#txla

Excited to share that THE SPELLSHOP was selected for the Texas Library Association's 2025 Lariat Reading List of 25 outstanding fiction titles that are "simply a pleasure to read." Thanks so much, Texas librarians!

I'm grateful, honored, and particularly fond of the blurb they wrote to describe the book:

"This charming fantasy novel follows Kiela, a shy librarian, and her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz, as they flee from a coup with forbidden magic books. Navigating the world of illegal spellcasting in a cozy, magical setting, they find a community and we find a heartwarming story with endearing characters and a hope-filled touch of sweet romance."

hello buckaroos. the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION have issued a formal statement and apology which you can read at the attached link.

while i find the language used to discuss what was done a little unsatisfying, i would like to start by saying i appreciate anyone taking steps to prove love is real and make things right. the genuine feeling of ‘realizing you have made a mistake and hurt someone else’ is a terrible one, and i have so much empathy for this group as they reckon with their choices causing harm. i appreciate their apology.

i also think more good than bad has come from this situation. i am so thankful this happened to me (someone with a large social media presence) and not a smaller buckaroo author without the means to stand up for themselves. i think the next time someone comes to the TXLA with an accommodation need, they will hopefully be taken more seriously

lets trot down to business about specifics now. the TXLA has re-invited chuck to the original panel and even offered to take a moment at the top of the panel to talk about what happened. this is very kind of them and i will say THANK YOU. 

unfortunately i will also have to decline.

the fact that it took this much effort, social media backlash, and discussion to let me simply EXIST PHYSICALLY in a way that is authentic to myself is not a good sign. if this organization immediately questions an authors chosen presentation in this manner, i cannot imagine what my other accommodations would be met with.

sometimes i am at an event and i very quickly need extra space to breathe. sometimes i am at an event and i need special guides to help me along from place to place. these are not ‘big asks’ and every other conference has gladly provided them, but if the TXLA had this kind of initial reaction to my physical appearance, i cannot imagine them readily helping with my other needs without ‘proof’.

this is clearly not a safe place to trot for those who require additional accommodations. regardless of any apology, their ACTIONS have shown that people who appear unusual or unique are not welcome at this event on a subconscious level. i believe the TXLA have some serious inner work to do beyond this apology, and i believe this inner work will involve actions more than words.

but even more importantly i would like to make this very important point: IT DOES NOT MATTER IF MY MASK IS A DISABILITY AID OR NOT. i appreciate the way this discussion has allowed us to trot out some deep talks on autism and proved love in this way, but i think there is a much more important point at hand.

regardless of WHAT someone looks like, it is not the job of an event or conference to pick apart WHY. physical presentation can be a part of someones neurodivergence, or gender, or sexuality, but i can also just exist as a nebulous undefined part of their inner self. it can be a piece they are not ready to openly discuss yet. the guests at TXLA are authors (aka ARTISTS) and the idea that a conference dedicated to an ART is going to deny people with unique and unusual presentations for ANY reason is absurd. since when are we applying a ‘dress code’ to our artists?

without knowing it, i personally believe there is an element of the ‘good queer, bad queer’ phenomenon going on here. there is a push to say ‘LOOK we accept these marginalized groups and cultures’ but behind the scenes that means ‘we accept these marginalized groups and cultures who are quiet and speak in turn and wear the metaphorical suit and tie’. it is easy to show diversity when you only take on the voices that arent too ‘strange’.

to prove my point i ask you this: do you think orville peck would have FOR ONE SECOND been asked to perform at the texas library association event without his mask?

Rate: 7.5/10Strokes: butterfly, distance freestyle, breaststrokeBody Types: tall, slenderWow, it’s been a long time since my last post. Lots of swimming, recruiting stuff, and college app-things going on recently. My long course season just ended with Futures, and I didn’t quite reach my goals (tbh those were really ambitious and WHAT EVEN IS LONG COURSE) but I did get a new tech suit! Here’s how it held up:

Speedo LZR Racer X, Open Back  ($479 $335.29 $252.15)

At the time I bought this, the price was $335, but now SwimOutlet has marked it down further! I was a little hesistant at first, because most people I know that wear this suit are not breaststrokers, and therefore don’t need much hip and leg mobility in their races. Also, I heard a lot of horror stories of girls ripping ridiculous numbers of suits. But since my team is super stingy with money (it’s backed by a public university) and it was clear that Arena (our sponsor) was not going to give us anything unless we were going to Olympic Trials (2 girls did), US Open, or Summer Juniors, I just went with it.

To me, the compression was GREAT. It was almost too tight at first, in fact, and bordered on restrictive when deep breathing. I wore this suit to 3 different championship meets (Sectionals, STAGS, and Futures) for 10+ sessions, and the compression held up remarkable well. Under my friend’s recommendation, I purchased a 21- 2 sizes smaller than my Elite 2. I later learned most people of my size actually wore 23s, but my friend wears the same size suits as me, and as her team is Speedo-sponsored, was actually sized for it. Although most people wear their LZR Xs looser, I thought this size was perfect for me. A teammate who is roughly my size purchased the same suit in a 24 and complained it was a little loose after 3 sessions. (It did take me 40 minutes to put on the first time, but now it takes a little over ten.)

Comparatively, the LZR X lasts much longer than the Elite 2 in compression. Speedo’s new fabric technology claims to allow only for vertical stretching. This in combination with more durable qualities, the LZR X starts off more compressive and maintains that standard much better through multiple sessions. At the same time, though, I was able to move easily and swim breaststroke. This suit also features the same comfort straps of the Elite 2, virtually eliminating shoulder pain. There is an added feature of “ab activators” but I don’t know how accurate that name is.

Like Arena with the Carbon Flex, Speedo improved kinetic taping in this suit to facilitate movement by connecting major muscle systems and increase kinetic energy return through better stored potential energy.

The hydrophobic technology Speedo uses is top notch and does not fade for several sessions. Bouyancy-wise, I could feel a real difference in the position of my hips in my freestyle events. I felt like I was riding on top of the water, never swimming through.

In terms of fit, I think Speedo really improved their design. The old Elite 2 was geared more towards girls with curves, in my opinion. But in my experience, the majority of swimmers do not have that body type. The LZR X has a straighter fit, but with just enough give for girls with curves. The only complaint I have about design is the placement of the privacy panels on the chest. They’re a bit narrow, and my teammate and I have both had minor, barely noticeable wardrobe malfunctions where the more transparent fabric was over what needed to be covered.

The purple suits.

Rate: 9.5/10

Strokes: all, especially freestyle and backstroke