking to the basics.
What Every First-Year Vendor Should Know
What Every First-Year Vendor Should Know Originally published in the July/August 2018 issue of APCO’s PSC magazine. For access to PSC magazine and more articles like this one, please log in or become an APCO member. APCO International’s Annual Conference and Expo will arrive faster than you think. This year, the conference takes place in Las Vegas from August 5 to 8 at the Venetian-Palazzo Hotel’s Sands Expo Convention Center.
Planning My Wedding as a Non-Binary Bride
Two decades after NYC sought to relocate its infamous tunnel-dwelling denizens, a years-long investigation reveals a few hardy souls still toiling and thriving beneath the city. The mouth of the tunnel is wide and dark, swallowing the light and all that breathes. Rubble is scattered along the train tracks, bordered by retaining walls covered in numerous layers of graffiti. This is where it all started.
What #MeToo Looks Like When You’re In Recovery
Last month, Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and creator of the recovery group Refuge Recovery, was accused of sexual misconduct. Levine denies that he hurt anyone, and in an email to followers, he said the encounters between him and his accuser were “mutual with clear and open communication.”Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, which Levine founded, has suspended him from their organization after receiving the complaint. Has #MeToo finally come to recovery?
What #MeToo Looks Like When You’re In Recovery – The Establishment
Last month, Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and creator of the recovery group Refuge Recovery, was accused of sexual misconduct. Levine denies that he hurt anyone, and in an email to followers, he said the encounters between him and his accuser were “mutual with clear and open communication.”Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, which Levine founded, has suspended him from their organization after receiving the complaint. Has #MeToo finally come to recovery?
Why Are So Many Gay Romance Novels Written By Straight Women?
Stay out of my queer romance, Sharon Seeing yourself, whether it’s on the screen or on the page, is a powerful experience. So often, though, for queer people, the options are either super whitewashed or rooted in hurtful stereotypes. In gay romance novels, it’s both, and straight women writers are responsible. When I started working as a book reviewer in 2009, gay romance was exploding as a popular romance genre.
I Can’t Shake the Guilt of Buying Expensive Things
The day I bought the sunglasses was a payday. That afternoon, after the market closed, I decided it was time to splurge. Why not? I deserved it. I was flush. I was wearing my $1,000 suit and my $200 shoes and my $300 earrings. I looked expensive. To work at the hedge fund, I had to dress the part. I showed up to work every day looking like what I was: an object that could be bought, sold, and traded, just like any other commodity. I was afraid that my value would depreciate.
Perspective | I dumped my boyfriend because he loved ‘The Room’
For more than six months, I dated someone whose favorite movie was “The Room.” He brought it up on our first date, waving the red flag right in my face. I should have known better. Maybe I’m generalizing, but I think the movies we like reveal something essential about us. They can show us our fears, the feelings we wish we could experience, the problems we’re anxious to avoid or the person we’d like to be.
I dumped my boyfriend because he loved 'The Room'
I dumped my boyfriend because he loved 'The Room' For more than six months, I dated someone whose favorite movie was "The Room." He brought it up on our first date, waving the red flag right in my face. I should have known better. Maybe I'm generalizing, but I think the movies we like reveal something essential about us. They can show us our fears, the feelings we wish we could experience, the problems we're anxious to avoid or the person we'd like to be.
Fact And Fiction Are Different Truths
This article first appeared on Luna Luna and has been republished with permission. The more I read, the more I’m convinced that there’s no meaningful difference between fiction and the memoir we call nonfiction. The best nonfiction is not reporting: it’s a fabrication that reveals the meaning beneath the story. I suggest that no story, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, is real. There is plenty to write about: reality passes by in a ceaseless, perceptible stream.
Dressing for the Body I Want, Not the One I Have
Trans is not short for transition. It’s also not short for transformation, the one great promise I keep buying from the fashion industry. When I shop for the trans body I live in, part of me is still hoping that slipping into the right blazer will transfigure my body into the body I wish it was.
The Cost of Working for Your Friends – The Billfold
The Cost of Working for Your Friends And the cost of offering them the Friends and Family Rate. When you’re a writer, one of the first things you learn is that everyone else thinks they’re a writer, too. Never mind that you went to school for this, or have a decade of experience in different kinds of writing. Never mind that you speak every industry’s secret language?—?finance, law, public relations, marketing, and medical.
On Parking Tickets, Financial Karma, and Valentine’s Day
On Parking Tickets, Financial Karma, and Valentine’s Day Why are my learning experiences always so expensive? Between 2007–2011, around the time I finally quit drinking, I amassed over 50 parking tickets and over $3,500 in fines and fees. A mighty task! A decade later, I am still dealing with the consequences of these tickets and learning (the hard way) that financial karma has a vicious bite. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
Should I Be Embarassed by My Job Title?
Out of all the career options available, there are certainly some non traditional job titles. When you’re asked what you do for a living, the response can sometimes bring a lot of questions and a few blank stares as they try to understand what your job is exactly. So should you be embarrassed by your job title?
IT HAPPENED TO ME: A Sadist Made Me Realize I Don't Have to Be PC During Sex
The best slavedoes not need to be beaten.She beats herself. - Erica Jong, "Alcestis on the Poetry Circuit" On our second date, Teddy told me that he was a sadist. He said, "I want to do horrible things to you." He looked at me intently. He wasn't playing around. A bead of sweat formed on the back of my knee, then slipped down my calf. "Oh," I said. "Do you like that?" he asked. I smiled, to put him off. "I don't need a man to oppress me; I can oppress myself." I was only half-joking.
Beyond Privilege: Building a Writing Life When You Have No Room of Your Own
By Claire Rudy Foster What do you need to write? A pen and paper, for some people. Keyboard. You need a table or a lap or a drawing board. If you’re making an outline or storyboard, you need a wall to pin your notes on and watch them as they migrate. These objects and surfaces have to be secure, too. The worst fear is leaving a notebook open and losing pages to the wind. A writer is usually one hard drive crash away from total misery. But, looking more deeply, the writer’s craft requires space. And time.
Reuniting with My Boyfriend After a Long-Distance Year Was a Huge Reality Check
A week after I deleted the last of George's emails, his smiling, bearded face appeared in my Facebook timeline. It was an article about how he'd spent a year as a world-traveling web developer. My stomach shrank. That year was the year we'd spent apart; he circumnavigated the world, and I stayed in Portland, waiting for him. Five continents, 18 countries, and so many airports. I'm not in his version of that year, and my absence rankles me.
When I Sister Went to War I Got Her Named Tattooed on My Body
My sister Sally's arrival predates the formation of my first memories. was born 18 months after me. I was 18 months old when she was born, and I can't remember life without her. She was always looking up at me; her eyes were the darkest, sweetest brown. Over the first decade and a half of our shared life, we played with the same nappy toys, fought over whose turn it was to use the telephone, and gradually sampled illicit substances together.
The Pros and Cons of Obtaining a Job Reference from a Current Employer
The purpose of a reference check is to verify a candidate’s credentials (education, dates of employment, job title, etc.) and generally assess a candidate’s suitability for the vacant job. In most cases, assuming the candidate has worked in the same industry for a few years, a reference from their previous employer may satisfy the above requirements.
The Law Graduate's Guide to Getting That First Role in the Legal Industry
You’ve finished university, you’ve achieved top marks in all your subjects, so now for the job hunt! Due to fierce competition, you haven’t quite managed to secure a graduate role, and those unpaid PLT positions are hard to find, so why not start as a legal secretary? You’ve got a law degree, so surely you’re more than qualified for a secretarial role, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, most law firms will not consider law graduates for secretarial roles.
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