Interesting Facts about Space

by Emily R. Austin

One of the perks of being a lesbian is that it is less critical for me to vet whether my date will kill me.

I can tell that I wouldn’t be attracted to him, but that is true of every man except for a few very specific celebrities, and some fictional male characters who were written by women.

I have grasped the characters: Enigmatic temporary love interest. Reliable employee. My mother’s aidful daughter. Unobjectionable patron at a store or restaurant.

I often stop texting people I’m seeing after having a nice time with them. I wish I could have one nice interaction with everyone and then disappear.

I told her, “I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I want to be. I wish I were someone different.”

spent a lot of time growing up trying to seem normal. Sometimes I worry I neglected doing the internal work most people do while they’re developing; I was too preoccupied camouflaging. I think I might be stunted because of it. I think I missed a step.

I realize I’m gay, but I don’t realize much of who I am beyond that. I feel like I’m still missing some crucial information that I need to fully form myself. I feel half-developed.

Thank you to the band Boygenuis for the song “Souvenir.” I based Enid partly on the lyric about cutting a hole in your skull and hating what you see.

Other songs that inspired this book include: “I’m Enough” by Oscar Scheller and Katie Gavin, “Drunk on Aluminium” by Wintersleep, and “Happy Girl” by Jensen McRae.