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A biblical story of difference that is "healing and transformational" --THEY reviewed #amreading #FaithfullyLGBTQ
I thought I would post a wonderful review of my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (published by Adelaide Books). The review is written by the author Andrew Ramer, who contacted me out of the blue after he read THEY. I was delighted with the review and hope you are too! THEY review by Eli Andrew In this challenging time, when we're surrounded by stories that seek to ground us in limiting cultural narratives of violence, war, and separation, how wonderfully eng
Janet Mason
14 hours ago2 min read


In Praise of Libraries -- #amreading #NationalLibraryWeek
I wanted to repost this in honor of National Library Week. Libraries have been extremely crucial to my development as a writer, from childhood to my many phases of adulthood. There was always a library -- and a book -- just when I needed it. When I heard about National Library Week, I immediately wanted to blog about libraries. But my deep belief in libraries is too large to be contained in one week. When I heard that the Free Library of Philadelphia had ordered multiple copi
Janet Mason
Apr 252 min read


I AM the WOLF: unveiling a new novel--#ecofiction #Amazonrainforest #amreading #EarthDayeveryday #EarthDay2026
In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd repost this excerpt from my novel in process, I AM the WOLF, a novel of ecology and rewilding. Recently, I was delighted to find out that an excerpt from my recently finished novel I AM the WOLF, a novel of ecology and rewilding, has been published by Down in the Dirt literary magazine. The standalone short fiction excerpt is recorded below on YouTube, and the text is pasted below that. Enjoy! Shedding tears for the Amazon rainforest and “
Janet Mason
Apr 228 min read


Lesbian Visibility in Loving Artemis -- from missing library books to marriage equality #LesbianVisibilityWeek #amreading #LGBTQhistory
In honor of Lesbian Visibility Week, I thought I'd post a brief excerpt from my novel Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage published by Thorned Heart Press. The novel is a coming-of-age story set in the 1970s, when lesbians were quite invisible. I've recorded an excerpt for YouTube and posted the text below that. Grace walked over to the subject side and scanned the small drawers until she came to K - R. She opened the drawer and flipped throug
Janet Mason
Apr 182 min read


"We all come from somewhere"--Innocencia by Emily Murphy reviewed #amreading #novels #WeAreAllImmigrants
This week, I'm posting a short review I did of an interesting book I just read titled Innocencia , written by Emily Murphy. I recorded the book below for Book Tube and pasted the text below that. Innocencia , a novel by Emily Murphey, is set in the past and follows a young peasant girl at the dawn of the twentieth century in Mexico and the circumstances that may have led to her becoming the author’s grandmother. It is a story that the author, in the preface, tells us that her
Janet Mason
Apr 113 min read


Happy Spring! -- a #poem for #HappyEaster2026 #FaithfullyLGBT #amreading
Happy Spring! In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd post this short poem that I wrote decades ago -- when I primarily wrote poetry. The YouTube video is below, and the text is under that. Enjoy! Jesus is a daffodil! (by Janet Mason) How exciting--our first daffodil! You can get copies of my books at your local library, your local bookstore, or wherever books are sold online. For more information on my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders published by Adelaide
Janet Mason
Apr 31 min read


Learning from trans people--THEY revisited for #TransVisibilityDay #amreading #FaithfullyLGBTQ
We all have a lot to learn from trans people, including the bravery it takes to step outside the lines, and in rethinking what we were taught about gender. In honor of the 2026 Trans Day of Visibility (which should be every day), I'm offering this brief section of my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders . The recorded version is below, and under that is the text. "You're acting like a baby, and we already have a baby," said Zerah, holding up one of the larger figurin
Janet Mason
Mar 292 min read


Elves And Other Magic in the Universe--#BreadofAngels reviewed, #PattiSmith #amreading
I just finished reading Bread of Angels , the new memoir by Patti Smith, and am posting a mini-review below (recorded for Book Tube). The text of the review is below that. I thoroughly loved the book and hope you enjoy the review! Bread of Angels , the new memoir by Patti Smith, reads like an epic poem that begins in her childhood, where she begins, “Laying down my pen, I find myself humming a melody of long ago, a song of the swampy woodland where I once lingered beneath fas
Janet Mason
Mar 273 min read


Paying Attention with Patti Smith--inspired by Bread of Angels #amreading #meditation #PattiSmith
I was so pleased to be asked to participate in a Unitarian Universalist service focusing on the work of Patti Smith, in particular her latest memoir, Bread of Angels. Below is a brief reflection and meditation that I wrote for the Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy. When I heard Patti Smith say, on a talk show, that she lives in her imagination, I immediately related. As a writer, I have spent a good deal of my life in my imagination, and now I find myself focusing more and
Janet Mason
Mar 213 min read


The Cat Goddess Bastet -- Women's History and #cats in The Unicorn, The Mystery #amreading #WomensHistoryMonth
Inspired by Women's History Month, I decided to repost this UU talk. It focuses on gardening and the Goddess Bastet, based on a talk I presented at the Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy. The Goddess Bastet, from ancient Egypt, is often presented as having the head of a cat and the body of a woman. I wrote this piece when I was writing my novel, The Unicorn, The Mystery (around 2018-2019). The novel was published in 2020 by Adelaide Books (New York; Lisbon). This morning, I
Janet Mason
Mar 134 min read


