Christine submitted this great little vignette for my new anthology on polyamorous families, Stories from the Polycule, and said I could post it in a call for further submissions. It made me smile, and I am hoping that it will inspire some of you to contribute your own adorable tidbits.
Conversation with my four year old son, Jax, about polyamory:
Me: “Jax, what do you think about Mommy’s friends?”
Jax: “You have lots of many friends!”
Me: “What different kinds of friends?”
Jax: “Some are like friends that are other mommies and some are like friends who come to our house and some are like special friends.”
Me: “Special friends?”
Jax: “Like Mr. David or Dr. Chris. Like the ones you like to kiss.”
Me: “Mmm hmm.”
Jax: “Because you like to have many special friends but some grown ups like to just have one special friend, like Granny and Rumpah are just one special friend for each other.”
Me: “What do you think about that?”
Jax: “I think that they are happy.”
Me: “Mmm hmmm.”
Jax: “I like to have many friends but I don’t like kissing so I don’t have special friends.”
Me: “Do you think you will have one special friend or many when you grow up?”
Jax: “I will invent a special kissing machine to do that for me so I can have a house for a family of special friends but not have to kiss them.”
Me: “Sounds like a plan.”
Christine
Now it is your last chance to submit a story, poem, or drawing for this groundbreaking new book by JANUARY 15, 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding submissions to Stories from the Polycule:
Do the stories have to be positive or flattering to polyamory?
NO. Real families have hard times, and poly families sometimes fall apart at the seams just like other families. To present a realistic picture of poly families, we will include both the advantages and the disadvantages contributors face.
Do the families have to have children?
NO. Families take all sorts of forms, and those made up of all adults count as families too! Elders with or without adult children are also encouraged to write something for the anthology.
May children contribute too?
YES! Children are encouraged to submit something for the book. Kids can draw pictures of their families, write something on their own, or dictate a story to an adult.
What kinds of submissions, and how long should they be?
It depends on your talents and what you have to say – from a drawing, photograph or few lines of poetry to an entire essay or selection of prose — let your creativity flow.
Do I have to use my real name?
NO. You may if you wish, or you can make-up a different name for the book.
Do contributors get paid?
YES, hopefully. If the Indiegogo campaign raises enough money for the book to go, we will pay contributors $25. If you want to help us pay contributors, please donate to our crowdfunding campaign and help us fund the book ☺
Who is editing this anthology?
Dr. Elisabeth Sheff, a researcher who studies polyamory and recently published a book about the findings of her 15-year study, The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families. Thorntree Press (with Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert) is publishing the book.
How can I submit something?
Email your submission as an attachment to drelisheff@gmail.com
Who should I contact with questions?
Eli Sheff at drelisheff@gmail.com
