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
I don't (and prob won't) understand what anyone thinks they accomplish by telling me "You can't help that you're not pretty. But you CAN choose not to be ugly. You just need discipline."
Kind =/= nice, but that feels very much like it's neither.
Kind =/= nice, but that feels very much like it's neither.
January 5, 2026 at 12:13 AM
I don't (and prob won't) understand what anyone thinks they accomplish by telling me "You can't help that you're not pretty. But you CAN choose not to be ugly. You just need discipline."
Kind =/= nice, but that feels very much like it's neither.
Kind =/= nice, but that feels very much like it's neither.
May 2026 be much kinder to us. I don't want to forget or stop carrying the grief of 2025, but I hope the weight of it won't be so heavy anymore.
January 2, 2026 at 2:38 AM
May 2026 be much kinder to us. I don't want to forget or stop carrying the grief of 2025, but I hope the weight of it won't be so heavy anymore.
it's just a day. I don't need to feel panic and guilt. nothing has to change. I can forgive who I am and who I couldn't become.
...right?
...right?
December 31, 2025 at 3:42 PM
it's just a day. I don't need to feel panic and guilt. nothing has to change. I can forgive who I am and who I couldn't become.
...right?
...right?
but like, what do you do with the two wolves inside you when everyone around you is a cat person?
December 31, 2025 at 1:00 AM
but like, what do you do with the two wolves inside you when everyone around you is a cat person?
your life is not ruined, and neither are you.
December 29, 2025 at 9:08 PM
your life is not ruined, and neither are you.
If I can't be happy I'm alive, I can at least be happy that others are.
December 28, 2025 at 5:25 AM
If I can't be happy I'm alive, I can at least be happy that others are.
A couple is walking in St. Petersburg Square on Christmas Eve. They feel a slight precipitation.
“I think it’s raining,” says the man.
“No, it’s snowing,” replies the woman.
“How about we ask this Communist officer here? He is always right!” exclaims the man...
“I think it’s raining,” says the man.
“No, it’s snowing,” replies the woman.
“How about we ask this Communist officer here? He is always right!” exclaims the man...
December 24, 2025 at 9:51 PM
A couple is walking in St. Petersburg Square on Christmas Eve. They feel a slight precipitation.
“I think it’s raining,” says the man.
“No, it’s snowing,” replies the woman.
“How about we ask this Communist officer here? He is always right!” exclaims the man...
“I think it’s raining,” says the man.
“No, it’s snowing,” replies the woman.
“How about we ask this Communist officer here? He is always right!” exclaims the man...
ok for anyone who likes to laugh, here's a random drop of Christmas posts I've saved
December 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
ok for anyone who likes to laugh, here's a random drop of Christmas posts I've saved
these kinds of posts always make me ugly-cry if I let myself pause because it's like... Bob... you don't even know but you're about to have such a good life 😭🩷
My friend just rescued a cat who had been in a hoarder’s house and then in a shelter’s cage for five months. Came home today.
I haven’t wanted to hug something more in my entire life than I want to hug Bob.
I haven’t wanted to hug something more in my entire life than I want to hug Bob.
December 23, 2025 at 1:59 AM
these kinds of posts always make me ugly-cry if I let myself pause because it's like... Bob... you don't even know but you're about to have such a good life 😭🩷
Christmas Shoes and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah do NOT belong on holiday playlists imo, unless what you're going for isn't so much "merry" as it is "death humbles us all"
December 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Christmas Shoes and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah do NOT belong on holiday playlists imo, unless what you're going for isn't so much "merry" as it is "death humbles us all"
"you've been suicidal for so long and it's exhausting for us"
I can't possibly emphasize enough how WELL AWARE of this I already am.
I can't possibly emphasize enough how WELL AWARE of this I already am.
December 21, 2025 at 3:54 AM
"you've been suicidal for so long and it's exhausting for us"
I can't possibly emphasize enough how WELL AWARE of this I already am.
I can't possibly emphasize enough how WELL AWARE of this I already am.
I know AI isn't a monolith and it's not all generative, but this is an astoundingly poor choice of topic given the CONTEXT of AI usage in publishing. Yes, AI is already here, but there's a reason we're not celebrating.
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December 18, 2025 at 12:03 AM
I know AI isn't a monolith and it's not all generative, but this is an astoundingly poor choice of topic given the CONTEXT of AI usage in publishing. Yes, AI is already here, but there's a reason we're not celebrating.
This is going to sound so so so ungrateful and it is, but I wish people would stop trying to save my life and just listen.
December 17, 2025 at 2:07 AM
This is going to sound so so so ungrateful and it is, but I wish people would stop trying to save my life and just listen.
