In this episode of QUEER VOICES OF THE SOUTH, I talk with SHELBY CRISWELL, whose book QUEER AS ALL GET OUT 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me follows the daily life of one queer artist from Texas as they introduce us to the lives of ten extraordinary people.

You can listen to the episode here.

The author shares their life as a genderqueer person, living in the American South, revealing their own personal struggle for acceptance and how they were inspired by these historical LGBTQIA+ people to live their own truth. Featuring biographies of Mary Jones, We’wha, Magnus Hirschfeld, Dr. Pauli Murray, Wilmer “Little Axe” M. Broadnax, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Carlett Brown, Nancy Cardenas, Ifti Nasim, and Simon Nkoli.

About the Author
Shelby Criswell is a queer comic creator and graphic designer thriving in San Antonio, TX. They studied studio arts at the Santa Fe Institute of Art and Design as well as illustration at Academy of Arts University. They have been creating comics and drawing since childhood and haven’t found anything more fulfilling to take its place. When Shelby is not creating comics or working on graphic design projects for clients, they are playing banjo, going on overnight bike trips, or drinking far too much coffee.

Shelby has had work in a few comic anthologies including SWEATY PALMS, EVERYTHING IS GOING WRONG, and is in the Ignatz and Ringo Award-winning book BE GAY DO COMICS. Shelby made their debut into mainstream comics as the artist on TERMINAL PUNKS published by Mad Cave Studios. Their first graphic novel, QUEER AS ALL GET OUT, is out late 2021 from Street Noise Books. They have also illustrated online comics for OH JOY SEX TOY and THE NIB.

C’est tout!

M

Morris Ardoin’s book, STONE MOTEL – MEMOIRS of a CAJUN BOY can be purchased through the publisher, on the independent bookseller website Indibound, or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers, and is also available as an audiobook on Audible.