Who I Am, What I Do, Where I Belong
It’s been a while, so I thought I’d [re]introduce myself for the new folk as well as those who have been here for a while.
Hi! I’m Christiane, pronounced kris-tee-AHN. I also go by Xiane [zye-ann] or Xi [zee] and Chris is also fine. You could yell YO, PINKIE and I’d probably answer, too.
Who I am:an older white genderqueer person with pale skin, long pink hair at the moment, green eyes. Glasses wearer. I generally present femme but have a range of gender in my closet, thanks for asking! generally unapologetically fatan old school punk turned deathrocker but with a wide variety of taste and interests, both musically and aestheticallychronically ill; I have Crohn’s Disease that manifests in several ways and trust me, I will talk about itan advocate for the unhoused because I have been there and know what it’s likecritical yet supportive of various activist movements and activities, much of which shows up in my booksa proud resident of Baltimore MD – though I’m not afraid to call attention to its problems alongside its charmsan artist, musician, poet, DJ, writer… basically goodbye to any hope of a regular paycheckWhat I do:write speculative fiction set in Baltimore that I would definitely classify as hopepunk or hope-focusedcreate main and secondary characters that are queer, Black/POC, chronically ill, unhoused, dealing with mental illness, and/or come from challenging family situationstropes like found family, reluctant hero, room to forgive/acts of atonement – but also faery food, houses with opinions, unexpected magic in urban spacesuse characters like my Fae folk as foils for the Mortal or more everyday characters in my storiesweave real observations and criticisms of today’s world throughout my fantasy storiescreate my own lore and mythology while respectfully drawing from classical sources as wellpromote and support other independently published authors and newer writers who might benefit from my experiencesfreely offer what knowledge and inspiration I’ve got through online and in person outlets and eventsWhere I belong:indie author, queer, environmental activist, unhoused advocate, chronic illness, creative spacesat SFF events on panels and in discussions, especially ones on creativity, self confidence, the ins and outs of self publishing, or belonging/not belonginganywhere that there’s street art, handmade crafts, live music, dancing, and good foodon your bookshelf [well, my books do]I’m generally outgoing and tend to be animated and passionate when talking about things that light me up. That means I’d love to chat with you if we cross paths at a con or event! I love to do readings from my books, and I love to talk shop. You can also reliably engage with me about fiber arts of all kinds, music and DJing, plants and herbalism, witchy shit, food from every culture, BTS, art in just about any medium and style, and a lot more.
Most importantly, I want to hear about you when we meet. Please don’t hesitate to say hello if you see me at events or selling my books somewhere. I’m eager to hear your stories, because stories are the most beautiful art we can share.
“If there’s one thing I have in surplus, it’s a positive outlook. So, I took some of that energy and wrapped it up in this tag. I guess you could say I imbued it with belief in goodness—in something better, you know?” She leaned forward in a gentle, encouraging movement. “I think you might need some of that. Maybe that’s insulting, but I hope not. Sometimes we all need some help, when things get dark and difficult.” – Vali [basically channeling me], Cast a Shadow of Doubt
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