Everything I Did Right in 2021: A Round-Up of Publications and More

At the beginning of lockdown, in early 2020, I took the first half of that masterclass about the science of joy (then they wanted me to meditate, and I quit). The main thing I took away (besides that money CAN make you happy, up to about $100G/year, and then it levels off) is that a good way to recreate joy is to reflect on other times that gave you joy.

Because the dog days of December always give me the Sunday Scaries, this blog post is a round up of all the writing things I did right in 2021--and it's an excuse for me to reach out about them to you again. Plus, at the end, I listed a few things I'm looking forward to in 2022. Let's start big:

PUBLICATIONS

Essays

Dollhouse of Horrors

Oxford American

Photographs by Emily Wang

"Sure, with unbounded access to money and artists, an exact replica might be worthwhile, more useful even than the actual artifacts of the time because no one actually uses them. But this is my fantasy; this is my house; this is my metaphor. This is me playing the violin while Rome burns."

**Not only is this publication, like, a very big deal for me, but it also made the Top 10 Most Viewed Stories on the site in 2021. That's a big deal in general.

Just How Real is The Mummy's Curse?

FANGORIA

"Bottom line: cursed or not, when it comes to the contents of the tombs, You need that for later. The curses associated with mummies in real life are to protect the bodies so that souls can later reinhabit them."

**Chase and I got to visit Egypt in May, after we got vaccinated and before Delta. This is one of the pieces that got picked up--it's a blend of travel writing and film analysis.

The Pregnant Woman Who Led a Legendary Slave Rebellion

Narratively

Illustrations by Alice Yeun

In 1794 the people of Guadeloupe briefly tasted freedom. A woman named Solitude decided she’d rather die than go back into chains — but her heroism was nearly lost to history.

**This hidden history is such a fantastic story, and I'm so grateful to the team that didn't give up on it, despite that so much of the data was in the form of oral histories.

FEATURES

ROCKY IV: Listen to Your Wife (forthcoming December 31) on Neon Splatter.

EDIT: link included now!

7 Ways to Improve Your Corporate Christmas Party according to Die Hard (1988) Neon Splatter.

The Top 5 Bureaucratic Heroes of DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER. Neon Splatter.

The Immortal Creature: Ricou Browning. FANGORIA.

Timur Bekmambetov’s PROFILE Draws A Hard Line Between Arab And Terrorist. FANGORIA.

Added to Watchlist: The Cotton Club. Neon Splatter.

This year I also started contributing to Messy Nessy Chic, and I absolutely adore writing about escapist hidden histories for them. Here are some of the sponsored writings I've submitted to them this year--and they do imagery SO well... you have to check out the pictures!

EDIT: THREE of these stories made it into Messy Nessy Chic's favorites of 2021!

• The Question Is, Which Actress Should Play Lady Caroline Blackwood In A Hollywood Biopic?

• A Brief Compendium of Historical Karens

• Once Upon a Time in a Real “Westworld” Hoax Town

• Who was Agent 355? The Mystery of America’s First Female Spy

• Here’s what we know about Egypt’s New and Yet Unnamed Futuristic Capital City

• History Conveniently Forgot to Tell us about the Transgender Roman Emperor

• Manhattan’s Long Lost Era of Loft Jazz

• The Rare Jewels Salvaged from America’s Old Auto Factories **AN MNC FAVORITE

• Baby Farming, A Victorian Horror Story

• Not Just a Scandalous Heiress, She’s a Forgotten Early Ally of Black Lives Matter

• Hollywood’s Beguiling Queen of Pre-Code Cinema

• Another Reason to Check Your Attic: Priest Holes

• Men Wore Corsets, History Says**AN MNC FAVORITE

• BRIDGERTON'S Black Presence isn’t Total Fantasy, it’s Hidden History **AN MNC FAVORITE

INTERVIEWS I CONDUCTED

Nathalie Biancheri Talks Authenticity Among Species In WOLF

FANGORIA

Director Nathalie Biancheri sat down with FANGORIA to talk about authenticity among species in her sophomore film WOLF. WOLF follows the story of Jacob (George MacKay) as he navigates a clinic for people with species dysphoria and the psychologist/zookeeper who torments them with cognitive-behavioral treatment.

INTERVIEWS I GAVE

The lovely Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence asked me to contribute to their volume The Science of Serial Killers.

Podcasts that interviewed me:

BLURBS I WROTE:

"BOYS ENTER THE HOUSE is an incredibly researched yet page-turning narrative and an essential read: anyone fascinated with this case knows of the many murdered boys, but David B. Nelson expands their lives to a familiarity I've never before felt…Nelson's level of attention, detail, and respect toward the victims of criminals is the gold standard for every true crime writer."

"SOMEONE TO SHARE MY NIGHTMARES is the most impeccable title for this collection of Sonora Taylor's short works: each one embraces the camp of a well-loved horror trope and makes it new by exploring the romance and lust of its relationship to humanity. If you want a novel reading experience that weds the slasher to the romantic comedy, this collection is what your heart (and body) desires."

FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2021:

1. The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert

2. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

3. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

FAVORITE FILMS of 2021:

1. The French Dispatch directed by Wes Andersen

2. Titane directed by Julia Ducournau

3. Wolf directed by Nathalie Biancheri

THE TOP OF MY TBR FOR 2022:

1. The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook by Annie Gray

2. The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights translated by Yasmine Seale, edited by Paulo Lemos Horta

3. My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme

Did I forget something? Let me know by shooting me an email: mary dot kay dot mcbrayer at gmail dot com.

And if you know of something I should write about, if you're looking for freelance, researching, or editing work, or if you want to collaborate in any other way, get in touch!

Merry New Year, friends!