This summer has been sweltering and busy, but also a time of rest and recovery for me. Here is some writing that I did in June that I forgot to mention in my last roundup, as well as my work in July.

Caregiving, Depression, and Poetry– For the disability blog Rooted In Rights, I discussed how poetry helps me cope with depression as an unpaid family caregiver. As a caregiver and freelance writer, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to discuss the often overlooked experience of being a marginalized family caregiver.

Foggy Skies & Butterflies– Coincidentally, I also had a new poem published at the video game literary magazine Videodame on the same day my Rooted in Rights essay got published. This poem was inspired by me playing the video game Persona 4 Golden to cope with the aftermath of a traumatic incident I experienced as a caregiver dealing with the sudden onset of my mother’s dementia.

Mad Cave’s Bytchcraft issue 1 builds on its webcomic origins and serves as a lasting tribute to its creator– Right before I went on vacation at the end of June, I reviewed the first issue of the late Aaron Reese’s completed comic book series Bytchcraft. Since I reviewed the webcomic version of Bytchcraft three years ago and received heartfelt thanks from Aaron Reese, I wanted to honor their memory by reviewing the first issue of the new series.

Willow’s Music Helped Me Embrace My Femme Side– At the very end of Pride Month, Carefree Mag published my personal essay on how the music of Willow Smith helped me embrace my femme side as a Black-Asian genderqueer person. It had been a while since I got to do a music-related essay so I was happy to do this.

9 Comics XF Writers talk about James Gunn’s Superman– I had the pleasure of going to see the 2025 Superman movie by myself before being asked to participate in a roundtable on the film with my fellow Comics XF writers. This is the first time I’ve ever participated in a roundtable on a superhero film and it was fun to discuss the film’s high points and flaws.

Cinderella’s Castle Is What My Adult Self Needs Right Now– For Pop Heist, I wrote a review of Starkid Productions’ most recent stage musical Cinderella’s Castle, which starred Bryce Charles and is the second version of Cinderella I’ve seen with a Black female lead.

Queerly Nerdy July 2025: Finding Geeky Inspiration Along The Pop Culture Spectrum– Last but certainly not least, Pop Heist graciously gave my column Queerly Nerdy a new home! For July’s column, I talked about various LGBTQ+ folks in pop culture who inspire me as a queer nerd.