It’s June, it’s Pride, it’s cold, and after what feels like forever of being “in the final months of” my thesis, I have an official submission date! The PhDeadline is the 29th of July, and I hope you’ll all join me in celebration when that day comes along. In the meantime, though, there’s still editing and paperwork to be done. So in the meantime, take a look at what I posted this month!
On the blog
Queer YA Spotlight: Ophelia After All – a sweet figuring-yourself-out story feat. one deliciously melodramatic teen love polygon.
Queer YA Spotlight: She Gets the Girl – a top-tier corny rom-com with emotional weight that carries the shenanigans.
Queer YA Spotlight: I Kissed Shara Wheeler – come for the mystery about a runaway prom queen’s mind games, stay for the heartfelt and bittersweet exploration of growing up queer in a conservative area.
Do you like how the covers are following the progression of the rainbow? It happened by accident at first, but once I noticed Ophelia was orange and Girl was yellow, I simply had to arrange them just so. Yes, the next book I spotlight will be blue. Keep an eye out…
On AniFem
Queer Resonance and Critiquing Heteronormativity in Spy x Family – me, using action-comedy anime to talk about queer literary theory? It’s more likely than you think!
And don’t forget Patreon!
Yes, even though I keep forgetting to link to it, don’t you forget that it’s there! For $2 a month you get early access to all my blog posts, and for $5 you get a little bit of short fiction in your inbox once a month!
Web enjoyment
Multi-millionaire James Patterson recently expressed his distress that it was difficult for white male authors to find work in publishing and Hollywood these days. Which… well, I’m sure you can see the holes in that statement already, but here’s Jesse unpacking it for us.
The tumultuous yet triumphant history of Fun Home, the musical based on Alison Bechdel’s memoir graphic novel and a (still) rare example of queer storytelling in the safe and commercial world of Broadway musicals. CW for discussion of historical homophobia, current homophobic violence, and suicide.
How do you keep making art in a world that’s falling apart, and in a body and brain that don’t work like they’re “supposed to”? Maggie has no definitive answers, but she does have a very poetic short film.
How DARLING in the FRANXX Inspired a New York Times Bestselling YA Novel – Kim Morrissey in conversation with Xiran Jay Zhao about the anime frustrations that, in part, led to the creation of Iron Widow—and what its success might herald for the future of anime-inspired English-language fiction.
The Legacy of Hoshizora Meteo – early ’00s visual novels are a niche of a niche, but fiction in this area has springboarded the careers of some now-iconic writers and franchises (including my simultaneous bestie and worstie Urobochi Gen). Despite his influence, however, one creator from this era has largely been lost to time and tide. Adam Westcott explores his strange and impactful body of work.
What Role Are You Playing? Communication, Queerness, and Neurodivergence in Yuri is my Job! – in a genre often fuelled by miscommunication, Yuri is my Job digs deep into the masks its characters wear and really breaks down what makes connection between them difficult.
Being Trans is the Dark Souls of Gender: An Exploration in Parallels – fighting for safety in a dangerous world, body horror, and the grim catharsis of triumph by playing your way: there are many aspects of the Souls games that compare to Flora Eloise’s experiences as a recently out trans woman, and it’s unlocked a new appreciation for the notoriously gnarly game.
Misato Katsuragi Lives an Existential Millennial Nightmare – let’s throwback to this 2020 piece now that I’ve watched Evangelion, and let’s celebrate Misato and the struggle against despair (both cosmic and ordinary) that she represents.
The song on repeat this month is this new, catchy, Big Mood from Florence + the Machine (I’m fine, I promise).
Bonus: thank you, Lofi Girl, for your curated concentration playlists. I’ve trained myself to get a lot of work done while this music is on! Just… don’t keep staying up so late, okay? Even girls animated on loop need sleep.
That’s all for now folks, but I’ll see you again very soon! Take care out there.
The Afictionado 
Ahh! Congrats on being nearly done!