Janet Mason, author

I thought I’d post this week about a very interesting book I found on holistic eye care titled Enlivening Consciousness.learn more on my author blog: Holistic Eye Care — Enlivening Consciousness— More reasons to #govegan #amreading | Janet Mason, author

This morning, I participated in a Unitarian Universalist service on security, both inner and outer security. In my reflection, I lead a short Buddhist exercise on feeling more secure in side, how my Buddhist skills helped me handle the harassment of my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books; New York & Lisbon; 2018), and how compassion is always the healthy choice.read more on my author blog: ”Yay Us!” — Compassion as inner security — a #UU take #amreading #Faithfullylgbt | Janet Mason, author

As a result of the ongoing harassment of my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders, I have decided to bring you excerpts of THEY on a regular basis. Thinking about the psyche of the harasser, brought to mind my late mother’s saying: “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star What You Say Is What You Are.”read more on my author blog: The Serpent — a reading from THEY and some thoughts on hate — “twinkle, twinkle little star, what you say is what you are” #amreading #faithfullylgbt | Janet Mason, author

dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom, (published in 2024 by Adelaide Books – New York and Lisbon). This piece takes place at the local ThanksLiving gathering (a vegan celebration of Thanksgiving) where the narrator Jody hears Dr. Will Tuttle speak. Although the novel is fiction, I did hear Dr. Will Tuttle speak at our local ThanksLiving celebration and I credit this (along with knowing some dairy cows) among the top reasons I went vegan now more than five years ago. This decision was life changing!read more on my author blog: What would Pythagoras do — reading from Cinnamon, a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom #govegan #amreading | Janet Mason, author

This week I decided to share an excerpt from my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books – New York & Lisbon). Although the novel was published in 2018, it has recently come to my attention because it has been seriously harassed online by white supremacists who have harassed me with a barrage of homophobia, antisemitism, and the threat of book burnings. As a practicing Buddhist, I do believe in having compassion for everyone and I do, including for the harassers. Because of them, I have decided to revisit this novel and for that I am thankful. These few paragraphs I am bringing you are from Book Two, Chapter Thirteen of THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders where my main character, Tamar, is reborn in the womb of the Mother, with her twin brother Yeshua.read more on my author blog: Compassion for the harassers—revisiting THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders #FaithfullyLGBT #amreading | Janet Mason, author

Since the presidential election this past November, I’ve been increasingly harassed online for my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (Adelaide Books NY/Lisbon; 2018). For the most part, I’ve ignored it. But this time the harassment was so bad, threatening me with book burnings, going to hell and with antisemitism. I know we’re living in a time of increased hatred, including anti-LGBTQ sentiment and antisemitism, but this was kind of jaw-dropping. I think this harassment missed its mark though, in terms of making me frightened. Maybe it’s because I’ve been through so much, but this kind of harassment just makes me more determined. In my book, religion belongs to everyone and there has always been different genders. In that way, fiction is a fact. I decided to bring you the opening paragraphs of THEY.

This morning, I participated in a Valentine’s Day service at Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy, and offered the following reflection on inclusion, including insights on the diversity leading up to the election still being here—in spite of everything; thoughts on a possible spike in people becoming healthy vegans in light of an already over burdened “health”care system threatening to become worse; and the power of community.read the text on my author blog: Some UU thoughts on inclusion and a possible rise in the number of people going to a healthy vegan diet — #UU #diversity #LGBTQ #amreading | Janet Mason, author

This week, I decided to post this excerpt from my novel Cinnamon: a dairy cow’s path (and her farmer’s) to freedom (published by Adelaide Books in New York and Lisbon) which I first wrote five years ago. This section is based on my partner’s description of The Cow Sanctuary. I later visited the sanctuary several times. The Cow Sanctuary, where cows and other animals can live out their natural lives, is a truly magical place. This section is written from the point of view of the female dairy farmer who turns her farm into a sanctuary. Cinnamon (the name of the dairy cow) is written as a tribute to the important work that sanctuary owners and operators do every day. The excerpt is recorded on YouTube below and under that is the text of the same excerpt.read an excerpt on my author blog: CINNAMON— in celebration of the work of #sanctuaries #amreading #plant-based | Janet Mason, author

