Marlena Chertock's Newsletter

Photo by Miryam León on Unsplash When you were a kid, did you ever play the telephone game? A friend whispered something in your ear, then you turned to the person next to you and whispered it in theirs. They, in turn, passed on the message. And on and on and on. Until the last person in the circle or line says aloud what they’ve heard. Typically, the word or phrase is nothing like the original. Several years ago, nearly 1,400 artists played a game of telephone around the world.

Suicide prevention programs train employers and employees on skills to help colleagues in crisis Josh Rizzo leads workshops on mental health at schools, workplaces, and events like the Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference. Photos from Josh Rizzo. The suicide rate among U.S. construction workers is twice the national average, according to a study released last year by Purdue University and The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Celebrating "On that one-way trip to Mars" I had a dream come true ten years ago. My book On that one-way trip to Mars was published in May 2016 — which is somehow a decade ago! On that one-way trip to Mars is a book of space and body-inspired poetry. I meshed my love for outer space and space exploration with speculative sci-fi/sci-poetry about my bone disorder, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia.

On April 10, 2006, I went to school with a whiteboard and a sign around my neck, signaling to my teachers and peers that I was participating in the Day of Silence. My science teacher, who I didn’t realize at the time was gay, helped students at my high school organize. The day before, as he handed out whiteboards and dry erase markers, we discussed the purpose of the day and why we were taking part.

It’s been one year since my hip replacement. Time is a weird, fluid thing. It feels like it’s only been a few months since surgery, but at the same time my body can tell it’s been longer because I’m walking better than pre-surgery and I “graduated” from physical therapy (PT). Really — they gave me a certificate and everything! My six-month post-op X-ray. Check out that artificial hip! Apparently, I was very inappropriate while the anesthesia wore off. That stuff is no joke.

I reached a milestone in freelance writing this year — 100 articles written for Electrical Contractor Magazine! The magazine, in existence since 1935, is published by the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) and focuses on topics related to the electrical construction sector. It’s a very niche audience, which is typical for industry magazines.

What’s your favorite cookie? Is it gooey, fresh out of the oven? Does it have a sprinkle of sea salt on top? My poem “Puberty cookies”, published in eff-able: a spicy anthology of queer crip poetry, describes a hilarious memory from my Jewish summer camp where we baked body- and genital-inspired cookies. I’ve been writing a collection of poems all about summer camp for several years. I’d love to share more of them with you soon, and hopefully the full book one day.

The online book launch of eff-able: a spicy anthology of queer crip poetry is this Sunday, July 13, at 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. EST / 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. BST. The anthology, published by fourteen poems, shines a light on a marginalized part of the LGBTQ+ community and focuses on all aspects of the erotic and sensual bodily experience for queer disabled people.

Next month is National Pride Month! Here in the District, there’s a LGBTQ+ literary festival at the DC Public Library at the end of May and tons of queer events to attend in June. May 17-June 8 | multiple locations Washington, D.C. is hosting WorldPride this year, on the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in the city.

Somehow, we’re already five months into the new year. And yet it still feels like March 2020 at the same time. With all of the chaos engulfing America at this moment, I hope celebrating the one-year anniversary of a new lit mag, and my poems they chose to publish, will bring some solace. If not, seek out other poetry, or writing, or art of any kind. Make your own! Find some way to practice joy, just for you.