Yellow Arrow Publishing Blog

Kapua Iao 8/23/22 Kapua Iao 8/23/22

Review of Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots by Sherry Burton Ways

Reread Kara Panowitz’s review of *Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots: 21 Rituals to Transform Your Life and Interior Space* by Sherry Burton Ways, published in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. V, No. 2 **HOME** issue (summer 2020). Information about where to find *Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots* and **HOME** is below.

By Kara Panowitz

When my friend, Holly, read the opening to Yellow Arrow Publishing’s first Reading Club book selection, Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots: 21 Rituals to Transform Your Life and Interior Space, she started crying. “This is me,” she said. “I could have written this.” The book opens with author Sherry Burton Ways sharing her personal experience with a relationship ending in divorce. This sets the stage for the book itself: how to transform your physical space, and yourself, after major life transitions. Burton Ways’ honesty and openness create a space of trust and relatability. Her recognition that it can feel daunting or too expensive to make transformations during significant life changes brings comfort, and her story demonstrates that no space is too small to create a refuge or a home. In her own words, Burton Ways’ goal for writing this book is to show readers “how their interior design can assist them with additional support.”

Burton Ways’ explanation that “interior design is not decorating” is a theme that carries throughout the rituals she presents. The biggest lesson I took away was that home is not just a physical space and group of objects, but the rituals and aspects of your life you bring to it and how they all connect together. The 21 rituals presented include some that might be expected, like rearranging furniture, selecting interior colors, and creating vision boards. Others I found less expected, such as the ritual of bathing and loving yourself through environment and crystal energy. Finally, there were rituals completely new to me, like Wabi-sabi.

One of the most useful and most accessible things about the book is that it presents actions you can take immediately or in the near future, which you can continue daily or just once in a while. You make it work for you. Burton Ways’ 21 rituals also come with tips and ideas, taking the abstract to the specific. There is something for everyone in this book and it may make you look at something you hadn’t really considered, or perhaps thought wasn’t for you, in a new way.

The rituals explored in Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots also give new ideas for, and new meaning to, rituals you may already perform. The ritual of music and dance spoke to me the most. Why don’t I listen to music and dance more? I love both, and I can influence the mood and energy in my home through what I choose to listen to, and how I groove to it. Burton Ways’ descriptions made me think of music and dance affecting and permeating my space, spreading through the air and seeping into the walls (I danced that night!). She addresses the physical space by suggesting that readers create open space for dance and carry music into that physical space by displaying artwork that depicts music or even instruments.

Additionally, I enjoy the ritual of cooking but don’t always want to do it or give much thought to the process. When I read about it in the book, it brought new mindfulness and value to meal preparation and my place in it. Burton Ways writes,

“Cooking is an interior abundance ritual that can relieve stress and give your life a sense of purpose during major life transitions. Meal preparation allows you to have control over your life and express yourself . . . [and] is an anti-stress exercise because the process of cooking activates the senses that have been numbed.”

I thought about cooking in a new way, in terms of how it influences and spreads throughout my space, similar to music.

Burton Ways includes personal experiences by other women, intended for readers “to see [themselves] in this process.” These candid and insightful stories illuminate how rituals can be used in transitions, including divorce, death, a new career, and even constant change due to housing insecurity. It reaffirms that you can choose and adjust your rituals for any situation, and that something as small as a handheld rock can bring comfort and consistency during transitions. Burton Ways also shares examples from clients she has worked with that demonstrate the implementation of her rituals in an array of spaces. The stories are inspirational and a highlight of the book.

As I read Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots, I felt like Burton Ways was a friend, mentor, and coach, and that we were blessed to have a visit from her for Yellow Arrow’s Reading Club. This author has many talents and a diverse array of expertise: she is an award-winning author, trainer, and speaker, and holds several certifications such as Certified Design Psychology Coach, Certified Graceful Lifestyles Consultant, and Certified Interior Environment Coach. Her passion for her work is evident in the guidance she shares on her pages.

This was a perfect book for Yellow Arrow's first Reading Club session because Yellow Arrow House in Baltimore, Maryland had just opened, and one of the primary missions of Yellow Arrow is to create a safe, welcoming refuge that feels like home, within the House and within workshops and events. The timing was also serendipitous for me because I was living alone in a new apartment and was ready to embrace transition. I immediately made changes to my space and life after reading the book and continue to revisit her words for reminders and ideas on how to implement her 21 rituals.

Finally, as I wrote this review, the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to spend a lot more time at home, and I began to use the rituals to ease anxiety and keep creativity flowing. That’s one of the greatest gifts of Sherry Burton Ways’ book. You can always revisit it to change your space and your life in small or big ways. Like life, changes are not always permanent. No matter what your reason for transforming your space and life, Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots will speak to you and encourage you to find rituals to comfort and support yourself during times of transition.

PDF copies of HOME are available in the Yellow Arrow bookstore, and paperback and electronic versions are available through most online distributors. Landing on Your Feet and Putting Down Roots was published by FriesenPress (2017; 112 pages).

Kara Panowitz thrives on creating through writing, theatre, photography, and filmmaking, among other arts. She received both her BA in Theatre and her MA in Social Work from the University of Maryland. Kara works for an anti-hunger nonprofit and is the acting Executive Director of Megaphone Project. Previously, she has been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar, a Special Ed and ESL teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, and a bartender in Australia.

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Yellow Arrow recently revamped and restructured its Yellow Arrow Journal subscription plan to include two levels. Do you think you are an Avid Reader or a Literary Lover? Find out more about the discounts and goodies involved at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/yellow-arrow-journal-subscription. Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts.

You can support us as we AWAKEN in a variety of ways: purchase one of our publications from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, join our newsletter, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 102, Glen Arm, MD 21057). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.

Kapua Iao 8/16/22 Kapua Iao 8/16/22

Illuminating the Layers of Language and Shining a Light into Our Words

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to announce the next guest editor for Yellow Arrow Journal, Raychelle Heath. Raychelle will oversee the creation of our Vol. VII, No. 2 issue. Mark your calendar! Submissions open September 1 and the issue will be released in November.

This next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal will be on the overarching concept of illuminating language. To learn more about this idea, read Raychelle’s words below. Yellow Arrow staff just finished voting on the issue’s theme, which will be released next week!

Raychelle was an ANFRACTUOUS and UpSpring poet with her incredible poems “lineage” and “Before the War?” and was our December 2021 .W.o.W. author. She holds a BA in languages from Winthrop University and an MFA in poetry from the University of South Carolina. She uses her poetry and her podcast to tell the multifaceted stories of black women in the world. Raychelle also explores her experiences with the culturally rich communities that she has encountered in her travels. Her work has been published by Travel Noire, Fourth Wave, Yellow Arrow Journal, The Brazen Collective, and Community Building Art Works. She currently works as curriculum director, sanctuary coach, and facilitator for the Unicorn Authors Club. She also regularly facilitates for The World We Want workshop.

Find out more about Raychelle at https://sites.google.com/view/theraychelleheath/.

Please follow Yellow Arrow on Facebook and Instagram for the theme announcement. Below, you can read more about Raychelle’s perspectives on illuminating languages. We look forward to working with Raychelle over the next few months.

By Raychelle Heath

In her essay “Language is Migrant,” Cecilia Vicuña writes, “Language is migrant. Words move from language to language, from culture to culture, from mouth to mouth. Our bodies are migrants, cells and bacteria are migrants too. Even galaxies migrate.”

From the moment we begin to speak we are also taught how to do it “correctly.” We are given rules and protocols for how to present ourselves when we open our mouths. As a little black girl growing up in the south, I knew there was a way to speak when I was home and when I was out in public. Without even realizing it, I was thrown into the task of codeswitching as a means of survival. There was one tongue I could use on the playground and when I was running wild with my cousins; we could use “ain’t,” “y’all,” and shorten words to “comin’” and “goin’” without fear of consequence. We could try on language we heard in music and on TV. But when we were back in school or in mixed company, our tongues got buttoned up. And as I moved into adulthood, I realized that even my southern accent was a marker for some people. I felt the double-edge of so-called compliments like “well-spoken.”

But language was also a place of freedom and exploration for me. A place where I could create new connections and understandings of the world. At the age of 13, I began learning Spanish and German. I poured myself into cultural study and deep listening. I wanted to fall into the way different people curled their tongues around words like “pan” and “vielleicht.” I wanted to understand how sounds reflected place, reflected time, reflected how we love and how we hold space for each other. And somewhere along the way, my tongue, my words, got free.

Then in 2007, I made a decision that would change my life forever. I left the United States to go live in the Marshall Islands. It was my first time living outside of the only country I had ever called home. And for the next two years, I would live and work in the city of Majuro, the capital of a remote string of atolls in the Pacific Ocean. I would learn the meaning of “aelin” and “enno.” I would fall in love with words like “emman” and “enana.” Their sounds, as much as their meanings, allowed me a way in to understand my new home, and the people who had welcomed me in with “yokwe.”

“Yokwe” means hello, but it can also mean care, and its direct translation is “I love you; you are a rainbow.” It is still one of my favorite words because of all that it does. And learning it allowed me to recognize sayings from my own southern roots that hold multitudes. Sayings like “you hungry” or “bless your heart” that hold so much care, but also call a person in. Or “sweet summer child” that feels so warm but also gives you a little tap on the head. These touchstone words and phrases lay a path for how I connect to the world and others around me. They lay a path for how I see the world and my place in it.

I currently call Costa Rica home, and their version of this is “pura vida.” Pura vida directly translates to pure life. However, it is used to say hello, goodbye, and even “oh well,” depending on the day. And I think that there couldn’t be a more fitting touchstone for a place where it is not an uncommon occurrence to see a toucan or a monkey, and there are cloud forests to explore. Where there is a constant reminder of the pure life that we can have by honoring the Earth that provides for us.

Language’s primary aim is to communicate, but the ways that words do so are layered. There is a richness that lives inside of each word and each phrase that we use. Toward the end of Cecilia’s essay she says, “Language is the translator. It could translate us to a place where we cease to tolerate injustice, abuse and the destruction of life. Life is language.” She then quotes the Kaushitaki Upanishad saying, “When we speak, life speaks.”

Language has the power to illuminate life. It has the power to speak the things that we love the most into existence, even when they aren’t physically there. I can speak the name of my grandmother and call her into the room. I can speak my freedom, even when the world feels oppressive. And when I let my language be completely free, I can illuminate the best and most authentic parts of myself and my culture. And language itself can be illuminated, looking at the constituent parts of words to layer meaning. Cecilia does this beautifully when she says, “I imagined ‘migrant’ was probably composed of mei, (Latin), to change or move, and gra, ‘heart’ from the Germanic kerd. Thus, ‘migrant’ became: ‘changed heart,’ a heart in pain, changing the heart of the earth. The word ‘immigrant’ really says: ‘grant me life.’”

Each day I get to meet the page and explore what my words really want to say is a gift. It is a gift to be able to let our unique sounds speak for us, to explore the fullness of their layers. It is a gift to illuminate our words and play in their depths. It is a gift to let our language dance and be free. I am grateful for all the languages that hold me, for all of the languages that have received me. And I invite us all to dig a little deeper, to strip away any societal trappings that may be holding our tongues hostage, and to notice what language flows from the heart.

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Kapua Iao 8/9/22 Kapua Iao 8/9/22

Meet a Staff Member: Nichola Ruddell

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce one of our readers, Nichola Ruddell. Nichola was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and raised on Salt Spring Island. She attended university at the University of Victoria, receiving a degree in Child and Youth Care. She is also a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist. She enjoys writing poetry and is previously published in the online magazine Literary Mama. Her poem “Movement in the Cinnabar Valley” is published in Yellow Arrow Journal, Home Vol. V, No. 2 (and was our .W.o.W. #22 author) and Nichola recently became an associate member of the League of Canadian Poets. After living in several places with her family, she has made a home in Nanaimo, British Columbia, with her husband and two young children.

Nichola states, “I look forward to learning from other women at Yellow Arrow, creating new workshops, contributing ideas, continuing to write, and creating community from afar.” Nichola recently took some time to answer some questions for us. Show her some love in the comments or on Yellow Arrow’s Facebook/Instagram!

