You may have noticed a certain grumpy blue toad around here. He’s my mascot, my guide, and the heart of my philosophy. But to understand why, you need to know a little story about a poet named Robert Bly.

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Bly was a major figure in American poetry, but he was also a fierce critic with very specific—and often rigid—ideas about what constituted 'good' poetry and 'strong' masculinity. Through his literary journal in the 50s and 60s, he famously gave out a satirical award, the 'Order of the Blue Toad,' to poets he deemed 'bad'—those whose work didn't fit his narrow, often misogynistic and heteronormative, worldview.

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I believe that world is too small.

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Here, I reclaim the Blue Toad. It is no longer an insult; it is a badge of honor.

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The Blue Toad stands for the poets and creators who queer the idea of what is 'good' or 'proper.' It celebrates those who find beauty in the messy, the imperfect, the vulnerable, and the strange. It's for anyone who has ever felt that their voice didn't fit into a neat, pre-approved box.

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So when you see my Blue Toad, know that you are in a space that celebrates the courage to write 'bad' poetry, to make 'imperfect' art, and to be your own authentic, creative self!