Balloon Tied to an Anchor

I've just ordered What The Night Demands after watching a few of your poems on YouTube. It was a challenge to find somewhere in little old England to order it from, but the task is now complete and I'm way too excited for it to be delivered.

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:38:00 -0400

Ah! yay! Thank you so much! I’m so excited to know the book is making its way overseas. Hopefully someday soon I can follow it in that direction…

Hey World, have YOU ordered your copy of What the Night Demands? You can HERE.

when did you first realize you were a guy stuck in the wrong body? and are you still with the girl your poem "apples" was talking about?

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:23:00 -0400

I first realized I was a trans man in 9th grade, and really, I prefer not to think of it as being “stuck” in the wrong body, because hey, that’s still my body, and I think it’s part of my work as someone transitioning to learn to love and care for my body. So in that sense, thinking of myself as stuck is pretty counterproductive. (And of course, that’s just my opinion and not an overall trans* experience!) But to answer your question, 9th grade, and I started coming out as trans later in high school.

As far as the woman from We Eat an Apple in My Bed, no, we are not still together, but that has little to do with the poem, and a lot more to do with being two people who just weren’t all that right for each other at all. (I am with a woman though, who happens to be pretty incredible.)

I think, though, that as I was thinking about this question, which is probably more than you bargained for as an answer, I really began to question the idea of relationships as a trans person, and how much responsibility I have as an educator/understanding person and how much I’m allowed to just say “fuck it! You don’t understand, you don’t deserve me!” I honestly couldn’t say where my line is, but I know that today my cut off place would be much different than it was 3 years ago when I wrote Apple. And that has a lot to do with being more comfortable with my body and my queer identity than I was then.

So I’m not entirely sure why you asked, but I hope that answers your question and hopefully the question behind the question.

Cheers!

We Eat an Apple In My Bed

Sun, 12 May 2013 23:01:00 -0400

We’ve been kissing for months. Three times a week our toothbrushes share a chipped porcelain mug in my bathroom. As my lips reach for the juice falling from her laugh, her mom calls. I listen as she talks about Biology, her new job, asks about her sister. Her eyes drop as she whispers, No, I still don’t have a boyfriend.

On cue, I stop chewing. She looks at me, waiting for my face to flush, for me to tear from the bed, but I won’t get mad at her. She shouldn’t have to explain why we can’t go swimming in public, why I don’t own a razor, why she doesn’t need to buy birth control. She hangs up the phone; I pick up the fruit, tell her Apparently, there’s a tiny amount of cyanide in apple seeds.

She shrugs, says she can handle a little danger, but I’ve studied how her dimples disappear when she lies, and I know she’s thinking about a man she could parade around her family, who could kiss her scratchy with stubble. The kind of man I’ll never be.

She squeezes my hand in the movie theater dark but tosses it to the side in front of her friends. Says she just needs time. She walks on the sidewalk. I walk in the street. She closes the door. I kiss it goodnight. She goes home for Thanksgiving. I promise not to call.

If I were a postcard, she could hide me in her pocket. If I were clay, she could mold my body into something easier to love. If I were the guy who sells her a cup of coffee every morning. I could smile at her anonymously, safe as a stranger.

She kisses down my neck, my peel hiding the rotten fruit inside me. As I tell her about the cyanide, her head resting on my chest, she talks about cider, autumn pies. See, she says, Apples are harmless. But she saves the last bites for me, scared to let her lips wander too close to the core.

(From my new book, What the Night Demands, available HERE)

meganfalley: THIS IS TONIGHT

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:46:24 -0400

meganfalley:

THIS IS TONIGHT

gospel-stitch: A poster and handbill flier set that I designed...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:04:36 -0400

gospel-stitch:

A poster and handbill flier set that I designed for Miles Walser for the release party for his book What the Night Demands. If you are in the Brooklyn area on May 10th you should check him out! If not, look him up on YouTube!

Yes! Check out this incredible poster and flier that Molly made for me! And also please please come through on Friday! I want to see you all there!

megan falley: Friends & Followers,

Sun, 05 May 2013 20:25:07 -0400

megan falley: Friends & Followers,:

meganfalley:

I want to thank you.

I have been living as a full-time writer since September and it has been the most beautiful dream. Without you— you who bought books, you who came to shows, who flew me out to your college, who sent sweet tumblr messages, who reblogged, who told a friend about my work, who…

COMING SO SOON!

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:02:13 -0400

My book release party is NEXT WEEK!

Come out to Launchpad in Brooklyn and help me celebrate the birth of my first collection of poetry!

Readings by Jon Sands! Aaron Samuels! Megan Falley! and ME!

It’ll be a super duper night, I promise you. Pinkie swear.

Peep the facebook event HERE

meganfalley: NEW POEM ALERT Hey friends! Here’s an artsy-fartsy...

Wed, 01 May 2013 06:29:37 -0400

meganfalley:

NEW POEM ALERT

Hey friends! Here’s an artsy-fartsy video of my brand new poem “The Balance” (after Rachel McKibbens). If you “like” it on YouTube, you could help me secure a second book deal with Write Bloody Publishing. Please spread this around and go hard with that liking-finger and reblog button. I love you, and I root for you.

HEY YOU. Go to youtube and “Like” this video. You’ll not only be helping someone I love dearly, but you’ll be supporting a phenomenal artist trying to win her second book deal with Write Bloody Publishing. It is more than worth the 2 minutes of your time to watch this incredible poem.

Breaking the binary

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:30:05 -0400

Breaking the binary:

In which my old college features me in their newspaper!

Uninterested in flight delays.

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:35:37 -0400

Uninterested in flight delays.

Aracelis Girmay

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:41:05 -0400

Aracelis Girmay

Tomorrow! This! It’ll be fun and poem-tastic and full of...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:19:40 -0400

Tomorrow! This! It’ll be fun and poem-tastic and full of dialogue!

This book is my new baby and I will absolutely be practicing...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:29:31 -0400

This book is my new baby and I will absolutely be practicing attachment parenting.

IT’S HERE!

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:18:39 -0400

IT’S HERE!

buttonpoetry: Janani - “trans/national” (CUPSI 2013) “My...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:58:04 -0400

buttonpoetry:

Janani - “trans/national” (CUPSI 2013)

“My testosterone is now made by Israel’s largest company. There is colonization running through my bloodstream.”

Janani, of Stanford University, performing during semifinals at the 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

30 Under 30 18/30: Miles Walser

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:24:00 -0400

30 Under 30 18/30: Miles Walser:

In which nice things are said about my work that make me incredibly bashful.

That moment of absolute horror when you realize that you’ve been listening, for two years now,...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:23:04 -0400

That moment of absolute horror when you realize that you’ve been listening, for two years now, to one of your absolute favorite albums with the tracks IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER NOT THE INTENDED ALBUM ORDER.

I could throw up, I’ve never hated the alphabet more.

Photo

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:15:41 -0400

Book Release Party!

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:07:00 -0400

Hey Friends!
Are you in Brooklyn? Are you somewhere close enough to fly, drive, bike, walk, or swim there by May 10th? Dope.

Do you like poetry?

Food?

Music?

Do you like Megan Falley? Aaron Samuels? Jon Sands?

Do you like me? (Wait don’t answer that actually.)

I’ll see you HERE then.

I need a poster-flavored favor!

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:49:21 -0400

Hey Friends! Do any of y’all graphically-skilled folks have interest and time to help me with an itty-bitty poster project? (Spoiler: it’s for my book release!)

If you’re interested, shoot me an email: miles.j.walser@gmail.com

Thank you in advance! Y’all are the best.