Yellow Arrow Publishing Blog

Kapua Iao 10/15/24 Kapua Iao 10/15/24

Why is Creative Nonfiction Important?

By Mel Silberger, written March 2024

Creative nonfiction is my favorite genre to write! I love the opportunity to write about moments in my life with a creative lens, allowing me to combine my outward experiences with my inward thought processes and feelings. At times, creative nonfiction serves as an outlet to discuss the topics I am most passionate about and the interactions they have brought me, whereas in others, I can write about the vulnerable and life-changing moments I have undergone.

Difference Between Fiction and Creative Nonfiction

First, it is important to establish the differences between fiction and creative nonfiction. Fiction can be described as a story about (possibly) pretend characters in a (possibly) pretend setting with a (possibly) pretend plot; there can be elements of truth, such as the setting being a real place or characters being real people, but it overall does not fully reflect experiences as they factually happened.

Creative nonfiction, on the other hand, is about real people in a real setting with a plot that really happened. When writing creative nonfiction, the author has the creative freedom to combine events that have happened with their thought processes and emotions in those moments, but they must adhere to the accurate retelling of events as truthfully as possible.

Purpose of Creative Nonfiction

The purpose of creative nonfiction is to convey a story’s facts and information in a fiction-like manner, entertaining the reader and allowing them to understand their author’s perspective. In other words, creative nonfiction lets the reader get a firsthand account of what the author was thinking throughout the experience or moment they are writing about. The author becomes a character themselves and takes their reader through the events that unfold.

When writing creative nonfiction, the author has the obligation to tell the events as accurately as they happened, but the creative freedom to retell them with attention to specific details or thought processes. Through their description of these events, the author’s voice is able to shine through for the reader to understand.

Creative nonfiction encapsulates countless forms of writing, such as journalism, memoirs, personal essays, and biographies.

Importance of Creative Nonfiction

On a personal level, creative nonfiction is important because it allows an author to write about themselves and the experiences they have gone through; for some, it could be a way to write about a simple day in the life, whereas for others, it can be an outlet to tell a greater, life-changing story and the effects it had. Writing creative nonfiction can also serve to reflect; it can be as easy as a brief journal entry detailing the events of the day, or as complicated as retelling ongoing moments or events experienced or observed.

Creative nonfiction is also incredibly important on a community level, as writers are able to use their lived experiences and perspectives to impact larger communities and groups worldwide. By combining true events with creative language, these authors can elevate one seemingly small moment about a certain topic into a story with a larger purpose and potential for advocacy or change. They can write vulnerable stories grounded in facts to convey how others worldwide may be going through something similar and express this in an engaging way.

Additionally, creative nonfiction allows the audience to be educated about a topic, idea, or concept they might otherwise know little about. Many creative nonfiction authors combine true, personal events with facts, giving them the power to share knowledge about a specific subject matter with their readers. For example, if an author is passionate about science, they can write a firsthand account of a moment in a laboratory or class and partner it with facts about their field.

Current Creative Nonfiction Reads

My favorite creative nonfiction read (so far) of 2024 is T Kira Madden’s Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir (2019), a coming-of-age story centered around identity and sexuality, specifically displayed through emotional experiences with family and fellow classmates. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments (2020) by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, a series of essays combining inspirational features of the natural world with personal experiences.

There is so much creative nonfiction I am eager to read throughout the remainder of this year! Recent recommendations I’ve received include Here After (2024), a memoir by Amy Lin describing love after loss and the processes of grief and memory, and Everything I Know About Love (2018), a memoir by Dolly Alderton about the stages of early adulthood, such as finding a job and falling in love.

I don’t think there’s ever been a creative nonfiction piece I disliked, and because of this, I would not say I have an all-time favorite creative nonfiction story; the more I read, the more I enjoy and appreciate each individual work I come across. My favorite piece recently is “Anatomy of a Lumpia Girl,” a beautiful, vulnerable, and uplifting story by Angelica Terso, which can be found in Yellow Arrow Journal’s ELEVATE issue (Vol. IX, No. 1) (you should totally go check it out!).

Closing Thoughts

Overall, creative nonfiction gives an author the outlet to tell their story, no matter how big/small, by discussing true events in a creative, authentic, and engaging way. These stories have the potential to impact both the author and a greater community by showing that a moment one person experiences can be felt and understood by many.

This is my favorite genre to write in because I love how I can retell certain moments in my life and connect them to other experiences, facts, and/or ideas. For example, I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about rock climbing (one of my biggest passions) and combined a moment of me physically on the rock wall with factual information about the activity and safety systems.

So, my question to you is what topic do you enjoy writing about? What are you passionate about? Are there specific experiences that center around some of your greatest passions, and/or explore meaningful, impactful moments in your life?

Amelia (Mel) Silberger is a recent graduate of Loyola University Maryland who received her degree in psychology and writing with a minor in political science. She is an aspiring creative nonfiction writer and editor who is originally from Long Island, New York. Mel has spent the past two summers living in Orlando, Florida, while participating in the Disney College Program. She has loved creating stories since she was six years old and hopes to continue to grow and build with other writers in the future.

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Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we AMPLIFY women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.

Kapua Iao 10/8/24 Kapua Iao 10/8/24

The value of reflection and moving forward: Ghosts Only I Can See by Julie Alden Cullinane

Yellow Arrow Publishing announces the release of our third chapbook of 2024, Ghosts Only I Can See by Julie Alden Cullinane. 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 Yellow Arrow Vignette, and by providing strong author support, writing workshops, and volunteering opportunities. We at Yellow Arrow are excited to continue our mission by supporting Cullinane in all her writing and publishing endeavors.

Ghosts Only I Can See by Julie Alden Cullinane peeks back in time to Cullinane’s younger self and the ghosts through time that until now, only she could see. It focuses not on literal ghosts, but the ghosts—the shells—of her former self. With this hauntingly woven collection of creative nonfiction and poetry, Cullinane shares these ghosts and the painful, powerful, and wonderful experiences that made her the woman she is today. Cullinane is a neurodivergent poet, author, and mom in Boston. After raising a family and working for many years as a young mom, she was able to return to her graduate studies later in life and earned her master’s in 2021. Under the guidance of many amazing and supportive female professors, Cullinane began submitting her work for publication.

Her latest work, Ghosts Only I Can See, wields Cullinane’s story to encourage readers to look into the past, present, and future of all women’s lives. Growing up with many resilient and strong women, Cullinane was an avid spectator of their lives, their passions, and their trauma as she found her own way through the world. As she got older and decided to grasp her ghosts even closer, Cullinane truly began to understand the tender weaving of women’s lives and their multitude of shared experiences—both of which often remain invisible today because of collective shame, individual shame, and the pressures of perfection in society. The desire to make visible the invisible underlies Ghosts Only I Can See.

Cover photography was by Cullinane and cover design and interior images by Alexa Laharty. Cullinane states, “The photos came out beautifully, capturing isolation and Americana vibes with an old western feel but also modern. I couldn’t be happier with the image I selected. Right down to the sunglasses. I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

Paperback and PDF versions of Ghosts Only I Can See 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 Ghosts Only I Can See wherever you purchase your books including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. To learn more about Cullinane and Ghosts Only I Can See, check out our recent interview with her.

You can find Cullinane online at julie.wildinkpages.com/poetry, on Instagram or Threads @HerLoudMind, and on Twitter or Blue Sky @AldenCullinane and connect with Yellow Arrow on Facebook and Instagram, to share some love for this chapbook. You can also share a review to any of the major distributors or by emailing editor@yellowarrowpublishing.com. We’d love to hear from you.

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Kapua Iao 10/4/24 Kapua Iao 10/4/24

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., as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews

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: Yuemin He

Tell us about yourself: I have published on East Asian literature and visual art, Asian American literature, Buddhist American literature, composition pedagogy, and translational studies. My poems and poetry translations have appeared in more than 30 literary magazines, journals, and anthologies, including The Cincinnati Review, The Massachusetts Review, the Oxford Anthology of Modern and Contemporary American Poetry (2nd ed.), and Yellow Arrow Journal. In October 2024, my book of poetry translations, I’ve Seen the Yellow Crane: Selected Poems of Zhang Zhihao, will be released by Foreign Languages Press in Beijing, China. Currently, I am an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College.