You can read this reflection or view it on my YouTube video (also on my blog) at: A writer’s origins—a #UU reflection honoring Sonia Sanchez #Poetry #amreading | Janet Mason, author

You can read this excerpt from my novel CINNAMON, a dairy cow's (and her farmer's) path to freedom on my blog or view the YouTube video (also on my blog) at: CINNAMON Chosen as one of top LGBTQ Christian Books of the year—#amreading #faithfullylgbt | Janet Mason, author

You can read this reflection on my blogpost or view the YouTube video (also on my blog) at: Becoming Stronger Through Presence — a #UU reflection #Buddhism #amreading | Janet Mason, author

Read an excerpt from my novel Cinnamon, a dairy cow's (and her farmer's) path to freedom on my blog (or view the YouTube video (also on my blog) at: ”a rippling tradition” — CINNAMON and religion #FaithfullyLGBT #plantbased #amreading | Janet Mason, author

You can read the review on my blog or see the review on a YouTube video (on the same page): Trigger, Poems by Maria Fama — revisiting the past and present #amreading #poetry | Janet Mason, author

This weekend, I participated in a Unitarian Universalist service on pluralism and the origins of Memorial Day and mentioned my most recent novel Cinnamon: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom which was just published by Adelaide Books (New York/ Lisbon). The You Tube video of the talk is below and the text is below that. read more on my blog: Being many things at once and a new novel: #intersectional #LGBTQ #Animalrights #amreading | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

This is an excerpt from my novel Cinnamon: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom published in the Spring of 2024 by Adelaide Books (Lisbon and New York). The recording of the reading is below on YouTube and the text is pasted below that. read more on my blog: ”Moo River” — #amreading from a new #novel CINNAMON: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

Today I’m posting an excerpt from my novel, CINNAMON. The recording from YouTube is below and the text is below that. The novel is pro-cow and pro-farmer. Enjoy! read more on my blog: Telling It Like It Is — reading from CINNAMON a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom #amreading #govegan #LGBTQauthors | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

I’m posting the first chapter from my novel CINNAMON, a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom. The novel is pro-cow, pro-farmer and this first chapter is told by Cinnamon, the cow. Below the You Tube video is the text. Enjoy! more on my blog: ”Wow! Look at her go!”—reading from Cinnamon; #amreading #vegan #sanctuary | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

This is excerpted from my essay titled The American Sappho: In Pursuit of a Lesbian Emily Dickinson originally published in the Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly HLFQ in 2002. more on my blog: A Lesbian reading of Emily Dickinson—#LGBT #LesbianLit #amreading | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

Second Chances and Loving Artemis: #LGBT #addictions #amreading April 20, 2024 by Janet Mason When I heard that the I Heart Sapph Fiction website was featuring books that spoke to the topic of addiction and that my novel Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage (Thorned Heart Press; 2022) was being published, I decided to post an excerpt. This is from the ending of the novel which tells the story of Art, short for Artemis, who was a drug dealer in high school, got caught, went to reform school, and then a few years later deals again, is caught, and sentenced to prison. After a few years, she gets released and eventually marries the love of her life, Linda, and goes on to lead her lesbian life. I have always believed in second chances, and this is Art’s story. I am reading the excerpt from Loving Artemis below on Youtube and have pasted the words on my blog below. *** In the end, it was Linda who saved her. She started coming to visit when Art was in the County Jail. Art still remembered their first visit with the glass window between them when Linda was fighting back tears. Linda said that she left Tommy after he told her he and Cal set Art up the first time she had been busted. “They had the whole thing planned,” Linda had said. “Tommy polished off two six packs the night that he told me this, and he acted like he thought it was funny. Then he demanded to know if you and I were ever lovers. I told him we were, and that I was still in love with you. He said he suspected as much because things were never right between us. I packed up our things and took Clio with me back to my mother’s house that night.” Then Linda held her hand up against the dirty glass window between them and said she was sorry for leaving her, that she had been young and stupid and just doing what she thought she should be doing. Linda named her daughter Clio after one of the Muses. She told Art she chose the name from Greek mythology so that she would think of Art whenever she said her daughter’s name. After Linda came to visit, Art signed up for auto mechanic classes in the prison. Linda came every week, and when Art pressed her hand against the glass opposite Linda’s, she remembered being a teenager and wishing on the evening star to marry Linda and spend her life with her.  *** This is Janet Mason reading from my novel Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage published by Thorned Heart Press. For more information on my most recent novel Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage, click here. To read another excerpt from Loving Artemis, click here. Second Chances and Loving Artemis: #LGBT #addictions #amreading | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)

