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Meet our Sensitivity & Expert Readers
Rebecca Blevins
- Personal neurodivergent experience includes anxiety, clinical depression, unofficially diagnosed ADHD and OCD as well as dyscalculia.
- Autistic
- Parent of four children including three autistic sons (elementary, teen, adult), with all children having a mix of ADHD, OCD, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, and executive functioning challenges. Does not support Autism Speaks.
- Brain health (OCD, general anxiety disorder, clinical depression, non-military PTSD, postpartum depression, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder, fat phobia)
- Chronic illness
- Sapiosexuality
- Body positivity
- Natural lifestyle (vegetarianism/veganism/plant-based eating, natural remedies, etc)
- Homeschooling (graduating from, teaching own children, transitioning to public school)
- High-risk pregnancy (bedrest, hyperemesis gravidarum, placenta previa, diabetes, traumatic birth)
- Medical trauma, medical sexual assault
- Midwestern USA
- Certified group fitness instructor, dance fitness, weight training
- Rural, small-town living
- GED graduate
- Growing up far below U.S. poverty line and on government welfare
Sachiko Burton
- Japanese-American characters, history, and issues, including hafu/quafu life
- White-presenting mixed-race; minority culture
- Large family life, homeschooling
- Traumatic childbirth, child loss, and grief
- Christianity, Puritanism, and religious sensitivity; post-Mormon concerns
- Trauma, sexual abuse/assault, PTSD, self-harm and suicidal ideation
- Recovery life and therapy
- Military life (specifically USAF)
- Body positivity, fatphobia, and fat activism
- Eating disorders
- Special needs children, specifically: failure-to-thrive, genetic issues, and early intervention
- Abusive relationships
- Mental inpatient care
Kira Aitch
- African American (Black/white biracial)
- Raised Catholic
- Pansexual
- ADD, OCD, Trichotillomania, Anxiety, Depression
- Hard of Hearing (hearing aid)
- Raised in restaurant/catering
- Child of a parent with a serious illness (MS)
- Golden Age of Piracy
- Atlantic Slave Trade
- Midwest
Ronkwahrhakónha "Lune" Dube
- Contemporary Native American Culture
- Iroquois Culture and History
- Contemporary Jewish Culture
- Witchcraft
- Psychic Experiences
- Paganism
- Childhood Trauma
- Working with Children, neurotypical and neurodivergent, ages 4-17
- Summer Camp Culture
- Mental Health (C-PTSD, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, ADD, Trauma-induced Missing Memories)
- Male Survivor of Rape
- Growing up Biracial
- Northeastern and northwestern bushcraft, wildcraft, and wilderness survival
- LGBTQIA+ community
Carling Mars
- Mental illness: anxiety, OCD, CPTSD, bipolar, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, suicidality, hallucinations, delusions, ADHD (diagnosed as an adult), hypersexuality, mania, manic spending, paranoia, agoraphobia
- Therapy/psychiatry (patient), psychiatric hospitalization
- LGBTQ: queer, gay, genderqueer, gender non-conformity, non-binary femme, grey-A sexuality, gender questioning, questioning sexuality
- Abusive romantic relationships: sexual, emotional
- Disability (temporary physical, chronic mental, temporary GI), disability rights
- Caretaker/patient romantic relationships
- Invisible illness/chronic illness/mystery illness; medical/diagnostic trauma
- Physical therapy; immobilizing injuries (legs, back)
- Pilates
- Women's college
- Being nonreligious in a majority-LDS city/state
- Vegetarian/vegan lifestyle; food allergies, including use of EpiPen
- Working in law firms, law school
- Majoring in science, working in science labs including animal labs
- Memory problems
- Locations: Salt Lake City, Denver/Boulder area, New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn), Finland (small town)
Al MacKay
- Transmasculinity
- Non-binary identity
- Bisexuality and pansexuality
- Rural queer experience
- Childhood internet fame
- Animation & animation history
- Depression and anxiety
- Late 2000s & early 2010s internet subcultures
- Alt/independent comics
- Bullying (online, verbal)
- Animal welfare & vegetarianism/veganism
- Art school student culture
- 2000s emo & scene teen culture
- Filmmaking and film history
- Furry fandom
- Intimate partner abuse / gaslighting
Amy Bowen
- Counseling process, including diagnosis and DSM-5
- Mental illnesses, especially depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia
- Family member of those living with mental illnesses
- PTSD, trauma
- Sexual assault, rape, abuse
- Emotional and mental abuse
Al Ross
- Non-binary Identity
- Trans masc identity
- Bisexuality
- Non-binary Identity & Bisexuality Intersectionality
- Ulcerative Colitis / IBD
- General Anxiety & Panic Disorder
- Major Depressive Disorder
- ADHD
- Anthropology
- Film/Television Production
Thais Carreira Afonso
- Afro-Brazilian
- Atheist
- Queer
Akelah Adams