Tell us a little something about yourself.

As a young child I was always reading and writing. As I grew older my interests shifted, however, I always found time to write and develop ideas. After the birth of my first child, I decided to really work on my poetry and published my first piece. Since then, I have been writing and continue to develop my work. It has been such a joy working with Yellow Arrow, and I look forward to future writing projects.

What do you love most about where you live?

I love living on the west coast of Canada being surrounded by trees while also close to the ocean.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow and what do you do?

I had a poem published by Yellow Arrow in 2020 and then have written other pieces through their blog series. I also cocreated a workshop called “Poetry of the Body” with LaWanda Stone for the Yellow Arrow workshop series. I am currently reading the new chapbook submissions (for 2023 publications), poetry, and short stories that are submitted.

What are you working on currently?

I am currently training for a few 10-km trail runs coming up in the fall.

What genre do you write and why?

I have always been drawn to writing poetry. I write to make sense of the world and to deepen my connection to myself and others.

Who is your favorite writer and why?

I am deeply inspired by the writings of Denise Riley, Jane Hirshfield, and William Stafford. These writers are incredibly thoughtful and illuminate the human experience in a profound way.

Who has inspired and/or supported you most in your writing journey?

My father Bruce Ruddell, playwright and composer, he has always inspired me to continue to write and has been a great support in my writing journey.

What do you love most about writing?

I love the freedom and the movement of writing. Writing flushes out the mind and demands us to pay attention; it creates new ways of seeing things.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Keep reading and writing. Connect with other writers and put your work out into the world!

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Welcome to the team Nichola! Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. We recently revamped and restructured its Yellow Arrow Journal subscription plan to include two levels. Do you think you are an Avid Reader or a Literary Lover? Find out more about the discounts and goodies involved at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/yellow-arrow-journal-subscription.

Kapua Iao 8/2/22 Kapua Iao 8/2/22

Courtney LeBlanc: A Riot on the Poetry Scene

By Melissa Nunez, written May 2022

I think of everything I’ve put/ into my mouth, all I’ve swallowed/…my voice, grew smaller, shrank/…I keep swallowing/ till there’s nothing left, till I disappear into the dirt,/ the earth finally swallowing me. – “A Girl Becomes a Woman”

Courtney LeBlanc is the author of two poetry chapbooks and four full-length collections, the most recent of which, Exquisite Bloody, Beating Heart, is a must-read for fans of powerful poetic voices that deftly encompass a wide range of female experience: rage, resilience, romance, regret. She is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Riot in Your Throat (RIYT), a press with a promise to deliver “poetry that punches you in the gut and refuses to be quiet.” While conversing with Courtney, the resemblance between this independent press editor and the design of the RIYT logo is striking. She embodies the essence of the image and its message through her fierce writing, her commitment to elevating the voices of feminist writers, and her overall verve evident even through the computer screen. I was eager to hear her thoughts on writing and publishing.

Who are some women writers who have inspired you?

I’m so glad you asked this question and love that you specified women writers. Almost all my favorite writers are women because I identify with them and the issues they write about. Some poets I love are Megan Falley, Jeanann Verlee, Shaindel Beers, Melissa Fite Johnson, Laura Passin, and Kelly Grace Thomas.

Some of your poetry touches on body image and the negative effects of trying to fit a societal or patriarchal standard. Do you find writing your experiences helpful for processing these events and the emotions involved?

Yes. Writing provides an outlet, a way to talk about the things that I (or women in general) still deal with in a way that feels cathartic. It is a place to put the emotions, so they don’t stay inside. I also hope it is helpful for other women who identify with the experiences, that it gives them an outlet as well. I feel like writing saves me sometimes in that sense.

There is a powerful feminist thread woven through your poetry collection and an encouraging rebelliousness in your body of work. What message do you hope to convey to your readers through your words?

Don’t stop fighting. Unfortunately, right now in the United States, we are in this situation where women’s rights are being threatened. To be honest, I’m tired of being scared and I’m tired of being angry. I’m tired of fighting the same fight. It has been 50 years and yet here we are again. But I hope that other women who feel like me use these feelings to keep fighting. I hope that’s the message that comes through in the collection.

There is a vulnerability present on the pages (even in those poems most powerful) that was very compelling and impactful for me as a reader. Do you ever have any qualms about personal visibility and subject matter in your poems?

Absolutely. There have been poems that I’ve written and then decided I’m never going to do anything with them. They are just going to stay in my journal, or maybe I’ll share them with a couple of friends. It is scary and hard to be vulnerable. But then, being vulnerable is very human. It is another way that we connect with other people and other writers. If I can be brave and put those words out there, it might give someone else the courage to do the same. To see themselves in that vulnerability. It is scary, but I also think it’s empowering. It’s a fine line sometimes.

Do you have any words of wisdom for writers who experience reservation as a barrier to sharing their writing?

Writers shouldn’t feel that they must share their work. If they are writing from a place of raw emotion and deep vulnerability, then it is OK to not share that. If you have someone you trust, someone you feel safe with, you can just share with that one person. Sometimes it can be helpful to wait until there is some distance between those emotions, but it might remain something that you don’t ever share with anyone. Ultimately, it comes down to that decision on each piece of writing (whether poem or story or essay). If you are uncomfortable, then don’t share. I believe it is more important to write some things than it is to share them. We want everyone to read our words, but you also have to protect yourself and your heart.

We carry the crystals/ to ward off evil, to bring luck, to add heft and make our bag/ a weapon…We carry our hearts/ when they got too muddied on our sleeves…We/ carry it all, the heavy world digging into our shoulders/ and slumping our backs. – “We Carry”

Do you have a method for deciding on the form your work will take? I love coming across new or unexpected forms and there are many in your body of work (i.e., Self-Portrait as a Form Rejection Letter, Postcards Never Written, Pantoum for Amy Winehouse).

The forms tend to develop organically. Some specific forms, like the pantoums, I will set out to write but might not know the topic. I actually wrote a series of poems about Amy Winehouse. It started with the first as a form poem and then I ended up writing close to 20 poems about her because she is so wonderful and tragic. With the other poems, they just sort of come to me. Sometimes the first draft will be in almost a paragraph format on the page and then I will play with the form after I transfer it into a word document on my computer. Do I want to use slashes in this poem or do I want to have more standard line breaks? I kind of just figure out what works for the topic. Some poems lend themselves to certain forms, like a love poem being in couplets because that is traditional. But sometimes you want to subvert that in different ways.

Was there a form you found most exciting or challenging for you?

I’ve written a couple of abecedarian poems, and I find them very hard to write well. I have written several and there’s only one or two I really like. It seems like it would be easy because there is no other restriction (at least not any I follow), but even finding the right word to start the line on was a lot harder than I expected. It is such a fun form to play with and is one I will turn to if I am stuck. Even if you are just rambling, you get those creative juices flowing. I have found form poems to be good for writing about topics that are hard or scary because it gives you parameters to stay in which makes it feel less overwhelming. Pantoums can be fun, but also difficult. A lot of poems that have repetition are so impressive when done well because repetition can become so obvious. It feels successful in its form when that isn’t the case.

I enjoyed reading the history of Riot in Your Throat and was curious if you could pinpoint one event, emotion, or moment that was the final push to move forward with the press?

I think it was a couple of things. When I started formulating the idea, I sat down and talked with a couple of friends who happen to work for other local presses. I picked their brains a little bit and realized that the idea was becoming more and more appealing. It was something I really wanted to do. I wanted to be able to publish these voices that I like to read and feel others need and want to read, too. My friend and I have a tradition of hitting the trails with our dogs every Sunday. I had been talking to her about it, and after a couple of weeks of discussions and sketching out plans she asked me, “So, are you going to do it?” And I said yes. I’m going to do it. I want to do it. Then it came down to figuring out exactly how I was going to do it. And it’s been fantastic.

What inspired the name?

There were four or five ideas I was playing with in a list on my phone, but I just kept coming back to Riot in Your Throat. I felt it fit with what I wanted to do and the poems I wanted to see—how as women we are forced in so many situations to not say what we are thinking or feeling or desire. At some point, it is just going to come out like a riot, an explosion. I also had a vision for what I wanted the logo to look like. I am not an artist by any means, so I literally just sketched out a human head with some hair and then wrote across the throat. Then, I found this amazing artist from Canada who worked with me and got it to be perfect. It reflects everything I wanted it to be. I love the name and I think it fits so well with what we’ve published so far.

Is there a specific achievement or progress made with the press you’d want to share?

We’ve had three open submission calls so far, and having people mention poets we’ve published that they love in their cover letter or comment that a poet recommended our press is really such a high level of praise and flattery. It is a huge win that the poets I’m publishing are saying good things about me and about the press. It lets me know I’m doing something right. I want to keep growing, see what keeps coming, and hopefully it keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Now that sticky juice/ of knowledge ran freely down my chin/ I wanted to hold her hand and discover/ all I didn’t yet know. – “Autobiography of Eve”

What advice do you have for potential submitters and women writers in general?

1. Keep writing and keep submitting! Rejection is part of the process. Stephen King, a famous author outspoken about rejection, is known to have said, “Until you have 100 rejections, you haven’t started submitting.” I think it is so important to just keep submitting.

2. When I read manuscripts for the press, I have found work that is close but not quite there, that maybe needs another round of editing. In my response I will tell that writer that I’d love to see another version of their work. So many women don’t submit again because they question whether that is real or authentic, and it is 100% real. When an editor says that to you, they mean it. When they say these poems don’t quite fit this theme or this month, but we’d like to see more of your work, they mean it. They mean submit again. When I send these responses, I truly hope to see an updated version of that manuscript, because it is so close. I want it out in the world. I want women to keep writing and keep submitting because our voices are especially valuable right now.

3. Keep reading and request books from your local library. I think some people feel like if they can’t buy the book, they can’t be helpful or supportive of the writing community. But requesting books or leaving a review for them on Amazon or Goodreads are some helpful and cost-free ways to support poets and presses, particularly small independent presses. We get lost in the noise sometimes.

Earlier this year, Courtney was awarded the Jack McCarthy Book Prize. Her third full length poetry collection will be available through Write Bloody next March. She is hopeful for a book tour next spring to celebrate this forthcoming collection along with the previous two that debuted during the pandemic. You can follow her on Twitter @wordperv or at courtneyleblanc.com for updates on her writing. You can keep up with new collections, reading events, and submission calls from her press at riotinyourthroat.com and on Twitter @riotthroat.

Melissa Nunez is a Latin@ writer and homeschooling mother of three from the Rio Grande Valley. Her essays have appeared in magazines like Variant Lit and the winnow. She has work forthcoming in The Nasiona, Scrawl Place, and Honey Literary. She is also a staff writer for Alebrijes Review. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook @MelissaKNunez.

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Guest User 7/29/22 Guest User 7/29/22

Her View Friday

Yellow Arrow Publishing supports women-identifying writers from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger. Women’s voices have historically been underrepresented in literature, and we aim to elevate those voices and stories through our programs, publications, and support.

Part of our mission in supporting and uplifting women writers is to promote the Yellow Arrow community’s individual accomplishments. We’d like to further expand that support and promotion outside of our Yellow Arrow publications. Twice a month, we’d like to give a shout out to those within the Yellow Arrow community who recently published:

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc.

You can support our authors by reading this blog and their work, sharing their news, and commenting below or on the blog. Congratulations to all the included authors. We are so proud of you!

Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.

“On Being Watched by Birds” by Chris Biles

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: The Closed Eye Open

Date published: June 20, 2022

Type of publication: online

https://theclosedeyeopen.com/issue-vii/

"No Say," "Bleeding Hearts," and "Chaos in the Cosmos" also by Chris Biles

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: The Red Penguin Collection

Date published: June 30, 2022

Type of publication: print

https://redpenguinbooks.com/proud-to-be-a-pride-poetry-collection-from-the-red-penguin-collection/

"On Being Watched by Birds" and "Dead End” also by Chris Biles

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: The Ravens Quoth Press

Date published: July 5, 2022

Type of publication: online and print

https://www.theravensquoth.press/balm-second-edition/

You can find Chris on Instagram @marks.in.the.sand.