A Cash Cow I wandered back to my place next to Spice’s side and before she could ask me how it went, I said to her matter-of-factly, “Tell me what you know about money.” She blinked her big eyes in surprise. The fringe of her thick lashes seemed to lengthen. “Money?” she asked. “What makes you ask about that?” “I heard Sunflower talking about it one day,” I replied. “I had never heard the word before, but it seemed important.” I didn’t tell Spice that Sunflower had mentioned money in terms of having to borrow some to get Spice’s illness treated. I didn’t want to remind Spice that she had been ill. She had been doing so well lately. She was almost back to her old self, but I could tell that she was a little wobbly. “’Sunflower?’” “That’s the name that I gave to the farmer. She named us so I thought I would name her.” Spice regarded me levelly and nodded. “’Sunflower,’ I like that. Maybe you were right when you said the farmer had a lot in common with us. I became close to her when I was sick. I heard her talk about money a few times. It seems like she is always worried about it.” Now it was my time to nod. “Was she talking to you?” I asked, my tail flicking a fly from my side. “Yes, she was. But I don’t think she knew I understood her. Do you want to learn about money or not?” I looked at her expectantly and held my long tongue. “Well one time she – I mean Sunflower – was talking to me about money and another time, I heard her talking to one of the farm hands when she was on the way to come see me when I was still in quarantine.” “And?”  “I was just getting to it. Please be patient.” I wondered which farmhand, Spice overheard Sunflower talking to. But I didn’t want to ask too many questions. I inhaled deeply and exhaled. The air in the pasture smelled like us – like cows and cow dung. There was probably a little cow pee mixed into the scent. It also smelled like the fresh grass that had been planted there just for us. It smelled like home. “When I overheard her talking to the farmhand, she mentioned that she couldn’t pay him on time because the property taxes had gone up. The farmhand seemed to understand.” It must have been Jimmy, I thought. Ham Sandwich would never accept not being paid on time. “Property taxes?!” I asked. “You mean they charge money to live here?” Spice nodded. “Money” – explained Spice – “is something that humans made up. Sometimes their self-worth is based on it – you know their self-importance.” I widened my eyes. “I didn’t know this,” I replied. Well, now you do,” retorted Spice. “When humans have more money, they feel superior to other humans who have less money.” This didn’t make any sense to me. I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. “Why would anyone want to feel superior to anyone else?” “Don’t be silly. There’s always a pecking order – even among cows,” Spice replied. “Not to mention the fact that we used to be money.” “Be money! Us!?” I could barely contain my curiosity. She looked at me coolly and chewed her cud. “I meant what I said,” she said finally. “An old cow told me that in ancient times the kings valued their worth on how many cows they owned. They even invaded other lands and took the cows as their own. Haven’t you ever heard the expression ‘a cash cow’?” I shook my head. “I never heard of such an expression. It sounds ridiculous. We don’t exist to make some king wealthy.” This is Janet Mason reading from my novel Cinnamon: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom (published by Adelaide Books in New York and Lisbon). Cinnamon is available as a traditional book and as an e-book. You can find it where books are sold online, and through your local bookstores and libraries. This reading is for YouTube and Spotify. To read my post on being intersectional, click here: Being many things at once and a new novel: #intersectional #LGBTQ #Animalrights #amreading | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com) My most recent novel is available on the publisher’s website: CINNAMON: a dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom | Adelaide Literary Magazine (adelaidebooks.org) and on amazon.com: Cinnamon: A dairy cow’s (and her farmer’s) path to freedom: Mason, Janet: 9781958419786: Amazon.com: Books more on my blog: What’s Money? A cow’s perspective —reading from a #newnovel #lgbt #intersectional #amreading | Janet Mason, author (wordpress.com)