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Being Demi: Poetry and essays on life before and after coming out
Coming out later in life presents its own challenges, and when it's a less well-known orientation like demisexuality (a type of asexuality), those challenges are both societal and personal.
I came out aged 47 after struggling to understand for so long why I experience attraction in ways that seem complicated and confusing.
When you're different, everyone notices.
This is my story from adolescence to adulthood told through acrostic poems and a handful of essays.
Content homophobia, aphobia.
I came out aged 47 after struggling to understand for so long why I experience attraction in ways that seem complicated and confusing.
When you're different, everyone notices.
This is my story from adolescence to adulthood told through acrostic poems and a handful of essays.
Content homophobia, aphobia.
66 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
About the author
M.G. Mason
16 books96 followersHello, I'm MG Mason, real name Matt.
I was born in Swindon in the 1970s but currently living on the Cornish south coast.
I'm a web content writer by trade but fiction is my first love.
How would I describe my work? Well, a friend once asked "have you considered writing a book in one genre without throwing two other genres into the same story?" Until that point I hadn't realised just how much mashing up genres defined my work.
They were right of course. But what else can you expect from a scifi nerd with an archaeology degree?
These days, when not writing for businesses or fiction, I'm usually found somewhere in Cornwall with a camera attached to my face.
I was born in Swindon in the 1970s but currently living on the Cornish south coast.
I'm a web content writer by trade but fiction is my first love.
How would I describe my work? Well, a friend once asked "have you considered writing a book in one genre without throwing two other genres into the same story?" Until that point I hadn't realised just how much mashing up genres defined my work.
They were right of course. But what else can you expect from a scifi nerd with an archaeology degree?
These days, when not writing for businesses or fiction, I'm usually found somewhere in Cornwall with a camera attached to my face.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 20, 2025
At the end of the book, in the Author Note, Matt says: 'I hope you found this enjoyable, affirming, profound, thoughtful, […].'
As someone who more or less recently – about two or so years ago, I think - discovered themself that there is actually a term for those of us who only experience romantic or sexual attraction after we have formed a deeper connection with people, which, somewhat unfortunately, often results in falling for friends or [very] close acquaintances (in my case, as I am very picky with the term 'friends'), the latter often coming with all its own baggage and confusion, I am happy to say: I found it all of that.
I particularly enjoyed the essays, more prominent towards the end of this little collection, although I read most of them already on the author's two blog, which I follow somewhat regularly (meaning I often don't read them for weeks or month, and then binge articles on there for hours – it's a me thing).
The acrostic poetry accompanies those essays nicely and offers a few more opportunities for letting one's own thoughts wander, while the essays guide you, gently, in a general direction.
This is not the height of lyrical epiphany, so if you that's what you're looking for this is probably not for you, but acrostic poetry rarely is – although it can be, of course. What it is, however, is modern acrostic poetry, arranged around the topic, guiding you along a path of self-reflection and perhaps self-discovery.
It's a nice little book to guide those with questions and confusion. It doesn't give answers – well, it does, but none aside of the glaringly obvious (in the essay parts, mainly) –, but it offers a lot of, rather profound, perspectives.
And perspectives are, after all, what poetry is mainly about. Not rhymes and flowery language, although those can make for nice additions – or distract from the more pressing matters –, but the ability to walk a mile or two in someone else's shoes. See the world for a moment or a while with someone else's eyes. Try to get inside their head, their heart, their soul – and for that, this little collection works splendidly.
Thus, if you want to learn a bit more about demisexuality, the unique male problems with it, or just keep your mind open for other's experiences, then this is for you. Or if you just need a demisexual friend in form of a book. Then this definitely is for you.
As someone who more or less recently – about two or so years ago, I think - discovered themself that there is actually a term for those of us who only experience romantic or sexual attraction after we have formed a deeper connection with people, which, somewhat unfortunately, often results in falling for friends or [very] close acquaintances (in my case, as I am very picky with the term 'friends'), the latter often coming with all its own baggage and confusion, I am happy to say: I found it all of that.
