Beth Gilstrap (she/her)
@bettysueblue.bsky.social
Author. Editor. Copywriter. Pastry school student. Anti-fascist. EIC & Publisher of Black Lily Zine. Living w C-PTSD & vocal about ending the stigma surrounding mental illness.
That’s a wrap on my second quarter of pastry school. I laughed a lot. I cried some. I felt foolish. I felt like an imposter. I burned myself a lot. I worked through a lot of pain, physical and emotional. I wondered why I was putting myself through this.
December 4, 2025 at 8:01 PM
That’s a wrap on my second quarter of pastry school. I laughed a lot. I cried some. I felt foolish. I felt like an imposter. I burned myself a lot. I worked through a lot of pain, physical and emotional. I wondered why I was putting myself through this.
The face of NO REGRETS. My son housed an entire blueberry cream cheese turnover in .5 seconds. Jerk.
December 3, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The face of NO REGRETS. My son housed an entire blueberry cream cheese turnover in .5 seconds. Jerk.
I enjoy spending my days w other food nerds. The way most of us are constantly helping each other is heartening. It’s strange switching b/t writer me & culinary me. I look forward to merging the two soon. Not that they weren’t always interconnected. Anyhow, I learned a 9-plait challah today.
November 12, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I enjoy spending my days w other food nerds. The way most of us are constantly helping each other is heartening. It’s strange switching b/t writer me & culinary me. I look forward to merging the two soon. Not that they weren’t always interconnected. Anyhow, I learned a 9-plait challah today.
Y’all here’s what I made in two days in pastry class. Not pictured: 20 ponds of pie dough & 4 lbs of glaze.
November 11, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Y’all here’s what I made in two days in pastry class. Not pictured: 20 ponds of pie dough & 4 lbs of glaze.
There’s a freeze warning tonight. Here’s the last of my garden. Yes, I cried.
November 9, 2025 at 9:48 PM
There’s a freeze warning tonight. Here’s the last of my garden. Yes, I cried.
Introducing, my child
November 6, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Introducing, my child
I wrote over 10,000 words for work this month and baked my arse off at school. Going to rest and try to get caught up on zine orders this weekend.
October 31, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I wrote over 10,000 words for work this month and baked my arse off at school. Going to rest and try to get caught up on zine orders this weekend.
I haven’t shared a ton about pastry school here. It feels a little like speaking into the void tbh but I learned how to make bagels today. It was the best bagel I’ve ever had tbh.
October 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I haven’t shared a ton about pastry school here. It feels a little like speaking into the void tbh but I learned how to make bagels today. It was the best bagel I’ve ever had tbh.
Road buddies waiting on a piece of my 🥐
October 26, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Road buddies waiting on a piece of my 🥐
Quarter 2, Week 1, Baking 101. Pastry class starts Monday. Always silly. Love baking w my friend from culinary 105, Mailani. Exhausted & overwhelmed but still having fun. We made: blueberry muffins, sweet corn muffins, & zucchini nut bread. Next week it’s biscuits & scones.
October 16, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Quarter 2, Week 1, Baking 101. Pastry class starts Monday. Always silly. Love baking w my friend from culinary 105, Mailani. Exhausted & overwhelmed but still having fun. We made: blueberry muffins, sweet corn muffins, & zucchini nut bread. Next week it’s biscuits & scones.
Orders for @blacklilyzine.bsky.social issue 3 are now open! See details below.
October 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Orders for @blacklilyzine.bsky.social issue 3 are now open! See details below.
Prepping cherry tomatoes for slow roasting & a very important novel epiphany & a few lines of dialogue arrived. Love it when that happens. Can’t wait til I have time to work on it again.
October 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Prepping cherry tomatoes for slow roasting & a very important novel epiphany & a few lines of dialogue arrived. Love it when that happens. Can’t wait til I have time to work on it again.
This response was my favorite lol
October 9, 2025 at 9:39 PM
This response was my favorite lol
This evening was the annual lighting of Glen. Welcome, back buddy. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
September 28, 2025 at 11:55 PM
This evening was the annual lighting of Glen. Welcome, back buddy. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The proof of @blacklilyzine Issue 3 has been sent out to our contributors. While we’re all making sure everything is as it should be, check out this killer TOC.
