lgbtq

Beyond my Wildest Dreams: Queer Joy at 60

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Mary Vermillion and Ben Thiel

This April brought me two new joys. I turned sixty, and I made my debut in Sinister Wisdom, the oldest lesbian literary journal in the U.S. me with Sinister Wisdom 132photo by Ben Thiel When I was in my thirties and forties, I never imagined that I’d be happy about turning sixty. In fact, I … Read more

National Coming Out Day at a Mercy University in the Red State of Iowa

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LGBTQ Mount Mercy

How should we celebrate National Coming Out Day in 2023 in the red state of Iowa? This was a key question at the most recent meeting of Mount Mercy University’s Faculty and Staff GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance). Let’s start with logistics: we’re marking National Coming Out Day after fall break because the actual day, … Read more

First Day of School Never Gets Old

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Mount Mercy University hill

This year marked my 29th first day of school as a professor at Mount Mercy, and my 37th as a teacher. If you count my student years, it was my 55th first day of school! That fresh fall start never gets old. Sure, there is sadness about leaving summer behind and having less time to … Read more

Poetry, The Bittersweet, and Literary Serendipity

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pen with variegated hosta

Serendipitous. Elated. Energized. That’s how I felt when I read the title poem of Andrea Cohen’s 2019 collection, Nightshade. On the surface, the short poem is about a plant:

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Quasi-Queer Quotes

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Mary Vermillion and two books of quotations

The new year has made me want to try something new with this blog. So in addition to my super sporadic essays, I’ve decided to post monthly collections of quotes. This first bunch includes mostly old favorites and a few from recent reading. After some of them, I’ve offered commentary. I let the quotes determine … Read more

Patient Urgency: Reading “The Immortalists” During the Pandemic

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The pandemic has amped up my sense of urgency, my desire to make good use of my time. One new action I took was to start a Zoom book club for Mount Mercy English students and faculty this summer. I figured the pandemic would leave many students at loose ends, unable to travel or work, … Read more

Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg Inspires Iowa City

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An openly gay Midwestern millennial mayor who is also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, an author of a memoir, and a newly declared US presidential candidate? Yes, please! Last night, I heard Mayor Pete Buttigieg (BOOT-edge-edge) inspire Iowa City. I went enticed by his identity, but I left impressed by his ideas. “Mayor … Read more