"A House, Restored" by Heather Brown Barrett

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: The Ekphrastic Review

Date published: July 15, 2022

Type of publication: online

https://www.ekphrastic.net/ekphrastic-writing-challenges/ekphrastic-writing-responses-adolf-wolfli

You can find Heather on Instagram @heatherbrownbarrett.

Yellow Arrow (past and present) board, staff, interns, authors, residents, and instructors alike! Got a publication coming out? Let us help celebrate for you in Her View Friday.

Single-author publications: here.

Single pieces: here.

Please read the instructions on each form carefully; we look forward to congratulating you!

*****

Kapua Iao 7/26/22 Kapua Iao 7/26/22

Gratitude is a Divine Emotion: Yellow Arrow Interns

By Kapua Iao

“Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.”

from Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

One of the many ways Yellow Arrow Publishing encourages women writers and women in publishing is through inclusion within the organization itself. We welcome (and thrive with) our volunteers and interns, not only for our own benefit but to also (hopefully) provide a prospective future publisher with some necessary tools and knowledge about the publishing world. And even if a volunteer/intern does not plan to continue within the publishing world, the tools and knowledge of working in a women-led, collaborative organization. One that champions the different and the unique. One that looks for partners and allies rather than simple connections (see our growing list of partners here).

As Editor-in-Chief, it would be impossible to organize, create, and publish without the incredible help of our volunteer staff and interns. They provide the thought process behind each journal by picking each issue’s theme and reading/voting on each submitted piece. They then read through the chosen submissions and edit them carefully and thoughtfully, not to change the voice of the author but to ensure that the voice flourishes. They provide continuous feedback and proofread the final product before release. And the same goes for our published chapbooks; the process of forming something for publication is thoughtfully long but fulfilling, nonetheless.

We try to find each volunteer, each intern, space in our organization to grow and flourish in the area they are most interested in (and of course where we need the most help!). Past staff members have worked at our live events and at Yellow Arrow House. They hand bound our publications and put as much love and tenderness into each copy as we could hope. Now that we are a mostly virtual publishing company, they focus on editing as well as writing blogs and press releases. They create promotional material and images for our authors and explore or research for future marketing campaigns, events, and collaborations. And above all else, they support. Not only me but our authors as well. I am so thankful to have had them with me on this journey.

So let’s introduce the interns from the first half of 2022. Each has my appreciation.

Sydney Alexander

Currently dividing time between Ellicott City and Baltimore, both in Maryland
*YA position*: event planning & community engagement intern, May-Aug 2022
*What do you do*? I’m primarily responsible for Yellow Arrow’s community-engagement and outreach. This summer, I’m helping with social media to publicize events and opportunities. I will also be attending various virtual and in-person events to help represent and grow Yellow Arrow. Right now, I’m in the process of connecting with local libraries to promote Yellow Arrow’s writing workshops. I’m also working on setting up an interview for a blog post with owners of a local bookstore to ask them about how they engage with their communities. In all, I hope that all this will help Yellow Arrow grow its connections with the Baltimore community, and help with its mission of sharing women’s voices and stories.
*Where do you go to school?* I am a rising sophomore at Middlebury College and am scheduled to graduate in May 2025. I graduated from River Hill High School in Howard County, Maryland, in June 2021.
*What are you currently working on*? During the year, I’m a student at Middlebury College. However, this summer, I am taking Geography and GIS classes at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I intend to double major in English and Geography, so I think that these classes in combination with my internship at Yellow Arrow are a perfect blend of my two interests. Aside from this, I am working on my own creative writing.

Sydney is a rising sophomore at Middlebury College in Vermont studying English and Geography. She grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland, but enjoys the fact that she has lived all over the United States, including states such as North Carolina, California, and Wisconsin. Her favorite genres to read and write are fantasy and literary fiction, and she has a soft spot for short stories. Sydney hopes to pursue a career that combines her dual interests in writing and publications with Geography. Her work has been published in Hunger Mountain Review. She is still unsure of what she want to do after she graduate. Sydney is considering graduate school, but it is hard to know so far out. All she knows is that she hope to find some way to combine her interests in english and geography.

Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?

Reading and creative writing have always been hobbies I did on my own. However, after joining several English and writing clubs in high school, I realized how rewarding it was to become involved with my surrounding literary community. I greatly enjoyed working on my high school’s literary magazine, bringing in other students as editors and contributors, as well as sharing and attending events through my school’s chapter of the National English Honor Society. In college, I wanted to find a way to continue doing similar work, and Yellow Arrow seemed like the perfect fit. Not only would I be able to work on a publication, I would have the opportunity to attend various local events and meet many new writers. As a new resident of the Baltimore area, my goal coming into the summer was to find a way to get to know the city. In particular, I really wanted to learn more about Baltimore’s literary scene. Yellow Arrow has been a great way to get involved.

You can find Sydney on Facebook and Instagram @rerururun.

Isabelle Anderson

Lives in Baltimore, Maryland
*YA position*: publications intern, January-May 2022
*What did you do*? As publications intern, I copyedited and proofread manuscripts of upcoming chapbooks, and created promotional material for many Yellow Arrow publications.
*Where did you go to school?* Washington College; I graduated in May.
*What are you currently working on*? This summer, I’m hoping to do a lot more reading and writing for fun as I look for jobs in publishing.

Isabelle is a poet and fiction writer from Baltimore, Maryland. Isabelle is a May 2022 graduate of Washington College, a former editor on the student publications Collegian and the Pegasus, and recipient of the 2022 Pfister Poetry Prize. She hopes to gain some publishing experience in the next two to three years after graduation, then pursue an MFA.

Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?

The press’ mission statement resonated with me. The opportunity to gain editorial experience while working toward the goal of uplifting women-identifying writers and editors was one I could not pass up.

You can find her on Twitter @ibaspel.

Veronica Salib

Lives in Rockville, Maryland
*YA position*: publishing intern, May-August 2022
*What do you do*? I am the publishing intern so I have a few different responsibilities. I create Canva graphics to promote journals and chapbooks. I also proofread different poems and assist in the creation of Her View Friday posts.
*Where did you go to school*? I went to undergrad at the University of Maryland in College Park and graduated in 2021. I also hope to return to school and receive a masters in publishing.
*What are you currently working on*? I currently also copyedit for an organization called Balance Now. I just began an editorial positon at Xtilligent Media and I am in the process of starting my graduate school applications.

Veronica is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park. She holds a bachelor of sciences in biology. Veronica is hoping to pursue a career in publishing and a masters of publishing over the next two years. She is an avid reader and writer who loves fiction, poetry, and essay style writing. Besides her publishing related hobbies, Veronica loves to paint, travel, and spend time with friends and family. Her current plans are to continue working and applying for master’s programs. She hopes to eventually work in trade publishing as an editor!

Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?

I chose Yellow Arrow because poetry has always been an important outlet for me. I used it to clear my head and sort my thoughts. Additionally, I loved how empowering the environment at Yellow Arrow is. There is no shortage of smart, inspirational women at this organization. From the very first phone call I had it was obvious that Yellow Arrow was an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Find her on Instagram @veronicaa_salib.

Piper Sartison

Lives in Chestertown, Maryland
*YA position*: marketing intern, February-May 2022
*What did you do*? I was a marketing intern for Yellow Arrow. I created promotional images with Canva, scheduled and created social media posts, worked with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and proofread writing submissions.
*Where do you go to school*? I go to Washington College. I am a rising junior and I will graduate in the spring of 2024.
*What are you currently working on*? I write for the community and college newspaper of Chestertown (*The Elm*). I also do some writing on the side and hope to work with more organizations this summer.

Piper is a rising junior at Washington College. She is a competing member of the school’s tennis team, writes for The Elm, and is a major in English and a minor in journalism. Piper is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and will be residing there for the summer, where she hopes to do some freelance writing. She would like to be a journalist and write books.

Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?

My professor recommended this internship for me. I was interested in the organization, as I found the motivations of Yellow Arrow to be captivating. I wanted to help give women writers a voice in this community.

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Thank you to everyone who supports these women and all writers who toil away day after day. Please show them some love in the comments below or on Yellow Arrow’s Facebook or Instagram. If interested in joining us as an editorial associate or intern, fill out an application at yellowarrowpublishing.com/internships.

Kapua Iao 7/19/22 Kapua Iao 7/19/22

Ida B. Wells: The Civil Rights Activist Who Used Writing to Fight Racism

By Piper Sartison, written May 2022

To honor Ida B. Wells, whose birthday just passed, Piper Sartison, Yellow Arrow’s winter marketing intern, wrote a short blog about her incredible accomplishments.

“The reason why I wanted to focus on this blog was that I wanted to tell the story and journey behind a monumental and historical journalist. Ida B. Wells used her skills in writing to become an advocate for the voiceless, as she sacrificed everything to fight against oppression. In relation to the current events that surround us today, I hope that this piece will reinforce the significance of journalism, as it has the potential to give a voice to people who are marginalized and need our support.”

Ida B. Wells was a teacher, civil rights activist, journalist, and feminist. Born on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi, her parents passed away when she was young and so she spent her youth taking care of her siblings. Once she turned 16 (from most general sources), Ida started a career in teaching to provide for her siblings and spent her free time writing for newspapers. In 1882, she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she bought a first-class ticket on a train. The crew, however, attempted to force her into a cart that was reserved for African Americans only. Ida refused, and as a result, she bit one of the crew members, who was aggressively removing her from the train. Ida sued the railroad, but her claims were rejected by the Tennessee Supreme Court. This situation influenced her passion for free speech, as she later started her career with the Memphis Free Speech newspaper.

Once Ida gained enough experience in writing, she became the co-owner of the Memphis Free Speech when she was in her 20s. Using this job as a form of advocacy for African Americans, she expressed her opinion on the oppression and racism in society for the public to read. During her time as a journalist, three of her friends got lynched in her community. Ida was outraged and published pieces that outlined the racist truth behind why her friends got lynched. In her piece, she told the people of Memphis to stop shopping at white-owned businesses and encouraged them to move to Oklahoma.

In 1892, Ida moved to New York, as she wanted to write for The New York Age. It was there that she published pieces on the cruelty of lynching, encouraging others to revolt against violence and racism. In 1895, Ida married Ferdinand L. Barnett and had four children with him while they resided in Chicago, Illinois. While also tackling the challenges of motherhood, Ida found time to support the suffrage movement and help found the first kindergarten class for black children.

In 1909, she gave her support to the National Association of Colored Women, based in Washington, D.C., which worked to promote equality and was one of the biggest organizations of black woman clubs in America. In her work with the Alpha Suffrage Club in Chicago in 1913, she encouraged women in the community to elect politicians that best represented the African American population. Her efforts with this organization ultimately contributed to women’s suffrage in Illinois.

She died of kidney complications in 1931 at the age of 69. Ida was posthumously given a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for her bravery and advocacy against racism, violence, and sexism. The Ida B. Wells Barnett house, where Ida and her husband once resided in Chicago, is a National Historic Landmark.

Ida sacrificed her life to contribute to the civil rights movement, organizing rallies, creating an antilynching campaign, advocating for African Americans in newspapers, and willingly standing up against the system that deemed anyone inferior. Today, Ida B. Wells is remembered for her courage, strength, and immense intelligence. In her life, she stood up to injustices, and spoke up about systemic racism, invoking significant change within her community.

Piper Sartison is a rising junior at Washington College. She is a competing member of the school’s tennis team, writes for The Elm, and is a major in English and a minor in journalism. Piper is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and will be residing there for the summer, where she hopes to do some freelance writing.

