Let me start by saying that this is a very, very long book. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t feel that long. It actually flew by because it’s composed of popular culture and political vignettes that I lived through as a young adult. I was surprised how many…
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I’m an IDCL Texas Storyscapes Community Fellow!
Super, SUPER stoked to be part of this program for the next year! The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life is a nonprofit organization dedicated to telling stories and documenting experiences of the endlessly diverse people living in Texas. I’m joining a group of multimedia storytellers, each of us working…
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Live Music Review | The Bright Light Social Hour & Friends @ The Mohawk | 6.21.25
Read my review of The Bright Light Social Hour’s epic summer solstice show on June 21, 2025 on The Cosmic Clash…
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TQL Podcast | S3E20 | Virginia Hernandez
Support The Qreative Life podcast through my Patreon, or via Paypal or Venmo (@AmandaQ555). In this episode, Q talks with her friend and former co-worker, photographer Virginia Hernandez. They discuss Virginia’s new venture, striking out as a full-time working creative, her latest creative partnership, the value of a creative community, and the importance…
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The Q Review | The Pisces | Melissa Broder
Now this is a story! I’d reserved a copy of Melissa Broder’s book The Pisces at the library, but since it wasn’t immediately available, I opted to start with her most recent release, Death Valley. I wasn’t impressed, but The Pisces came so highly recommended that I was still looking…
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The Q Review | One Hundred Years of Solitude | Gabriel García Márquez
I’m not sure why I chose to pick up One Hundred Years of Solitude this year. I’ve got a running list of classic literature that I incorporate into my regular reading. Primarily to compensate for my lack of education, but also because I like understanding references to art that have…
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The Q Review | Death Valley | Melissa Broder
This is my first encounter with Melissa Broder. I really want to read The Pisces, but it wasn’t available yet, so I put it on hold and opted for this one instead. I love surrealism, magical realism, unlikable characters, and the desert, so I figured I’d love this. It was…
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The Q Review | Rainwater | Sandra Brown
On the surface, this is the kind of book I would see online, post some snarky, cynical comment about, and then ignore. I’d never even heard of Sandra Brown, but the book was suggested as part of a ‘Texas writers’ book list, and the synopsis looked ok, and I urgently…
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The Q Review | Blazing Eye Sees All | Leah Sottile
I fucking love cults. Not joining them, of course. I was raised in one, so I expend an enormous amount of personal energy avoiding anything cult-like in my daily life and spiritual practice. However, it is undoubtedly due to my personal history that I have a morbid fascination with them….
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The Q Review | The Odyssey | Lara Williams
This book grabbed me by the lapels, shoved me up against the wall, and held me there for 36 hours until I finished it. Then, it let me go and I fell in a heap on the floor and spend the next day wondering what the fuck just happened. After…