New Essay on Open Secrets Magazine
Am I My Pen Name?
Hello friends! We are well into summer now with hot humid nights and hotter more humid days. I hope you’re all keeping cool and getting some downtime to enjoy yourselves.
A few weeks back I wrote an essay for Rachel Kramer Bussel about what it was like writing about sex under a pen name. It dives into how it was both a freeing experience and a limiting one.
On a personal note, it’s also the first essay/article I’ve had published with my given name, which was an interesting and complicated decision to make. It feels like a big jump but also a good one, and I’m grateful for Rachel for giving me the opportunity.
The essay went live today, and I thought you might enjoy giving it a read, along with a slew of other fantastic essays by some brilliant writers.
Otherwise, I’m still working through what my future as a writer might look like, along with making some career decisions of a more general nature. It’s not a fast process, but it has been an in-depth one, and I’m making the space to enjoy it and recognize it as a huge privilege.
I’m also making slow headway on my novel, The Oyster Queen, but it’s still moving and that’s what is important. I’m otherwise journaling and occasionally trying to find my new/ish voice as I dip my toe back into writing about sex, sexuality, and my messy little town of NYC.
Best to you all and happy summer!
Ben
Always happy to see your posts, man!