*****

Kapua Iao 7/12/22 Kapua Iao 7/12/22

Everything is cyclical: when the daffodils die, a chapbook by Darah Schillinger

Yellow Arrow Publishing announces the release of our latest chapbook, when the daffodils die, by Darah Schillinger. Since its establishment in 2016, Yellow Arrow has devoted its efforts to advocate for all women writers through inclusion in the biannual Yellow Arrow Journal as well as single-author publications, and by providing strong author support, writing workshops, and volunteering opportunities. We at Yellow Arrow are excited to continue our mission by supporting Darah in all her writing and publishing endeavors.

when the daffodils die includes an assortment of poems exploring love, loss, and the self. Within the pages are various references to the wonders of nature, providing her readers with the tangible to describe intangible feelings. From wintery landscapes to cloudy skies and yellow summer days, Darah wields her poetry within when the daffodils die to bring her readers on a journey through their (and her) relationship with themselves and with those they choose to surround themselves with. Young love, a mother’s love, self-love, spiritual love, all encompassing love. Her willingness to write about the many facets of love and the way she challenges both herself and the long-standing truths within society about women and their place within the world makes this collection of poetry one of courage, defiance, and an appreciation for the overlooked things in life.

Darah previously interned for the literary magazine EcoTheo Review in summer 2020 and has had poetry published in her school literary journal, AVATAR, on the Spillwords Press website, in issue one of the Solstice Literary Magazine, and in the Maryland Bard’s Poetry Review 2022. Darah currently lives in Perry Hall, Maryland, with her parents, and in her free time, she likes to write poetry and paint. She plans to pursue an MS in professional writing and hopes to establish a career in publishing after its completion.

The stunning, simplistic cover art and interior daffodils were created by Creative Director Alexa Laharty.

Paperback and PDF versions of when the daffodils die are now available from the Yellow Arrow bookstore. If interested in purchasing more than one paperback copy for friends and family, check out our discounted wholesale prices here. You can also search for when the daffodils die wherever you purchase your books including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. To learn more about Darah and when the daffodils die, check out our recent interview with her.

You can find Darah on Instagram @darahschillinger or @brokewritersociety and on Facebook @darah.schillinger, and connect with Yellow Arrow on Facebook and Instagram, to share some love for this chapbook. We’d love to hear from you.

*****

Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. Yellow Arrow recently revamped and restructured its Yellow Arrow Journal subscription plan to include two levels. Do you think you are an Avid Reader or a Literary Lover? Find out more about the discounts and goodies involved at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/yellow-arrow-journal-subscription.

Kapua Iao 7/5/22 Kapua Iao 7/5/22

Craft Thoughts: Honoring the Poem’s First Draft

By Joanne Durham, written April 2022

I enjoy participating in groups with other women who come together to write and then share our first drafts. But too often we expect those drafts, from 30 or 40 minutes of writing (sometimes even less), to sound like finished poems. If not, we feel like we’ve failed and aren’t good writers. We can spend more time apologizing for what we’ve drafted than noticing what is working!

When I first started writing poetry, I thought that the first draft was supposed to be the final. I thought because I wrote poetry to get emotional truth on paper, I would spoil it if I revised it. I might fix grammar or a word here or there, but if the poem didn’t resonate, I just put it aside and forgot about it.

All that changed when I taught children in a writing workshop. I learned that by conferring with them about their intentions and teaching them some simple elements of craft, they could transform their first drafts into rich and meaningful poems for themselves and other readers.

In a marvelous section of her Living Room Craft Series on Revision, Ellen Bass shared the first draft of James Wright’s poem, “Hook,” from an interview released by his wife. I had loved this poem for a long time. I was so amazed that almost the entire final poem didn’t show up until the sixth verse in his first draft! It was by stripping away everything from the original that didn’t support the dramatic center of the poem that he gave the poem its intense substance and power.

So, I’ve come to think of my first draft as just scattering seeds. It’s the nurturing I give my poems over time that shapes them into something that might blossom. The crocuses in my yard will lift up through the dirt with no help at all from me. But lots of poems, like flowers, need the support we call revision. Often, it’s pruning, so what is lovely has room to flourish, and fertilizing to add richness to the language.

Pruning, as in Wright’s wonderful example, helps me let go of expectations and just let my writing flow. I know I can go back later and get rid of all the unnecessary verbiage. For example, in my poem, “BABY!” (RENASCENCE, Yellow Arrow Journal), I wrote about my joy and wonder at the sonogram of my first grandchild. My first draft of “BABY!” started:

Rachel texts the picture today

of what will become our grandchild.

Looks like a little island

in the midst of ocean whitecaps

and BABY! with a finger pointed

to the blob, so you know

where to look.

And a thumb

holding the picture

putting its size in perspective,

this is what 11.5 cm (what it says at the top)

is – the size of a few thumbs. Her name and birthdate

I recognize. The other numbers and letters

in language you just have to trust

to the midwives.

I wrote all that to get the details down on paper. But as the poem developed, I realized what I really wanted to explore was the connection between this unborn child and my Jewish ancestors, that this child would exist only because they had escaped the pogroms of Russia. The phrase “God willing” came up—a phrase my parents and grandparents would have used. Then I knew I didn’t need all those details before I got to the heart of the poem. So (over several drafts) I revised:

Rachel sends the sonogram today

of what will become (God willing)

our grandchild.

Looks like a bean

in a soup bowl. Someone

thoughtfully wrote BABY!

with an arrow pointing to it,

to tell us where to look.

God willing isn’t something

I’m known to say, but this child . . .

Pruning isn’t usually enough; fertilizing needs to happen as well. I often need to find a richer, more musical, more powerful, or more multi-faceted way of saying something I jotted down in the first draft.

“Sunrise Sonnet for My Son,” is the last poem in my poetry book, To Drink from a Wider Bowl (Evening Street Press April 2022). The poem was inspired by how my son and I both found our morning chore of unloading the dishwasher to be something meditative. My first draft ended,

I think of him each morning, this son I raised, who takes joy in putting away the dishes.

I got the idea on paper, but not the poetry of it (no blame, first draft!). It needed some fertilizer. I let it sit a while, let my imagination come up with specifics that would both sound musical and enhance the imagery of the poem, and days later wound up with

this man I raised, who hums as he sorts

the silverware, noticing how each spoon shines.

There are certainly some poets who can distill the poem on the first draft and dazzle us as they share in writing sessions. But I’m so glad I didn’t toss either of these poems because they didn’t fulfill my expectations on the first try. Realizing that I can nurture the poem over time—days, weeks, months, whatever—helps me enormously to believe that my first drafts can lead to something I’m happy with. In that sense, “BABY!” could refer to the embryo of the poem as well as the one in my daughter-in-law’s womb when I wrote:

. . . I’ll send something

resembling a prayer

that it thrives in that watery mix,

that it emerges, in its time,

whole and ready . . .

Joanne Durham is the author of To Drink from a Wider Bowl, winner of the 2021 Sinclair Poetry Prize (Evening Street Press 2022). Her chapbook, On Shifting Shoals, is forthcoming from Kelsay Press. Her poetry has or will appear in Yellow Arrow, Poetry South, Poetry East, Calyx, Rise-Up Review, Quartet, and many other journals and anthologies. She is a retired educator from Maryland, now living on the North Carolina coast with the ocean as her backyard and muse. Get your copy of To Drink from a Wider Bowl at eveningstreetpress.com/book-author/joanne-durham/. Learn more about Joanne at joannedurham.com or on Instagram @poetryjoanne.

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Kapua Iao 7/4/22 Kapua Iao 7/4/22

Find Your Awakening: The Yellow Arrow Vignette AWAKEN Online Series Begins

By Siobhan McKenna

Welcome to the release of Yellow Arrow Publishing’s online series, Yellow Arrow Vignette. For our first issue we chose the theme of AWAKEN, our 2022 yearly value. We will publish the chosen AWAKEN pieces on Mondays and Wednesdays from today through September 5, ending with a heartfelt reading from our 2022 Vignette authors on September 7 at 8pm EST.

The theme AWAKEN had been on my mind frequently over the last four weeks as I’ve literally awakened each week in a different bed: an airbed in a friend’s townhouse in West Seattle, the guest mattress of my sister’s house in Jacksonville, Florida, the king-sized bed of an Airbnb on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and my childhood twin at my parent’s house in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

These various awakenings were necessary to attend several professional and family obligations between my partner and I, and although tiring at times, mainly I found myself exhilarated by the sensory experiences that accompanied waking up in a new place. I was awoken by the whimpering of my sister’s dog, a sweet Pitbull-Lab mix, as she pawed at the door and begged to snuggle in the early hours of the morning; the rumble of Lower East Side construction crews at work on the interminable projects of the city; and the rustle of deciduous leaves in a suburban Pennsylvania neighborhood as I left the sanctity of sleep and crossed the threshold into consciousness. These unconventional alarm clocks were a refreshing change to soothe my mind as often, I’ve felt a sense of dread when waking up in the morning. Sometimes when rousing for the day, the feeling of already being behind rushes in before the day has even started. Or simply, I am still tired, and sleep, precious sleep, is beckoning me back to the pillow.

As I moved from place to place, I realized that diversifying my surroundings helped me greet the day more energized as I was lured by the promise of experiencing for a few days how the “the other” lives, commutes, encounters nature, and is encapsulated by architecture. In Manhattan, I awoke and walked Second Avenue along city parks and graffiti-donned alleyways, with other millennials scrambling for coffee and free Wi-Fi. In Florida, my partner and I would ride beach cruisers after working from home to the sandy shores three blocks east to cool off in the Atlantic.

The constant movement stirred in me both the desire to create community and the hunger to continue jumping into the flow of another’s daily routine. For now, I need to keep channeling the traveler’s mindset as over the next six days I’ll be waking up in a different locale every day (because weekly changes weren’t enough of a challenge).

As this piece is published, I am in Canada driving to the northeast end of Vancouver Island. Once there, I’ll board a ferry to the border of British Columbia and Alaska and then hop on the Alaska-Canadian highway, the ALCAN, and start the 30+ hour drive to Anchorage, Alaska.

This journey to Alaska is one that I’ve been planning for a few years now. It started as a seed when I began travel nursing and realized the breadth of places I could explore. I was attracted to the land of the midnight sun for the unknown it possessed. The uninhabited lands, the frigid temperatures, and the native animals, but also the people. Through my travels, I have recognized that by living—not simply visiting—I can gain access to parts of another’s life that may go unnoticed when traveling as a tourist. I have appreciated that by simply being with others and understanding their histories, downfalls, and triumphs, we gain empathy. That for me meant experiencing, in flesh and blood, the 49th U.S. state.

I kept waiting for Alaska to work itself out for me. I applied to several jobs last year without hearing anything and then again, this year, I waited for the perfect travel nursing job to emerge. It didn’t happen. At first, I saw these rejections and “clung to that crag” of the known that Shikhandin, our first poet in the series whose work you will read today, writes about in “Epiphany.” I did not want to let go of the crag for fear of disappointment and for fear of not conforming to perceived social expectations. But, unlike last year, when I met a roadblock and decided fate wanted me elsewhere, this year, I chose to look beyond the standard contracts and assembled a hodgepodge of jobs that would keep me sustained when I lived in Anchorage. I began to release my “jam-jarred dream” that Shikhandin begs us to unleash.

While not all of us will have an awakening (or a desire, for that matter) to live in Alaska, awakenings arrive in countless forms. In this series, you will read about awakenings that come in the form of closure, death, the end of a marriage, the beginning of believing in yourself, acknowledging climate change, and so much more. Through these vignettes, our authors explore the thresholds where the unknown comes into light, an often vague and hazy transitional space that simultaneously intimidates and relieves our souls. As you travel alongside our authors, I hope that you can add these tender, joyous, and inspiring awakenings to the well of human experiences that each one of us holds in our core so that on days when we can’t recognize the other as ourselves, we may remember the universality of the human condition.

I am delighted with the themes that we explore in this series. Whether it’s spending a few months in unknown-to-you expanses or finding the courage to approach a new day with optimism, I hope this series awakens you to a “jam-jarred dream” that is desperate for you to release.

Thank you, Kapua Iao, our Editor-In-Chief, and Annie Marhefka, our Executive Director, for listening to my original pitch for an online publication and for helping me create this illuminating series. Thank you to the Yellow Arrow Publishing Board for their support on this endeavor. Thank you also to our wonderful editorial associate, Angela Firman, and the Yellow Arrow summer interns, Veronica Salib and Sydney Alexander, for diligently working on the edits and promotional material, and to our readers, Kapua, Annie, Angela, Veronica, and Sydney, along with board members Sara Palmer, Jessica Gregg, and Gina Strauss, and staff members Lisa Roscoe, Nicky Ruddell, and Andrea Stennett, who took the time to reflect on the over one hundred submissions we received. Thank you to everyone who submitted to the series and gave us the opportunity to read, commiserate, and empathize. We are also very grateful to Alex Marhefka for working on the website with us, helping us to explore a new boundary to share women’s voices. Finally, thank you to our writers who allowed us to find a home for their stories on our site. We are humbled.