Where are you from: Chengdu, China

What describes your main writing space: challenging, enabling, and fulfilling

Tell us about your publication: I’ve Seen the Yellow Crane: Selected Poems of Zhang Zhihao features 183 poems, selected mainly from the award-winning poetry collection, Wild Flowers on the Plateau, and the new poetry collection, The Everlasting Pot, both by contemporary Chinese poet Zhang Zhihao. I’ve Seen the Yellow Crane showcases the poet’s remarkable ability to stay close with daily life. It unravels the subtlest meanings from trivial happenings in the streets and alleys and the natural world, and then conveys them in an extraordinary poetic language. It transforms quotidian realities into poetic subject matter, vivid images, and highly relatable feelings. Ultimately, it offers the readers a vicarious experience of sizzling youth along the Yangtze River and the wide Jiang Han Plain, capacious understanding of the multitudes, and subtle critique of the social and human foibles. This book marks the first book-length English-language translation of Zhang’s poetry, providing access to the writings of a major contemporary Chinese poet.

Why this book? Why now? How did it happen for you: I had translated classic Chinese poetry, such as The Book of Songs and a Cao Zhi poem, and published my translations in Metamorphoses, Ezra, and Rattle Poetry. During the pandemic I decided to translate poetry that was more relevant to our daily life. I translated nearly a score of modern and contemporary poets, Chinese and American (such as Louise Glück, Lydia Child, Sonia Greenfield, Maisie Williams, Hai Zi, Zhang Zhihao, and Chi Li). Eventually I decided to focus on Chinese to English translation because of my excellent Chinese language background and years of formal English education and teaching experiences. I first translated Zhang’s pandemic poems and after the pandemic I moved onto his broader subjects. Translators are restricted by the need to get the original author’s permission to translate and publish their work. For instance, my friend and I did a unique translation of Hai Zi’s poem “Facing the Sea,” but because of the lack of authorization, we could not get it published. I was lucky that I like Zhang’s writing style, and I did get his permission. So far I have written two academic articles on Zhang’s poetry and published more than 30 poem translations in literary magazines in this country, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. I have always been reading, writing, and translating but now I am more focused.

What advice do you have for other writers: I started with a novel, which was never published, and it took me four years. I am leaning toward writing shorter pieces. I also only write what I like to write and translate what I like to translate. I have always entwined my teaching, creative activities, and academic research into one big strand; this means opportunities are there one way or another. In the past month, I have written several songs and AI-ed them into recordings. Very fun. They can be found on my Twitter @HebeR32123. I just keep doing what I like, which is writing.

What else are you working on/doing that you’d like to share: Gardening, cooking, walking, reminiscing my dog that passed away earlier this year, reviewing academic articles for two journals, being an editor for our college’s magazine, and volunteering at MLA as an indexer.

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 as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews: here.

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

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Kapua Iao 10/1/24 Kapua Iao 10/1/24

Meet a Staff Member: Amelia (Mel) Silberger

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to (re)introduce Amelia (Mel) Silberger, our spring 2024 publications intern turned reader. Mel is a recent graduate of Loyola University Maryland who received her degree in psychology and writing with a minor in political science. She is an aspiring creative nonfiction writer and editor who is originally from Long Island, New York. Mel has spent the past two summers living in Orlando, Florida, while participating in the Disney College Program. She has loved creating stories since she was six years old and hopes to continue to grow and build with other writers in the future.

Mel says, “I’m looking forward to reading more of the amazing poems and creative nonfiction pieces submitted by talented writers throughout the world, and amplifying their voices through our chapbooks, journals, and vignettes. I am also eager to continue working alongside a brilliant group of women-identifying creatives whose passion for building each other up is unlike any other.”

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I was raised on Long Island, New York, but spent the past four years living in Baltimore, Maryland, while studying at Loyola University Maryland. While at Loyola, I served as the marketing intern for the Kennedy Krieger Institute before joining Yellow Arrow as a publications intern. I recently graduated with a degree in psychology and writing and am planning to work for the next year before applying to graduate schools. I love rock climbing, watching hockey, squishmallows, and all things Disney.

What do you love most about Long Island?

My favorite part about Long Island has to either be the food (who doesn’t love New York pizza and bagels!?) or the proximity to so many destinations. I love that I can take a short ride to the beach or a train into New York City and find so much to do in between. Most importantly, most of my extended family lives on Long Island and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities to see them after four years of being away.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow?

I got involved with Yellow Arrow during my senior year of college after meeting with my writing professor about potential internship placements that aligned with my goals. She immediately suggested applying to the Yellow Arrow team and after reading the Yellow Arrow mission, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. I was the publications intern for spring 2024 and now I am a reader for the selection process of our chapbooks and journals. I originally wanted to join Yellow Arrow because I loved the idea of being able to empower and elevate the voices of other women-identifying creatives, and it has been amazing to do that and more!

What are you working on currently?

Since graduation, most of my time has been spent visiting family and traveling. I have been building my writing portfolio along with my website (to be published soon!) and looking into graduate school programs for next year.

What genre do you write or read the most?

Creative nonfiction! I love highlighting what may seem like simple moments by telling them in a creative way. I also appreciate the opportunity to share my lived experiences with others so we can elevate and advocate for each other.

What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?

On Beauty by Zadie Smith was recently recommended to me, and I’m eager to give it a try! I am also looking forward to reading Tramaine Suubi’s Phases, which will be published in January 2025.

Who is your favorite writer and why?

I don’t have a favorite writer—it’s constantly changing! No stories have ever sat with me as heavy as those of Ken Liu though, and I highly recommend reading his short story collection titled The Paper Menagerie.

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

My writing professors at Loyola have inspired me most throughout my writing journey, and I am confident I would not be the person nor writer I am today without their feedback and encouragement. I am also forever inspired by my three younger siblings and the people they have grown to be, as many of my pieces center around our relationship and shared childhood.

My biggest supporters are my partner, Logan, and friend, Sophia. From bouncing story ideas off one another to editing every piece of punctuation, they are unwaveringly present in helping my writing journey in any way that I need.

What do you love most about writing?

My favorite part about writing is the connection it builds with those around me, especially those who I might not know otherwise. Whether it be relating to similar experiences or learning something new, I appreciate the opportunity to share pieces of myself and my story with others and hearing theirs in return. It’s a truly special way to connect.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Don’t stare at the page and wait for the “perfect” poem or story—if you do that, the idea will likely never come. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is write all your thoughts down on a page, no matter how long it may be, and come back later to edit them to fit the story you want to tell. Don’t worry about getting it right on the first try—you’re not supposed to.

What’s the most important thing you always keep near where you work?

My Rubik’s cube! It is a great fidget for when I’m feeling restless and allows me to take quick mental breaks if I need to. Aside from that, I always bring a journal or notebook to write down any general thoughts that may distract me from my task at hand.

What’s your vision for Yellow Arrow in 2024?

I envision Yellow Arrow continuing to amplify the diverse voices of women-identifying creatives all over the world. I’d also love to gain more awareness about our team and what we do and reach more writers throughout each submission period. I can’t wait to see how Yellow Arrow grows this year and beyond, and I am so grateful to be a part of it!

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Kapua Iao 9/27/24 Kapua Iao 9/27/24

Her View Friday

Part of our mission in supporting and uplifting women-identifying creatives 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., as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews

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

“Intercession: ER Waiting Room” by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

Genre: poetry

Name of publication: Mom Egg Review for MER: Motherhood Literature & Art

Date Released: September 10, 2024

Type of publication: online

hmerliterary.com/2024/09/10/nancy-huggett-intercession-er-waiting-room-poetry

Connect with Nancy on Twitter @nancyhuggett, Instagram @nanhug, Bluesky @nancyhuggett.bsky.social, and Facebook @nancy.huggett.35.

EXHIBITIONS

Four Poems by Laura Rockhold from Minneapolis, Minnesota

Where you can find the poems: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Date on display: September 2024- October 2025

Project locations & poems displayed:

Minnesota Landscapes in Terminal 1 at Gate F10): “LICHEN BLOOMS” and “TAKING HANDS”

Minnesota Waters in Terminal 1 at Gate E8: “CONFLUENCE” and “BDE MAKA SKA (LAKE WHITE EARTH)”

“LICHEN BLOOMS” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal PEREGRINE, Vol. VII, No. 2, Fall 2022. Besides in person at the airport, you can also find the exhibits and the poems (including audio recordings) online at laurarockhold.com/exhibits. Learn more about Laura on Instagram @laurarockhold_.

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 as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews: here.