I particularly enjoyed the essays, more prominent towards the end of this little collection, although I read most of them already on the author's two blog, which I follow somewhat regularly (meaning I often don't read them for weeks or month, and then binge articles on there for hours – it's a me thing).
The acrostic poetry accompanies those essays nicely and offers a few more opportunities for letting one's own thoughts wander, while the essays guide you, gently, in a general direction.
This is not the height of lyrical epiphany, so if you that's what you're looking for this is probably not for you, but acrostic poetry rarely is – although it can be, of course. What it is, however, is modern acrostic poetry, arranged around the topic, guiding you along a path of self-reflection and perhaps self-discovery.
It's a nice little book to guide those with questions and confusion. It doesn't give answers – well, it does, but none aside of the glaringly obvious (in the essay parts, mainly) –, but it offers a lot of, rather profound, perspectives.
And perspectives are, after all, what poetry is mainly about. Not rhymes and flowery language, although those can make for nice additions – or distract from the more pressing matters –, but the ability to walk a mile or two in someone else's shoes. See the world for a moment or a while with someone else's eyes. Try to get inside their head, their heart, their soul – and for that, this little collection works splendidly.
Thus, if you want to learn a bit more about demisexuality, the unique male problems with it, or just keep your mind open for other's experiences, then this is for you. Or if you just need a demisexual friend in form of a book. Then this definitely is for you.
January 8, 2026
I really enjoyed this. I don’t read a huge amount of non fiction but I loved reading Matt’s accounts on life and his experiences. It also helped me understand demisexuality, something I wasn’t overly familiar with prior to reading this, and it made a lot of sense to me. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about acrostic poetry but actually the poetry was my favourite part of the book. This is a short book that gets you thinking and also has a personal spin.
September 12, 2025
Disclaimer: ARC review. Some things may change in the final publication.
This collection of poems and personal essays was a short read, but an enlightening one all the same. As someone under the Ace umbrella myself, I found many of the anecdotes to be very relatable. While I did not grow up in 1980s Britain, the information about Thatcher’s influence on the education (or lack thereof) of sexualities had me nodding my head in recognition as someone who spent the majority of their school years in the extreme repression and homophobia of a Christian school in the USA during the early 2000s. Sexuality wasn’t discussed at all except to say it was a sin, which contributed to me taking forever to figure out I was asexual; I just thought I was really good at abstinence!
That said, I got to see the perspective of someone who did not have the language to describe how he experiences attraction because the language did not exist yet. Per my own research, it looks like the term “demisexual” was not coined until 2006 (if this fact was included in the book, I must have missed it). Therefore, the confusion was compounded upon since straight, gay, bi, nor ace fit what the author experienced. While I didn’t learn about the ace spectrum until I transferred schools at age 16 and then took even longer to figure out that’s what I was feeling, reading first-hand accounts like this makes me appreciative of how far we’ve come in terms of… well, terms!
The prose is a little rough in spots, with awkwardly phrased sentences that I had to reread several times and still occasionally wouldn’t understand. Thankfully, though, the text isn’t filled with a bunch of large, scientific words that the average reader wouldn’t understand. So, I think this book is very accessible for adult and even teen audiences.
I wish the poetry was a bit more lyrical. They felt more like casual conversation rather than a dance with the English language, save for one: the poem on romantic attraction was the standout for me. It painted a beautiful picture of two souls intertwined, content just to be in the presence of the other and what a quiet yet cosmic significance that carries. Since they’re not all like this, I think the average reader will find more value in the essays.
The letter to the past self was enjoyable. It was sort of like a memoir in that it took us through events in the author’s life, from adolescence to adulthood. But it was written in a way that was somewhere between talking to an old friend and a mentor giving advice to his student. Based on the events described, the author had to go through a lot of hardship on his journey to self-discovery. I am hoping this book can help shed some light on the subject of demisexuality so that others may find the answer for themselves.
Final thoughts: While this book may not be the most artistically crafted, it does its job at enlightening the reader on the demisexual experience in an allosexual world. It’s a good choice for readers who are looking to further educate themselves on less-represented sexual identities.