Since January 2020, Siobhan McKenna has worked tirelessly for Yellow Arrow as an editorial associate and interviewer, among many other roles. She is now the Vignette Managing Editor. Siobhan earned her bachelor’s degree in creative writing and biology from Loyola University Maryland and a master’s degree in nursing from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to her work at Yellow Arrow, Siobhan is an ICU travel nurse and is currently located in Seattle, Washington. Her writing can be found throughout the Yellow Arrow blog, within our EMERGE zine, and with Next Level Nursing.

*****

Kapua Iao 7/1/22 Kapua Iao 7/1/22

Her View Friday

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc.

You can support our authors by reading this blog and their work, sharing their news, and commenting below or on the blog. Congratulations to all the included authors. We are so proud of you!

Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.

Author: Amy L Bernstein

Tell us about yourself: I am honored to be a 2022 Writer-in-Residence fellow with Yellow Arrow, which also published one of my poems in the (Re)Formation issue of the journal. My novels include The Potrero Complex, The Nighthawkers, and Dreams of Song Times. My poetry, which has been published in a variety of journals in addition to Yellow Arrow, leans heavily on free-form prose poems that address psychological and political states of mind.

Where are you from: Baltimore, Maryland

What three words describe your main writing space: my dining-room table

What did you just publish: The Nighthawkers, published by The Wild Rose Press June 6, 2002. Find it at amzn.to/3JCaYGH.

Tell us about your publication: The Nighthawkers is a time-traveling paranormal romance that will, I think, appeal to poetry lovers because it’s full of rich imagery drawn from the wonders of archaeology. The “sounds” of poetry inform my fiction. As for the story, an archaeologist must choose between her handsome first lover and the irresistible stranger who helps her discover a powerful destiny. Sometimes, it takes a broken heart to discover your true destiny.

Why this book? Why now? How did it happen for you: I had written a mystery-thriller that contained an archaeology-related subplot, and realized I loved the theme so much I wanted to put it front and center of a different book. I also wanted to write a romance novel, and so The Nighthawkers was born. A nighthawker refers to someone conducting an illegal nighttime search for ancient artifacts, usually buried underground on private land, and very often somewhere in the United Kingdom.

What is your writing goal for the year: To make headway on a challenging new novel, where I'm a bit stuck right now.

What advice do you have for other writers: Believe in your story, advocate for yourself, and don't take ‘no’ for a final answer.

You can find Amy on Twitter and Instagram @amylbernstein.

Author: Claire Taylor

Tell us about yourself: I am a writer in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to Mother Nature, I am the author of a children's literature collection, Little Thoughts, as well as two microchapbooks: A History of Rats (Ghost City Press, 2021) and As Long As Got Each Other (ELJ Editions, 2022). My poetry, stories, and essays have appeared in a variety of publications, and my poem, “Again, Begin” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal's RESILIENCE issue.

Where are you from: Baltimore, Maryland

What three words describe your main writing space: converted garden shed

What did you just publish: Mother Nature (May 2022), self-published and available at clairemtaylor.com/books.

Tell us about your publication: Mother Nature is a hybrid chapbook of essays and poetry on motherhood and the postpartum experience. All proceeds are being donated to Postpartum Support International.

Why this book? Why now? How did it happen for you: This book is a culmination of three years of writing and a reflection on the emotional and psychological impact of early motherhood. Especially as my son gets older and more independent, I wanted a way to memorialize the experience of those early years. I chose to self-publish this collection so that I could donate any proceeds to supporting postpartum mental healthcare.

What is your writing goal for the year: I would like to find a publisher for my chapbook of prose poetry and complete a draft of a middle grade novel.

What advice do you have for other writers: Be wary of chapbook competitions. It may take a while and a lot of submissions to find a publisher, and those competition fees add up fast.

What else are you working on/doing that you’d like to share: I am the founding editor of Little Thoughts Press, a quarterly print magazine of writing for and by kids, and am currently working on our third issue. I am also excited to have my debut picture book set to be published in Summer 2023.

You can find Claire on Twitter @ClaireM_Taylor or Instagram @todayweread. Find out more at clairemtaylor.com.

Yellow Arrow (past and present) board, staff, interns, authors, residents, and instructors alike! Got a publication coming out? Let us help celebrate for you in Her View Friday.

Single-author publications: here.

Single pieces: here.

Please read the instructions on each form carefully.

*****

Kapua Iao 6/28/22 Kapua Iao 6/28/22

Why I Write Creative Nonfiction

By Melissa Nunez, written December 2021

I will never forget the mix of anger and incredulity coursing through my body during my first fiction workshop. As the author, I sat silent as my peers debated not the style or form of my piece submitted to the class, but the credulity of my words. “There’s no way all this happened to one person,” spoken in various versions and on repeat. And I was peeved. It did all happen. It happened to me. The death of my best friend, the disastrous dissolution of my parents’ marriage (and the resulting familial fallout), the abortion, the love triangle, the abusive partner. As if the dramatic and tragic politely take turns in the timeline of your life, giving each event exclusive spotlight shine. I wanted people to believe all these things happened to someone, successively and simultaneously, but was unwilling to claim that someone as me. It took me a semester of battling this wariness, of defending the veracity of characters and probability of plots before finding my home in the Creative Nonfiction chapter of the MFA program.

This decision involved more than logical next steps, more than simple solution. It was not just hanging three letters, the n o n, in front of the word fiction. It was letting go of all the stigma that came to mind with putting my unfiltered self out into the world. And there was still the craft of it, the charge of engaging your audience, of giving them reason to read and heed your words. There was still deciding what to say, how and when to say it. Which experiences to detail, to what length or breadth, and how to organize them on the page. When you get right down to it, there are so many possibilities even with a single happening.

There should be a sense of truth in all writing but deciding to only write what is true was both liberating and distressing. I love the fact that everything around me is my possible next story. The words I speak and those spoken to me tumble around in my head and many end up in the notes app on my phone or the pages of my notebooks. Conversations with my children or husband, insightful lines from a book or television show that make a certain idea click into place. That part comes easy to me as a naturally introspective person. The hard part comes after. In having my thoughts and perspectives, experiences and emotions laid bare to be scrutinized by others. It is something I live so many times in my own mind as I write, on amplification when I’m actually getting feedback. I channel the strength of those before me who have told their stories bravely, stories that have impacted my life and the lives of others. Books like The Other Side by Lacy M. Johnson (where she frames visceral vulnerability within a deeply insightful and moving metaphor), Paula by Isabel Allende (masterful amalgam of maternal missive, memoir, and elegy), and the collected essays of Samantha Irby (whose words are an homage to honesty and self-acceptance in the most raw, real, and hilarious forms).

Every time I write, I learn something about myself and the world around me. Things I was previously unaware I needed or wanted to know. Because of creative nonfiction, I have gotten to better know family members, both close and further distant. I was introduced to my great grandfather for the first time and was shown pieces of my grandfather previously unshared in conversation with my great aunt. I have become better able to identify the plants that grow along the canal banks and nature trails close to my home, the birds and insects that dwell there. I plan to plant Turk’s Cap, a hummingbird favorite, in my yard this coming spring and make further strides towards de-lawning. I hope to include some nopales, set along the back fence to avoid accidents, as I have recently discovered that the prickly pear is one of my favorite fruits, seeds and all. Because of creative nonfiction, I am now too aware of the microscopic arachnids that make their homes in our skin, of the bacteria exchanged with those around us independent of physical contact. I have discovered the shared root of my most painful choices, listed among the “unbelievable” events above.

I have come to love the act of self-discovery as art, as communion with the world around me, as conversation with others who also watch for wonder. With those who are willing to rethink everyday experience, to revisit rumination often dismissed as mundane, to combine and recombine these moments in novel ways—here Creative Nonfiction transforms, is made something more magical.

Melissa Nunez is a homeschooling mother of three from the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. She is a staff writer for Alebrijes Review. Her essays and poetry have also appeared in FEED, Lammergeier, and others. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook @MelissaKNunez.

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Kapua Iao 6/24/22 Kapua Iao 6/24/22

Her View Friday

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc.

You can support our authors by reading this blog and their work, sharing their news, and commenting below or on the blog. Congratulations to all the included authors. We are so proud of you!

Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.

“Our Calibre of Prayer” by Heather Brown Barrett from Virginia

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: The Ekphrastic Review

Date published: June 17, 2022

Type of publication: online

ekphrastic.net/ekphrastic-writing-challenges/peter-paul-rubens-ekphrastic-writing-responses

"A Vulgar Mouth" and "Heavy Upheaval, I Am" also by Heather Brown Barrett

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: OyeDrum

Date published: June 2022

Type of publication: online

oyedrum.com/not-the-wound-two-poems-by-heather-brown-barett/

You can find Heather on Instagram @heatherbrownbarrett.

Yellow Arrow (past and present) board, staff, interns, authors, residents, and instructors alike! Got a publication coming out? Let us help celebrate for you in Her View Friday.

Single-author publications: here.

Single pieces: here.

Please read the instructions on each form carefully; we look forward to congratulating you!

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Kapua Iao 6/21/22 Kapua Iao 6/21/22

Meet a Staff Member: Marylou Fusco

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce our Author Support Coordinator, Marylou Fusco. Marylou grew up in the wilds of New Jersey and knew she was a writer forever. She holds a BA in journalism from St. Bonaventure University and an MA in creative writing from Temple University. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, GED instructor for pregnant teens, and ghost tour guide. Marylou’s writing has appeared in PopMatters, Carve, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mutha magazine, and various literary journals. She has won the Philadelphia City Paper and the feminist literary journal, So to Speak’s, short story contests. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband and daughter.

“I’m looking forward to being part of this growing and vital writing community,” says Marylou. “Through launch events and networking, I hope to be a resource and support for the emerging authors who publish with us.”

Marylou recently took some time to answer some questions for us. Show her some love in the comments or on Facebook/Instagram!

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I grew up in a fairly rural town, but my adult years have all been marked by cities. I lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for 20 years before moving to Baltimore with my family in 2017. My career path in Philly was pretty nontraditional—I bounced from writing to nonprofit work to teaching and back again to writing. I became involved with the excellent Philadelphia Stories magazine. I decided to apply to Temple’s MA program. All of these experiences fed my writing and pushed me to publish more.

What do you love most about Baltimore?

I love that it is a city of neighborhoods, each unique and vibrant in their own way. I’m grateful to live in a diverse community in southeast Baltimore where families and working artists live and work side by side. And I’m heartened by the everlasting hope and optimism that so many people hold for Baltimore.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow and what do you do?

I discovered Yellow Arrow soon after my family moved here in 2017. As much as I loved Philly’s writing community, I don’t think I ever found a space devoted entirely to emerging women writers. Yellow Arrow really struck me as special in that way. I started attending workshops and readings and became good friends with Founder Gwen Van Velsor. Yellow Arrow continues to be a bright spot for me as I find my way in a still (somewhat) new city.

What are you working on currently?

I’m currently editing my novel and working on more nonfiction. In trying to raise a good human, I hope to be the kind of mother who is okay revealing both her passions and flaws to her daughter.

What genre do you write and why?

Fiction was always my first love. I worked in journalism to have a bit of stability and write fiction on the side. For a long time. I was insistent that fiction and nonfiction remain in two very distinct and separate categories. That’s evolved over time. While I still love fiction, I’ve also become more interested in creative nonfiction or work that doesn’t easily fit into a specific category.

Who is your favorite writer and why?

Too hard to name just one! Joy Williams, Mary Gaitskill, Flannery O’Connor. I especially love writers who are fearless in the topics they tackle and who capture a specific voice or sense of place/time. My models are writers who are able to evoke the complexity and brokenness of our world along with a deeper understanding of our shared humanity.

