It seems many of you have gotten a jump start on your #MTGStrixhaven education! We're proud to be in the New York Times Bestseller ✨Top 10✨for Hard Cover Fiction.
Congratulations Seanan!
This was such a delicate needle to thread, and I enjoyed every minute.
If you're in the Seattle area, this is your reminder that I will be signing OMENS OF CHAOS at Zulu's Board Game Cafe in downtown Bothell from 2pm to 6pm today! This is my last official, non-ticketed signing for this book (all others are inside events with door fees). The store WILL ship.
A picture of the book STRIXHAVEN: OMENS OF CHAOS by Seanan McGuire with the text NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER printed above it on a purple and gold background.
Its like you have to pay for any good thing you get by not being too happy about it. Like you have to keep being sad at some level otherwise you're not suffering enough? and have nothing really to complain about?
I nearly said to a friend, "we couldn't come home looking too happy or mom would think we were pregnant," but I stopped after hearing the sentence in my head.
One of the sad things about being a kid who grows up with abusive parent(s) is that
if you mention or enjoy happiness at the wrong time,
it turns out you forfeit it.
It's not just that home isn't safe and bad stuff happens there,
it's also that you're not always allowed to enjoy what IS good.
when you don't have creative people involved we can tell
ah. That might be the curse. Sorry about that. 💙
DM: She must experience those reactions and pain, later at random times when calm, again and again. But it protects her for life in this fashion.
Player: Dang. What’s it called?
DM: PTSD.
DM: In exchange for a +3 circumstance bonus in combat and maintaining control of her body and reactions and pain in battle and crisis. . .
Player: Oooh. . .?
The DM: Your warrior bard took an ancient curse upon herself in times of yore.
Player: Yeah! Okay, curse, I'm into it, sounds metal. What happens?
A blue-haired human fiddle player sits at a desk facing the camera wearing an ice water circulator cold therapy pad held on by big velcro strips with a tube attached. There is a bottle of Advil at her right elbow and a 2-pound dumbell by her other forearm. In the background on a small table you can see a cup of tea with the spoon still in it, a giant pair of fuzzy socks, and a box of instant disposable cold packs. There's a pretty crocheted blanket on the couch and a cellphone on the desk face down in front of the fiddler. She is wearing cats-eye glasses and smiling mildly. She performs with The Tooles and they will be at Moon Bar on 3/17/2026.
Two more gigs left, both on Tuesday. Our early gig is a private party, but our later gig is at Moon Bar in Madison, WI, 7:30-10:30. You'll find it if you take Gorham down offa state and stop before you get to Riley's Wines of the World.
oh wow blocking this one immediately
Venue owners and customers treated me better when I was very carefully painted and wore a push-up bra.
I lost about 70% of the paint and kept the bra, because it's faster.
The guys don't have to make these decisions.
When I decided to play full time, I went to Sephora. I knew people would expect makeup and also stage makeup.
On a practical level, I want to outline my eyes and mouth so I can communicate with the audience.
I did full-face for a chunk of time, and then... I stopped. Because it worked.
Men perceive conversation "as being “equal” when women talked only 15% of the time, and the discussion as being dominated by women if they talked only 30% of the time." (See Dale Spender)
Many musicians of other genders out there.
They're "perceived" as getting stage time. They aren't. Go look.
I wish this surprised me.
😬🤮
It's so depressing to see it out there in plain numbers, like that study where men saw discussion as being “equal” when women talked only 15% of the time, and the discussion as being dominated by women if they talked only 30% of the time.
I hope this is largely true, despite the McGregors of the world.
To me, when I have interactions with folks like that kid with the beautiful voice, it makes me think that we need to build a world where that kid can sing.
I want a world where she can sing and never be asked who she's married to.
We've all seen vocal stars at the top of the charts of many genders...
...but how many do we see who aren't dudes when it comes to the stages in our towns?
Yesterday I had the privilege of seeing a 7-year old girl step up to the microphone. She sang wonderfully, and I made sure to tell her so afterwards. She lit up like Christmas morning, and as I walked away I realized that I may be one of the few women she sees at the mic in real life.
Other times it's not so soft and gentle, like drunks "accidentally" following me into the bathroom when I'm trying to escape a conversation, like audience members hugging me for a weirdly long time when the guys in the band get Manly Nods. I've also been groped; doesn't happen much, but it's there.
Sometimes it shows up in extremely soft and gentle ways, like people assuming that the boys drink whiskey and that I'd prefer something sweet or light, or to have my whiskey watered or iced. No, actually, I'm the one who drinks it straight.
Women are also not great, they grew up in the same society as everybody else, so from women I tend to get something softer that I *also* hate:
"Is this a FAMILY band?"
and if they're drunk they'll say what they really mean:
"Which one are you married to?"
It's because they want an explanation for HOW I'm good and WHY I'm in a male space.
I don't think the men who compliment me realize it either, but it's happened enough for me to get it.
-men coming up to me at the end of gigs complimenting my playing and then looking like confused-math-lady.jpeg when I happily accept the compliment. Then they give me another related compliment and look confused again. I eventually realized it wasn't because they want to tell me I'm good.
I'm just saying this because of my own experience.
My own experience includes things like:
-not being treated as well as the men who show up in t-shirts and jeans unless I wear a cleavagey dress and full-face makeup.
-people who ask me "why do they make you carry that amp?"
(it's mine)
I have had some sobering reminders lately of the gender disparity among musicians.
Could y'all do me a favor?
If you see a favorite music venue's monthly schedule and it has 0-5 female headliners/frontfolks per month, will you send a polite little email to the venue letting them know you noticed?