About me

I’m a pansexual and polyamorous feminist with the pronouns she/her. I am a cis-gender white settler living on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Peoples, colonially known as Ottawa, Ontario Canada. I turned sixty in 2023. I write poetry, visual poetry, prose and hybrid work. I have been a writer, editor, and publisher for over twenty years with three books of poetry, a book of visual poetry, a novel and a book of short fiction published. I am currently working on a hybrid series of essays, memoir, visual poetry, poetry, letters, collages and erasure poems. I am the editor of the international anthology, Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry, published by Timglaset Editions of Sweden.

I have a $10 a page editing service and a $25 per 30 minute consultation service on Zoom or phone.

Recently my husband was laid off after a career in high tech that lasted for over twenty-six years with the same company. We are learning how to live frugally and with joy. This Substack is meant to serve as a way to connect with kindred misfits—those who do not fit within traditional narratives of what success is. In my creative practice I amplify and support artists and writers who are systematically excluded from canons. I have fought for the rights of creators to be paid, running successful crowd funding campaigns for several years.

In 2009, I had a near-death health crisis which caused me to re-evaluate many aspects of my life. Now I have to do so again within the context of a new financial reality. I have diabetes, which I am able to control through diet and exercise. I have no colon due to my health crisis. This means I am a chronic ER visitor and sometimes have to be admitted. This can take its toll, but it also means I get to see how hardworking medical professionals are, how caring they are. I get to see people’s suffering close up and my heart breaks for everyone with health issues, whether chronic or short-lived.

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I am not someone who posts daily or even weekly. Some weeks I post three times in a week, while others I may be silent. I follow my heart.

Since the big life change last November, I have been writing about my experiences with learning to live on a tight budget while still finding reasons to be joyful. While I used to give away my services as a volunteer, I now must ask for money for these services. I have a strong need for community and connection. I want this newsletter to demonstrate and offer strength in solidarity to those who do not fit within the status quo because of economic circumstances, culture, age, abilities and health.

My posts offer a whimsical lens on the world, rich in imagination and heart. I also share my works-in-progress and thoughts on process. I believe in the idea of citing women and nonbinary creators in order to ensure they are not erased, so you will find a lot of references to such in my posts.

I am a lefty who believes in universal health care, universal basic income, social justice and equality. I do not own a house or a car. I walk and take transit. I worry about what climate change and authoritarianism are doing to the world. I believe that with the right to freedom of expression comes a social responsibility to treat people, creatures and other living things with care and respect. We are here for such a short time. I am grateful to be alive.

Amanda Thru the Looking Glass rebels against convention and celebrates the rich creativity and beauty of this world. I am also here to learn and to listen, and to share what I’m learning with you, dear reader. I believe that love is not finite but infinite. I believe in abundance and generosity over scarcity and selfishness as a driving force. Love is the reason for my actions and my thoughts. If you are D/deaf, disabled, queer, trans, nonbinary, if you are Black, Indigenous, Brown or Yellow, I want you to find a home here, a place where you are understood and celebrated. I write so that you do not feel alone.

Paid Subscriber Benefits

If you are able to become a paid subscriber, you will get access to exclusive excerpts of my works-in-progress, personal non public updates about my life and the occasional recipe with photos. I will also send any paid subscriber who wants a pdf of a recent erotic story that is the first in a series of linked short stories entitled “Tea, Kink, Flowers.” Send me a message and I’ll be happy to send it your way.

Free subscribers will still be able to read and engage with the bulk of my posts. In some cases, if you are having financial difficulties and wish to read the paid posts, I may be able to comp you a subscription.

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“You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.” That’s the Substack canned copy. I honestly worry that I may overwhelm readers with a lot of posts. You can change your settings so that you don’t receive e-mails, just get the posts via the app. I find that more manageable myself. I read great Substack writers that are relevant to my own aesthetics, values and interests early mornings on my phone whilst lying in bed. I will understand if you have to unsubscribe due to inbox overload, but I hope you explore other ways to read this newsletter, if it resonates with you.

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