Edited to add: I just finished Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda, an Ecuadorian writer. Not a novel for the faint of heart, but I was completely blown away. She’s so, so good.

Who has inspired and/or supported you most in your writing journey?

I was very fortunate to have had the engagement and support of many people, especially early on. There were teachers who believed me to be talented and told me so. The same goes for writing group members whose critiques pushed me to grow. My classmates at Temple introduced me to more experimental writing styles and hybrid works. As I’ve gotten older, I’m especially inspired by other working artists who exist in the real world of jobs, childcare, dirty dishes while still managing to create art.

What do you love most about writing?

To paraphrase other writers who have spoken more eloquently about this than I can: that the urge to create is a radical life force that can transform us if we allow it to.

In a world that still favors surface flash and glitter, writing forces us to truly pay attention. To see. We should never underestimate the power of writing and sharing our work as we never know how it might touch someone in a profound and unexpected way. Mostly, writing reminds us that we are not alone.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Read a lot. There’s a bunch of literary sites that publish craft articles, interviews, and selections from new works. My favorites are The Rumpus, Literary Hub, Electric Lit. Find out who is writing about the things you like and or are interested in and read them. Find (or create) your own writing community. It could be as simple as two or three other writers who commit to getting together once or twice a month to share what you’ve been working on. If publication is important to you, figure out what you need to do to hone or perfect your work. It’s also important to figure out how promotion and networking will work for you.

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We look forward to working with you Marylou! Yellow Arrow recently revamped and restructured its Yellow Arrow Journal subscription plan to include two levels. Do you think you are an Avid Reader or a Literary Lover? Find out more about the discounts and goodies involved at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/yellow-arrow-journal-subscription. Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts.

Kapua Iao 6/14/22 Kapua Iao 6/14/22

Challenging Truths: A Conversation with Darah Schillinger

“I realize that what we tell ourselves, and what we tell women and children, influences how we think and how we perform,” says Darah Schillinger from her room at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “And when we keep telling women that they can’t do something, then we are perpetuating the cycle.”

Darah Schillinger, the author of Yellow Arrow Publishing’s next chapbook, when the daffodils die, is passionately explaining the results of a study that she learned about in her “Feminism and Philosophy” class. The study itself is impressive as is Darah’s animated presence as she expresses her desire to support women, putting what she learned into practice. In fact, this study became the inspiration for Darah to write “When Mars and Venus Collide,” included within when the daffodils die. The poem highlights numerous influential women throughout history to now, including Tu Youyou, a chemist who helped find a treatment for malaria, and Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree. But “When Mars and Venus Collide” is only one example of how Darah uses when the daffodils die to challenge long-standing truths within our society and change perspectives so that her readers can examine the scene from a new angle.

when the daffodils die is now available for PRERELEASE (click here for wholesale prices) and will be released July 12, 2022. Follow Yellow Arrow on Facebook and Instagram for Friday sneak peeks into when the daffodils die. The beautiful yet simplistic cover was created in-house by Creative Director Alexa Laharty after a few conversations with Darah about her vision. Darah notes, “My original design for the cover was simple because my poems tend to focus on finding beauty in the overlooked, and I wanted a simple, yet beautiful cover to reflect that. I also opted to keep the handwritten font (at the editor’s insistence!) because I think it reflects the humanness of poetry. It’s personal, and I wanted it to feel personal the second you see it. I’m thrilled with how the cover turned out. Alexa did a wonderful job bringing my original design to life.”

At the time of this interview with Vignette Managing Editor Siobhan McKenna, Darah was preparing for final exams and her college graduation, but graciously took the time to speak about her path to writing and her forthcoming publication. Within their conversation, they explored the themes that permeate when the daffodils die: humans and their relationships with nature, spirituality, and love.

Growing up in Baltimore County, in Maryland, Darah always loved writing but didn’t see herself becoming a poet. In middle school, she wrote fiction novels because she thought she was going “to do the big book think,” and it wasn’t until high school that she started writing poetry. From there, poetry became a hobby that she quickly realized she loved. Darah was able to expand on her passion by enrolling in collegiate-level creative writing courses and interning for several literary magazines, including with Yellow Arrow in 2021. Over the years, poetry has become a “safe space” for Darah; a place where she can explore her thoughts and ponder the state of the world. When not working, studying, or figuring out her next steps in life, Darah says that she enjoys filling the notes app in her iPhone with short lines or thoughts that she can later develop into complete poems.

Your collection revolves around natural imagery and a relationship with nature: have you always been attuned to nature and was there someone in your life who inspired this?

I’ve always been fascinated with nature. I can’t pinpoint when it started, but I’ve always incorporated natural imagery into my writing. College has also shaped me way more than I thought it would. [St. Mary’s College of Maryland] is a very nature-based campus. We have a pond and a riverside and in spring everything is in bloom. And going for a walk is the highlight of my day on this campus. So, it’s hard not to be inspired by nature here.

[Growing up, I lived in] Baltimore County, which is very crowded and is called a suburb but as close as you can get to the “city” without being a city. Which is why I also think I am so drawn to places like St. Mary’s and rural Pennsylvania because when I do visit those places it is such a stark contrast to where I grew up. There’s so much nature to see that I’m kind of awed by it, and it’s really nice to see places that haven’t been touched as much by humans.

When I was really young, I remember that it would be a big deal when my grandmother would take me to the state park nearby: Gunpowder State Park. We would go on a hike and sometimes go fishing . . . or we would swim in the river and play on the rocks. And my cousins and I would go rock climbing—very small-scale rock climbing, never anything big and those were treats for us! That was something that I looked forward to every summer, every spring. [Those trips] have stuck with me, and I find . . . being outside something special. And I definitely think my grandmother—my Mommom—has been a big influence on that because she adores nature. She loves going on her drives. She’ll go driving and one day, she texted me and said, “I’m out and I just saw 10 deer” and [the time] was 2:00 am! She’ll stay up all night just to see a deer—it’s a really special relationship she has, and I think she gave me a little bit of that.

The past few years, some of my friends and I have gotten more into herbalism and pagan traditions, and these small practices have helped me appreciate nature in ways I didn’t before.

I took a class on the literature of paganism and witchcraft where we also delved into herbal medicine. I even wrote my final paper on the significance of daffodils in herbalism. I think that [class] has influenced my relationship with nature as well and how healing it can be and how intimate people should be with [nature].

What would happen if I kept the windows down as I drove,

the gray air woven in my hair, the smell of a Pennsylvania winter

clinging heavy in my pores

“winter in Pennsylvania”

In your poem “herbal medicine,” you speak of nature as being able to heal. How have you used nature in your own life to heal?

I’m going to keep returning to it because I feel like it’s true: I think that sitting outside when it’s nice or [listening to rainstorms and thunder can be] healing. If I have the window cracked and I get to hear [the storm] then I can take a break from all the stress. And getting to sit outside and listen to the birds or look at the flowers . . . is healing. . . . I do that a lot [by myself] and I do that a lot with my friends. We sit on our patio and listen to a little music and enjoy the day. And I really hope that more people get to do that. We get so caught up in the stresses of everyday life that we don’t pay attention. And I know this is the stop-and-smell-the-roses [cliché], but it’s so true—if I didn’t take those 30 minutes a day to sit and relax, I don’t know what I would do.

In the last several years, especially among college students and recent college graduates, I’ve seen a resurgence of herbalism and a focus on nature as a belief system on social media. Why do you think that your generation is beginning to take inspiration from pagan ideals and herbal medicine?

I think it is a combination of things. On social media, it has become trendy to be into paganism, witchcraft, and herbal medicine. But I also think that—and this is speculation—a lot of people my age and younger that I know aren’t religious. But I think that for [other older generations] religion always seemed to be something that people found solace in, and it was comforting to believe in something. [Now,] people my age, myself included, don’t necessarily adhere to one [religion], so I think it’s comforting to believe in nature. And I know that sounds very hippie-dippie, but it feels very grounding to trust in nature, to enjoy nature, and to find comfort in it. And while it’s not necessarily an established religion, I think that a lot of people my age enjoy it for those reasons.

Here, let the drops of peppermint oil and patience drip-drip

from your palms like

VapoRub for the rattled soul

“herbal medicine”

In your poem “Eden,” you reference the often-unmentioned biblical figure of Lilith, what was your spiritual upbringing like and how did you learn of Lilith?

I don’t know when I first heard about Lilith. [The story of Lilith] was always kind of something that my mom and I thought was interesting. I grew up Episcopalian . . . and when I fell out of a strict Christian religion, I looked more into other [beliefs] and I brought it to my mom, and I was like “Hey . . . why haven’t we talked about Lilith?” And she was all on board to talk about it because she didn’t know that much about [her and her story] either. So, we looked into the story of the first woman, [Lilith,] who wasn’t made from Adam—and I’m not that familiar with it but based on the research that I have done [my understanding is that] because she didn’t want to obey [Adam] she was cast out [of Eden]. And then another woman, [Eve,] was made from Adam to serve Adam. And [after learning more about her] my question was: why was this myth created if no one wants to talk about it? And I was so fascinated by the story because it is everything that I talk about with my friends and in college and with my mom: women aren’t made to obey people. That’s something I’ve never believed in. My mother always told me that I am my own person. . . . And I think that the basis of the story is that an independent woman is demonized, and I want more women to know about [the story of] Lilith.

Lilith, do you think of Eve, when you run with your night creatures?

When you fly into the dark air, hated but free?

“Eden”

Young love and being in the eye of one’s lover are themes that repeat throughout your poems and is also a timeless theme in poetry. Why do you think that poetry has been a vessel for love for so long?

I think that love is poetic. I know that’s not a great answer, but [love] is something that no one is able to come up with a good definition for and I think that keeps us writing about it. Because, if [you ask someone] to describe love, every single person is going to give a different answer. And [their answers] might be related to each other, but everyone’s interpretation of love and how they love is unique. And I think that keeps [the theme of] love going in poems and in stories and songs because it is something that we can never officially pin down.

A lot of my poems are about my relationship with my partner and some of them are fictionalized because I’ve been with my partner for a very long time, and we are very committed to one another. But I also identify as a bisexual woman and I’m in a straight passing relationship. . . . I think there are a lot of ways to love and types of love, and I fictionalize it because I am so obsessed with it. Love is something that I have experienced, and I am experiencing, but there are different types of love that I may never experience, but I am able to explore those types through my writing.

What do you hope your readers gain from reading when the daffodils die or how do you think the poems will sit with your readers?

I hope that they enjoy them, but I also hope that someone, somewhere relates to something I’ve written. It doesn’t have to be that everybody likes it or hates it; I want someone to walk away from it [thinking] I enjoyed myself while I was reading and maybe thought of something in a way that I hadn’t before. Maybe, “I’m gonna look at nature differently,” or maybe, “I saw myself in one of the relationship poems and it made me happy.” I want people to open it and relate [to the poems] in some way.

On cloudy days I’d lay at the very edge of the bed on my back

[. . .]

and wait to see if I could feel the

world stop turning

if I held my breath. it was a good use of the day when the sky was full

to watch the trees sway

and think about abortion rights

or privilege

or poverty

“cloudy days”

You first worked with Yellow Arrow as a 2021 summer intern, helping with publications and writing several blogs, even now. How did you originally find out about Yellow Arrow?

I actually reached out to Yellow Arrow because I was looking up places [near my home in Maryland] that I could intern for . . . I saw Yellow Arrow while I was researching, and they were my top choice because I loved the message. I loved that it’s women-owned, women-run, women supporting women, and it’s not just that, there’s also diversity. It’s not just white women who are having their voices heard and who are getting the chance to be published and talk about how awesome writing is, but all types of women.

From whom or what do you seek inspiration?

Everywhere. All the time. I write very much in the present, so I tend to write about whatever I’m seeing or feeling or reading about in the moment. That’s why I love the notes app on my phone. I’ll be walking back from work, and I’ll see an especially big tuft of onion grass . . . and I just write down a quick note about onion grass, and then it shows up [in a poem] later on. [My writing is] very in the moment and it is usually just snippets of something and later I’ll make it into a broader poem.

I fall in love daily

with the sky and the sea and

the pollen watering my eyes

“marriage”

Do you have a favorite poet?

