Building Ailleurs ~

Hello, alien lovers!

Scrappy. Innovative. Joyful. These will be my guiding words as I continue to evolve this newsletter and other creative projects.

I have a name for the platform I'm building, Ailleurs.

Ailleurs (adverbe, n.m.): Indique un autre lieu que celui où on est ou dont il s'agit. Ce qui est ailleurs, différent ou lointain.* (Larousse)

*Ailleurs in English: Indicates a place other than the one where one is or is referring to. That which is elsewhere, different or far away. (Larousse frankensteined by Google Translate + me)

I'm not translating it as "elsewhere" because there is something very powerful, to me, about the word ailleurs. I always felt ailleurs, like I was never in the right place, always a foot somewhere else: growing up in France, inside my gender assigned at birth, with neurotypical folks, etc.

Many times, creating an ailleurs—a place where I could safely exist, play, and explore—saved me.

The master's program I'm pursuing prompted me to clarify what I want to accomplish in the next two years. Ailleurs is a baby of an idea, and yet, it has been burgeoning for years.

I want to create something that aligns with my values and helps me navigate the hellscape of late-stage capitalism. There's room for zanier, campier, and soapier queer stories that show the real diversity of our communities.

I think it'd be rad to platform these stories, so that's why I'm going to do.

chat next week xx

Lying Doll 🩷 Sexy Alien in Perilous Love Stars (Chapter 1).

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