Dear Beloved Readers, Lovers, and Friends,
As those of you who have been following my Musings know, I set out earlier this year to use this forum to share the things that matter to me: the words I loved, the thoughts that shaped me, and the events that excited me.
I started this project with the belief that sharing these intimate readings and reflections would give you insight into who I am and what moves me. What I didn’t expect—but am so grateful for—is that this project has given back to me in kind: it has brought me thoughtful and generous clients and friends who have shared their passions, books, poems, and so much more with me!
Earlier this week, when I went through all of the 2022 Musings and collected their mentioned books, articles, poems, podcast episodes, etc. I was struck with a sense of nostalgia for all of the beauty that touched my life this year. I can’t wait to see what 2023 brings!
I thought I would share this list with you too, in hopes that it will also touch you in some way. I am looking forward to sharing more Musing—and so much more!—in the New Year!
You always know where to find me!
Academic Books:
Heather Berg: Porn Work: Sex, Labor and Late Capitalism
Jack Halberstam: The Queer Art of Failure
Bo Ruberg: Sex Dolls at Sea: Imagined Histories of Sexual Technologies
Jane Ward: Not Gay: Sex between straight white men
Memoirs:
Chris Belcher: Pretty Baby
Joan Didion: Blue Nights
Joan Didion: Where I Was From
Katherine May: Wintering: The power of rest and retreat in difficult times
Charlotte Shane: Prostitute Laundry
Ocean Vuong: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Essay Collections:
Justine Bateman: Face: One square foot of skin
David Whyte: Consolations: The solace, nourishment and underlying meaning of everyday words
Poetry Collections:
Tee Corinne: The Poetry of Sex: Lesbians Write the Erotic
Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother
Articles/Essays:
Kai Cheng (Autostraddle): Principles of Pride: Sex work is real work, sex workers are fucking revolutionary
Ronald de Sousa: Love as Theater
Jessie Sage: Kaytlin Bailey of Whores Eye View Shows Pittsburgh It’s Okay to Laugh About Sex
Jessie Sage: Pittsburgh Sex Worker on Why Monkeypox Vaccine Needs Expanded
Prayers/Poems:
David Wagoner: Lost
Novels:
Torrey Peters: Detransition Baby
Philip Roth: American Pastoral
Graphic Novels:
Nadia Shammas & Sara Alfageeh: Squire
Podcasts:
Everyone Against Conor Habib: Peter Rollins on Lacanian Analysis
On Being: Katherine May: How “wintering” replenishes
On Being: Jen Bailey: What we inherit and what we send forth
Television:
Music Videos:
Sweet Honey In the Rock: We Are (Juneteenth)
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
xo,
Cybele
