l u c e m
july
july is an unplanned war, sweltering
in the vicious sun, broken and
yet unbreakable. glass, un-
shattered and repaired,
all at once.
h a p p e n i n g s
the poet is currently preparing for a release of her
yellow wallpaper inspired chapbook. look
for the release party in late august
through the spiral bookcase.
the poet went to the ocean for her recent
birthday, and as a result has not been
involved in anything much, lately,
but has a few upcoming,
exciting projects!
m o n t h l y c o n s i d e r a t i o n s
i am too much steeped in upsetting current events this month.
writing and creating have been difficult, and i am wary of
setting myself back on my current projects, and yet
cannot stop worrying that i am not "doing enough", either
for myself or my community. and yet, and yet. in the
words of a very wise and very dear friend:
"immediacy is often the tool of the oppressor."
this month, i'm holding myself accountable by unlearning
more of the "internet activism" mentality and connecting
with my local community, including the local philly abortion fund
which i've linked further down in this email. i'm also striving
to educate myself not just via what i consume through
media but by listening to those around me that have been
doing this far longer than i have, by educating myself
by reading, which gives me time to process and thinking
critically about what i'm ingesting, and just generally
focusing on long-term work and foundational
skills and goals rather than panicking and jumping into
(often ill-advised and unhelpful) action.
that said, hopefully i never give up on art and writing for too long.
in any state of the world, this is what sustains me, and i know
many of you feel that way too. here's what i'm working on
this month:
i'm currently (still) querying:
a full-length poetry manuscript and a lesbian desert-gothic novella
i'm currently submitting:
a 6,000 word short story about mermaids and the end of the world
i'm currently creating:
the final design for the yellow wallpaper chap
what do your creative endeavors look like in july?
email me and let me know what you're
creating this month!
f r o m t h e p o e t ' s d e s k
"living statuary
profiled eye angel-elegant
woman
crouched in the shadows;
feral
and revenant howl."
- m. r.
recommendations
l i t e r a t u r e
your person doesn't belong to you by isabel sobral campos
a strange and completely unique
poetry chapbook following, loosely,
joan of arc as both woman and ghost.
there is no way to describe the
beautiful and speculative form
in this work without simply
suggesting you read it
for yourself!
nothing left but mud by jennifer r donohue
a tale of the end of the world, sweltering summer
heat, and blue horseshoe crabs. not a
new title, but the combination of
summer and having it recently stocked in
spiral brings it back to mind! a short story
from sword & kettle press
dark night golden dawn by allison carr waechter
new contemporary fantasy romance! the elite are
gods, the balance of magic is upset, and our lead
sorcière is recovering from a nasty breakup.
watch the rich and powerful pair off as
the city gets deadlier by the day.
features lesbian sorcière moms that run
a rare book trade -- what could be
more perfect for me?
fruiting bodies by kathryn harlan
gorgeous new release that debuted at the
beginning of pride month. a collection of
odd and unsettling short stories that
deftly unpack a world on the verge of
collapse, following queer women through
timeless echoes of myth and folklore.
ranges from gothic to fantastic to
uncanny, and the timing feels
very, very apt.
faithful and virtuous night by louise glück
at once a poetry collection and a dreamlike
portal that transports the reader into
varying realities, this is a single story
in mutable parts, conveyed in
exquisite language. one of my
favorites that i've recently revisited.
after the yellow wallpaper by monica robinson
for coffin bell journal
a shameless self promotion of a haunting short story
that debuted recently! if you want a sneak peak
at what the entirety of the yellow wallpaper
chap will look like, look no further!
m u s i c
rather than songs this month, i'd like to
recommend some of my
favourite playlists
of late:
beware the autumn people by heather
(it is not autumn but it is in my heart)
90's lesbian by drewmaine
(trust me on this one)
peeling the yellow wallpaper by yours truly
(a peek into the world of the
upcoming chapbook!)
c o m m u n i t y
abortion liberation fund of pa
"Abortion Liberation Fund of PA
protects and expands access to
abortion for individuals experiencing poverty
in Southeastern Pennsylvania through
direct service and community organizing.
We provide emergency financial
assistance to those who have made the decision
to terminate a pregnancy but are prevented
from using their insurance and
cannot afford an abortion. We also
organize supporters, clients, and
the general public to
eradicate all barriers to abortion."
support them here!
find support here
c r e a t o r s
yaseen
mama's boy cafe
manayunk, pa
local laid back cafe in the heart
of manayunk, a favorite of the
booksellers at the spiral
bookcase both for its
proximity and for the
friendliness of the
owner!
lavender syrup here is
absolutely A+
instagram
yelp
fin
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you can follow my own poetic endeavors at mrobinsonwrites.com