Stephi Cham
@stephicham.com
Editor by day and night | LGBTQ+ Editors Association secretary, board of directors
Published by Publishers Weekly, Capstone Press, Strange Horizons, JAMA, et al.
Former medical end-of-life music therapist
she/her | StephiCham.com
Published by Publishers Weekly, Capstone Press, Strange Horizons, JAMA, et al.
Former medical end-of-life music therapist
she/her | StephiCham.com
Something I love about English is how "foul talk," "trash talk," "dirty talk," and "shit talk" all mean different things
November 26, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Something I love about English is how "foul talk," "trash talk," "dirty talk," and "shit talk" all mean different things
I never know how to respond to people who keep offering help and get offended when you say no but also resent you when you say yes.
November 23, 2025 at 5:23 AM
I never know how to respond to people who keep offering help and get offended when you say no but also resent you when you say yes.
As our department's editor, I sometimes joke that I'm the "resident killjoy." Yesterday I spiraled unexpectedly in worry that I really do kill people's joy and create extra work, and my therapist pointed out that self-deprecation can be self-fulfilling prophecies. Oops.
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
As our department's editor, I sometimes joke that I'm the "resident killjoy." Yesterday I spiraled unexpectedly in worry that I really do kill people's joy and create extra work, and my therapist pointed out that self-deprecation can be self-fulfilling prophecies. Oops.
Them: No more DEI. We've got something better.
Us: Actual equity?
Them: DIE :)
Us: Actual equity?
Them: DIE :)
November 21, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Them: No more DEI. We've got something better.
Us: Actual equity?
Them: DIE :)
Us: Actual equity?
Them: DIE :)
I can't stress this enough: creativity has nothing to do with morals. Sometimes good people write dull nonsense. Sometimes bad people write compelling stories.
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 AM
I can't stress this enough: creativity has nothing to do with morals. Sometimes good people write dull nonsense. Sometimes bad people write compelling stories.
Me: I'm Stephi!
Lady: Oh. That's new. Can I just call you Steph?
Me: Uh... I mean, I guess so??
Her: 🙂
Me: But I only answer to Stephi. Maybe the occasional "You there."
Her: 😠
Lady: Oh. That's new. Can I just call you Steph?
Me: Uh... I mean, I guess so??
Her: 🙂
Me: But I only answer to Stephi. Maybe the occasional "You there."
Her: 😠
November 19, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Me: I'm Stephi!
Lady: Oh. That's new. Can I just call you Steph?
Me: Uh... I mean, I guess so??
Her: 🙂
Me: But I only answer to Stephi. Maybe the occasional "You there."
Her: 😠
Lady: Oh. That's new. Can I just call you Steph?
Me: Uh... I mean, I guess so??
Her: 🙂
Me: But I only answer to Stephi. Maybe the occasional "You there."
Her: 😠
I was saying to my sibling, "For a country whose fundamental rights are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, we don't have much life or liberty, and we definitely aren't pursuing happiness," when they looked past me, eyes wide. I turned; a lady was nodding behind me, and she said "SO true."
November 17, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I was saying to my sibling, "For a country whose fundamental rights are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, we don't have much life or liberty, and we definitely aren't pursuing happiness," when they looked past me, eyes wide. I turned; a lady was nodding behind me, and she said "SO true."
Reposted by Stephi Cham
Alice Wong taught us that disabled people don’t just leave memories behind—they leave infrastructure. Lineages of care. Methods of collectivity, survival. She named the connective tissue that holds our communities together, even across death, even across the losses that come too fast and too often.
November 16, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Alice Wong taught us that disabled people don’t just leave memories behind—they leave infrastructure. Lineages of care. Methods of collectivity, survival. She named the connective tissue that holds our communities together, even across death, even across the losses that come too fast and too often.
Reposted by Stephi Cham
You were incredible, Alice Wong, and it was a blessing to have collaborated with you on projects, to have read your words and to have heard your voice, as full of life and passion and joy and rage as it was.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
November 15, 2025 at 7:34 AM
You were incredible, Alice Wong, and it was a blessing to have collaborated with you on projects, to have read your words and to have heard your voice, as full of life and passion and joy and rage as it was.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
You made a difference—so much of a difference.
Rest always in peace, and always in power.
“I could be wrong, but…”
— me, knowing full well I am right
— me, knowing full well I am right
November 15, 2025 at 5:27 AM
“I could be wrong, but…”
— me, knowing full well I am right
— me, knowing full well I am right
jealous of people who say their anxiety helps their ADHD. mine is more like constantly getting reminders that just say "DON'T FORGET!!!!!"
November 14, 2025 at 4:54 AM
jealous of people who say their anxiety helps their ADHD. mine is more like constantly getting reminders that just say "DON'T FORGET!!!!!"
