THE WORDERY
There’s writing in the forest, and then there’s writing in the crook of some supportive trees. 10/10, do recommend, with gratitude to my cats for teaching me the wisdom of “I fits, I sits.”
THE BEGINNING
Welcome to the premiere issue of
THE WORDERY, and thank you for reading and supporting my writing journey! Each edition, I’ll share insights from projects I’m working on and showcase excerpts of writing from authors and wordsmiths who influence me.
To kick things off, an introduction to:
What to expect
Where to find it
Why I’m doing things like this
LET’S GET INTO IT! 🌱
SPOILER ALERT: This is the gist of the tl;dr.
🆕 Issue 1✨
WHAT IS THIS?
An opportunity to stop and smell the roses…
My hope and intention for The Wordery is to celebrate my enduring love of the written word, cultivate my creative writing with a community, and recognize those who inform and inspire me along the way. I’ve been slinging words and nerding out about how to use them professionally for two decades and change now, sometimes at a pace that didn’t leave much time — or, let’s be real, energy — for my novel(s) or other personal projects. Now that I’m living with freelancer flexibility again, I’m making time for them.
Admittedly, after sending out dozens of cover letters and queries since my last steady gig got DOGE’d, writing anything longer than a post or thread on Bluesky was starting to feel like an exhausting chore. So, I’m freshening things up with a rotating newsletter that will encourage me to make progress on my projects and remind me that I’m so much more than a working cog in a capitalist machine. Plus, I get to explore a new platform and bring in some old school LiveJournal vibes! It’s a win-win!
POETRY, PROSE, AND OPINIONS AHEAD! 👇🏼
On Desk
NEW + IN PROGRESS
Baby’s first zine! I was delighted to be a part of this collaboration, and we’ll be printing and folding more soon, so get at me if you want some copies!
ZINE: MPLS, RANK 3!
Get details on candidates running for mayor in Minneapolis, ranked choice voting, and community resources!
I signed up for this accessible workshop, facilitated by an artist whose work I’ve enjoyed and appreciated for years as a student of the poetry of hip-hop.
POETRY: STUDY BUDDIES?
I’m def geeking out about this
at-your-own-pace course. If you’re attending too, let’s share notes!
My Patreon has seen many incarnations, but this phoenix is ready to rise from dusty ashes to burn, or at least block, AI.
PROSE: TBA ON PATREON
Find essays, short stories, chapters from novels in progress, longform poetry, and the occasional op-ed!
Find specific goals I’m working on, public polls, and get quick progress updates
each week on Ko-Fi.
FAST UPDATES: ON KO-FI
Longer than a Bluesky thread, shorter than a Patreon post, and more frequent than the beehiiv newsletters.
WHY HERE + NOW THO?
As was alluded to above and in the most recent Patreon update, this is quite a challenging time to be a writer, let alone a multiply marginalized one. The endless onslaught of AI slop threatening to take accessible gigs away from professional humans is simultaneously distressing and infuriating, and it’s hard to feel like I have any control at all over whether or not my words get hoovered up by the insatiable bubble tech I both despise and distrust. Nonetheless, I persist in my abstention and dissent, and I put my trust in people.
I’m a gold star editor and writer!
I am proud to be a certified AI hater, and I will never use AI in any of my creative or professional endeavors. In 2025, I’ve chosen to exist primarily on platforms that don’t require or directly feed ecologically murderous and ethically abhorrent AI systems. This is why you will find me posting on Bluesky daily but won’t catch me on Meta platforms or TikTok — and why I don’t scroll either. My accounts lay dormant while I reclaim my time and attention and refuse to give predatory social media my energy, likeness, and voice.
Never let a computer tell me shit!
Similarly, I am intentionally choosing to raise my voice on platforms that aren’t amplifying and enabling hate. Regrettably, LinkedIn, Meta, and YouTube all abandoned polices to counter anti-trans hatred, harassment, and discrimination, and Substack knowingly generates money for literal Nazis while broadening their reach and normalizing their views under the guise of being an influential new media that can be lucrative for intrepid indie publishers. Much like when I left Twitter, I hear many arguments about meeting people where they are; however, I cannot in good conscience associate myself with — or give effort that further enriches — opportunists who cozy up and pander to authoritarians as they participate in the technofascist push to mine our personal data for capitalism, using digital colonialism to install janky AI surveillance in every arena of life.
