Excerpt from “Men Behaving Badly”

As she teetered into her forties, she was most surprised by the heavy stream of twenty-somethings (and even teens) who flirted with her. And it wasn’t just the bots on Instagram: real-life young men seemed to want her more than they ever had.

It made no sense.

And yet, it made perfect sense.

Excerpt from “Who Wants to Marry a Savant?”

My heart is the size of a whale—not a whale’s heart—an actual whale. 

Letter to My Rapist (Part 2)

I’m a Monster
I’m a Maven
I know this world is changing
Never gave in
Never gave up
I’m the only thing I’m afraid of.

No matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see. 

 

Excerpt from “Safe Mode”

Your Silence
Stings nearly as deeply as
His Violence

Light and Truth: Exhibit D

Excerpt from “Men Behaving Badly”

He brought over a 2007 Riesling and home-cooked tomatillo lime snapper.

“No wonder you texted me to heat up the oven. I was confused because you said I didn’t have to cook tonight, so I thought maybe you’d changed your mind. How long does this need to stay in?”

“Four minutes and twenty-three seconds–give or take.” He grinned with gentle confidence.

“Four minutes and twenty-three seconds it is!”

“I’ve barely had a chance to eat all day, but I wouldn’t mind dessert first.” He winked and gestured toward her bedroom.

“I’d totally be down . . . but it’s that time of the month, and we’ve only been dating for a few weeks, so I’m not quite comfortable with that yet.”

“You still get your period?”

 

Excerpt from “Who Wants to Marry a Savant?”

Oozing with insecurity
I couldn’t live in the moment,
Couldn’t embrace my own divinity

I burst into tears
When he compared me to a statue at the Louvre.

Excerpt from “Safe Mode”

You splattered me
Across the Internet
Because I made you feel invisible

And, therefore, invincible.

Excerpt from “Who Wants to Marry a Savant?”

 

“As you well know, being passive aggressive is not being assertive . . . ” Dr. Kim paused and gazed pensively at the ceiling. He folded his hands into his lap and continued: “But what few people realize is that being aggressive is also not being assertive. Passive aggressiveness and aggressiveness are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Assertiveness is in the happy middle.”

Excerpt from “Who Wants to Marry a Savant?”

I finalized the penultimate draft of Things Your Girlfriend Won’t Tell You (So I Will) five minutes before he thumped on my studio door.