I’m Joseph Sadusky, an award-winning, published poet and author, and C.J. Magus is my “romance pen name.” Under my given name, my writing includes poetry, short fiction, screenplays, and nonfiction. Writing as C.J., my debut novel-in-progress is Perfect, the first book in the planned St. Joël Island Gay Romance series.
A Queer Voice for Queer Voices
Although my work spans genres and forms, it shares a common focus: painting honest yet affirmative portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters and other people on the margins of society. Underlying this focus, my writing expresses the power and freedom associated with claiming one’s voice and speaking one’s truth. The romance genre gives me a perfect platform to tell heart-centric stories of genuine love between variously-identified male characters, dispelling stereotypes while envisioning what’s possible.
Notable Works
(as Joseph)
- “Remembering Alive,” an elegy for a friend who died of AIDS—Second place in the University of Wisconsin Madison Review’s annual poetry contest
- “Under the Upside-Down Sun,” a screenplay based on stories of students I taught at an alternative special education school—Picked up for representation by a Los Angeles agent
- Magic Lessons: Celebratory and Cautionary Tales About Life as a (Single, Gay, Transracially Adoptive) Dad, my first nonfiction book—Finalist in the Family/Parenting/Relationships category for the 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards
- “DJ Saved My Life,” an erotic short-short story—Published on the (now defunct) gayflashfiction.com website