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

*****

Kapua Iao 9/24/24 Kapua Iao 9/24/24

Finding a Writing Community

By Sarah Josephine Pennington, written April 2024

I’d never given much thought to finding a community of writers when I was younger. In middle and high school, I always had friends who wrote. We’d share work back and forth, emailing or instant messaging poems and stories while conversation flowed over MSN Messenger, or we’d pass handwritten work folded into tight rectangles during class. When I left home for college, I lucked into a vibrant university writing community, falling into easy camaraderie with students in the workshops I took, sharing work freely at open mics and in the campus literary magazine. Everywhere I looked, other folks were just as in love with words as I was, and writing as a community was a given.

After I left those workshops, though, that sense of community was slowly lost. All those beautiful writers still wrote or wanted to write. Some of those friends went on to publish (and what wonderful things they published!), while others wrote for their own enjoyment. When I’d see members of those former writing communities, we’d talk about projects we were dreaming up, but somewhere along the way that life of words became harder and harder for me to maintain. Once my course work was done, I worked two jobs while still plugging away at graduate school and in the few hours I had left, I couldn’t make myself pick up my pen to create. Instead of enjoying the creative ideas I’d once turned into poems, I felt plagued by them during those times when my hours were so confined, and eventually writing became more of an idle thought, something I wanted to do but something that I always put on the back burner.

Eventually, the pace of my life slowed, and I was able to start writing again. I recommitted to writing, spending hours in my favorite coffee shop polishing old work and crafting new worlds. My writing expanded, and I moved from only writing poetry to moonlighting as someone who wrote fiction and memoir. I felt a pull and tug in my soul between genres and tried my best to spend time with them all, watching my poems grow and swell, sometimes into prose forms and sometimes blazing paths into new shapes. I conjured characters, giving them names, and watching their paths across the page, holding my breath to see what they do next.

As much as I loved being back in the world of writing, though, something felt off. Writing needs community. It’s a common enough refrain, repeated in every workshop, but without the structure of a degree program, I felt adrift.

How do you find a writing community outside of academia?

Louisville is blessed with a thriving public library system, and one branch hosts a rotating cast of artists-in-residence. About the time I was getting my writing feet wet again, the library was offering a free series of workshops from a local author. I convinced a friend to accompany me, and we set off, not realizing those meetings would be the start of a new community. Inspired and armed with generous resources, I began sending out work for the first time in nearly a decade. I soon had my first acceptance, an enthusiastic response from a journal I’d long loved. In true writing fashion, that first acceptance was followed by innumerable rejections, all of which made the publications I managed even more sweet. Even with that success, I was still left with a desire to find more community—I wanted folks just as committed to writing with whom I could share my wins and losses, and bond over theirs.

While there are some open writing groups in my city, either the topics felt off or their meeting times didn’t work. I was also afraid. Even though I was sending some work out, I was petrified of showing my work to anyone. I felt rusty and dusty, and while I thought I was doing good work, I wasn’t yet ready to share it in person. Getting a rejection sent to my email felt safer than listening to supportive comments in person. I just wasn’t ready.

Unable to find a purely generative space, I met with a nonprofit in my neighborhood that runs a local used bookstore and pitched the idea of a monthly generative meeting that would be open to writers of all levels and genres. I’d been volunteering off and on since they opened, and I was thrilled when they agreed to help with my group. Together we came up with a rough structure—a queer affirming space, open to all, and catered to those in our neighborhood. I would host the group, creating monthly prompts and providing time for socializing so that the members could meet other local writers without the pressure of sharing work with strangers. The nonprofit would share meetings on their social media accounts, and their volunteer manager kindly agreed to make fliers. The first Writer’s Gathering drew more than a dozen attendees, all hungry for community. A year later, the group is still strong with a core group of dedicated community members. In fact, the group has solidified enough that we’re expanding to have a separate workshopping circle in the coming months for folks interested in sharing work.

Since that first meeting, I’ve also been lucky to find community with an assortment of other folks, including people I’ve met through in-person and online workshops, some of whom have served as generous readers. Earlier this year, I signed up for The Stafford Challenge, a year-long commitment to write a poem a day, named after the prolific writer William Stafford, who maintained a daily practice of writing and journaling. While I’ve failed at writing a daily poem, having other writers to share work with has kept me writing more than I otherwise would have—and my randomly assigned small group includes some of the most enthusiastic writers I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Our biweekly zoom sessions keep me accountable, ensuring I have dedicated time to write and pushes me to share. I’ve also found community in online workshops and social media groups. While my writing life looks different than it did in college, the communities are no less rich, providing wonderful support, encouragement, and camaraderie.

Tips on finding writing communities:

Check with your local library. Many libraries host dedicated times for writers to gather, and if yours does not, staff may be open to starting one.
Go to pen mic nights. Many coffee shops and other small businesses host occasional or regular nights to share work, and these are wonderful ways to find other writers! Even if you’re nervous about sharing, showing up and meeting others costs nothing. You might luck into someone who has a group open for membership or find someone you can write with.
Seek out local, open book clubs. Many libraries, bookstores, and community organizations host book clubs with open (anyone can join) memberships. Any place literature is loved is a potential space to connect to other writers.
Attend online workshops. Many small presses like Yellow Arrow Publishing host online programming, like workshops and virtual retreats, and these can be great places to meet other writers with similar interests.
Join The Stafford Challenge in January. Having a commitment to write can be so helpful. Programming for 2024 has included social media groups, voluntary small writing and workshop groups, and monthly presentations by prominent poets.
Start your own community! If you have a large circle that includes a lot of writers, it’s possible to find other people with your shared passions. If you don’t know enough folks personally to form a consistent group, reach out to places in your community where people gather and with good social media presences. Many coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, and community groups allow the community to schedule events, and some will even do the advertising for you.

Remember:

Be brave and vulnerable. It’s hard to face possible rejection, but there’s everything to gain by staying in contact with folks you’ve met in other writing spaces. Ask friendly folks you meet for their social media handles or email addresses. The only way to find a writing community is by being brave enough to seek one out. Not everyone you meet will be part of your writing journey, but you won’t know until you take those first steps.
Don’t take things personally if your favorite writing community goes quiet. Everyone has busy lives, and sometimes folks with the best of intentions fail to stay in contact. It’s natural for communication to wax and wane. Having multiple outlets for writing in the community can be helpful.

Sarah Josephine Pennington (she/her) is a queer writer and artist from Louisville, Kentucky, by way of Appalachia. Her writing has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Still: The Journal, The Anthology of Appalachian Writers, and riddlebird, and has been supported through a residency from the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Her art can be found on Instagram @SarahJosephineCreates.

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Kapua Iao 9/17/24 Kapua Iao 9/17/24

A Review of The Safety of Small Things by Jane Hicks

By Kellie D. Brown, written April 2024

“Open to air and sky, one feels none other / than small, a particle, a part, a leaf, a blade of a great whole”

In a world that seems to value bigger and grander, The Safety of Small Things, the third collection by award-winning Appalachian poet Jane Hicks, offers a counterpoint that speaks to the beauty and the necessity of the small and quotidian—“scraps, pieces, remnants of / a saving life” that help us inhabit the present and renegotiate with the past.

In Blood & Bone Remember (2008), Jane examined the generations who impacted her and the Appalachian region through their quilts, biscuits, music, coal mines, and sacrifice. In Driving with the Dead (2014), she beckoned readers to her beloved Appalachia to celebrate its tenacity and grace, and also to lament the suffering of its land and people. And now, Jane provides us with 51 poems that revisit the delights and trials of the distant past, and tackle her more recent journey of breast cancer, from the diagnostic phase to treatment and its aftermath. Throughout the collection, Jane traverses the complications of family and our own mortality, all the while reminding us to look to the natural world, where we can find strength and refugia. She is uniquely attuned to nature and how it can create a conduit for the voices of spirits from bygone eras—“I hear them speak in leaf-language.”

To those familiar with her, Jane is the “cosmic possum,” a term she coined in a 1998 poem (“How We Became Cosmic Possums”) that symbolizes the liminal space of her generation of educated folks, newly emerged from their mountain communities, who were often misunderstood and forced to bear the brunt of hillbilly jokes. “First generation out of the holler / . . . Neither feedsack nor cashmere / . . . Caught between Country Club and 4-H.” But rather than a limiter, Jane considers her experience of inhabiting both these worlds as an advantage, and she never apologizes for braiding the old mountain ways into modern life.