This collection of poems and personal essays was a short read, but an enlightening one all the same. As someone under the Ace umbrella myself, I found many of the anecdotes to be very relatable. While I did not grow up in 1980s Britain, the information about Thatcher’s influence on the education (or lack thereof) of sexualities had me nodding my head in recognition as someone who spent the majority of their school years in the extreme repression and homophobia of a Christian school in the USA during the early 2000s. Sexuality wasn’t discussed at all except to say it was a sin, which contributed to me taking forever to figure out I was asexual; I just thought I was really good at abstinence!
That said, I got to see the perspective of someone who did not have the language to describe how he experiences attraction because the language did not exist yet. Per my own research, it looks like the term “demisexual” was not coined until 2006 (if this fact was included in the book, I must have missed it). Therefore, the confusion was compounded upon since straight, gay, bi, nor ace fit what the author experienced. While I didn’t learn about the ace spectrum until I transferred schools at age 16 and then took even longer to figure out that’s what I was feeling, reading first-hand accounts like this makes me appreciative of how far we’ve come in terms of… well, terms!
The prose is a little rough in spots, with awkwardly phrased sentences that I had to reread several times and still occasionally wouldn’t understand. Thankfully, though, the text isn’t filled with a bunch of large, scientific words that the average reader wouldn’t understand. So, I think this book is very accessible for adult and even teen audiences.
I wish the poetry was a bit more lyrical. They felt more like casual conversation rather than a dance with the English language, save for one: the poem on romantic attraction was the standout for me. It painted a beautiful picture of two souls intertwined, content just to be in the presence of the other and what a quiet yet cosmic significance that carries. Since they’re not all like this, I think the average reader will find more value in the essays.
The letter to the past self was enjoyable. It was sort of like a memoir in that it took us through events in the author’s life, from adolescence to adulthood. But it was written in a way that was somewhere between talking to an old friend and a mentor giving advice to his student. Based on the events described, the author had to go through a lot of hardship on his journey to self-discovery. I am hoping this book can help shed some light on the subject of demisexuality so that others may find the answer for themselves.
Final thoughts: While this book may not be the most artistically crafted, it does its job at enlightening the reader on the demisexual experience in an allosexual world. It’s a good choice for readers who are looking to further educate themselves on less-represented sexual identities.
September 15, 2025
I received an ARC of Being Demi from the author. As a demisexual writer myself, I love this period of expansion we are currently in, where artists on the ace spectrum feel ready and able to share their stories and perspectives. The more we share, the more likely it is that people like us will realize sooner than later that they're not alone and that there's nothing wrong with them. I am proud to support any work that may help people spend less time feeling "broken."
Writers like M.G. Mason are part of this expansion. Being Demi is a brief collection of Mason's acrostic poetry and social media-style personal essays. I have to admit, I hadn't given much thought to acrostic poetry before reading Being Demi. As much as I love exploring poetic forms, acrostics always seemed a bit too limiting. However, Mason's acrostics do not feel limited by the words that dictate the first letters of each line. Instead they are filled with clever turns of phrase and purposeful line breaks, and at one point I realized I had forgotten that these were acrostic poems, and had to go back and re-read to confirm that they were. Consider me duly impressed.
I called the essays here "social media-style" because that's very much what they are. Mason is an internet writer. The essays are blog posts from his website and Medium articles, and they mainly read like a train of thought. Certainly blog posts are an important part of ace folks sharing their experiences; many aces (myself included) first learn about our identity through the internet. And Mason is very upfront about how he sees himself as an ace writer:
But here's the thing - there's no reason why it should stop there. Why should Mason, or any ace writer, content themselves with a little corner of the internet? Why not strive to be one of those people with stronger voices? Mason is not a weak writer, but these essays feel like first drafts, early thoughts, potential worth pursuing. Publishing a book, in and of itself, is an act of claiming space to influence the narrative. I would be very interested to see what Mason could come up with if he pushed himself to craft essays that take ideas deeper, that include more rigorous exploration and research, that connect with other people's writing and experiences.
