Hi. I’m Shondra. I’ve been a pirate and a robot. I’ve lived on three continents, in four countries, and in ten cities. I’ve had two husbands and one child. I’m a Gen X, Black American woman living with a disability in Scotland.

I write about anything that moves me, including culture, family, joy, pain, and nature. I have many stories to tell from the perspective of a multi-pronged intersection.

My essays speak to my experiences as a black woman over 50, an American Expat in Scotland, and of having been a young stroke survivor at age 38. 

My poetry is accessible, at times political, often nostalgic, and always very personal - minus the cultural elitism and divisive rhetoric.

Relevant Sense is for you if you believe in shared humanity. 

What readers say:

“A beautiful way to explore identity” - Alex S.

“Stories that will help so many” - Corliss R.

“I see you and feel at home.” - Raquel L.

So, about the pirate and robot thing…

In the 1990s, I was a DJ on the legendary Tovaangar Land (what is called Los Angeles) pirate radio station, KBLT and the first-ever resident DJ at Akbar, Silverlake on Sunset Blvd.

After a medical emergency shortly after childbirth, my recovery included wearing a device on my arm to move the muscles in my hand (pictured). I felt like the Terminator. I was also fitted with a Functional Electrical Stimulation device to activate the muscles in my leg. Thus, a robot.

My published writing

On the blog and digital magazine True & Woke, I wrote articles on equity, climate change, gender-based violence, and personal essays on living with a disability. I have also been published on Heroica. and ‘Rooms of Our Own: The Lockdown House’

My portrait and spoken word formed part of photographer Nikki Kilburn’s ‘Our Voices’ project, exhibited online at the 2020 Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival and Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket.

Visit the About page to read my full bio

.

For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.