Black Lipstick Turns 1!

What's new + a year in review.

One year ago, on my birthday, I created Black Lipstick in the wake of a loss.

I didn’t know what I would do with this space exactly, but I knew it was sparkling and salient and needed my energy.

And I’m so proud of what it’s become.

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of publishing some truly incredible writers. I got to interview my favorite reality star. I co-hosted the first live Black Lipstick reading in New York with the Miss Manhattan Nonfiction Reading Series, a dream come true. I’ve had the honor of giving multiple emerging writers their first paid assignments. And now, I’m thrilled to announce that Black Lipstick is now an official home for work by women and queer incarcerated writers, via a new partnership with Empowerment Avenue:

“Empowerment Avenue's mission is to normalize the inclusion of incarcerated writers and artists in mainstream venues by bridging the gap between them and harnessing this creative proximity as a path to de-carceration and public safety. For this partnership we will provide support to women and queer-identifying writers who are incarcerated to publish their stories with Black Lipstick.”

In a publishing landscape historically stacked against incarcerated writers, and non-cis-male incarcerated writers even more so, I feel lucky to be in a position to help bring their invaluable work out into the world. Read the inaugural essay by writer and peer recovery specialist Mithrellas Curtis:

As always, thank you for reading, sharing, subscribing, supporting. It’s nothing without you.