Writers like M.G. Mason are part of this expansion. Being Demi is a brief collection of Mason's acrostic poetry and social media-style personal essays. I have to admit, I hadn't given much thought to acrostic poetry before reading Being Demi. As much as I love exploring poetic forms, acrostics always seemed a bit too limiting. However, Mason's acrostics do not feel limited by the words that dictate the first letters of each line. Instead they are filled with clever turns of phrase and purposeful line breaks, and at one point I realized I had forgotten that these were acrostic poems, and had to go back and re-read to confirm that they were. Consider me duly impressed.
I called the essays here "social media-style" because that's very much what they are. Mason is an internet writer. The essays are blog posts from his website and Medium articles, and they mainly read like a train of thought. Certainly blog posts are an important part of ace folks sharing their experiences; many aces (myself included) first learn about our identity through the internet. And Mason is very upfront about how he sees himself as an ace writer:
"There are people with stronger voices and better access to spaces to influence the narrative. I am just a small fish in a growing pond on a perpetual journey of self-acceptance and asexual joy. I'm just writing on my little corner of the internet for anyone who wants to read about my experiences and are hoping to understand both asexual and demisexual voices a little better."
But here's the thing - there's no reason why it should stop there. Why should Mason, or any ace writer, content themselves with a little corner of the internet? Why not strive to be one of those people with stronger voices? Mason is not a weak writer, but these essays feel like first drafts, early thoughts, potential worth pursuing. Publishing a book, in and of itself, is an act of claiming space to influence the narrative. I would be very interested to see what Mason could come up with if he pushed himself to craft essays that take ideas deeper, that include more rigorous exploration and research, that connect with other people's writing and experiences.
September 13, 2025
This book was a lovely gentle and warm read. Before I continue this review I feel I should clarify that I don't usually read poetry and that English isn't my native language, so even if I have a C1 level, it's possible I didn't appreciate it as much as a native would due to this. Even so, I loved it.
Being Demi made me think about myself, about how I experience things, and even although I'm not demi myself, I deeply connected with some of the poems and feelings expressed. I don't even think you need to be LGTBQ+ to share the experiences described in the book, sure, some might not apply to you or they might be different. But I think anyone that has struggled understanding themselves, with their identity or even with undiagnosed issues like autism or ADHD will resonate with the idea of not being like the others, of thinking there's something working differently on you.
Despite feeling this frustration of not fitting in expressed in the book, this is not a sad book, quite the contrary, it made me feel hopeful and I think it made me appreciate myself and those that support me more due to the poems and essays about understanding yourself and belonging to a community, even if you aren't an activist, just due to the fact that there are others like you.
I really recommend this book in general, and besides all the cases mentioned above, I also recommend it if you just want to understand others a little better.
This is an ARC review, however this is my honest opinion.
Being Demi made me think about myself, about how I experience things, and even although I'm not demi myself, I deeply connected with some of the poems and feelings expressed. I don't even think you need to be LGTBQ+ to share the experiences described in the book, sure, some might not apply to you or they might be different. But I think anyone that has struggled understanding themselves, with their identity or even with undiagnosed issues like autism or ADHD will resonate with the idea of not being like the others, of thinking there's something working differently on you.
Despite feeling this frustration of not fitting in expressed in the book, this is not a sad book, quite the contrary, it made me feel hopeful and I think it made me appreciate myself and those that support me more due to the poems and essays about understanding yourself and belonging to a community, even if you aren't an activist, just due to the fact that there are others like you.
I really recommend this book in general, and besides all the cases mentioned above, I also recommend it if you just want to understand others a little better.
This is an ARC review, however this is my honest opinion.
October 24, 2025
Being a friend of the author and someone who is grey asexual myself, I found this to be a very moving and relatable book, and I became quite emotional by the end.
It's a short read, but through both the simple yet powerful acrostic poems and essays delving a little deeper into each topic, Mason really captures the feeling of brokenness and wrongness you feel before you finally begin to understand your asexuality, and what a revelation it can be to discover a word that articulates your experience.
I was particularly fascinated to read a man's point of view, and how having to face the expectations of toxic masculinity impacted Mason's personal journey - something I hadn't had to reckon with during my own experiences. While the book covers the tough moment's in Mason's life, there's a real sense of joy and optimism by the end, with an emphasis on community, and how finding our people can make all the difference.
