Aisla Houghton-Foster
Bio
Scottish, transgender, 30 y/o wanna-be poet/writer living in Liverpool England. I like to play with words and ideas, twisting them around in ways that I find interesting and engaging - I hope you like the results! :D
Stories (16/0)
Bakemono
Inspiration abounds in the above illustration from Bakemono Zukushi, a painted scroll depicting yokai cryptids of Japanese folklore. Bakemono (or obake) are said to be shapeshifting creatures, of various different origins and natures and generally stalk the half-light of dusk and dawn. They are included in a cultural bank of Asian cautionary tales, or part of moralistic parables – much like La Llorona of Latin American folklore – and are a fascinating sandbox for the creative mind.
By Aisla Houghton-Foster3 years ago in Poets
Trans-gressing in the World of Men
Before I transitioned, before I even knew I was trans, I found male spaces a real challenge to navigate. I have never understood the ins and outs, the appeals, the hooks of being ‘one of the boys.’ Something about the very phrase sends shivers through my spine. Indeed, it makes me cringe to think that I was ever even close to those circles. Hopefully, few, if any, people have ever really thought of me in those terms – I never was a ‘man’s man’ anyway and my list of close male friends can probably be counted on one hand (two at a stretch – sorry gents!) – but I’ll come back to that in a moment.
By Aisla Houghton-Foster3 years ago in Pride
