Sapphics, Pirates, and Dogs (oh my!)
Hi there!
Penny and Scout also say hello. And I can promise you they will always say hello at the beginning of a newsletter, so if that’s not incentive to open your emails from me, I don’t know what is!
If you’re new here and have no clue who I am, hi! I’m Kate, and I love my dogs.
I also write and do some other things, which is probably really why you’re here (although if you just came for the dogs, I wouldn’t blame you one bit).
As my Substack profile says, I’m a bisexual novelist and playwright who writes about women and bisexuals (especially bisexual women) in all their various, wondrous, magical forms. I’m also an actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, and overuser of tape.
Fast facts about me:
Things I’ve written:
Pride & Prejudice at Pemberley College, a contemporary, queer adaptation of Jane Austen’s much-loved classic
This was the project that comprised the bulk of my Ursinus College distinguished honors research: “Adapting the Classics: Making the Invisible Visible”
Captain Darling, a dark reimagining of Peter Pan in which Mrs. Darling takes center stage and must decide how far she will go to save her children from a surprising foe
More about this below!!
Various collections of poetry
Visit my website for more information!
Once Upon a Stage, a YA sapphic romcom about theatre kids
More about this down below too!
Favorite acting roles:
Joan in Small Mouth Sounds
Captain Hook in Peter Pan
Mary Bennet in Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice
Edna in The Oldest Profession
(A hippie, a pirate, an angsty teenager, and an aging prostitute walk into a bar . . .)
Top 3 books I read in 2023:
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
Musicals I currently have on repeat:
Les Misérables
Six: The Musical
Hadestown
Other songs I have on repeat:
“Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan
“Pretty Girls” by Reneé Rapp
“Is It Over Now?” by Taylor Swift
Food that is the way to my heart:
Sushi
Cheese. Lots of cheese. A whole charcuterie board of cheese.
Doughnuts
Video games my sibling got me addicted to (but am still really bad at):
Dead by Daylight
Lethal Company
Life is Strange
Other things I love:
Coffee
Reese’s Cups
Dogs (duh)
The color yellow
Elephants
Sunflowers
Fun fruity drinks
Bittersweet and/or ambiguous endings
The beach
Rewatching Doctor Who and Supernatural for the umpteenth time
Board games
Cozy Switch games (Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, etc.)
Writing Update: I have an agent!!
I am ECSTATIC to say that I am now represented by Esty Loveing-Downes at ArtHouse Literary!!
Esty loves my sapphic theater girls as much as I do and wholeheartedly believes in my writing. I couldn't be happier to have her in my corner.
I’m planning to write a more in-depth “how I got my agent” story in a future newsletter, but for now I’ll say that anyone who’s known me since high school knows how long this journey has been for me. Even when the rejection letters piled up to close to 100 for this Once Upon a Stage, I couldn’t give up, because my gut knew that this novel was special—it just had to find the right person.
Announcing this news was the PERFECT way to enter the new year, and I’m so thankful for sweet writer friends who shared in my excitement.
Esty and I are set to go on submission in a matter of weeks, so here’s to hoping for more good news in 2024!
Writing Update: My play is being produced!!
2023 was the year of milestone writing events: not only did I end the school year with a B.A. in English and Theater, I also ended the semester with a thrilling announcement . . .
I can officially call myself a professional playwright!
It’s still surreal to comprehend: the Ursinus College Theater and Dance Department is producing my play Captain Darling this April. This will be the premiere performance of the play, featuring post-show discussions, a pre-show reception and interview with the playwright (that’s me!), everything.
When I say I was stunned speechless when the department handed me a contract to purchase the rights to the show, I’m not being hyperbolic. Never in my wildest dreams did I think an opportunity like this was on the table for this play, let alone for a play that was still in revision. That’s how much Dr. Meghan Brodie, my honors advisor and the chair of the department, believed in me and this story, and I’m forever grateful for that.
Even though I am a recent alum, I don’t feel like a “student playwright.” This isn’t a school project; I have been treated as a colleague and a professional. It’s an incredible experience to see my work come to life in this way, to be privy to early design presentations and table reads.
If you want to see the world premiere for yourself, come to the Philly area April 4-7! More information below:
What if Peter Pan isn’t the hero and Captain Hook isn’t the villain? What if something more sinister is happening in Neverland? What if the stories handed down to us tell only part of the story? In this dark, feminist adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic, Kate Isabel Foley reimagines the characters we thought we knew and takes us on a journey in which Mrs. Darling and Wendy must decide whom to trust and how far they would go to save those they love.
Purchase tickets by clicking here.
Regeister for free for the Saturday pre-show event by clicking here.
In conclusion . . .
Lots of exciting stuff happening at the moment!
My newsletters won’t typically be this long, I promise! (I try to promise, at least, because who are we kidding? I have problems with being succinct.)
To thank you for sticking with this one to the end, I leave you with this meme that makes me giggle every time I come across it in my camera roll:
Glad my expert video skills could make an appearance here ;)
<3