Y'all... ok so Fred is one of my parents' oldest friends, like 20+ years. RECENTLY they were chatting with his wife (he'd stepped out) and my dad mentioned some quirk of Fred's. His wife was like "Who's Fred?"
Turns out his name is NOT FRED. It has never been remotely similar to Fred. It's Nathan. 😭
Turns out his name is NOT FRED. It has never been remotely similar to Fred. It's Nathan. 😭
December 16, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Y'all... ok so Fred is one of my parents' oldest friends, like 20+ years. RECENTLY they were chatting with his wife (he'd stepped out) and my dad mentioned some quirk of Fred's. His wife was like "Who's Fred?"
Turns out his name is NOT FRED. It has never been remotely similar to Fred. It's Nathan. 😭
Turns out his name is NOT FRED. It has never been remotely similar to Fred. It's Nathan. 😭
How do you make yourself attend social events when you consistently dread them, even ones you'd enjoy? Is it worse, with depression, to self-isolate or to go through the monumental effort? (This isn't rhetorical; trying to force myself out the door and considering giving up)
December 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
How do you make yourself attend social events when you consistently dread them, even ones you'd enjoy? Is it worse, with depression, to self-isolate or to go through the monumental effort? (This isn't rhetorical; trying to force myself out the door and considering giving up)
Reposted by Stephi Cham
This thread really captures it, and deserves far wider coverage than it’s gotten. Thank you, @stephicham.com, for opening up and sharing your experience here!
If you're a journalist or on social media and you wonder if guidelines on discussing suicide really matter, if you think anyone who's that vulnerable should/would know better... I'd like to offer where I'm at.
December 12, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This thread really captures it, and deserves far wider coverage than it’s gotten. Thank you, @stephicham.com, for opening up and sharing your experience here!
If you're a journalist or on social media and you wonder if guidelines on discussing suicide really matter, if you think anyone who's that vulnerable should/would know better... I'd like to offer where I'm at.
December 12, 2025 at 5:59 AM
If you're a journalist or on social media and you wonder if guidelines on discussing suicide really matter, if you think anyone who's that vulnerable should/would know better... I'd like to offer where I'm at.
"what have you been watching lately?"
my potential being wasted, mostly
my potential being wasted, mostly
December 12, 2025 at 2:29 AM
"what have you been watching lately?"
my potential being wasted, mostly
my potential being wasted, mostly
I'm almost 30 and still not totally convinced that others don't fear death or think about it daily. I just... how?!
December 11, 2025 at 6:05 AM
I'm almost 30 and still not totally convinced that others don't fear death or think about it daily. I just... how?!
I've never believed in declaring a day Bad before 8 PM. This morning almost changed my mind; I woke up from a nightmare yelling NO and sobbing, then got to work late and puffy-eyed. But maybe I'm not so silly after all, because kind words and good news found me anyway, and the sun hasn't even set.
December 10, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I've never believed in declaring a day Bad before 8 PM. This morning almost changed my mind; I woke up from a nightmare yelling NO and sobbing, then got to work late and puffy-eyed. But maybe I'm not so silly after all, because kind words and good news found me anyway, and the sun hasn't even set.
Something I'm still trying to teach myself: Rest, like kindness, doesn't need to be earned.
Gentle reminder that you don't have to "deserve" rest.🌱
You need rest to function. It's not a treat you get for functioning.
You need rest to function. It's not a treat you get for functioning.
December 10, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Something I'm still trying to teach myself: Rest, like kindness, doesn't need to be earned.
I want SO BADLY to gift this (and have this gifted to me)—books we wrote, books we edited, books we love, books we imagine. #kidlitchat
December 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
I want SO BADLY to gift this (and have this gifted to me)—books we wrote, books we edited, books we love, books we imagine. #kidlitchat
In my wildest impossible dreams, I get to teach writing and editing in one-on-one weekly classes where we get to use as many books and as much time as we want and neither of us has to worry about affording health care.
December 10, 2025 at 12:44 AM
In my wildest impossible dreams, I get to teach writing and editing in one-on-one weekly classes where we get to use as many books and as much time as we want and neither of us has to worry about affording health care.
It just hit me that I might be WRONG when I think no one cares?? I grew up skipping award ceremonies whenever I could, and I've just remembered why: I hated being there alone, having to explain that my family refused to "teach me to expect praise for doing what's expected."
December 8, 2025 at 4:02 AM
It just hit me that I might be WRONG when I think no one cares?? I grew up skipping award ceremonies whenever I could, and I've just remembered why: I hated being there alone, having to explain that my family refused to "teach me to expect praise for doing what's expected."
Wikipedia's version of Wrapped has unintentionally captured my range of curiosity
December 7, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Wikipedia's version of Wrapped has unintentionally captured my range of curiosity