Today's essay from Joey Paul is a throwback to 2014! While she has added discussions on disability in relation to writing to her repertoire -- her Spoonie Writer series is a great resource for disabled writers everywhere -- many of her discussion points in this article remain true.

Once again, I'd like to thank Joey Paul for sharing one of the posts from her "Spoonie Writer" series in which she offers advice and personal experiences from working as a disabled writer. Paul is a prolific young adult writer who crosses the crime, mystery, paranormal, dystopian and urban fantasy genres. This post was originally shared on March 3, 2025, at Bug Books: Joey Paul Online.

Thank you to Nanika Sissoko, founder of Nicki's Positivity Project, for sharing her "10 Affirmations Emphasizing Self-Love and Positivity for Individuals with Disabilities." Nanika has a developmental delay and learning disability. She works to support the mental health of people with disabilities through Nicki's Positivity Project. She also has experience in art and graphic design. Nanika originally shared the affirmations as a graphic design she created. For anyone using a screen reader, the affirmations are repeated under the image. Thanks again, Nanika!

I'd like to extend a big thank you to author, Joey Paul, for giving me permission to share her blog post on Underground Bookshelf. Paul is a prolific young adult writer who crosses the crime, mystery, paranormal, dystopian and urban fantasy genres. She is also disabled and keeps a "Spoonie Writer" series on her blog in which she offers advice and personal experiences from working as a disabled writer. Over to you, Joey!

Welcome back to Valek Akechi! Gothic literature is known for tackling religious commentary in a variety of ways. In this essay, Valek reflects on the ways Anne Rice's vampire characters dialogue about religion, particularly Christianity. This essay was originally published on Scorpio Assassin Studios.

Welcome back to guest essayist, Valek Akechi! in this essay, Valek discusses Frances Burney's eighteenth-century work, The Witlings, which satirizes people who feign intellectual and literary knowledge for the sake of social standing. This essay was originally published on Scorpio Assassin Studios.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is a science fiction exploration of self-determination, free will, and fate through gene expression. It's a fun psychological thriller with interesting women characters and plot twists going in every direction.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud was banned in Lackawanna County, New York over concerns that it could attract children to the occult. The decision was later reversed when parents and teachers complained of censorship. I've read this book for myself and use this video to explain some of the issues I have with the book as well as things that I think this book does well.

Have you ever thought about the kind of representation we get from Marvel Comics, TV shows, and movies? I think about this multiple times a day. I'm turning these thoughts into a series in which I deep dive into different characters and the pros and cons of the representation they offer. I'm starting with representation as it relates to disability. In this first episode, I discuss Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men, and the tropes his character falls into as well as some of the ways he subverts common disability tropes. If you happen to be a fan of comics and related content like me and would like more like this, let me know in the comments, on social media, or by email which characters you would like me to cover in the future.

A Time to Dance offers South Asian, Hindu, and disability representation. Let's talk about why you should read this book during Disability Pride Month! Please note: this book discusses a traumatic amputation.

I'm thrilled to introduce guest essayist, Bryce Raffle, and his discussion on Dreadpunk which he defines as "gothing horror with an edge." Raffle marks the history of punk fiction as a genre and the development of its subgenres: cyberpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, and dreadpunk. This essay was originally published on Threads That Bind. You can find more of Raffle's work at Deadsteam.

I'm so excited to introduce this essay by Valek Akechi which discusses religious readings of Dracula and their interpretations of characters who represent the conflict between Christianity and the religion of "the other." In particular, this essay studies the suppression of folk religion, magic, and superstition as Christianity spreads outward in the context of the nineteenth century. It also details the role that Gothic literature plays in critiquing the faults of religious while embracing the asthetic and the folk superstitions underlying varoius Christian traditions. This essay was originally published on Scorpio Assassin Studios. It can also be found on Neobook. I hope you enjoy!