Whether you know you're demisexual already, you're questioning and need to understand more, or you're simply wanting to learn about demisexuality or asexuality in general and read about someone's lived experiences, I truly hope you'll give this book a go, and that it will be as impactful for you as it was for me.
It's a short read, but through both the simple yet powerful acrostic poems and essays delving a little deeper into each topic, Mason really captures the feeling of brokenness and wrongness you feel before you finally begin to understand your asexuality, and what a revelation it can be to discover a word that articulates your experience.
I was particularly fascinated to read a man's point of view, and how having to face the expectations of toxic masculinity impacted Mason's personal journey - something I hadn't had to reckon with during my own experiences. While the book covers the tough moment's in Mason's life, there's a real sense of joy and optimism by the end, with an emphasis on community, and how finding our people can make all the difference.
Whether you know you're demisexual already, you're questioning and need to understand more, or you're simply wanting to learn about demisexuality or asexuality in general and read about someone's lived experiences, I truly hope you'll give this book a go, and that it will be as impactful for you as it was for me.
September 24, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author
Being Demi is a book of acrostic poetry and essays about life before and after coming out as demi. It’s a short read, but a powerful one. It’s at once both deeply personal and yet completely relatable.
The book takes you on a whole journey, from Matt's youth and the confusion and loneliness that came with not truly understanding himself, through to the pride and sense of community he found once he discovered demisexuality.
The poems and essays within the book welcome the reader into an inclusive space where it is safe for them to say "me too" and feel validated and supported. There is an essay particularly aimed at older men discovering demisexuality later in life, as well as poems that literally say, "you're valid, whoever you are."
Particular favourites included the poems Attraction and Aesthetic, as well as the essay on crushes.
I've written a more in depth review on my blog which you can find at https://www.aspiraldance.com/ad-revie... if you wish to read more.
Being Demi is a book of acrostic poetry and essays about life before and after coming out as demi. It’s a short read, but a powerful one. It’s at once both deeply personal and yet completely relatable.
The book takes you on a whole journey, from Matt's youth and the confusion and loneliness that came with not truly understanding himself, through to the pride and sense of community he found once he discovered demisexuality.
The poems and essays within the book welcome the reader into an inclusive space where it is safe for them to say "me too" and feel validated and supported. There is an essay particularly aimed at older men discovering demisexuality later in life, as well as poems that literally say, "you're valid, whoever you are."
Particular favourites included the poems Attraction and Aesthetic, as well as the essay on crushes.
I've written a more in depth review on my blog which you can find at https://www.aspiraldance.com/ad-revie... if you wish to read more.
October 7, 2025
As one of the least understood sexualities on the LGBTQA+ (demisexuality would fall into the + categeory), it’s good to see another openly demi writer unearthing his innermost, intensely personal thoughts and feelings for others to contemplate. Being a demisexual man myself, I found M.G. Mason’s exploration of this subject insightful, impactful, but most of all, honest. The poetry is brief, but these are the declarations of a man who has finally found himself and his true place in the world, and are deeply moving as such. The real treasure, however, lies in the author’s reprinted essays from the blog sites mgmasoncreative.com and The Grey Rainbow. Of particular note is the final essay, ‘A Letter to my Younger Self This Pride Month’, in which the grown M.G. Mason travels back in time to lend life lessons to his adolescent self about the real reason he feels different than everybody else.
This may be a slim volume (66 pages), but there’s nothing held back, and kudos must be given for the author’s bravery in laying his soul bare on the printed page in the most earnest way possible. Then again, isn’t that what writing is all about?
This may be a slim volume (66 pages), but there’s nothing held back, and kudos must be given for the author’s bravery in laying his soul bare on the printed page in the most earnest way possible. Then again, isn’t that what writing is all about?
September 8, 2025
This is a wonderful book whether you're demisexual yourself and want to feel seen (like I did), are questioning whether you might be, or just want to understand it better. Also, the poetry is *chef's kiss*. Read it in one afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews