Open Secrets

Open Secrets is a home for memorable, revealing personal essays about all the subjects we're taught to keep “secret.”

Freelance writer. Books include 70+ erotica anthologies and How to Write Erotica. Teaches erotica and essay writing classes. @raquelita on Twitter.

Liz Alterman is the author of the memoir, Sad Sacked, the suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, the young adult thriller, He’ll Be Waiting. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, and other outlets.

Social worker. Avid reader, aspiring writer. Environmentalist. Humor is my coping skill.

Stephanie Weaver, MPH is a writer and TED-style speaking coach. She's the author of The Migraine Relief Plan and The Migraine Relief Plan Cookbook. She's currently working on a book about family, faith, and estrangement.

Writer, poet, 2-time heart transplant recipient.

Stella Grae is an English professor and erotic romance author with a wicked sense of humor…mostly on paper.

Anastasia Jill (they/them) is a queer writer living in Central Florida. Their work has been featured or is upcoming with Poets.org, Sundog Lit, Flash Fiction Online, Contemporary Verse 2, Broken Pencil, and more.

Lynette Benton is a nonfiction writer and writing instructor. She teaches talented writers from teens to adults in their nineties. more

Susan Gower is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and literary journals, including Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and The Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Luck, Wisconsin, with her husband Mike.

Benjamin Haynes is an educator living in Arizona. more

Jessica Harvey writes memoir and literary fiction. She is pursuing a graduate degree in creative writing and literature at Harvard Extension School. Jessica lives in northern California with a menagerie of bats and dogs.