The Shell: A new blog
Sporadic writings on politics, art, and queerness
Hello!
For those of you who don’t already know me personally, my name is Katherine, and I am a trans woman and musician living in California. Good luck finding me here - there are a lot of us.
Over the years, I’ve used writing as a way of understanding myself and making sense of the world around me. This blog is a way for me to begin sharing some of that writing with the world, in the hopes that other people might find it interesting, helpful, or even just entertaining. Even if this is where you stop, thanks for reading.
Here’s about what you can expect from me:
Diary entries on the often hodgepodge work I do for a living - this is often Real Nerd Stuff, and I forgive you in advance for tuning out.
Digging into whatever music I find interesting, as well as whatever I might have to say about the state of the classical music world within and outside of the academy.
Commentary on developments regarding the sociopolitical acceptance of queer people, largely focused on the English-speaking world.
Unpacking my own experience of transness. Even years after coming out, I still have a lot to parse through. Occasionally, this may get uncomfortable for some people, and I will try to provide content warnings as much as possible when that happens.
Write-ups on anything else I happen to be hyper-fixating on at the time.
Infrequent updates - I’m not on a schedule and even if I somehow end up developing any substantial readership, I don’t ever plan to be. When I have something to say, it’ll be out when it’s out.
Some additional disclaimers:
No matter how articulate I might seem (ego-trip, I know), I don’t claim to be the most-well read woman on any of the subjects I talk about. I’m a normal human with plenty of responsibilities that don’t involve being an encyclopedia of disparate, factually accurate information. Sometimes I will be wrong, other times I will have bad takes, and still other times I will have trash taste. If any of that bothers you, I’m sorry. I’m often open to being better educated in matters of fact, reasoning, and aesthetics, so maybe you can convince me. Or maybe not. Try your luck.
I also make no promises as to how often my writing will be skewed toward one or another of the subjects listed above. For now, I write what I want to write when I want to write it, and if any of it interests you, great. Enjoy it while it lasts!
If it suits my mood, I may proxy-publish the writing of my friends and colleagues with their blessing, which might differ from my normal subject matter. Revel in the sense of mystery as my contributors lurk in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
In any case, if you stick with me, thank you for indulging my propensity to write too many words.
It pains me to say something this cringe, but… if you want to stay updated on when I publish new things, hit the subscribe button to get emails when I post.