Lillie Gardner is a writer of prose and screenplays in St. Paul, Minnesota. She loves literary fiction and memoir—both to read and to write—and is particularly excited about quirky Midwestern stories and women's history. When she's not writing or reading, she's usually teaching piano, taking her cat Ava Gardner for a stroll or chasing after the newest vegan eats in the Twin Cities.
Poster image for Hulu TV series pen15
Blog

5 Reasons PEN15 Is Everything I Didn’t Know I Needed

I’ve finally binge-watched PEN15 and, oh my gosh, was I not emotionally prepared for the open-armed hug of my own preteen self. Maya Erskine’s and Anna Konkle’s glorious deep dive into girlhood and puberty—which is nominated for a prestigious Peabody Award—ran for two seasons on Hulu and is aptly categorized as “cringe comedy.” In the …

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Blue book cover for Open by Rachel Krantz
Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Open by Rachel Krantz

CW: Abuse Rachel Krantz’s memoir Open could not be any more of just that. Subtitled “An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy,” Open is filled with vulnerable moments across the emotional and physical spectrums as Rachel Krantz details her beginning explorations of non-monogamy and polyamory. Along the way, she comes into her queerness, interrogates the patriarchy, and meets …

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