- African-American culture and issues
- Military children
Justin Ho
- Chinese American
- Christian
- LGBTQ+ community
- Schizoaffective Disorder (Bipolar Type 1 + Schizophrenia)
- Interpersonal, institutional, and internalized homophobia
- Growing up in a Christian school
- Growing up in Hawaii
- Inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment
- Gaming community experience
- Stan culture (Pop stars, One Direction, K-pop)
- Fan fiction reader and writer
Neha Patel
- Indian culture
- Hinduism
- Immigrant experience of the Indian diaspora
- Intergenerational trauma, casteism
- Racism (including internalized racism, institutional racism, microaggressions, othering, colonialism, and colorism)
- Living in the American South as a minority, being liberal in conservative environments, and experiencing culture shock
- Women’s issues and feminism
- Interests: literature, political discourse/current events, comedy, traveling and/or road tripping as a woman of color, history of the Western world, and Indian cooking
- Locations: Southern California, the Deep South (Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama), Missouri, and Texas
Mikki Helmer
- LGBT issues, specific to Lesbian and Bi-sexual matters
- Demisexuality
- LGBTQIA intersectionality with mental health (depression, anxiety, bi-polar, manic cycles)
- Mental health
- LGBT intersectionality with religion (Mormonism, atheism, paganism, druidry)
- Mormonism / Ex-Mormonism
- Horses/Equestrian (Western riding, hunt seat, dressage, medieval riding, trick riding, vaulting, training, mares & foals/breeding, shoeing/farrier, endurance, mounted joust, equine armor, horse breeds and horse types, equine psychology and behavior, mounted fighting, mounted archery)
- Falconry
- Archery
- Tea (history, brewing, holistic uses)
- Western United States geography and survival
Victoria Cho
- Korean-American
- Immigrants
Trinica Sampson
- Caribbean, Black, Biracial, and interracial relationships/households
- Racism, microaggressions, racist family members
- Queer/LGBTQIA+ relationships/culture and lesbian representation
- Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social anxiety, OCD, ADHD, disordered eating (ARFID)
- Conservative Christianity, Atheism
- Sexual Assault Survivors
- Estrangement from family
- Social Work (with individuals experiencing homelessness)
- Being raised by a mother with Borderline Personality Disorder
Candice Roma
- African American
- Racism & microaggressions
- African Americans functioning in predominantly white spaces
- Interracial relationships
- Gender nonconformity
- Bisexuality/sapiosexuality
- Weightlifting/powerlifting
- Eating disorders
- Body positivity/obesity
- Mental illness (focus on anxiety/depression/bipolar disorder)
- Sexual abuse/rape
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Grief after death/loss of a parent/loss of a sibling
- Infertility
- Psychological therapy
- Agnostic/living without religion
- Child of a parent dealing with addiction
- Baking from scratch
- Knitting
- Fraternity/sorority life
- Dog rescue and rehabilitation
Matthew Broberg-Moffitt
- Neurodiversity (Autism, Hyperlexia, Dyscalculia, 2E learner, Giftedness, and Learning Disorders)
- Gender queer and non-binary identity
- Chronic illness (Narcolepsy with Cataplexy, SLE, and RA)
- Homelessness and poverty
- Romany and Sami Heritage
- Male survivor of childhood sexual abuse
- Eating Disorder
- Western Buddhism
- Genetic birth condition (Arachnodactyly)
- Inpatient Psychiatric treatment
- Male domestic violence survivor
- May/December Romances (Older female, younger male)
- Drug and Alcohol treatment
- Working in a prison
- Traditional archery
- Baking, cheesemaking
- Demisexuality
Madison Parrotta
- Italian
- Bisexual
- Disabled
- Wheelchair user
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Disability in Theater
- Surgery
- Ableist Physician Experiences
- Adaptive Technology
- Physical Therapy
- Medication
- Alcoholism
- Disabled Sexuality
Mya Alexice
- Biracial: Black and white
- Latinx (Puerto Rico)
- Atheist
- Non-binary
- Queer
- Major depressive disorder, anxiety, chronic muscle pain
Cameron Van Sant
- Transgender men
- Pansexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and questioning sexualities
- Non-binary genders
- Gender questioning
- Christian Protestantism, ex-Christians
Patricia Ruiz
- Latinx women
- Mixed race identity
- Standard and regional Spanish language and culture (including translations)
- Standard and regional French language and culture (including translations)
- Latinx diaspora in the USA
- Jewish identity and communities
- Mental Illness (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
- Body image and eating disorders
- Translation checks: Spanish, French, German, and Brazilian Portuguese
- Latinx culture (Puerto Rico, Cuban, Dominican, Caribbean), 1970s and 1980s Argentine history
Lynn Brown
- African American
- Native American (Choctaw)
- African Indigenous traditions (voodoo, santeria, etc.)
