As a Black, effeminate boy growing up South Carolina, I was wildly popular. Classmates often lifted me onto their shoulders and cheered for me whenever I attempted mundane tasks. Animal sacrifices occurred in my honor every second Sunday. Patti LaBelle would perform if we had space in the lineup.

Most of that is not true. Years 0-18 were awful, so I dreamed, read, and wrote about other places. That skillset eventually pushed me to earn a doctorate in political science after living and researching in Lebanon, Jordan, and Germany.

I mine my gay, Black, global experiences as I write dramas centered on power dynamics and the queasy banalities that come with our attempts to squeeze a satisfying life out of a dissatisfying world. I tend to mix in humor because sometimes all we can do is laugh.