books – OpeningUp.net

Call for submissions: Stories from the Polycule

Dr. Eli Sheff, author of the recent The Polyamorists Next Door, is working on a new project: Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families. Her call for submissions reads, in part,

Are you a member of a poly family and willing to share your story (anonymously) with the world? Consider writing a brief entry for an upcoming edited book. Submissions can range anywhere from a few sentences to 10 pages long, depending on the age of the submitters, the format they select, and how much they have to say. You are free to submit essays, short stories, poetry, drawings, and photographs, or whatever else you can think of. All submissions will be anonymized, so no one will know who you are when they read the book.

Find all kinds of topic ideas and prompts for children, teens, adults, and elders, on Sheff's blog here. If you wish to submit something or have any questions, contact Eli Sheff at drelisheff@gmail.com.

Buy The Polyamorists Next Door today!

Dr. Eli Sheff's new book, The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families, has been released -- and I encourage you to buy it today. Doing so can help it become a top seller in its category, which can lead to a less expensive paperback version and hopefully more mainstream recognition.

Eli Sheff is an important voice in the poly world. She was a guest on my radio show, Sex Out Loud, and has been on panels about polyamory, an expert on TV shows discussing polyamory, and a frequent source of quotes for mainstream articles exploring non-monogamy.

Sheff is one of the premiere experts on children in polyamorous families, and so The Polyamorists Next Door is a fascinating and important look at families:

In colorful and moving details, this book explores how polyamorous relationships come to be, grow and change, manage the ins and outs of daily family life, and cope with the challenges they face both within their families and from society at large. Using polyamorists own words, Dr. Elisabeth Sheff examines polyamorous households and reveals their advantages, disadvantages, and the daily lives of those living in them.

. . . This book provides information that will be useful for professionals with polyamorous clients, educators who wish to understand or teach about polyamory, and especially people who wish to better understand polyamory themselves or explain it to their potential partners, adult children, or in-laws.

Go buy The Polyamorists Next Door today to help push it to the top of its category -- where it belongs!

Poly-friendly book suggestions for kids

How does one find childrens' books and media that do not follow the stereotype of "happily ever after" monogamy? Technogeisha wrote a post at Life on the Swingset about her struggle educating her children about alternative relationship models:

We have been trying to keep the standard narrative driven drivel to a minimum since the birth of our first. It was easier in the early years then the real challenge began in preschool. The other little girls had been fed a non-stop diet of "Someday my prince will come." which our daughter decided to embrace wholeheartedly. A couple of years later a similar thing would happen to our son.

Once they entered school, gender roles were assigned and adhered to. So was the notion of dyadic relationships with the inevitable "first comes love, then comes marriage, the comes the baby in the baby carriage." It wasn't enough to tell them this wasn't the only option in life. I needed backup. I needed to come up with resources that go against the standard narrative and offer positive views on non-traditional families and relationships. It was difficult to find but I found a few alternatives.

Although it can be hard to find books, TV shows, and movies featuring non-traditional (and especially non-monogamous) families, Technogeisha rounds up some great suggestions. She first recommends books focused on LGBT families, then lists a few with subtle poly themes, such as Else-Marie and Her Seven Little Daddies, Six Dinner Sid, and the story "The Little House That Ran Away from Home" from Strange Stories for Strange Kids.

She also mentions some books for young adult readers, books with themes of self-acceptance and favoritism, and a few movies and TV shows.

Read the whole post at Life on the Swingset.

Help fund a new book on open relationships

Samantha Fraser, educator and blogger at Not Your Mother's Playground who I've written about before, is in the process of writing a new guide to open relationships -- and she needs your help to make it a reality.

An Indiegogo campaign for the book is in full swing, and ends in just one week. Funds raised will go toward printing the book, paying editors and designers, shipping, and a launch party.

Having been in a successful open marriage since 2006, Fraser hopes to bring her unique experience to the table to publish a book that is relatable, honest, and useful.

Not Your Mother’s Playground: A realistic guide to honest, happy and healthy open relationships (NYMP) is a book on modern open relationships aimed at a new generation, discussing everything from swinging to polyamory (multiple loves). It includes personal triumphs and challenges mixed in to give it a relatable, intimate feel.

. . . The idea behind Not Your Mother’s Playground is to walk the reader through everything they will encounter should they choose to open up their relationship. It will show all sides from the good to the bad, not ignoring the reality that these relationships come with complications that can put even the strongest couples to the test.

Here's the video from the Indiegogo page:

Depending on the dollar amount of contribution, those who donate can be rewarded with tweets, ebooks, printed copies of the book, thank you cards, and even coaching sessions.

Donate today and spread the word!