@diannalgunn.bsky.social I'm trying to figure out my domain hosting and was getting rapidly more and more frustrated when I saw a familiar face—so cool to encounter your work like this!
November 13, 2025 at 7:19 AM
@diannalgunn.bsky.social I'm trying to figure out my domain hosting and was getting rapidly more and more frustrated when I saw a familiar face—so cool to encounter your work like this!
The thing about miscommunication is it's usually not as simple as "Just ask for what you want!" I find that people often don't know what they want until they're upset that they didn't get it.
November 13, 2025 at 4:21 AM
The thing about miscommunication is it's usually not as simple as "Just ask for what you want!" I find that people often don't know what they want until they're upset that they didn't get it.
do you ever just crawl into bed and cry and have NO idea why you're even upset or am I just an infant who blends in with adults
November 11, 2025 at 6:45 PM
do you ever just crawl into bed and cry and have NO idea why you're even upset or am I just an infant who blends in with adults
I will ALWAYS welcome recs for books, poems, shows, and media that portray depression or suicide in ways that are funny without being cruel. and the creators I know who make these topics funniest are often the ones who've experienced it.
sometimes to read a book of poetry is to be reminded that another person is much funnier and better at expressing their pain than you are
November 11, 2025 at 2:43 AM
I will ALWAYS welcome recs for books, poems, shows, and media that portray depression or suicide in ways that are funny without being cruel. and the creators I know who make these topics funniest are often the ones who've experienced it.
my favorite thing about the word "whimsy" is that it's wrapped up in "why"
November 9, 2025 at 2:48 AM
my favorite thing about the word "whimsy" is that it's wrapped up in "why"
Still inexplicably alive. Anyone else?
November 6, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Still inexplicably alive. Anyone else?
My friendship style: You can always tell me, but you never have to.
November 1, 2025 at 12:44 AM
My friendship style: You can always tell me, but you never have to.
It hit me that no one who's told me "Wow, you and I are VERY similar" has ever meant it as a compliment. At first I was confused, and then I was like oh wait, that tracks actually considering the self-loathing
October 29, 2025 at 12:59 AM
It hit me that no one who's told me "Wow, you and I are VERY similar" has ever meant it as a compliment. At first I was confused, and then I was like oh wait, that tracks actually considering the self-loathing
If you want to help someone having a panic attack, don't argue with logic. I've had them for almost 20 years, know them well, but every time they hit, the thoughts "It feels so bad because I'm dying" and "I'm going to die from how bad this feels" just FEEL like absolute truths.
October 28, 2025 at 3:16 AM
If you want to help someone having a panic attack, don't argue with logic. I've had them for almost 20 years, know them well, but every time they hit, the thoughts "It feels so bad because I'm dying" and "I'm going to die from how bad this feels" just FEEL like absolute truths.
Life is too short to spend on books you hate. We have too many books we'd love and not nearly enough time.
October 25, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Life is too short to spend on books you hate. We have too many books we'd love and not nearly enough time.
Had a meeting today where construction was SO LOUD people were practically shouting. When it was my turn, I had notes ready, but what came out was: "We... We... ... Can I just email y'all? I can't talk with this."
They looked for a mic, so I had to say "No, it's the ADHD, I just... can't."
They looked for a mic, so I had to say "No, it's the ADHD, I just... can't."
October 24, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Had a meeting today where construction was SO LOUD people were practically shouting. When it was my turn, I had notes ready, but what came out was: "We... We... ... Can I just email y'all? I can't talk with this."
They looked for a mic, so I had to say "No, it's the ADHD, I just... can't."
They looked for a mic, so I had to say "No, it's the ADHD, I just... can't."
I truly do not understand why every company is begging us, their consumers, to use their AI. Why is every app and every product "AI-enhanced"???
October 22, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I truly do not understand why every company is begging us, their consumers, to use their AI. Why is every app and every product "AI-enhanced"???
Hairdresser: (takes one look at me) Hi! You're here to fix your color, yes?
Me: No, just a quick trim!
(later)
Hairdresser, timidly: You need to fix the color. It looks sooo bad, I'm sorry to say.
Me: No, just a quick trim!
(later)
Hairdresser, timidly: You need to fix the color. It looks sooo bad, I'm sorry to say.
October 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Hairdresser: (takes one look at me) Hi! You're here to fix your color, yes?
Me: No, just a quick trim!
(later)
Hairdresser, timidly: You need to fix the color. It looks sooo bad, I'm sorry to say.
Me: No, just a quick trim!
(later)
Hairdresser, timidly: You need to fix the color. It looks sooo bad, I'm sorry to say.