“John came in like a miracle on a Wednesday night. I showered him with attention at a corner table, an electric tea light flickering between us."
“John came in like a miracle on a Wednesday night. I showered him with attention at a corner table, an electric tea light flickering between us."
"I was only able to crawl out of student loan debt by becoming a sugar baby, which is just a cute way of saying I would meet the same 'John' in cheap hotel rooms once a week"
"I was only able to crawl out of student loan debt by becoming a sugar baby, which is just a cute way of saying I would meet the same 'John' in cheap hotel rooms once a week"
“Empowering is the opposite side of the disempowered coin. The only binary responses people can imagine when it comes to sex work."
“Empowering is the opposite side of the disempowered coin. The only binary responses people can imagine when it comes to sex work."
Essays
Excerpts from her memoir, Thank You, John.
Podcast Scripts
Interviews & Press
“Thank You, John. A BUST Review,” BUST Magazine, 2025.
“Thank You, John Is About Writing, Debt and Keeping Sex Work Secret From Everyone But Family,” Jezebel (2025).
“Sex Work Isn’t Just One Thing. Memoir Explores Nuance of a Sugar Baby,” PEN America (2025).
“Publisher’s Weekly: Thank You, John, A Memoir,” Publishers Weekly (2025).
“Debutiful Podcast: Michelle Gurule discusses Thank You, John,” Debutiful (2025).
“Denver’s Storied Tradition of Sex Work, Then and Now,” High Country News (2025).
“Shelf Awareness Star Review of Thank You, John,” Shelf Awareness (2025).
“This ‘Sugar Baby’ Wrote A Book About Trying to Make Ends Meet in her 20s,” KJZZ.
“Review of Thank You, John,” Blue Mesa Review (2025).
“Creator Spotlight, Michelle Gurule,” Meet Cute (2022).
“UNM alum given notable Mention in ‘The Best American Essays 2022.’” The Daily Lobo (2022).
“How Harassment at the Strip Club Prepared Me for Publishing.” Literary Hub (2025).
“I Recovered From An Eating Disorder, Then My Mom Started Ozepmic,” Memoir Land, (2025).
“Sailing Home,” The Linden Review, forthcoming (2025).
“I Needed $42k In Dental Work. I Thought I’d Take The Secret Of How I Paid For It To The Grave.” HuffPost Personals (2025).
“Sugar The Pill.” Slate (2025).
“My Uncle Doesn’t Need To Die In Prison To Learn His Lesson.” Electric Literature (2025).
“Plans for Future Disasters.” The Offing (2024).
“First Base at The Cheesecake Factory,” Joyland (2022).
“Exit Route,” StoryQuarterly (2021). Contest Winner judged by T Kira Madden. Noted in Best American Essays.
“I’m Her Daddy,” Homology (2020). Nominated for Best of the Net
“Will Work for Textbooks,” Pangyrus (2020).
“Massages with Mommy,” Alien (2019).
“I Owe You One,” Meet Cute podcast series (2022).
“Cellmate to Soulmate,” Meet Cute podcast episode (2021).
“Foolin’ Around,” Meet Cute podcast episode (2021).