A Thing or Two About Yourself by Shoshana

I have a literary studies background, so I read a range of books and theorists. Poetry is my favourite genre, and I’m especially enamoured of queer poetry. But many of these poets are either dead (hello, Sappho) or not very active on social media, if at all. In fact, I have to say that I haven’t sought out many poets online.

In contrast, the sapphic romance community is very much alive and well and active. I love being part of this community. It’s overwhelmingly welcoming, generous, and supportive. I like that the writers are happy to engage with readers. As a result, I want to be respectful of their privacy and time. 

I’m especially interested in reader reception and what draws people to sapphic romance: why they read it, what they get out of it, and how it has impacted their lives. It’s really fascinating and at times moving to see how sapphic romance has affected readers and allowed them to fully embrace their attractions and desires. 

Sapphic romance can offer readers an escape from the mundane and everyday, and it can also offer readers hope that they can find or rekindle romance and other connections that fulfil their needs. Moreover, you can learn a thing or two about yourself. Through reading J.J. Arias in particular, I have learned something about my need for control in matters of sex.

As an emerging author in the genre, I want to bring my own multiple minority perspective to sapphic romance. I want readers to see something of themselves in my work or to learn from the stories of others who do not look like them. I do not aim to be didactic, but rather to give voice and provide insights through sexy stories.

My next challenge is to write stories that are humorous. Humour is underrated and also difficult to effectively achieve in stories. I have dabbled in writing humorously, but not in the area of sapphic romance. Perhaps my first novel will be a rom-com in the style of Erica Lee’s The Last to Leave, which I think is a fantastic example of the genre, as it is both funny and hot.

Shoshana’s story, At the Art Exhibition, is in SapphFic Eclectic, volume 5.