The bridge Jane uses to cross seamlessly from past to present and ridge to burg is her lifelong love affair with words, her “companions and confidantes.” In the epigraph to this collection, Jane quotes William Butler Yeats—“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” And indeed, this poetry collection issues a call to open our eyes, to perk up our ears, to let tingles run up our arms. She is particularly skilled in curating word sounds that luxuriate in melody and cadence—“rain-glazed,” “rusted reprimand,” “sun-dappled drowsy.” Our senses grow heightened to hear “the skitter of leaf-fall” and the “whir of hummingbird wing,” to feel the “sharp and flinty cold” and the “dew-wet meadow,” and to glimpse “dogwoods rusted at woods’ edge” and “the bob of flower heads as bees lift away.”

Alongside her depictions of nature’s simple extravagance, Jane refuses to shy away from the vulnerability of sickness and loss. In “Agent of Providence” and “The Unseen,” she revisits the extended illness of her mother whose “IV tubes arc out and glitter” in places where “hallways stir with the clatter of carts.” In “Spotlight,” she offers up her own diagnosis weighted by a “gel-sodden towel” after a damning ultrasound. She reminds us that we don’t emerge from the traumatic unscathed. Even as we become whole, “an undertow that lurks beneath/predictable waves” can still sweep us under.

She also pulls back the curtain of a painful childhood. A photograph from her fourth birthday in 1956 already reveals a wearier and more worldly wise girl than her age should bear (12–13). She has already learned the difficult lessons that “the dark shows truth” and that “hate hides / its face in unexpected places.” In school, she rehearses the duck and cover exercises of her Cold War youth, as she realizes that not all daddies are like her father, that some “hugged and kissed children, / helped with homework” and “that a daddy / most often was a good thing / and I learned to be sad.”

In addition to telling us what she has learned, Jane draws on her life’s work as a teacher to make this collection a series of lessons for the reader. She instructs us about the science of solar eclipses (“Safe Route”) and constellations (“Night Music”), and the theories of Galileo and Einstein (“Shine”). More importantly, she speaks about a point “where science and soul meet.” She describes a radiation treatment that coincides with the “moon-bitten sun” of a solar eclipse, and how she stands outside with staff and other patients to watch “the sunbeam crescent shadows.” In “Ode on an Onion,” her connection with the soul of science revisits the ridge of her childhood through her beloved granny who knew the secrets of an onion with its “layer by layer” and “golden skin”—a “poultice for a rattling chest” and fried with potatoes it “staved off hunger.” The onion—ordinary and yet “a miracle.”

As with the onion, Jane examines commonplace household items—twine, hoe, fabric, beeswax; and the ordinary of nature—leaf, deer, moon, moss, feather. She writes about artifacts from the women in her family that she cherishes and continues to use. She longs “to touch things my women touched” (Kept Things), even as she acknowledges the blessed release from materiality that comes with death—her grandmother’s objects became “things she no longer need carry.” These words about the paradox of seemingly unremarkable items of daily life resonate with those of the American writer and naturalist Henry Beston, who chronicled a year on his farm Maine in the 1930s. “When this twentieth century of ours became obsessed with a passion for mere size, what was lost sight of was the ancient wisdom that the emotions have their own standards of judgment and their own sense of scale. In the emotional world a small thing can touch the heart and the imagination every bit as much as something impressively gigantic.”

This act of elevating the small things often appears in her poems as dancing, both literal and metaphorical. In “Night Music,” Jane describes the thrill of being a hippie during the counterrevolution, when the soundtrack of Hendrix and Joplin and the exhilaration of dancing “sent us into crip autumn / sweat-soaked, long hair damp curtains” then inevitably grew tempered by “classmates called / to war.” Recalling a visit to her mother’s grave, “Dancing in the Stars” records a tribute as she “jitterbugged to the car” without “caring what an observer would think.” Then laden with chemotherapy’s needles, bruises, hair loss, and brain fog, the poet finds herself partnered in a “Dance with the Red Devil” that would ultimately be a “Dance for my life.”

“What is the importance of poetry in our world today?” To this question in a 2023 interview, Jane responded, “I always think of poetry as a shared experience. If the reader can say, ‘Hey, I feel that way, too!’ or ‘I never thought of it that way,’ life can be less complicated or frightening.” Perhaps this is truly the message of The Safety of Small Things, that our human journey, with its inherent triumphs and tribulations, can be easier if we open our eyes and hearts to the extravagant beauty of the ordinary and to each other. While we desire “a mirror that does not change / . . . a sunset that does / not bleed into the bruise of night,” Hicks helps us confront the inevitable evolution that brings illness and aging and loss, and she does so without grimness. Foregoing even a hint of the maudlin, she provides a hopeful lifeline to readers—“let go the hornets of worry, bathe in the stream of life.” “Expect gifts. / Shine!”

You can find The Safety of Small Things (2024) by Jane Hicks from the University of Kentucky Press at kentuckypress.com/9781950564378/the-safety-of-small-things.

Dr. Kellie D. Brown is a violinist, conductor, music educator, poet, and award-winning writer whose book, The Sound of Hope: Music as Solace, Resistance and Salvation during the Holocaust and World War II (McFarland Publishing, 2020), received one of the Choice Outstanding Academic Titles awards. Her words have appeared in Earth & Altar, Ekstasis, Psaltery & Lyre, Still, The Primer, Writerly, and others. More information about her and her writing can be found at kelliedbrown.com.

*****

Kapua Iao 9/10/24 Kapua Iao 9/10/24

Specters of Ourselves: A Conversation with Julie Alden Cullinane, author of Ghosts Only I Can See

My hands have deep scars, they are the map keepers

The wolf will be here soon

I will meet you at the bottom of the sky

“Almost Alive”

Julie Alden Cullinane is not one to shy away from the complex and chaotic aspects of life. In fact, she readily writes about all manner of topics, from the mucky to the moving. Cullinane is a neurodivergent poet, author, and mom in Boston whose work is a must read for those who appreciate an honest voice that aptly balances the humorous, the serious, and all the circadian in-betweens of the female experience. Cullinane’s debut hybrid chapbook Ghosts Only I Can See will be published by Yellow Arrow Publishing in October 2024. Today, we are excited to introduce Cullinane along with the provocative cover of Ghosts Only I Can See. Reserve your copy at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/ghosts-only-i-can-see-paperback and make sure to leave some love for Cullinane here or on social media.

Ghosts Only I Can See peeks back in time to Cullinane’s younger self and the ghosts through time that until now, only she could see. It focuses not on literal ghosts, but the ghosts—the shells—of her former self. With this hauntingly woven collection of creative nonfiction and poetry, Cullinane shares these ghosts and the painful, powerful, and wonderful experiences that made her the woman she is today. After raising a family and working for many years as a young mom, she was able to return to her graduate studies later in life and earned her master’s in 2021. Under the guidance of many amazing and supportive female professors, Cullinane began submitting her work for publication.

Her latest work, Ghosts Only I Can See, wields Cullinane’s story to encourage readers to look into the past, present, and future of all women’s lives. Growing up with many resilient and strong women, Cullinane was an avid spectator of their lives, their passions, and their trauma as she found her own way through the world. As she grew older and decided to grasp her ghosts even closer, Cullinane truly began to understand the tender weaving of women’s lives and their multitude of shared experiences—both of which often remain invisible today because of collective shame, individual shame, and the pressures of perfection.

The desire to make visible the invisible underlies Ghosts Only I Can See, combining reflection on the universal and intimate experiences of womanhood with the wisdom that comes from confronting and embracing the specters of self: past, present, and future. Melissa Nunez, Yellow Arrow interviewer, and Cullinane engaged in conversation over Zoom where they discussed the creative inspirations behind this collection and embracing the messiness that comes with being human.

Can you share some women-identified writers who inspire you?

Anne Enright is probably my favorite writer. She writes in French, and her translations are always beautiful, lending the language more artistry. Sylvia Plath is my favorite poet. Those two are the big ones for me. For modern writers, Maggie Smith is a huge inspiration. I’ve read her past three books. Her hybrid book, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, was a great inspiration for my chapbook. Her poetry and short stories, especially after her divorce, have been very influential.

How did you connect with Yellow Arrow? What made you decide to submit your chapbook?

I first came across Yellow Arrow in grad school. One of our assignments was to seek out publishers who would be a good fit for our chapbooks. I read Yellow Arrow’s intro about women-identified writers and how important their stories are, and it felt like the perfect place for my work. I felt strongly about sending it there because my book is so female-centric. It felt like kismet.

Can you talk a little bit about the process of cover design and what vibe you are going for?