- Bisexuality
- Invisible disabilities (chronic pain, neurological issues, seizure disorder)
- Interracial relationships
- Travelling while black/disabled/female
Lydia Suen
- Chinese-American culture
- "Hapa" or half-Asian culture
- Tiger parents
- Complex family relationships
- Interracial romance
- Gamer culture
- San Fransisco Bay area
- Ancient Chinese magic systems
Helen Gould
- TTRPGs
- Black and mixed-race people
- Race relations within the UK
- Gender and sexuality
- Mental health, trauma, depression
Melissa Vera
- Latinx (Chicanx and/or Mexican-American)
- Regional familiarity with San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
- Formerly conservative Christian
- Queer
- OCD
- ADHD, depression, anxiety
- ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
Fatin Marini
- Palestinian culture
- Arab rep
- Islam
- Muslim characters
- Motherhood
- Expat life
- Arab diaspora
Dani Murano
- LGBTQIA2+ representation
- Transgender topics
- Non-binary, agender, and gender-fluid characters and experiences
- Intersex topics
- Transition stories
- Autism/Autism spectrum characters
- Queer relationships
Undrea
- Cis Black/African-American women, young adults & girls
- African Americans functioning in predominantly white spaces
- Urban/suburban black culture
- Women's representation
- Mental illness with a focus on depression/anxiety
- Interracial relationships
- Graphic novels and comics
- Video games
Nicole Hawken
- Childbirth: traumatic, home, natural, PPD & PPA
- Mental health, including anxiety, depression, addiction, PTSD, bipolar, narcissism, and sociopaths
- Sexual assault
- Emotional/mental abuse by a parent, child of a mentally ill parent, therapy
- Institutionalization (mental hospital)
- Religions: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Baptist
- Parenting anxious and depressed children
- Single parenting
- Foster care and CPS intervention
- Blended families
- Family court
- Locations: Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, Colorado
Larissa Pienkowski
- Brazilian and Polish identities
- Being mixed-race; being light-skinned
- First-generation immigrant family, diaspora, families split up by borders, language barriers
- Latinx people in predominantly white spaces
- LGBTQIA+ community
- Familial homophobia
- Being raised as an only child
- Issues related to fatness, fatphobia, body image, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders
- Mental illness (depression, anxiety, PTSD, attention deficit problems)
- Therapy and outpatient psychiatry
- Sexual assault and survivorship
- Fields of social work, sociology, and book publishing
- Attending a women's college
- Taekwondo and volleyball
- Traveling overseas
Mehr Husain
- South Asian religions
- South Asian culture and traditions
- Pakistan, history and politics
- Diaspora, South Asia in Britain
Ariane Resnick
- Jewish
- LGBTQ+
- Partners with trans men
- POC, white passing POC
- Abusive relationship history
- Chronic illness history, working with chronically ill people
- Birth trauma
- Body positivity
- Interracial relationships
- Sexual and physical assault
- Cookbooks, nutrition
Catherine Liao
- Filipino
- Bisexual, demisexual
- Non-binary/Gender non-conforming
- Chronic pain
- PTSD, depression, anxiety
- Hard of hearing
- Body image, eating disorders
- Boxing
- Political activism
- Historical Knowledge (Victorian England, Bronze Age Near East, Renaissance Italy and France)
Tova Seltzer
- Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism
- Asexuality/the ace spectrum
- Child of a same-sex couple and of separated/remarried same-sex parents
- Conception via sperm donation
- Phobias
- Aromanticism
- Tabletop gaming
- Spanish language (working fluency, translation)
Hinahina Gray
- Native Hawaiian and White
- Hoʻomana Hawaiʻi
- Māhū Wahine
- Pansexual
- Depression, anxiety, and PTSD
- Indigenous Diaspora
- Native Hawaiian Spiritualism
- The Mixed-Race Experience
Margaret Kingsbury
- Disabled
- Invisible Disability (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
- Chronic Health Issues
- Postpartum Depression Cesarean Section, High Risk Pregnancy
- Father with Bipolar Disorder
- Southern (Tennessee)
Katie DeGilio
- LGBTQ+ characters
- Drag culture
- Geek Culture (specifically Cosplaying and fan fiction)
- ADHD (childhood and adult)
- Anxiety, depression, PTSD
- Pescatarian/vegetarian lifestyle
- Feminism (working in a male dominate field)
- Religious Upbringing (specifically Methodist and Catholic)
- Abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual)
- Dystonia
- Bullying
- Grief after death
- Growing up in the South (specifically Virginia and North Carolina)
- Working in publishing (specifically as a magazine intern and literary agent intern)
- Therapy, specifically Behavioral Cognitive Therapy
Trisha Tobias
- Black/African American characters, women especially.
