This moment. I just want to live in this moment. Sitting on the floor of my Spiritual Mother’s home between the legs of this magnificent human being that I love while they oil, part and cornrow my hair. They know the history in this hair They know being yanked around by mothers on Sundays They…

Had a friend A gay man of color who came from a middle class family, made good money. When Trump was elected he told me I was being silly for my fears He told me I was being over-emotional, the things I and other people were saying were not going to happen. I’m horrified that…

A few months ago I yelled at my birth mother. Not raise my voice yelling Lost my shit yelling We’re Black and Southern and raised in the church and debutantes. We don’t yell We’ll Jenifer Jeanette Lewis each other to death but we don’t do yelling I remember being simultaneously horrified and relieved. We said…

TW: Eating disorder * * * * * * * * * * I live with an eating disorder. I don’t talk about it because I’m not sure if I can keep my slap hand off of people who will inevitably respond “oh that’s why you’re fat” Depending on the trigger I’ll either stop eating…

I can’t smell It’s fucked up but I’m like that dog in “Lady and the Tramp”. Flowers and farts go unnoticed but I can smell important things Not that flowers and farts aren’t necessarily important… I can smell the dead I can smell how they died or lived I can smell when I need to…

I was raised in your voice Precious Lord on the ride to church while I tugged at itchy crinoline and tried not to mess the perfect plaits my mother made Feet swinging off the floor in spinning salon chairs while Ms Reed scratched out my scalp… humming Until You Come Back to Me right into…

A while ago a producer said my voice inspired him to create a show. He said it was going to be a jazz show ,live music was going to be a focus. I noted that his main singer, main musicians, main performers were white and slender. I’ve only performed there once. Since then he’s said…

A friend reached out to me today. Someone I’ve known for over a decade. We don’t talk often but when we do it’s always been a bit transformative. She has a way of hitting the nail on the head with precision and a gentleness that I’ve only seen in people who are truly strong. I…

While looking for photos to send as a headshot for a panel I tripped across this one. I think this is from my first photoshoot with Ryan Donahoo. It was the first time that I felt so effortlessly glamorous, interesting and unique. I’ve had great photoshoots before but I have always been aware of the…

 (Trigger warning: sexual abuse/violence/racism) * * * This is why I’ll always flinch when you touch me. Because at 13 in a crowded wave pool on a sunny southern Sunday I had to choose between drowning and biting my tongue when he slipped a hand under my bathing suit and forced two fingers inside of…