I have been thinking about the cover of this book since the moment I found out it was going to be published. I have fantasized for almost a year. As a writer and visual artist, the cover meant as much to me as the words, and I wanted it to be something symbolic but also artistic. I found it fascinating that the graphic designer [and Yellow Arrow creative director] Alexa [Laharty] is in Berlin. It gave me a cool international feel, this woman being out there in the world with my pages thinking about it with an artistic sense. I went to college originally for fine art and hoped I hadn’t lost my touch because I haven’t painted in so long. I also love photography. The original idea that I sent to Alexa was very rock ‘n’ roll. I pictured this uber-cool woman sitting on a toilet seat smoking a cigarette with expensive sunglasses on.

Some main themes in this book are visualized by toilets, women in the bathroom, reminiscent of all the fluids that come about in being a woman, then connecting to themes of water, birth, and death. I took photos with a sheet over my head as a ghost, playing with how to portray these ghosts throughout my life. My niece is three years old, and she looks just like me. I was playing with the idea of maybe taking pictures of her, taking pictures of me, melding them together with the faces blurred out, it just wasn’t happening. Surprisingly, it was my husband who suggested taking pictures in our barn, which looks very rural America. I know ghosts can be cliché, so I wanted the idea of ghosts to not be too Halloween. I also wanted to make sure the American flag made its way into the photo because this book is very much about being an American woman. The photos came out beautifully, capturing isolation and Americana vibes with an old western feel but also modern. I couldn’t be happier with the image I selected. Right down to the sunglasses. I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.

I love the hybrid nature of this chapbook. Can you talk about your decision to write in both genres, poetry and prose?

My first writing was poetry. I started writing poems when I was 7–8 years old and was also a big journal writer. I encourage young writers to journal. I have four fiction novels I have been working on that are almost finished. But this chapbook came together more easily and quickly than anything else, partly because I was finishing graduate school when I wrote it. It started as my thesis, but it ended up turning into something else. Many of my assignments shaped into this chapbook without me realizing it. One of my professors encouraged me to submit it to indie presses. When I put the collection together, I realized there was a theme. I didn’t realize how much I had written about my childhood until I put it together. I’ve been rushing through life trying to get through school, trying to get all my work done and taking care of my family. It has been a goal of mine to write a book since I was old enough to think, so it just felt like the culmination of all my studies, graduate school, being an adult. It just really kind of created itself and it felt like closing out that chapter in my life.

I put the rest of the pearls into a velvet bag and put them in my underwear drawer where no one will find them. I keep them safe to dispose of at will, when I can’t breathe under the weight of my ancestors. When I need to slay ghosts.

“Beheading Pearls”

Can you talk about the title, Ghosts Only I Can See? I love the mystery and the nod to mental health awareness. How important is that theme for your writing?

I wanted the title to be about women throughout their life stages. I played with the idea of ghosts and mental health. A woman turns into so many different people in her life. When I look back at my teenage self, it feels like another whole person. It’s almost like a birth and a death as we grow and change. I really wanted the title to speak to this concept. The title reflects the ghosts of your past selves.

You mentioned planning the cover design in relation to the messiness of femininity. I love how you embrace the messiness of humanity and femininity, both emotionally and physically in your writing. Can you expand on the necessity of this kind of honesty?

I grew up with five women, all my sisters are like nine months apart, and we went through school and puberty—just everything together. I remember reading books about women very young (Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, for example) and realizing I wasn’t the only one thinking certain things. I wanted to tell stories that people think are too much or too raw. I had the story “Red Line” published in Underscore_Magazine and received many supportive emails from women. It may seem gross or disgusting to some, but it’s important to take off the masks and show the messiness of being a woman. People expect so much, and not everyone realizes what’s going on in a woman’s mind and body at any given moment. It’s so hard to hold it all together. The more I can get those stories out and have people read them, the more I can inspire other writers to do so as well.

Do you have any self-care rituals, personally or as a writer?

I’m much better at self-care now than in my 20s and 30s. Therapy saved my life. I regularly get massages because I have high anxiety and ADHD. I like to walk and enjoy alone time. My family knows not to disturb me when I need to read or write. My doctor prescribed me a dog 10 years ago, and he’s helped me with emotional regulation. He brings my body back to center and is part of my self-care ritual. It’s my favorite thing to read a great new novel, drink coffee, and sit with the dog on a Sunday morning.

I really like the way you included “How to Feel a Poem” at the end of your collection. What led you to write this piece and why did you put it where you did?

I struggled with putting this poem last because I love it so much. I think it’s one of my favorites, but it didn’t get any love. I tried to publish this poem. I sent it everywhere. I gave it to one of my graduate instructors who had a lukewarm reception to it. So, I wasn’t sure, but I really felt strongly about ending it with that. It’s inspired by writing things on my bedroom wall in high school with colored sharpies. I would hear a line of poetry at school or in something I was reading and I would go home and put that line on my wall. It looked like horrible graffiti all over my bedroom. Technically this is a poem, but it started out as an instruction manual, that’s how I framed it in my mind at first. It’s very much about the words but more so the actions within it. I visualized being in my childhood bedroom, hiding under the sheets, and hearing Bruce Springsteen for the first time. To me, those are all actions of poetry. Poetry is not just the study of elevated language; it’s finding beauty in the world and putting it onto the page.

His words are like hands that reach down my throat and hold my lungs in a fist. Sound is touching all the yuck that cannot be spoken that I have stored in my belly.

“How to Feel a Poem: Instructions”

Do you have any advice for fellow women writers?

As I mentioned earlier, I recommend for everyone to journal, and journal honestly. I’ve been blessed with a supportive writer’s group formed with some of my fellow graduate students who still meet to this day. I am grateful for their support. Share your work with friends and send it out. The worst they can do is say no. But writing is cathartic and personal. Write for you. I write every day and keep notes on napkins and receipts. I compile them into poems or stories. Don’t be afraid to write things down and share them.

Do you have any new projects in the works that you'd like to share with our readers?

Yes, I’m writing a novel titled The Price of Land. It’s my first fiction piece, set in the future, and very different from anything I’ve written to date. While my chapbook deals with feminist politics, this novel deals with the politics of economy. It takes place in 2060 and deals with the rising cost of land and how Americans navigate and survive that world. I’m looking for an agent and hope to finish it soon. It’s been a long-time goal to write and publish a novel.

You can order your copy of Ghosts Only I Can See from Yellow Arrow Publishing at yellowarrowpublishing.com/store/ghosts-only-i-can-see-paperback and find out more about Cullinane and follow her publication news at julie.wildinkpages.com/poetry or on Instagram or Threads @HerLoudMind and Twitter of BlueSky @AldenCullinane. Ghosts Only I Can See will be released in October 2024.

Julie Alden Cullinane is a neurodivergent poet, author, and mom in Boston. Her first publication was a poem in The Boston Globe at age eight; she has been writing ever since. After raising a family and working for many years as a young mom, she was able to return to her graduate studies later in life and earned her master’s in 2021. Under the guidance of many amazing and supportive female professors, she began submitting her work for publication. She has published poems and short stories in 20+ literary magazines since 2020. She works in academia full time when she is not writing. Julie’s focus of writing is often on the untold seasons and shades of a woman’s life. She loves to highlight the dichotomy of the modern pressures on women and mothers, between having a successful career and an expected perfect domestic life. When she is not writing she enjoys long naps on the couch with her beloved dog. She is currently knee-deep in a midlife crisis. It takes up all her time. She will definitely be writing about it.

Melissa Nunez makes her home in the Rio Grande Valley region of south Texas, where she enjoys exploring and photographing the local wild with her homeschooling family. She writes an anime column at The Daily Drunk Mag and is a prose reader for Moss Puppy Mag. She is also a staff writer for Alebrijes Review and an interviewer for Yellow Arrow Publishing. You can find her work on her website melissaknunez.com and follow her on Twitter @MelissaKNunez.

*****

Kapua Iao 9/3/24 Kapua Iao 9/3/24

Meet a Board Member: Barbara Frey

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce Barbara Frey, new director of fundraising (co-chair with Nikita Rimal Sharma). Barbara wears two hats. She is an event design specialist, most recently providing decorations for the June 20, 2024, Friends of Yellow Arrow gathering, and she is an online learning consultant, drawing on more than two decades of experience with Connections Academy, Baltimore City Schools, and beyond. Her articles have been published in educational journals and magazines.

Tell us a little something about yourself:

I live in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore city with my husband and miniature poodle, Lillet. I love spending time with my seven grandchildren. I belong to two book clubs and an art seminar group. My husband and I love to travel and learn the culture, art, and history of the countries we visit.

