Blended Family
Published 2016
The Southampton Review
Things like sofas and chairs we bought new
rugs too—except for that old sisal runner
I nailed to the stairs so the kids wouldn’t slip
spending $500 on a vintage velvet wingback we tried
in three spots before returning…the long brown hard
couch was also probably a mistake though
we made it work
things we had doubles of we simply used
both– chef’s knives, wine glasses, dessert plates,
cereal bowls, what didn’t mix or match
we alternated
the cutlery alone jumbled together, thrown in
a too-small drawer, spoons and forks mismatched so
they refused to nest one atop another, tangling
tumbling scratching instead
we used it all, sitting on this and sipping
from that and laughing living pretending we were
cereal bowls, likely knowing we were cutlery
About
Awards
Columbia Journal: First Place Winner, 2020 Nonfiction Award for autobiographical essay “HYBRID”
Beyond Words Literary Magazine: Winner, 2020 Dream Challenge “Kaden has Covid”
The Maine Review: Hon. Mention, 2021 Embody Award for essay “HIDEOUS”
Sunspot Lit: Finalist, 2020 Inception Contest Flash Fiction “Before and After”
Streetlight Magazine: Hon. Mention, 2020 Essay Contest “Finding Barbie’s Shoes”
Gival Press: Finalist, Oscar Wilde Award 2021 for poem “Self-Portrait at Age 9 as Albert Cashier”
Craft Literary: Hon. Mention, 2021 Flash Fiction Award
North American Review: Finalist, 2020 Kurt Vonnegut Prize
Get in Touch
Recent Work
The First Time I Consider Ending My Life I Am Four – Room Magazine
The Day After Wikipedia Still Lists Her in Present Tense – The Southampton Review
The Name Dropper – The Maine Review
My Earliest Self is a Boy… – Electric Lit
T – The Rumpus
Denny and Me – Passengers Journal
Small-Town Nonsense – The East Hampton Star
A Conversation with Morgan Talty – The Rumpus
My Avatar (aka afab perpetrates heteronormative relationship) – Holy Gossip
What Goes Around – EAST Magazine
The Liar – The Normal School
I Drew a House – The Rumpus
More
HYBRID – Columbia Journal
Blended Family – The Southampton Review
There are No Baked Potato Chips in Palm Beach – Dash Literary Journal
Last Night I Dreamed My Mother Was Carl Reiner and I Was Sad She Died – Bangalore Review
Time Will Tell – The Fiddlehead (Excerpted from Winter 2023 Print Journal)
Parallel Family – Harvard Review
Finding Barbie’s Shoes – Streetlight Magazine
Deformed – RFD Magazine
#2486 – The Southampton Review
On Drinking – Stonecoast Review
My Last Dress – The Sun Magazine
Reviews and Interviews
Misperceptions, Assumptions, and Slurs: Jackie Domenus's No Offense – The Rumpus
A Conversation with Morgan Talty – The Rumpus
Naming Stars: An Interview with Andrés N. Ordorica – The Massachusetts Review
Interview by J Brooke of Hotel Cuba’s author Aaron Hamburger – Streetlight Magazine
J Brooke’s Reading Recommendations – The Fiddlehead
Two New Series Bravely Lose The Labels – Incluvie Film Review
Review of Melissa Febos’ Girlhood – Glint Journal
Review of Susan Conley’s Landslide – Streetlight Magazine
Interview with Massachusetts Review
Interview with Stonecoast Review
Blended Family
Published 2016
The Southampton Review
Things like sofas and chairs we bought new
rugs too—except for that old sisal runner
I nailed to the stairs so the kids wouldn’t slip
spending $500 on a vintage velvet wingback we tried
in three spots before returning…the long brown hard
couch was also probably a mistake though
we made it work
things we had doubles of we simply used
both– chef’s knives, wine glasses, dessert plates,
cereal bowls, what didn’t mix or match
we alternated
the cutlery alone jumbled together, thrown in
a too-small drawer, spoons and forks mismatched so
they refused to nest one atop another, tangling
tumbling scratching instead
we used it all, sitting on this and sipping
from that and laughing living pretending we were
cereal bowls, likely knowing we were cutlery
Recent Work
The First Time I Consider Ending My Life I Am Four – Room Magazine
The Day After Wikipedia Still Lists Her in Present Tense – The Southampton Review
The Name Dropper – The Maine Review
My Earliest Self is a Boy… – Electric Lit
T – The Rumpus
Denny and Me – Passengers Journal
Small-Town Nonsense – The East Hampton Star
A Conversation with Morgan Talty – The Rumpus
My Avatar (aka afab perpetrates heteronormative relationship) – Holy Gossip
What Goes Around – EAST Magazine
The Liar – The Normal School
I Drew a House – The Rumpus
More
HYBRID – Columbia Journal
Blended Family – The Southampton Review
There are No Baked Potato Chips in Palm Beach – Dash Literary Journal
Last Night I Dreamed My Mother Was Carl Reiner and I Was Sad She Died – Bangalore Review
Time Will Tell – The Fiddlehead (Excerpted from Winter 2023 Print Journal)
Parallel Family – Harvard Review
Finding Barbie’s Shoes – Streetlight Magazine
Deformed – RFD Magazine
#2486 – The Southampton Review
On Drinking – Stonecoast Review
My Last Dress – The Sun Magazine
Reviews and Interviews
Misperceptions, Assumptions, and Slurs: Jackie Domenus's No Offense – The Rumpus
A Conversation with Morgan Talty – The Rumpus
Naming Stars: An Interview with Andrés N. Ordorica – The Massachusetts Review
Interview by J Brooke of Hotel Cuba’s author Aaron Hamburger – Streetlight Magazine
J Brooke’s Reading Recommendations – The Fiddlehead
Two New Series Bravely Lose The Labels – Incluvie Film Review
Review of Melissa Febos’ Girlhood – Glint Journal
Review of Susan Conley’s Landslide – Streetlight Magazine
Interview with Massachusetts Review
Interview with Stonecoast Review
About
Awards
Columbia Journal: First Place Winner, 2020 Nonfiction Award for autobiographical essay “HYBRID”
Beyond Words Literary Magazine: Winner, 2020 Dream Challenge “Kaden has Covid”
The Maine Review: Hon. Mention, 2021 Embody Award for essay “HIDEOUS”
Sunspot Lit: Finalist, 2020 Inception Contest Flash Fiction “Before and After”
Streetlight Magazine: Hon. Mention, 2020 Essay Contest “Finding Barbie’s Shoes”
Gival Press: Finalist, Oscar Wilde Award 2021 for poem “Self-Portrait at Age 9 as Albert Cashier”
Craft Literary: Hon. Mention, 2021 Flash Fiction Award
North American Review: Finalist, 2020 Kurt Vonnegut Prize