September 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The proof of @blacklilyzine Issue 3 has been sent out to our contributors. While we’re all making sure everything is as it should be, check out this killer TOC.
It’s blurb request time for There Is News Along the Ohio River, a hybrid flash CNF collection forthcoming from @riverriverbooks in February. It’s a quick & I hope, impactful read about my life & life in general at the Kentucky/Indiana border/ Louisville from 2020-2022. Details below. HMU.
September 26, 2025 at 11:43 AM
It’s blurb request time for There Is News Along the Ohio River, a hybrid flash CNF collection forthcoming from @riverriverbooks in February. It’s a quick & I hope, impactful read about my life & life in general at the Kentucky/Indiana border/ Louisville from 2020-2022. Details below. HMU.
@blacklilyzine.bsky.social Issue 3 update & coming soon, I swear!
September 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
@blacklilyzine.bsky.social Issue 3 update & coming soon, I swear!
Writers w/ books coming out in fall/winter ‘25 or spring ‘26, if you’d like to collaborate on events , HMU.
September 2, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Writers w/ books coming out in fall/winter ‘25 or spring ‘26, if you’d like to collaborate on events , HMU.
Writer goes to pastry school week 2. Working on the mother sauces this week. My béchamel for the mac n cheese needed 30 more seconds. Had so much fun. Veloute tomorrow. Also this seems like a good writing prompt to me.
August 27, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Writer goes to pastry school week 2. Working on the mother sauces this week. My béchamel for the mac n cheese needed 30 more seconds. Had so much fun. Veloute tomorrow. Also this seems like a good writing prompt to me.
I don’t see many friends often, so it’s appreciated. And to the dear friend who sent me this necklace, OMG, I adore it! For the record, I’m not leaving writing behind. The only way that would ever happen is if I lose the ability physically or mentally to do so. I suspect I’d only quit upon my death.
August 25, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I don’t see many friends often, so it’s appreciated. And to the dear friend who sent me this necklace, OMG, I adore it! For the record, I’m not leaving writing behind. The only way that would ever happen is if I lose the ability physically or mentally to do so. I suspect I’d only quit upon my death.
I’ll probably grieve the fact that academia deemed me not good enough for FT work the rest of my life, but I’m still trying new things. I’ve failed A LOT over the years. To paraphrase Sylvia Plath, at least it means I’m trying.
August 19, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I’ll probably grieve the fact that academia deemed me not good enough for FT work the rest of my life, but I’m still trying new things. I’ve failed A LOT over the years. To paraphrase Sylvia Plath, at least it means I’m trying.
I’d like to get ten more email addresses from anyone interested in my forthcoming (spring ‘26) Flash CNF/hybrid collection from @riverriverbooks.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
I’d like to get ten more email addresses from anyone interested in my forthcoming (spring ‘26) Flash CNF/hybrid collection from @riverriverbooks.bsky.social
Sometimes a note to yourself from 2 years ago (as you started work on a new novel for real for real) that you’d forgotten about shows up & gives you the feels. A hug from a me who was struggling less than I am today. Thanks, previous me. Let’s do this revision & remember this hug across time.
July 31, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Sometimes a note to yourself from 2 years ago (as you started work on a new novel for real for real) that you’d forgotten about shows up & gives you the feels. A hug from a me who was struggling less than I am today. Thanks, previous me. Let’s do this revision & remember this hug across time.
All my copywriting & editing work is freelance & I’m open to work. If I’ve edited or written for you & you were happy with it, I’d appreciate shares &/or blurbs. Most of my business is through word of mouth.
July 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
All my copywriting & editing work is freelance & I’m open to work. If I’ve edited or written for you & you were happy with it, I’d appreciate shares &/or blurbs. Most of my business is through word of mouth.
I look forward to doing book events again next spring/summer when my hybrid/flash CNF book There Is News Along the Ohio River (River River Books, 2026) comes out. It’s a bit early to start planning but if you’d like me to come to your bookshop, town, university, classroom (virtual/in-person), lmk.
July 20, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I look forward to doing book events again next spring/summer when my hybrid/flash CNF book There Is News Along the Ohio River (River River Books, 2026) comes out. It’s a bit early to start planning but if you’d like me to come to your bookshop, town, university, classroom (virtual/in-person), lmk.