Work samples

  • Relinquishing the Baggage from my First Marriage
    Relinquishing the Baggage from my First Marriage

    Pushcart Prize-nominated essay in Open Secrets magazine https://opensecretsmagazine.com/p/purging-belongings-ex-husband-boxes-storage

    Photo by Michal Balog on Unsplash

  • Confessions of a Toddler

    Nominated for the Monarch Queer Literary Award, this essay plays with innocence, humor, and the fogginess of memory. The voice reflects  a small child and a knowing adult as the narrator speaks to “you,” my mother, with empathy for her and for my inner child.

  • The Shape of Me

    Live storytelling at Story District's OUT/Spoken show at the Howard Theater, May 2025

About Will

Anne Arundel County  

Will Cole's memoir and personal essays have been published in The Portland Review, The Science Writer, Welter, Jarnal, Cosmo, Open Secrets, Baltimore Fishbowl, and Another Jane Pratt Thing and nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Monarch Queer Literary Award. He is a queer, transgender man, “seahorse dad” to an adult son, and professor. In 2026, he completed an MA in Writing Nonfiction at Johns Hopkins University, earning the David Everett Award for Outstanding Thesis. He writes a… more

View Will's Resume
Jump to a project:

You Trans Cousin: The Heart and Science of Transgender Issues and Celebratory Allyship

A personal touch on trans issues, backed by science.  This newsletter is transitioning into a book. 

https://substack.com/@transcousin

  • Your Trans Cousin
    Your Trans Cousin
  • Tips & Scripts for Science-based Advocacy
    Tips & Scripts for Science-based Advocacy

    A series of infographics and essays to equip allies with tools and skills to discuss evidence-based facts about trans issues with others.

  • Your Trans Cousin
  • Tips & Scripts for Science-based Advocacy