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LJ Kessels

she/her

LJ Kessels

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Feb 22

The Patriarchy and the Dead Mother Paradigm: Fathers Finding Their “Feminine” Side

If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you’ve probably seen it: the father suddenly left to run the household because the mother is gone. Full…

The Patriarchy and the Dead Mother Paradigm: Fathers Finding Their “Feminine” Side

LJ Kessels

·

Feb 20

How to nail a writing group

You hand in a draft of your story, a piece you spend a lot of time crafting, when you are still in the glowing days after you think it is…

How to nail a writing group

LJ Kessels

·

Feb 18

The Only Writing Habit That Actually Matters

Sit down. Shut up. Write.

The Only Writing Habit That Actually Matters

LJ Kessels

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Feb 16

How to reframe failure as a creative process

“Every failed attempt is just another step in your creative journey.”

How to reframe failure as a creative process

LJ Kessels

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Feb 12

Messy Drafts, Brilliant Writing: Embrace Your Imperfect First Attempts

“Some of your best writing will look like garbage at first — and that’s exactly how it should be.”

Messy Drafts, Brilliant Writing: Embrace Your Imperfect First Attempts

LJ Kessels

·

Feb 10

The importance of boredom: why doing nothing is essential

For most of human history, Elendung (German: misery, destitution) meant something brutally concrete: hunger, cold, displacement, the daily…

The importance of boredom: why doing nothing is essential

LJ Kessels

·

Aug 1, 2025

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men (Bonus) | Joyce — The Labyrinthine Horror of Letting a Man…

Going through my bookcase, I found another example I had initially forgotten: James Joyce.

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men (Bonus) | Joyce — The Labyrinthine Horror of Letting a Man…

LJ Kessels

·

Jul 30, 2025

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #15 | Final Reflection

What I Read Now: A Love Letter to the Authors Who Healed Me

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #15 | Final Reflection

LJ Kessels

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Jul 28, 2025

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #14 | George Orwell: The Colonial Cop and the Cynic of…

Empire, Authority, and the Man Who Wrote the Rules — but Played by Them Too

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #14 | George Orwell: The Colonial Cop and the Cynic of…

LJ Kessels

·

Jul 25, 2025

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #13 | David Foster Wallace: Infinite Footnotes and Finite…

Was it brilliance — or just another man explaining the world to you in 800 pages?

The Life and Times of Reading Toxic Men #13 | David Foster Wallace: Infinite Footnotes and Finite…

LJ Kessels

LJ Kessels

she/her

Writer. Philosopher. Cultural Animal. (Dis)functional on a multilingual level. Her work has been published a.o. in Bull & Cross, OF ZOOS, South Dakota Review.

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