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders (restrictive)
- Interracial relationships
- Child of an immigrant (Jamaican parent)
- Sexual assault
- Evangelical Christian upbringing
Alexis Simms
- New Orleans
- Black women
- Mental health
- Familial abuse
Veronica Vega
- LGBTQ+ concerns, culture, and romances
- Afro-Latinx culture
- The Caribbean
- Racism, microaggressions, racial profiling
- Eating disorders, ednos, bingeing and purging
- Catholicism, practicing and not
- Multiculturalism in the USA, specifically African American and Afro Caribbean culture
- Culture shock
- Going to school/university in a foreign country
- Interracial relationships
- Music, theater, and performing arts
- Dating while fat
- Weightlifting and crossfit
- Black Lives Matter
Melli Yoon
- Korean American
- Christian
- Third culture kid (immigrant culture, code-switching)
- Racism (microagressions, macroagressions, stereotypes, colorism, Eastern vs. Western beauty standards, etc.)
- Ageism
- Tokenism
- Special needs education (ABA in home, school, and community settings; family support)
Dae
- Mixed Latinx culture (including Mexican-American)
- Latinx diaspora in the USA
- Mixed race representation
- Regional familiarity for the rural midwest
- Queer/LGBTQ+ concerns and culture, specifically nonbinary and asexual representation
- Disability representation and spoonie culture
Jenna Beacom
- Deaf
- ASL
- Hard of Hearing
- Cochlear implants
- General disability representation
Heba Elsherief
- Muslim
- Arab
- Egyptian
- Arab Diaspora
- Post-Colonial People/Themes
David Pena
- LGBTQ+ culture and experiences, specifically Transgender Bisexual/Gay Men
- Transmasculine experiences in Spain and the Netherlands
- Spanish (Spain) culture
- Only Girls education from 5y.o. until 18y.o.
- Psychology - anxiety, depression, minority stress, eating disorders
- Minor Spanish translations/slang use
- Raised Catholic
Savannah Tenderfoot
- Ojibwe
- Algonquin
- Irish
- British
- Ashkenazi Jewish (Agnostic)
- Anxiety & Depression
Ravi Teixeira
- Transmasculine and nonbinary people
- Mixed Cape Verdean
- Mixed or light-skinned people of color
- Hard of hearing
- Mental illness
- Comics, graphic novels, etc.
Kim VanderHorst
- Canadian
- Autistic
- Demisexual
- Mental Health (ADD, OCD, Anxiety, Depression, Suicidal Ideation)
- Difficult Pregnancies & Miscarriage
- Death of a Parent
- Performing Arts (Music)
Taye Timko
- Biracial identity: Black and white; biracial identity struggles and white-passing privilege
- African-Americans functioning in predominantly white spaces
- Demiflux/agender/gender nonconforming
- LGBTQ+ community, pansexual identity
- Polyamorous, nonmonogamous, interracial relationships
- Familial homophobia and racism (microaggressions, racism, culture erasure)
- Infertility
- Mental illness (depression, General Anxiety Disorder, CPTSD [based on childhood trauma and emotional abuse], executive dysfunction problems)
- Issues related to fatness, fatphobia, body image, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders
- Sports Knowledge: Basketball, ice hockey (all men’s team), football (all men’s team), rugby (women’s league)
- Chronic Illness history (Autoimmune; chronic fatigue, pain management, chronic pain; spoonie culture)
- Vegetarianism/Plant-based diet experience
- Childhood chromesthesia; adult mirror-touch synesthesia
- Educator (M.A. in teaching)
Kimberlee McCoy
- Regional/cultural expertise growing up in the South (specifically TN)
- Being in a minority religion (LDS) in the Bible belt
- Cerebral palsy
- Music/piano/band, teaching piano
- Infertility, IVF, adoption
- Divorce, single parenthood, remarriage, step-parenting, co-parenting
