I’m thankful and humbled to have my creative nonfiction piece, Sex, Or, published in X-R-A-Y literary magazine on October 17th, 2022. For as long as I’ve been following the online literary world via Writing Twitter, X-R-A-Y literary magazine has been one of the preeminent online literary magazines I’m aware of. I’m not someone who writes creative nonfiction, fiction and/or poetry as often as other writers, nor am I someone, certainly, who prolifically submits their work for consideration to online literary magazines. However, when I do write something new, I do try to submit to a few different places. Sex, Or was rejected initially at a few different places and I did my usual figuring, “I’ll just post it on the blog.” Before I could go through with that line of thinking, it was accepted at X-R-A-Y and Jo Varnish in particular, whose work I’ve admired, sent me the acceptance, making it all the more sweeter. She called my creative nonfiction story a “searing, vulnerable piece.” And vulnerable is the word I think of because this piece does hit at one of the most vulnerable parts of my life. In fact, such a vulnerable place, I waited until the last two minutes of my fourth of four sessions with my therapist to throw it at her.
Here is an excerpt:
Sex, or how depression knows no land for which its long shadow can’t reach. Unbeknownst to you, you were in a ménage à trois with me and depression and I was only able to pleasure one of you.
If you feel so inclined, please read the full story on X-R-A-Y’s site here.
Milam's Musings 