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The Wordmatician: Tiffany Scales and the Power of Poetry

Posted on October 15, 2018
A photo of Houston poet Tiffany Scales.

The way Houston freestyle poet Tiffany Scales, a.k.a The Wordmatician, lights up when she talks about the power of poetry can only be compared to the way a hopeless romantic glows when they gush about the love of their life. Poetry is the way she learned how to read, the space she feels safest in, and the tool she uses to build a brighter tomorrow. On October 19, Scales’ first album, WRDMTCN, will be released into the world. This project is…

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Bitter, Brown, and Femme: Meet the Founder of Popular Feminist Page Xicanisma

Posted on September 25, 2018
A photo of Cassandra Alicia, founder of Xicanisma

Cassandra Alicia, the 29-year-old founder of the popular Chicana feminist social media page Xicanisma, isn’t afraid of making her 106,000 Instagram followers uncomfortable. In fact, her tagline is “dismantling oppressive isms through tears.” Her Instagram posts highlight an array of social justice issues through photos, art, memes, and screenshots. One post, for example, is in the popular bingo meme format that points out how violent anti-sex work rhetoric can be, especially in light of recent events where a border patrol…

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5 Southern Queer Artists That Defy Your Definition of Art

Posted on September 6, 2018
A photo of queer artists Douglas Welsh.

Queer artists are often expected to produce just that: queer art. As art lovers, we anticipate these artists’ visual masterpieces to reverberate with the queer lived experiences of their creators. Subsequently, we forget that, while queer art is an extension of the artist, it is not limited to a single facet of the maker’s identity.…

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Talk Derby to Me: Meet Houston Roller Derby ‘Super Friend’ Jason Davila

Posted on August 22, 2018
A fan of Houston Roller Derby fan Jason Davila.

Ask Jason Davila if he’s a Houston Roller Derby (HRD) super fan, and he’ll respond “no.” “I don’t consider myself a super fan because all I think of when you say ‘fan’ is someone who just goes to games and cheers on their favorite team,” he says. “I would say I am more of a super friend of Houston Roller Derby. I think that is what differentiates me from everyone else. Not only do I attend every game ([with the…

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One Man’s Ecstasy: Atlanta’s Serenbe Playhouse

Posted on August 21, 2018
A photo of Titanic at Serenbe Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia.

We wouldn’t be the first, second, or even third to use the word “intrepid” when describing the work produced by Serenbe Playhouse. The small professional theatre company, located about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta, performs all of its productions on a large expanse of acreage attached to The Inn at Serenbe. Founded in 2009, the playhouse has made a name for itself within the Georgia theatre scene, garnering national attention and press for its bold new works and reimagined classics…

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Book Review: ‘Less Than Butterflies’

Posted on August 17, 2018
A photo of the book cover of Less Than Butterflies by Anthony Ramirez.

Sex, drugs, and the gays of Houston. Just a few characters in the zephyr of cynicism, sarcasm, and witty one-liners that makes up author Anthony Ramirez’s third book, Less Than Butterflies. Ramirez, editor-in-chief of About magazine, comes clean—as clean as he can—in the autobiography, exploring his life as it was dragged through the underbelly of Houston’s raunchy gay scene. The book jumps from Montrose to Washington Heights, Midtown to Third Ward, and never a dull moment between them.…

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Singing With Soul: Jasmine Branch on Life After Pride Superstar

Posted on August 13, 2018
A photo of Pride Superstar 2018 Jasmine Branch, aka Jassyb.

“I just can’t give up now, I’ve come too far from where I started from…” As Jasmine Branch, aka Jassyb, belts these words on stage, they come straight from her heart. She embodies them. “Can’t Give Up Now,” the song the Houston-based singer chose for her winning Pride Superstar 2018 performance, is definitive of both her journey during the competition, and within her life. No stranger to a challenge, Branch knows the importance of pursuing a goal until you emerge victorious.…

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Connecting Communities: Bringing the Children’s Museum of Houston to Pride

Posted on August 10, 2018
A photo of the Children's Museum of Houston at Pride.

In December, my nearly two-year long journey balancing graduate school with building my career as an arts leader will come to an end as I walk across the stage with my fellow University of Houston grads. It has been a long and hard but rewarding journey, full of late nights attending class only to wake up early for my full-time job as an educator at the Children’s Museum of Houston. And while I’m proud of achieving this personal academic milestone,…

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