About Meet the people responsible for your haunted and haunting, gender-inclusive story time.

Maika (they/xe) Literature Procurer, Editor, and Narrator

Why are these things always so difficult to write? And why are they usually written in the third person? Why am I stalling? This is the About page, so let’s give it a go… 

I was born in Amsterdam and grew up in Chicago. Twin Peaks lured me to the PNW in 2001, where I’ve resided ever since. I’m a neurospicy bibliophile, writer, photographer, narrator, and liminal shade, more at home in and among in-betweens than anywhere else. And I would rather be reading, writing, or playing with any of my cameras than talking about myself. 

I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books (or comics), to say nothing of John Waters’ very sound advice about them.

I have always been captivated by the inherent beauty of memento mori and how, when one pauses to consider it, so many things embody poignant reminders of how fragile and tenuous life is, how ephemeral we all are. I collect old photos, books, art, and all manner of natural specimens that conjure for me that singular combination of wonder and melancholy. And, whenever possible, I prefer to leave cobwebs exactly as they are. I’m a memento mori magpie surrounded by a soft septet of cats, to say nothing of the phantom felines I often glimpse from the corner of my eye.

Years of working for Refuge in Grief, not to mention growing up as a queer, trans, nonbinary, neurodivergent person, have taught me to be mindful of how many ways a person’s lived reality may not match their outward appearance. Kindness and empathy can save lives. That being said, trans rights are human rights and ACAB.

I’m an intermittent contributor on S. Elizabeth’s marvelous blog Unquiet Things, and I was a staff writer for the online magazine aspect Haute Macabre from 2016 until its conclusion in 2021. 

I created the Liminal Flares podcast because the only thing better than reading or listening to haunted and haunting stories, is when those stories don’t make anyone feel invisible or inconsequential because of their gender. 

Listen to Episode 1, “A Prelude at the Threshold,” to learn more about me, why I created this show, and what I hope to accomplish with it. You can find me on Mastodon, Bluesky, or Tumblr.