Author: Elan Pratt

Elan Pratt is a filmmaker and writer based in Raleigh, N.C. As a child, she spent hours filling composition books with stories and doodles, often rewarded for her chores with trips to the movies—where a wide range of films helped spark her creative ambitions. At 18, after receiving a MacBook from her father and purchasing Final Draft, she began pursuing filmmaking in earnest. Since then, Pratt has joined film collectives, worked on sets in a variety of roles, written screenplays and short stories (including on her Substack), and co-hosted a podcast about film and television. She is drawn to telling relatable stories with a touch of whimsy, creating new worlds while exploring fresh ideas and possibilities. A proud Black gay woman, Pratt strives to live—and create—as freely as she’s willing.

A Letter to My Future Self: Menopause, Joy and Black Queer Becoming

Elan Pratt writes toward her future self, exploring Black queer joy, intergenerational healing and the power of story to carry us forward.

“When I attended Iranti Ẹ̀jẹ̀, the writer and activist Rachel Cargle led a guided meditation enabling participants to interact with their future self.

“I closed my eyes and created a portal to my 48 year-old self’s house. She was making soup in her kitchen, her hair was long and loc’d, her chest was flat. …

“we were prompted to relay a statement to ourselves. I told myself, ‘The laughter is my favorite,’ to which my future self replied, ‘The laughter remains.’ And with all the madness in the world, it’s incredibly comforting that the laughter will remain. That joy will still be found through struggle, as it always has. As Black folks, it’s how we have always pushed through—not just to survive, but to thrive.”

(This essay is part of the latest Women & Democracy installment, published in the middle of Black History Month, in partnership with Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause. Menopause is not only a physical transition—it is also cultural, social and political. Recognizing its full scope is essential to advancing true health and civic equity.)