What do you love most about Baltimore?

Growing up in New York, it did take me a few years to appreciate the charm of Baltimore. I grew to love the quirky neighborhoods and the diversity of Baltimore. Although a small city, Baltimore has a lot to offer. As an art and music lover I appreciate the many museums, galleries, local theatres, and music venues especially the Baltimore Symphony.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow?

I got involved with Yellow Arrow when I was asked by [board president] Mickey Revenaugh, who I worked closely with for many years at Connections Academy, to join the board.

What are you working on currently?

Currently I am working on two projects that reflect my dual interests. I am spearheading a redesign of the public areas of the condominium building where I live that was designed by Frank Gehry in 1975. My other project is researching and collecting photos and stories of my family’s heritage.

What genre do you write or read the most?

I enjoy reading historical fiction and short stories. I am always interested in all the research that goes into writing historical fiction that makes real places culturally recognizable. Short stories have always fascinated me as they have a short time to tell their story. Short stories have to be discreet and deliberate, often bridging a partnership between the reader and the writer.

What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?

Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles.

Who is your favorite writer and why?

My contemporary author favorite is Zaide Smith. She has written novels, short stories, essays, and plays. She combines wit, reflection, and social issues.

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

I have only done technical and grant writing; the person who most inspired and supported me in these pursuits has been Mickey Revenaugh.

What do you love most about writing?

When I hit send!!

What advice do you have for new writers?

Believe in yourself. Find your voice.

What’s the most important thing you always keep near your computer?

Coffee.

What’s your vision for Yellow Arrow in 2024?

To provide more opportunities for culturally diverse woman writers and to raise awareness about us!!

*****

Kapua Iao 8/30/24 Kapua Iao 8/30/24

Her View Friday

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc., as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews

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

“The Calf” by Kay Smith-Blum from Seattle, Washington

Genre: Fiction

Name of anthology: Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women

Date released: June 8, 2024

Type of publication: print

Kay was also the coeditor of the anthology; all proceeds benefit the scholarship fund at Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Find the anthology on Amazon.

Find Kay on Instagram @discerningKSB, Facebook @kay.smithblum, and Twitter @kaysmithblum.

PRIZES/AWARDS

Revelation by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

Genre: poetry

Name of award: 2024 RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award

Date: July 11, 2024

pencanada.ca/news/nancy-huggett-wins-2024-rbc-pen-canada-new-voices-award/

Connect with Nancy on Twitter @nancyhuggett, Instagram @nanhug, Bluesky @nancyhuggett.bsky.social, and Facebook @nancy.huggett.35.

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 as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews: here.

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

*****

Kapua Iao 8/27/24 Kapua Iao 8/27/24

Splendid and Tender: A Review of When Your Sky Runs Into Mine by Rooja Mohassessy

By Naomi Thiers, written March 2024

Rooja Mohassessy’s book of poems, When Your Sky Runs Into Mine (Elixir Press, 2023), is extraordinary—and not just because of its extraordinary content. Many poems describe living as a female child in Iran under the Islamic Republic government in the 1980s, witnessing the growing repression and the deprivation people endured during the Iran–Iraq war, and Mohassessy’s later experiences as a very young immigrant. When she was 12—for her own safety, as the war dragged on—her parents sent her to live with her uncle, a successful artist in Europe. Mohassessy’s description of these experiences is arresting, but her poems are intoxicating more because of the splendid and varied ways they use language: exceptionally long, flowing lines thick with war imagery, solemn poems that weave in Arabic words or Islamic prayers, or terse lines evoking the numbness of wartime:

Chemical warfare is child friendly
smelling of sweet apples,
geraniums,

fresh mustard fields mode at blooming stage.

“They Were Blind and Mad, Some of Them Were Laughing. There Was Nobody to Lead the Blind People”

There are also polished stanzaic forms, highly experimental structures, and plain language vignettes of daily life:

It’s autumn of 1981. Radiators in the hall
clang in time for a new uniform.
Her mother hands the shop lady a list.
There’s no need to undress, she says.
Shaking out a full-length overcoat
she slides the schoolgirl’s arms
through both sleeves. Wide hems overhang
the shirred cuffs of her peacock-green peacoat.

“Hijab in Third Grade”

Mohassessy is a masterful poet with many styles—yet her book coheres. The first section shows through a child’s eyes how the constriction of females’ freedom draws tighter, and cruelty increases as the Islamic Republic government led by Khomeini solidifies their power. She doesn’t soft pedal the pain of this, but describes it sort of from the side, focusing on small details and sensations a child would notice, as in “Hijab in Third Grade”:

An opaque cutout of a cloud is folded
into a triangle and cast over her head.
Fingers wedge her bangs under repeatedly,
pleading stars to retreat and keep
out of sight.

Or this stanza from “Before and After the Revolution”:

By the late 80s, the definition of Dirty Dancing grows
so broad as to embrace lashes, lips,
and other indecencies, young women are urged
to keep still, not fiddle with their faces. Then stoning
comes in vogue. Most, me included, miss out
entirely on Swazey’s steps. Some friends of friends
get 99 lashes for playing
the clandestine soundtrack . . .

In later poems that show the precarious life of people in Tehran during the Iran–Iraq war, the syntax becomes looser, and surreal imagery appears, as if the poems, like Iran’s citizens, are unraveling. A favorite of mine is “War,” a portrait of how Mohassessy’s parents, who both are deaf and nonspeaking, somehow regularly created a party at their house during those bleak days—“tucking/ the good-sized deaf and dumb society of Tehran/ into our three bedroom flat she’d decked/ into a close semblance of a French brothel.”

The second section helps the reader see through the speaker’s eyes as she emigrates to live with her uncle who lives a sophisticated life in Europe. Poems like “The Immigrant Leaving Home And Guilt,” “The Immigrant and Skin,” and “The Immigrant and Lament” express the slippery cultural shock of coming from a repressive country to a place with freedom and safety—but also the pain of leaving a warm, entangled family to move in with a reserved relative, the burden of “survivor guilt,” and the confusion of figuring out adolescence and desire in a strange land. Several poems imagine what the speaker’s left-behind parents are going through and even what this experience is like for her uncle: there are two impressive poems in his voice reflecting on the challenge of connecting with a shy teenage girl.

The stunning poem “All About Me” lays bare how the immigrant experience can strip a young person of any sense of solidity or self-knowledge, how a child dropped into a culture vastly different from “home” (even if living with a kind relative) can feel desperately cut off from herself—and silenced. There isn’t even an “I” telling about this feeling in the poem: the speaker addresses her soul and refers to her young self as “the child in the front row” in French class. When the French teacher asks the child to tell “all about herself,”

She drew a blank, although she could’ve told him
he was her favorite, and les nommes de toutes les fleurs,
colors and every disparate part
of her body she knew to name without checking, the way she knew
her country, the cat hunched unwell on the world map—

Instead of answering, the child freezes, and feels her soul has let her down:

Had you shown as from a plastic tiara
on her brow, steadied her hand, though she slouched
homesick at her desk, she would’ve scribed then with the flourish
of a Persian calligrapher, a catalogue of herself, warriorlike . . .
she would’ve spun in her Baluchi skirt stitched
with mirrors and demi-moons, to show
and tell

Because her soul “forgot your song, your tongue,” the child stays silent, and scribbles in her notebook “Je ne sais pas qui je suis.”

In the last sections, the voice is that of an adult, traveling or living in several countries—and she clearly knows who she is. These poems deal again with the immigrant experience (including applying for asylum), but also with trying to find a healthy sexuality and a way to live in a country (the U.S.) that is often suspicious or hostile to Muslims. There’s much toughness and tenderness in these poems, especially several to the speaker’s parents and about a lover who died. The poems never take a shortcut and never settle into a predictable style. That’s a good thing! I suggest you find this book and enter Mohassessy’s layered experiences.

You can find Rooja Mohassessy’s book When Your Sky Runs Into Mine (2023) at Elixir Press: elixirpress.com/when-your-sky-runs-into-mine.

Naomi Thiers (naomihope@comcast.net) grew up in California and Pittsburgh, but her chosen home is Washington D.C./northern Virginia. She is the author of four poetry collections: Only the Raw Hands Are Heaven, In Yolo County, She Was a Cathedral, and Made of Air. Her poems, book reviews, and essays have been published in Virginia Quarterly Review, Poet Lore, Colorado Review, Grist, Sojourners, and other magazines. Former editor of the journal Phoebe, she works as an editor for Educational Leadership magazine and lives on the banks of Four Mile Run in Arlington, Virginia.