I had a big Sylvia Plath tapestry for a long time, so definitely Sylvia. I’ve gotten very into Bell Hooks recently, and I was kind of devastated when she passed [a short time ago]. I actually wrote a poem about Bell Hooks’ passing. And over quarantine, I got very into Sappho. So I ordered myself a big collection of Sappho poetry in order to pass the time.

Daffodil imagery is a large presence throughout your chapbook: it’s the name of the book as well as your final piece. Why did you end your collection with the eponymous poem, “the daffodils die”?

As soon as I wrote the short daffodil poem, when I was putting together the collection, I was like this has to be the last one. And I think it’s because I thought daffodils symbolize death, but they also symbolize rebirth and the beginning of spring. But I think that when things end, other things begin so it is very much a cycle; just as the book is ending, the daffodils die, but there is still a continuation.

I have to ask—even though I think I know the answer—what is your favorite flower?

Definitely daffodils. I know—very on the nose. We have the gulch here [at St Mary’s College in Maryland], which is what the last poem is written about, and every March the entire [hillside] blooms and everything is yellow and green and it’s beautiful. [There’s a path on the hillside] that winds down to a hidden beach and it’s just my favorite place to go in March. I just like the idea of daffodils—they don’t even get to see spring, but they announce spring is here.

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Since this interview, Darah graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. This summer she will work part-time before starting her MS in professional writing at Towson University in the fall. Please show your support of Darah by preordering your copy of when the daffodils die today.

Thank you, Darah and Siobhan, for sharing your conversation. Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. Yellow Arrow recently revamped and restructured its Yellow Arrow Journal subscription plan to include two levels. Do you think you are an Avid Reader or a Literary Lover? Find out more about the discounts and goodies involved at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/yellow-arrow-journal-subscription.

Kapua Iao 6/7/22 Kapua Iao 6/7/22

Behind the Issue: UpSpring (Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1)

By Rebecca Pelky

When the Editor-in-Chief of Yellow Arrow Publishing, Kapua Iao, first contacted me about possibly guest-editing Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1, UpSpring, available in the Yellow Arrow bookstore and from most online distributors, I was humbled and a little overwhelmed. It was right at the beginning of a new semester, and the issue would be released near the end of the same semester. Did I have time to give this the attention it deserved in between teaching and planning and that book chapter also due in May and that book I should be writing and all those meetings and emails? And yet. While I love my job teaching film and creative writing to STEM students, I’ve also been mostly without a writing community for the first time in years. I couldn’t resist this opportunity to feel like a part of a community again, and I’m so glad now that I agreed. Kapua has been wonderful to work with while keeping me on track to meet my deadlines, which I desperately needed! The rest of the staff and volunteers have been generous and thoughtful readers. Leading a workshop for Yellow Arrow called “Writing the Archive” also helped me feel connected again to some fantastic people and writers. I’m thankful for these opportunities and how they helped me grow in new ways.

I’m proud of what UpSpring has become, and I hope we’ve created something that the contributors will be proud of as well. Although editors certainly act as gatekeepers, there’s a way in which an issue of a literary journal grows beyond the choices we make, or maybe it’s better to say each new choice is informed by all the other choices that we’ve made in reading, and those that the contributors have made in writing and submitting. It reminds of these lines from Liane St. Laurent’s poem, “in which I die, become a bird-tree,” in which she writes, “I know a word the way a word knows / water, the way water finds its shape, / becomes what it wants.” At the end of the process of putting together a journal, when it works, it feels like water finding its shape, like the issue has become what it wanted to be.

The pieces in UpSpring vary widely in their interpretations of the theme, and it’s what I love most about them. No two contributors envision those moments of change and bloom in exactly the same way. They consider how we support each other through those moments or the ways that we survive them or celebrate them alone, as in Vanesha Pravin’s, “Olive Oil, Sumac & Harissa,” “Oh, Honey, / happily, you can survive: / Saturday night alone / again with the coyotes / yipping, the damn stove / knob still broken.” They offer insight on motherhood or all the upsprings that happen to girls in their formative years. They mediate on upsprings in metaphors of plants and dirt and roadkill and space. The word upspring implies joy, I think, new life, beginnings, and this issue is rightly filled with those. However, it’'s also true that upsprings emerge out of grief, illness, or trauma. And so we celebrate and commiserate, we encourage and support, we welcome these upsprings in all of their forms.

What I keep coming back to, in the end, are these last lines from Jillian Stacia’s poem, “Pruning”: “Just watch / the wild ways you’ll grow.” I think about those lines often, the way any great words stay with you—the way they settle themselves into your knowing. That’s also what it feels like to put together an issue of a literary journal, sort of. You can’t know exactly what it’s going to grow into, but after the process of reading hundreds of amazing submissions and narrowing and fitting and losing and gaining pieces, in the end, all you can say with awe is, “Wow, look at the wild ways you grew.”

Paperback and PDF versions are available from the Yellow Arrow bookstore. Discounts are also available (here) if you would like to purchase copies for friends and family (minimum purchase of five). You can also search for Yellow Arrow Journal on any e-book device or anywhere you purchase books, including Amazon and most other distribution channels. And don’t forget to join us for the reading of “Moments in Time: An UpSpring Reading” on June 28 at 7:00 pm EST. More information is forthcoming, but you can let us know that you plan on supporting contributors here.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to UpSpring, and to the many wonderful submitters whose pieces we couldn’t fit into this issue. It was a pleasure working with all of you, even if in very small ways. I hope you find words in this issue that settle into you like Jillian Stacia’s have for me. I hope you find within it many more wild ways to grow.

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Kapua Iao 5/31/22 Kapua Iao 5/31/22

An Interview with a Publisher and English Professor, Sufiya Abdur-Rahman

By Piper Sartison

Sufiya Abdur-Rahman is an author, English professor at Washington College, and publisher. Her recent novel is titled Heir to the Crescent Moon (2021; University of Iowa Press), where she writes about her personal experiences growing up in a black Muslim family in America. Sufiya has won the Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction and continues to focus on other future writing projects while she pursues her career in teaching.

Sufiya has taught me in two different writing classes at Washington College, and she has provided excellent insight on writing to her students. When I asked to interview her, she kindly agreed, and we set up a zoom call. Over the call, we discussed her book and her impact on the writing community as well as her passion for teaching.

What motivated you to become a writer?

I think I grew up around a lot of storytellers in my family. My grandfather, in particular, was one who would often tell stories about when he grew up in the [Jim Crow South]. He had an interesting way of telling stories about that; they were really engaging, and everyone would gather around to hear what he had to say. And later on, he started to write these stories down and turn them into creative nonfiction pieces. . . . He knew that I liked writing as well so sometimes, he would show me stories and ask [about my opinion]. Over the years, I would work with him on things and help him out with [endings] on pieces that he put together. . . . My mother also is a storyteller. . . . Listening to her tell stories also influenced me to [become] a storyteller [but more in the nonfiction realm].

What inspired you to write about your personal life in Heir to the Crescent Moon?

Initially, I just wanted to tell a story about second generation black Muslims. I felt like there was a story out there that hadn’t been told before and I was interested in finding out enough information about it to be able to write a book. My book idea was more journalistic. [I wanted] to [interview] other people and find out what it was like to grow up as a second-generation black Muslim, find out about their parents’ stories and kind of compile them into this book. I went to grad school with this idea in mind to try to get some direction on how I can turn something that started off small into something bigger. . . . I found a way to incorporate what I was hearing from the folks that I was interviewing into what I was writing about my own family.

What do you love about writing or teaching? Do they go hand in hand? Or would you like to focus on writing more in the future?

I really just enjoy trying to figure out new, different, and interesting ways to express ideas. There [are] so many pieces out there [such as books, articles, and essays], and a lot of what people have in mind to say has already been said. I feel like my challenge as a writer is [to] find some other way to say something that someone hasn’t said before. It’s not always possible, which makes it really hard. . . . When I’m sitting down to write, I feel like the process of trying to discover something new or different or unique within myself and how I express something is what keeps me engaged in it. I really enjoy teaching because I enjoy trying to spark the love of writing in other people, too. In particular young people because [I feel like there are] so many stories out there that need to be told. Everyone has one. Even if you’re not writing about yourself and you’re reporting on other people, you can do the work to try to figure out what their story is and bring that to the floor. The more stories that are out there, the more people get to know about other people and that’s just [what life is all about], getting to know other people, [and] trying to understand this whole human experience more concretely.

How has the writing community influenced your creativity as a writer, English professor, and publisher?

I just went to the associated writing programs conference in Philadelphia where I got the chance to be around a lot of writers, and it was the first time I had been to one of those in a really long time. I was amazed by how huge this conference was. There were panels about so many different topics, all happening at the same time. You really got a chance to see poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and all of these little nuances within each genre; all of these little pockets of different writing communities together. It just made me think about how wide and vast our community is, and how many different ways there are to tell a story, how many different focuses on a story there are, which I found really inspiring.

I think the writing community in an event like that [or on twitter for example] is a very vibrant writing community. You’re always hearing about new projects that are out there; books, essays that you should read. It just keeps people engaged, probably in a way that wasn’t possible without the internet. It’s really just inspiring for me to try to be a part of this community with writers.”

Do you have any advice to aspiring women writers in the community?

My advice to all aspiring writers is to read as much as possible. Read what’s out there, read writers you want to try to be like. [The] best teacher that you can have [is] the work that’s already been published. There’s so much of it, there’s almost no way to really read everything that’s out there, and so the work [that] a young aspiring writer has is to read as much as possible. There’s just a wealth of really great stuff.

You can find Heir to the Crescent Moon at the University of Iowa Press: uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9781609387822/heir-to-the-crescent-moon.

Sufiya Abdur-Rahman’s writing investigates questions of family, identity, race, and religion and, often, how they intersect. Her essays, articles, and criticism have appeared in publications including Catapult, The Common Online, Gay Mag, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and NPR. She has earned Notable distinction in Best American Essays, received fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and is a two-time alumnus of VONA writing workshops. She is Creative Nonfiction Editor for Cherry Tree, a national literary journal, at Washington College, where she teaches nonfiction. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with her family.

Piper Sartison was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. Her favorite subject in school was English, and she followed her passion for writing into college. Piper attends Washington College in Maryland and is a sophomore, majoring in English and minoring in Journalism. She is a competing member of the women’s tennis team and writes for The Elm, a local community newspaper. When she is not working or playing tennis, she spends her time with friends, watches movies, or enjoys journaling in her notebook.

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Kapua Iao 5/27/22 Kapua Iao 5/27/22

Her View Friday

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc.

You can support our authors by reading this blog and their work, sharing their news, and commenting below or on the blog. Congratulations to all the included authors. We are so proud of you!

Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.

“Disappointed” by Sandra Kacher from Minnesota

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: Galway Review

Date published: January 28, 2022

Type of publication: print and online

thegalwayreview.com/2022/01/28/sandra-kacher-disappointed/

“Dissolving” by Sandra Kacher from Minnesota

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: Galway Review

Date published: March 23, 2022

Type of publication: print and online

thegalwayreview.com/2022/03/23/sandra-kacher-dissolving/

“Paul Bunyan Takes a Lover” and “Cassiopeia” by Jessica Gregg from Baltimore, Maryland

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: Hedge Apple

Date published: March 31, 2022

Type of publication: print and online

hcc-hedgeapple.hagerstowncc.edu/index.php/2022/03/31/paul-bunyan-takes-a-lover-by-jessica-gregg/

hcc-hedgeapple.hagerstowncc.edu/index.php/2022/03/31/cassiopeia-by-jessica-gregg/

You can find Jessica on Instagram @jj_greg and Facebook @jessicajgregg.

“The Cost of Miscarriage” (content warning: miscarriage) by Annie Marhefka from Baltimore, Maryland

Genre: creative nonfiction

Name of publisher: Pithead Chapel

Date published: April 1, 2022

Type of publication: online

pitheadchapel.com/the-cost-of-miscarriage/

You can find Annie on Instagram @anniemarhefka and Twitter @charmcityannie.

