dark

Creative nonfiction is how the dark part of all of us comes to light. We can't mask our shortcomings, our vulnerability, in fiction anymore. We have to be honest with ourselves and with others. We can't make ourselves seem like better people than we really are, because people see through that. Creative nonfiction has always been harder for me than fiction, but perhaps more rewarding. I've led a long journey in discovering my sexuality, especially growing up attending a private religious school from first through twelfth grade. I've only just recently been able to reflect and write about it in a way that makes coherent sense. I've poured myself out onto these pages, showed my dark side, and learned what it means to be human along the way.

human noise

**being published in a few months in Fiction Southeast

This piece was originally written as a personal statement for graduate school. It took off and became more of a testimony of my choice to be a writer.