Cats and Nuns in The Unicorn, The Mystery -- #cats #WomensHistoryMonth2026 #amreading
Since it is women's history month, I thought I would post a brief excerpt from my novel The Unicorn, The Mystery (Adelaide Books; New York; Lisbon) from a section that centers on two nuns who live in the abbey where the unicorn lives (the novel is based in 1390 and was inspired by the unicorn tapestries now in The Museum of Modern Art). These two nuns, who happen to be in love with each other, keep a secret cat (cats were forbidden in the Middle Ages and often thought of as r
Janet Mason
Mar 72 min read


LGBTQ History in Loving Artemis-- finding ourselves in #LGBTQHistoryMonth #amreading
I was inspired by LGBTQ history month, to read a brief excerpt from my novel, Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage . The YouTube video is below and under that is the written text. Grace walked over to a table and put her backpack on it. She pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened it, then pulled out her three-ring notebook. She flipped it open, staring down at the words on the page where she had written Art's suggestions: The Stonewall Rebelli
Janet Mason
Feb 282 min read


Lesbian nuns in the Middle Ages--The Unicorn, The Mystery revisited for #LGBT history month #amreading
“I was in such agony, staying away from you, Heloise,” confided Isabella. “I knew the Mother Superior was on to us and I didn’t want to make her even more angry.” “I told you there is no pleasing the Mother Superior. She’s always angry. I think she was born that way.” Heloise giggled. “Sshh,” Isabella admonished. “Someone might hear you. We are not allowed to talk in the abbey.” “We are not allowed to talk anywhere,” retorted Heloise. If she sang in the choir — if women were
Janet Mason
Feb 212 min read


Joseph's Coat of Many Colors in THEY--#LGBTHistory as heard at the village well
Since we're in LGBTQ history month, I have decided to post a short excerpt from my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books, New York and Lisbon). After all, our history goes back quite a long time. This excerpt has to do with a popular Bible story--Joseph's Coat of Many Colors--as heard at the village well. I recorded this brief excerpt below and under that is the text. Judith rolled her eyes. "I like being part of public life. What I don't find out fro
Janet Mason
Feb 132 min read


Rereading the biography of Alain Locke — #TheHarlemRenaissance #LGBTQ #intersectional #amreading #blackhistorymonth
I decided to repost this review because it talks about the life of Alain Locke, someone who embodies both African American history and is also an important figure in LGBTQ history. Although both African American history and LGBTQ history are in February, I think they should be honored year-round. This week, I decided to post a review of the biography on Alain Locke, a key figure in starting the Harlem Renaissance. I have long been fascinated by the figure of Alain Locke – who
Janet Mason
Feb 74 min read


CINNAMON, another intelligent cow (with Veronika)--reasons to #govegan #amreading
Inspired by Veronika, the cow who lives in Austria, and has created a stir because someone has observed that she can use tools (precisely, she uses a long-handled brush to scratch her back), I am posting a brief excerpt from my novel CINNAMON, a dairy cow's (and her farmer's) path to freedom (published by Adelaide Books in New York and Lisbon). I wrote CINNAMON after spending time with a few cows at a dairy farm (and seeing how intelligent they are) and then, with my partner
Janet Mason
Jan 303 min read


Reading from a published excerpt of a new novel: I AM the WOLF, a novel of ecology and rewilding
This week, I thought I'd post a published excerpt from my novel in process, I AM the WOLF, a novel of ecology and rewilding . This excerpt, titled "The Wolves," is published in the academic journal Phenomenal Literature , Vol. 10 , based in India. The excerpt is recorded below for YouTube, and the text is pasted below that. The Wolves “The production of animal products for human consumption takes up much land that could be returned to its original wild natural state. Conside
Janet Mason
Jan 243 min read


Some thoughts on a cow's consciousness--CINNAMON excerpted #amreading #govegan
Recently, I've been exploring the relationship between consciousness and physics. That is, I thought I was learning about consciousness. When I came across a paragraph from my novel CINNAMON, a dairy cow's (and her farmer's) path to freedom (Adelaide Books -- New York & Lisbon), that I picked out for my vegan spirituality group, I realized that consciousness has been with me all along. This brief excerpt from CINNAMON is recorded below on YouTube. The text is pasted below th
Janet Mason
Jan 162 min read


Some thoughts on being accused of being in a cult: #veganuary #amreading
I usually ignore insults hurled at me online. After all, I have plenty of experience fielding harassment. Most often, it's for my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders. Occasionally, I get insulted because I am vegan. The last comment I received gave me pause. "That's rich," I said to my partner. "A self-identified MAGA person accusing me of being in a cult." This made me consider the definitions of "cult" and "culture." Isn't the Western Diet based on a cult funded b
Janet Mason
Jan 92 min read


Growing stronger with religion: Revisiting THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders #FaithfullyLGBT #amreading
This week, I thought I'd post a very short excerpt from my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books; New York & Lisbon). The video is posted below, and under that is the text. I've been revisiting this novel because it is so often harassed, which tells me that the novel is still needed and is striking nerves. I've been told on numerous occasions that I'm "going to hell" and that my message is "disgusting." Each time that I've been harassed, the result is
Janet Mason
Jan 32 min read
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