“One Good Thing” by Claire Taylor from Baltimore, Maryland

Genre: prose poetry

Name of publisher: Lost Balloon

Date published: April 20, 2022

Type of publication: online

lost-balloon.com/2022/04/20/one-good-thing-claire-taylor/

You can find Claire on Twitter @ClaireM_Taylor and on Instagram @todayweread.

“Cause and Effect,” “Love of Hate,” “just a body,” “No Say,” and “Bleeding Hearts” by Chris Biles from Washington, D.C.

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: Another New Calligraphy

Date published: April 28, 2022

Type of publication: online

anothernewcalligraphy.com/biles-5poems.html

You can find Chris on Instagram @marks.in.the.sand.

“PTSD” by Chris Biles from Washington, D.C.

Genre: poetry

Name of publisher: Cajun Mutt Press

Date published: May 4, 2022

Type of publication: online

cajunmuttpress.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/cajun-mutt-press-featured-writer-05-04-22/

You can find Chris on Instagram @marks.in.the.sand.

Also, check out Ute Carson's poem, "Flooded with Love," which was shared on social media by Motherwell Magazine UK: facebook.com/motherwellmag/photos/2852090121755709.

Yellow Arrow (past and present) board, staff, interns, authors, residents, and instructors alike! Got a publication coming out? Let us help celebrate for you in Her View Friday.

Single-author publications: here.

Single pieces: here.

Please read the instructions on each form carefully; we look forward to congratulating you!

*****

Kapua Iao 5/24/22 Kapua Iao 5/24/22

Pivotal Moments: Yellow Arrow Journal (Vol. VII, No. 1) UpSpring

As Rebecca Pelky, guest editor of Yellow Arrow Journal Vol. VII, No. 1, UpSpring, made final decisions about the just released issue, she understood that an upspring for one person does not happen or resolve as it could or would for someone else. One moment in time more than likely means something different to everyone involved. This is why rather than focus on solely happy upsprings, the chosen pieces within the journal issue offer poignant, unique interpretations of what the theme means:

Some [pieces] focus on that thrilling moment of fruitfulness in which an upspring occurs, while others remind us that some upsprings happen only after or because of desperately difficult times. Any act of creation is necessarily tumultuous, so in these pages we celebrate while we also recognize and commiserate with all that birth and life and love entail, as only women can.

With this thought, we are thrilled to release UpSpring, the latest issue of Yellow Arrow Journal. We are privileged to share the voices within and on the cover. Thank you for supporting us and our authors and artists, and we hope you consider how your own pivotal moments, your own upsprings, reflect those explored within the journal.

The issue features Heather Brown Barrett, Sarah Helen Bates, Kamella Bird-Romero, Emma Bishop, Julia Burke, Zorina Exie Frey, Joyce Hayden, Raychelle Heath, Jericho M. Hockett, Whitney Hudak, Julia Hwang, Karen Kilcup, Merie Kirby, Ren Pike, Vanesha Pravin, Darah Schillinger, Kay Smith-Blum, Jillian Stacia, Liane St. Laurent, Jaime Warburton, Elyse Welles, Kory Wells, and Beth Winegarner. You can learn more about the beautiful cover art, “Spiritual Journey,” and how it reflects an upspring of our cover artist, April Graff, at yellowarrowpublishing.com/news/upspring-cover-reveal-spiritual-journey.

Rebecca was one of Yellow Arrow’s ANFRACTUOUS poets with her incredible piece “Nuhpuhk’hqash Qushki Qipit (Braids).” She holds a PhD from the University of Missouri, an MFA from Northern Michigan University, and is an Assistant Professor of Film Studies at Clarkson University. She is a member of the Brothertown Indian Nation of Wisconsin and a native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Through a Red Place, her second poetry collection and winner of the 2021 Perugia Press Prize, was released in September 2021. Her first book, Horizon of the Dog Woman, was published by Saint Julian Press in 2020.

Paperback and PDF versions are now available from the Yellow Arrow bookstore. Discounts are also available (here) if you would like to purchase copies for friends and family (minimum purchase of five). You can also search for Yellow Arrow Journal on any e-book device or anywhere you purchase books, including Amazon and most other distribution channels.

On June 28, please join Rebecca and our authors for the live and virtual “Moments in Time: An UpSpring Reading.” More information is forthcoming, but you can let us know that you plan on supporting contributors here.

We hope you enjoy reading UpSpring as much as we enjoyed creating it. Congratulations to Rebecca for all her hard work. Thank you to the Yellow Arrow team for their diligence and thoughtful comments during the editing process. Cover design is by Alexa Laharty; editing is by Isabelle Anderson, Angela Firman, Siobhan McKenna, Ann Quinn, Piper Sartison, and Rachel Vinyard. And thank you for your continued encouragement of Yellow Arrow Publishing and the women involved in UpSpring.

*****

Kapua Iao 5/18/22 Kapua Iao 5/18/22

Confessions of an Unschooled Poet: Learning that Some Rules are Meant to be Broken

By Amy L. Bernstein

I first composed a poem as an adult around 1986. I read it out loud to my boyfriend at the time, my whole body shaking. Sharing an original poem handwritten on a scrap of notepaper, after several hasty drafts, seemed like a subversive act. I had never felt more vulnerable or exposed than when reading those lines.

That poem did not survive and neither did the relationship. All I can recall (about the poem, not the guy) is that I used metaphors involving textiles to express something about the act of creative writing itself. I think the last line went something like, “In the end, the poem sews itself.”

After that little experiment, I did not write another poem until early in 2019—three decades on. I didn’t know how. I didn’t think I should. I didn’t feel qualified. I assumed I couldn’t simply barge into the world of poets and poetry and find a berth.

After all, as an English literature major in college, I had read tons of so-called classic fiction, from Shakespeare and Chaucer to Thackeray and Eliot. But I did not take a single poetry class (if you exclude Shakespeare) and I did not read poetry for pleasure.

Poetry struck me as an entirely separate branch of literature, off in its own corner, speaking to the cognoscenti. Either the cryptic lines yielded up their secret messages to you—invited you to decode their meaning—or they didn’t. Poetry had rules! So many rules! I knew how to write topic sentences and coherent paragraphs; I knew how to develop and support a thesis statement.

But poems snaked along the page like hieroglyphics, and I lacked the knowledge to decipher or unpack them. I didn’t know a sestina from a villanelle. I figured if I wasn’t willing to study the rules, then I couldn’t (and perhaps, shouldn’t) attempt any of the forms.

Which is not to say that I was totally immune to all of poetry’s seductive charms.

There were moments over the years when a poem (mainly from the traditional Eurocentric canon I was exposed to) briefly turned my head. “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg (I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness . . .). T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo.). Snippets of Walt Whitman (I sing the body electric—a great line in an otherwise not-so-great piece). Amiri Baraka’s chilling, incantatory “Somebody Blew Up America” (who WHO WHO . . .).

But I continued, for the most part, to hold poetry at arm’s length. I left the form to those who were perhaps more patient, more intuitive, or maybe just smarter, than I.

Then came 2019 and something shifted. Was the shift in me, as a writer finding my voice in different forms (playwrighting, novels, essays)? Was the shift occurring in the wider world, given rising levels of injustice, civil unrest, uncivil discourse? I believe it was both.

I sat down at my computer one day four years ago and recognized that a poem was the only form adequate to expressing what I needed to say, just then. I was in the grip of a mild depression, feeling raw—and feeling too much.

Paradoxically, poetry’s stringent economy of language is well suited to big emotions. Compression of form yields expansion of expression.

My subconscious must have understood that premise when I began writing poetry. I dove in because I wanted to, needed to. I cast aside self-conscious concerns about not knowing what I was doing. I wouldn’t let my lack of formal mastery get in the way of what I wanted to say.

First lines from a first poem:

Nothing is wrong with you / You are a glassine harbor on a windless day.

I wrote only free verse from then on (and still do), on the theory that I’m not equipped to compose in more formal forms. I still don’t know a sestina from a villanelle, but so what?

Now, I love making more with less; scraping words away until only the necessary ones remain; finding precisely the right metaphor to create both image and feeling. I love the look of a completed poem on the page, how the ragged lines and unpredictable line groupings keep your eyes moving and the rhythms flowing.

I love how a poem can’t be anything other than itself. Form follows function.

I’m still an uneducated poet. I don’t routinely read poetry, though I do listen to it on a semi-regular basis. I don’t expect I’ll ever grasp more about poetry as an art form than my own practice teaches me.

While others may fault me for my attitude, I’m okay with it. Writers should follow their muses, wherever they lead—or don’t lead.

The lesson I’ve learned from my late lurch into poetry, which I’d like to share with writers everywhere, is that you should always allow your creative heart to be your guide. There is no art form that is off-limits; no door that is closed to you; no club to which you may not belong as a writer, when it comes to the marriage of form and subject matter.

Even though I still hesitate to call myself a “poet,” I fully embrace the act of writing poetry. After all, the label is not what matters. In the end, it’s all about the work you create and share, in any form you dream up. Honor your calling, no matter what it’s called.

Amy L. Bernstein writes for the page, the stage, and forms in between. Her novels include The Potrero Complex, The Nighthawkers, Dreams of Song Times, and Fran, The Second Time Around. Amy’s poetry leans heavily on free-form prose poems that address psychological and political states of mind. Amy is an award-winning journalist, playwright, and certified nonfiction book coach.

Visit her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

*****

Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. Thank you for supporting independent publishing.

“On Being Watched by Birds” by Chris Biles

"No Say," "Bleeding Hearts," and "Chaos in the Cosmos" also by Chris Biles

"On Being Watched by Birds" and "Dead End” also by Chris Biles

"A House, Restored" by Heather Brown Barrett

Sydney Alexander

Currently dividing time between Ellicott City and Baltimore, both in Maryland

YA position: event planning & community engagement intern, May-Aug 2022

Where do you go to school? I am a rising sophomore at Middlebury College and am scheduled to graduate in May 2025. I graduated from River Hill High School in Howard County, Maryland, in June 2021.

Isabelle Anderson

Lives in Baltimore, Maryland

YA position: publications intern, January-May 2022

What did you do? As publications intern, I copyedited and proofread manuscripts of upcoming chapbooks, and created promotional material for many Yellow Arrow publications.

Where did you go to school? Washington College; I graduated in May.

What are you currently working on? This summer, I’m hoping to do a lot more reading and writing for fun as I look for jobs in publishing.

Veronica Salib

Lives in Rockville, Maryland

YA position: publishing intern, May-August 2022

What do you do? I am the publishing intern so I have a few different responsibilities. I create Canva graphics to promote journals and chapbooks. I also proofread different poems and assist in the creation of Her View Friday posts.

Where did you go to school? I went to undergrad at the University of Maryland in College Park and graduated in 2021. I also hope to return to school and receive a masters in publishing.

What are you currently working on? I currently also copyedit for an organization called Balance Now. I just began an editorial positon at Xtilligent Media and I am in the process of starting my graduate school applications.

Piper Sartison

Lives in Chestertown, Maryland

YA position: marketing intern, February-May 2022

What did you do? I was a marketing intern for Yellow Arrow. I created promotional images with Canva, scheduled and created social media posts, worked with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and proofread writing submissions.

Where do you go to school? I go to Washington College. I am a rising junior and I will graduate in the spring of 2024.

What are you currently working on? I write for the community and college newspaper of Chestertown (The Elm). I also do some writing on the side and hope to work with more organizations this summer.

“Our Calibre of Prayer” by Heather Brown Barrett from Virginia

"A Vulgar Mouth" and "Heavy Upheaval, I Am" also by Heather Brown Barrett

“Disappointed” by Sandra Kacher from Minnesota

“Dissolving” by Sandra Kacher from Minnesota

“Paul Bunyan Takes a Lover” and “Cassiopeia” by Jessica Gregg from Baltimore, Maryland

“The Cost of Miscarriage” (content warning: miscarriage) by Annie Marhefka from Baltimore, Maryland

“One Good Thing” by Claire Taylor from Baltimore, Maryland

“Cause and Effect,” “Love of Hate,” “just a body,” “No Say,” and “Bleeding Hearts” by Chris Biles from Washington, D.C.

“PTSD” by Chris Biles from Washington, D.C.

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