Sign me up for the Judith Butlerian Jihad plz.
I view these decisions as protective boundaries enabling me to pursue my artistry. Despite the current landscape and my increasingly pro-Luddite leanings, I want to enjoy sharing my creativity online. I fervently believe the ability to craft moving, evocative phrases and prose that resonates with embodied, cultural experience are distinctly human talents. I yearn to hone the tools of my trade without interference from AI, industry, or other external pressure — to the extent it’s possible to do so.
I also remember when self publishing on the Internet felt empowering and fostered durable connections. With beehiiv, I like that many writers I admire and respect migrated here, and the “natural” aspect of the cute hive symbol appeals to me as an ardent bee enthusiast. I hope this space will connect friends — new and old, especially since I do still enjoy playing around with emerging technologies that aren’t actively and acutely harmful.
“AI is the asbestos we are shoveling into the walls of our society and our descendants will be digging it out for generations,” he continued. futurism.com/future-socie... Whew! Love that he's not mincing words while calling on folks to bust the myth and burst the hellish techbro hype bubble.
— 🧣 Scarf-by Capa-cozy 🍄🍂 [Feral Edition] (@virtuistic.bsky.social) 2025-10-05T14:34:37.971Z
Thus, I’m going to give rotating, themed newsletters a spin to stretch my creative muscles, learn a new tool, and share thoughts and creations in digital locales that feel most aligned with my values and well-suited for planting an array of idea seeds in text. My hope is to keep things paywall-free and provide pathways for those with resources to support me financially if they feel so moved. Beyond that, I’m optimistic this can serve as a safe, inclusive space to explore a uniquely human art among supportive community. With this intro out of the way, subscribers can expect a rotating array of my creations and works in progress from here on out, along with musings on intention, meaning, and inspirations in the editions to follow. Thank you for coming along on this literary adventure.
Visionary Voice
GLORIA E. ANZALDÚA
Gloria Anzaldúa: Pioneering Chicana Feminist and Cultural Theorist | 1942 - 2004
As a mestiza I have no country, my homeland cast me out; yet all countries are mine because I am every woman’s sister or potential lover. (As a lesbian I have no race; my own people disclaim me; but I am all races because there is the queer of me in all races.) I am cultureless because, as a feminist, I challenge the collective cultural/religious male-derived beliefs of Hispanics and Anglos; yet I am cultured because I am participating in the creation of yet another culture, a new story to explain the world and our participation in it, a new value system with images and symbols that connect us to each other and to the planet. Soy un amasamiento, I am an act of kneading, of uniting, and joining that not only has produced both a creature of darkness and a creature of light, but also a creature that questions the definitions of light and dark and gives them new meanings.
As someone who embodies multiple identities that transgress against the patriarchy and defy easy categorization, this statement strongly resonated with me and inspires me. I first came across it while reading “Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution,” and read it repeatedly to savor the last sentence like a mantra. I look forward to exploring more of Anzaldúa’s works as I reconnect with my own mixed ancestry and help shape a biomimetic, inclusive, and queer feminist culture across borders.
Recommended Reading
INFO + INSPO
These pieces crossed my desk recently and had me snapping fingers and celebrating them as resources and models of good wordery:
It’s OK to be a Luddite!
💻 Large Language Muddle
A stirring polemic from the editors at n+1 mag.
How-To: Curate Exposure
📱 Guide: Protect Your Peace
Great suggestions for all social media users.
In defense of snobbery…
📺 Snob Comeback Time?
Cultural standards, a remedy for slop!
A Final Note
ANTI-AI EDITOR, WRITER AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
If you or someone you know would be interested in working with an editor who is accurate, responsive, and won’t leak confidential material to tech companies, please forward this newsletter and reply to get in touch! I’m happy to provide timeline estimates and quotes for a variety of projects, as well as sliding scale rates.
Similarly, if you or a publisher you know are commissioning writers who use tried and tested research methods — including ol’ fashioned tools like libraries — to produce authentic, trustworthy articles and educational media, I’m open to freelance opportunities, part-, and full-time positions!
For an intro to my background and to see a selection of past work, check out this short About Me + Portfolio summary. A detailed resume, references, and additional work samples can be available upon request.
Until next time,
Shelby
October 2025 - Word Nerdery and Sundry