Feminist Halloween 2017: Day 29: “Wet Nails”

“Wet Nails” art by agaricals via Shira Glassman

Halloween fun for adults doesn’t have to be about “sexy” costumes. “Wet Nails” by queer Jewish author Shira Glassman takes a new angle on paranormal erotica when a Ph.D. candidate gets a sexy manicure from the ghost of a 1950s-era film star.

 

Shira Glassman writes incredibly interesting queer characters that I absolutely adore. However, and I feel bad in some ways criticizing work that celebrates bi women of color, Glassman’s writing style is very show-don’t-tell. Unlike The Second Mango, which is a short fantasy novel, “Wet Nails” is a short story about Adina, a grad student in agricultural science is indulging in a movie marathon of films starring Rose Hamilton, her favorite star of the 1950s and her root.* Rose Hamilton comes out of the TV, teaches Adina how to give herself a manicure to deal with her dermatillomania, and flirts with her, but Adina can’t touch Rose with her nails still wet, can she?

There are plenty of ways to signal lack of self confidence or quirkiness in fiction without the internal monologue, and the use of cliches takes away from the emotion of the piece. I found myself wanting more out of the dialogue and internal monologue, but the concept and ending were excellent.I also appreciate Glassman’s inclusion of things like food allergies and compulsions in her work. I had the same reaction to The Second Mango: I hope to read more of her other work in search for one that hits my need for beautiful prose as well as for excellent content. 

The story was also original published in Haunted Hotties, Vol. 1, a collection of m/m and f/f paranormal erotica. You can purchase “Wet Nails” here.

Contains detailed descriptions of sex, dermatillomania, mentions of biphobia. Obviously if you have squicks or triggers about sex-scene writing in general, keep that in mind. (For example the term “little friend” for anything sex-related is triggering for me, but perhaps it’s a term you like!)

 

*A root is something or someone you encountered that sparked your queer imagination, make you question your sexuality, or formed your first crush. For example, song “Ring of Keys” in the Fun Home Musical is about Alison’s root, a butch delivery woman she sees in a diner when she’s about 5 years old.