*****

Kapua Iao 8/20/24 Kapua Iao 8/20/24

Ordinary Oracle: A Conversation with Chrissy Stegman

By Melissa Nunez, written July 2024

They’ll let you learn
when they release you
how every pigeon feels
heading into an unknown sky:

You’ll be terrified and alone.

You’ll be Free.

“They’ll Let You Use Kool-Aid to Dye Your Hair When You’re 10 & In the Hospital for Setting Your Childhood on Fire,” Oddball Magazine

Chrissy Stegman is a wife, mother, and poet from Baltimore, Maryland. Her writing is inspired by her love of forests, family, and reviving myths in a modern world. She champions fellow artists on her website at chrissystegman.com where you can also find more information about her latest publications.

Melissa Nunez, Yellow Arrow interviewer, and Chrissy Stegman engaged in conversation through email where they discussed the creative motivations behind her poetic voice.

Who are some women writers who inspire you?

That's such a tough question. I admire so many women writers. It’s difficult to narrow down the list, but I think I’d start with Mary Jo Bang (her translation of Inferno!), Elizabeth Bishop, Anne Carson, Harryette Mullen, Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Marie Howe, and Diane Seuss. Each of these women writers carries a torch for language and craft that I would follow into the dark any day of the week. (Side note: I’m rereading The Life of Poetry by Muriel Rukeyser. So good.)

I love the term “forest dork” included in your bio for some of your publications. Can you expand on the significance of the term for you and how it is reflected in your work?

I’ve always been a forest kid. I spent many summers on my grandparents’ land in Virginia. My grandfather taught me how to recognize flora and fauna. Climbing cherry trees, eating the green inchworm because it was in the cherry and you just didn’t care—it was summer, and the cherries were there, warm from the sun. I spent many summers catching crayfish in a bucket in the stream, too. (I always let them go.) I find a sense of voyeured reverence in the forest, and that’s something I can’t shake because I’m an observer. I’ve shared this love of the forest and natural world with my children. It’s not uncommon for me to make violet syrup, eat some chickweed, and text my kids photos of Dutchman’s breeches. They’re patient and kind people who put up with me. I’m happiest when outside. This comes through in many of my poems and works of fiction, especially my love of observation.

In some of your poetry you do an excellent job of integrating mythology into the modern world. Can you share why you feel these stories still carry such resonance for audiences today? Are there any specific myths you return to again and again?

I think myths provide meaning to inform our modern creation. I believe we look to archetypes to solve problems, to call forth our own hidden vitality, to tap a deep root. Mythology plays out again and again this way, but it is never overplayed. Myths of transformation, change, myths of loss. Oracles, heroes, Icarus, Persephone. I think we tell the stories again and again to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary or to test our strength. They’re universal. I’m particularly interested in creating new myths. The idea that we can create new myths fascinates me.

So, she looked for pomegranates and
Titans. She looked for foes to defeat Earth.
She felt the flowering of every meadow

In her blood. She tasted the sour
Pit of truth in her teeth.

“Persephone Decides to Catch Up on Emails During a Low Self-Esteem Day,” Poetry Breakfast

I admire the way you feature visual artists on your website. What inspired you to platform art and artists in this manner?

I’ve always loved art. Poetry and art are bedfellows. I wanted to create a space on my website that was about immersion into an experience, both poetic and artistic. The idea to feature an artist came to me when I realized I needed artwork for my website and thought, how cool would it be to have a featured artist provide the artwork? My website could be a living art gallery, where the viewing audience would find an experience of art and poetry that was ever-changing, but also offer a platform, for free, for that artist to gain recognition and potentially generate sales of their work or a following. (I'm currently open to a new featured artist and anyone interested should reach out!)

When did you know you were a writer?

I think I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I had those black and white marbled journals, filled with scribbles, stories, bits of (awful) poetry. I remember walking the neighborhood and creating a poem in my head, rushing home to write it down. I walked home from middle school reading Little Women, tripping over the sidewalk. I haunted our local library. I’ve never left the comfort and safety of literature. It feels easier for me to explain the world through stories and poetry, and easier for me to understand it when viewed this way as well.

Do you have a favorite place or set up for writing?

I do have a writing office, and it offers me a small desk, my books, a wall of artwork which I love, and at random times, the kids will run in and out of the space. I find that energy creatively compelling as well. A busy family life trampling through the sanctuary feels transgressive in all the right ways for poetry and storytelling.

My allegiance is to sound and not silence. Loudness is a feeling set free.

“Portrait of the Poet Viewed Through a Blind Spot,” Gargoyle Magazine

Do you have any advice for fellow women writers on creating new work and publishing?

My advice to fellow women writers would be to submit your work everywhere and often. Carve out time for creation no matter how difficult. So much of our lives can be filtered through shame and guilt for taking time for our work but women’s voices are essential. I think the other piece of advice is to write what scares you but also write what you're hiding from. Write the messy parts, write about the quiet parts, too. We sanitize our writing so often to gain access to the publishing world, but the more we press into the underbelly of the work, the more we insist on showing what’s under the skirt of the uninspiring day-to-day grit of living as a woman. We change the landscape of how we embody language and tell our story. This is one space where we need to leave a trace.

Melissa Nunez makes her home in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas, where she enjoys exploring and photographing the local wild with her homeschooling family. She writes an anime column at The Daily Drunk Mag and is a prose reader for Moss Puppy Mag. She is also a staff writer for Alebrijes Review and interviewer for Yellow Arrow Publishing. You can find her work on her website and follow her on Instagram @melissa.king.nunez or Twitter @MelissaKNunez.

*****

Kapua Iao 8/17/24 Kapua Iao 8/17/24

When to choose a small press to publish your writing

By Adhithi Anjali, written November 2023

You completed a manuscript in one step, but now you have to decide where to publish it. With consistent news about small-to-medium presses getting subsumed by another huge player and navigating through imprints and subsidiaries of the same giant press, it may appear like the world of publishing has become permanently smaller. But before you try to find an agent and try to break into the notorious “Big Five,” try researching a variety of smaller, local presses that are still determined to provide alternate publishing paths.

Why would you consider a small press over a large one? First, consider your own manuscript and its needs. Large presses often focus on publishing what is consistent with current readership trends. Remember when every dystopian novel suddenly got published right after The Hunger Games? As an author, you need to prove you and your work are marketable before the editing even starts. The first person you need to convince is an agent who can get you through the door, and they are also looking for something that can secure a payday.

But small presses can manage and publish more esoteric and nontraditional work. In fact, that is often the basis for their whole business model! Small presses want to find a niche and seek out the audience for it. These types of presses often begin as passion projects for their founder: they see something missing from current publishing trends and want to provide the resources for artists making what they want to read. Here at Yellow Arrow Publishing, we want to read work by women-identifying authors, so we made a space for them.

To get in the door at a small press does not require an agent and sometimes does not require a submission fee. It is up to you as the author to determine if your manuscript is too nontraditional for large publishers and if you want to handle your own submission queries. The underhand of not relying on agents does mean that small presses often have narrow submission windows during the year in which you can send us your manuscript, but once your manuscript gets picked up, most can start working immediately.

If you choose a small press, also consider how much you want to be involved in the process. You will receive edits back to review, be involved in marketing the book through local events and live readings, and you may have to handle much of the social media promotion yourself, as well. Small presses can upload interviews you have with them, but you won’t secure big papers like you would with a big publisher—if they put a lot of resources into your manuscript, which is not a guarantee, even at such large presses.

But you as an author have to do a lot of research if you go down this route. Small presses know their audience and their niche, and you will need to learn which press will get your manuscript out to the right readers. Also, you will need to consider the form of your manuscript. Here at Yellow Arrow, we publish a journal, an online vignette, and chapbooks, not full-length manuscripts . . . yet.

A small press may not have a myriad of resources, but they do try to put all that they do have into what they decide to publish. As an author, you will be a huge part of the process—before, during, and after. Overall, you should consider a small press if you want to write and publish something nontraditional in form and content, as well as if you want to avoid the bureaucracy and limits of agents and the submissions process.

Adhithi Anjali was the business development intern for Yellow Arrow Publishing for fall 2023. She is a third-year student at the University of California, Davis, majoring in English and comparative literature. She is inspired by nearly everything she reads to channel her own creativity through the pen. In the future, she hopes to continue working with literature and other writers to help them bring their creativity to light.

*****

Kapua Iao 8/13/24 Kapua Iao 8/13/24

Meet a Board Member: Emily Ross

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce Emily Ross, our Director of Grants. Emily is an arts and humanities professional with expertise in museum education, social work, and grantmaking. Working at the intersection of culture and human services she champions collaboration and community voices in her career. She holds a BA in art history from the University of Virginia and an MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She currently works as the Program Officer for Grants at Maryland Humanities. Based in Baltimore, she enjoys trips to the Renaissance Fair, New England beaches, and art museums.

Emily says, “I look forward to being a part of this incredible group of women bringing attention to women’s stories. I also look forward to being a part of Yellow Arrow’s continued fiscal vitality and connecting us to great resources.”

Tell us a little something about yourself:

I lived in Canada for six years as a child. Unfortunately, I don’t have dual citizenship, but I can brag that I’m one degree closer to Margaret Atwood than the average American!

What do you love most about Baltimore?

It’s the most affordable major East Coast city. I also love the character, charm, and local traditions.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow and what do you do for us? Why did you want to join the Yellow Arrow team?

I first learned about Yellow Arrow through my work at Maryland Humanities. Yellow Arrow received a grant from us, and I read the application and became interested in the organization. When I heard Yellow Arrow writers read their published work at a Yellow Arrow gathering, it sealed the deal for me to become involved in any way. I was really moved listening to them! I’m excited to bring my skills in grants to Yellow Arrow and to help secure funding for programs.

What are you working on currently?

I’m currently furnishing and designing a new apartment. I just signed a two-year lease which gives me more creative license in my living space. I enjoy interior design, collecting cool art, and making my home a reflection of myself.

What genre do you write or read?

I’m not a creative writer but I love to read. I love reading the romance genre the most because it’s one of the only popular fiction genres where female identifying characters are consistently treated like whole, complex human beings. I also just love love. A reliable happy ending and an escape from reality? Sign me up.

What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.

Who is your favorite writer and why?

I don’t think I necessarily have a favorite, but I like to provide recommendations. A series that has stuck with me the last few years is The Women of Troy by Pat Barker.

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

I’m more a technical and academic writer having never dabbled in my own creative writing practice. It’s difficult to gauge where you stand among your peers when you’re writing for school or work so my professors supported me the most with their feedback and encouragement.

What do you love most about writing?

When I find the best word to use during one of my numerous thesaurus searches.

What advice do you have for new writers?

The same I recommend to new artists—before you can break the rules you must first understand them. However, I think it’s better said the rules get broken in the best way when you have a deep understanding of why you want to break them.

What’s the most important thing you always keep near wherever you work)?

My phone to take TikTok breaks.

What’s your vision for Yellow Arrow in 2024?

More writers, more events, more awareness, more $$$!

*****

Kapua Iao 8/6/24 Kapua Iao 8/6/24

Shine your light bright: Baltimore creatives radiate in Yellow Arrow Vignette AMPLIFY

Welcome to the third annual release of Yellow Arrow Vignette, Yellow Arrow Publishing’s online creative nonfiction and poetry series. For this issue, we aligned with our 2024 yearly value and chose AMPLIFY, though we did not ask submitters to send in pieces on theme; rather, staff at Yellow Arrow used the idea in-house as a reminder to continue to share and amplify women-identifying voices. With that, here is the AMPLIFY issue of Yellow Arrow Vignette:

yellowarrowpublishing.com/vignette/amplify-2024

With Vignette AMPLIFY, we wanted to return to some of the earliest goals of Yellow Arrow: circulating and augmenting the creative work of voices and themes that aren’t heard loudly enough. And as part of the return to our roots, we wanted to showcase writers who live in or are otherwise connected to our home base of Baltimore. We want our readers to experience the spectrum of voices that Charm City offers.

Before diving into the pages of AMPLIFY, explore the cover art for the issue, “shine your light bright” by Kara Panowitz. Kara has lived in Baltimore City for 19 years. According to Kara, “A positive light needs to shine on Baltimore, amplifying all that’s good about the city. A city of neighborhoods, the sunset highlights the Baltimore classic rowhouse, with the iconic skyline standing strong in the background. I love the way the light makes Baltimore glow in this image.” Kara loves documentary photography, taking photos on hikes, and capturing Baltimore in different lights and seasons. Her photography has been chosen for local art exhibitions.

We hope you see the same light glimmering on the Baltimore rooftops shining on the poetry and creative nonfiction in AMPLIFY. Start with “IT WORKS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT” by Tracy Dimond, who gracefully writes “I’ve never felt so womanly / Since having a hysterectomy // A hollowed-out Barbie / The aesthetic without the danger” and continue through to “Wish You Were Here” by Barbara Westwood Diehl. “Wish You Were Here” ends the series with an incredible vision: “In the city of Wish You Were Here, you will not see the castle washed away.” We don’t want to give too much away in this release. Rather, we ask that you read the words and AMPLIFY pages slowly and really take in and experience the different emotions found within.

Thank you to all the writers who followed the call for amplification and sent in their beautiful pieces. We were amazed by the breadth of our collection of submitters and hope that you have the opportunity to amplify your own voice along with any others that surround you. And to the incredible creatives who let us include their work in AMPLIFY: Trish Broome, Barbara Westwood Diehl, Tracy Dimond, Kay White Drew, Jennifer Martinelli Eyre, Katherine Fallon, Robin L. Flanigan, My-Azia Johnson, Diane Macklin, B. Morrison, Sierra Offutt, Christine Pennylegion, Anna Slesinski, Laura Taber, Brigitte Winter, and Cherrie Woods (aka Cherrie Amour). Thank you for trusting us with your words.

Also, thank you to the Yellow Arrow Vignette team, Dr. Tonee Mae Moll and Isabelle Anderson, for their work on the series. Our staff diligently reads through every submission, works on editing every sentence, and contributes amazing feedback to our authors and submitters! Given this, we would also like to thank our wonderful editorial associates, readers, and interns for this issue: Sydney Alexander, Jill Earl, Angela Firman, Marylou Fusco, Caroline Kunz, Alexa Laharty, Sophia Lama, Amaya Lambert, Siobhan McKenna, Sara Palmer, Samantha Pomerantz, Nicky Ruddell, Mel Silberger, Claire Taylor, and Ally Waldon.

The reading for Vignette AMPLIFY will be in-person at the Baltimore Book Festival on September 28. More information is forthcoming.

*****

Kapua Iao 8/1/24 Kapua Iao 8/1/24

Yellow Arrow Journal (IX/02) Kitalo Submissions are Now Open!

Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. IX, No. 2 (fall 2024) is open August 1-31, exploring the concept griefulness, an intertwining of grief and gratitude. Guest editor, Tramaine Suubi contemplated about the term and how “it feels deeply resonant for our current times. My life, my very body, feels full of grief. As I tried to find home on 15 wildly different streets, in five cities, across four nations, on three continents, my body certainly kept the score. . . . In my present season of life, I am reclaiming darkness and blackness as spaces of goodness—as spaces of rest, reflection, and revival. . . . Grief and gratitude are often intertwined in my findings.”

This issue’s theme is kitalo

: an empathetic Luganda term of solidarity offered when someone experiences a spectrum of loss

: directly translates to “this/that is tragic” but is far richer than that

Our hope is that this issue gives women-identifying creatives a place where they can meditate on communal grief and communal gratitude. Here are some guiding questions about the theme:

1) In the midst of grief, how have others cared for you, how do you care for others, and how do you care for yourself? What are the most striking or profound examples you have experienced or witnessed?

2) If your grief were to take the form of an animal (remember, humans are animals, too), which animal (fictional, nonfictional, or extinct) would it be and how would this animal behave? Be as specific as possible. Feel free to defy logic and science; grief often can.

3) Have you ever immigrated to or emigrated from a different nation than your current nation of residence? What potential life paths and livelihoods did you leave behind as a result? Which ones do you still yearn for and why, if any?

4) Have you ever experienced a platonic break-up (real or imaginary friend)? If so, how do you specifically navigate or ignore the gaps left by lost friendship?

5) Who (fictional or nonfictional) is no longer present in your life, whom you would like to offer your deepest gratitude to?

Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of kitalo. Submissions can be in any language as long as an English translation accompanies it. For more information regarding journal submission guidelines, please visit yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions. Please read our guidelines carefully before submitting. To learn more about our editorial views and how important your voice is in your story, read about the journal. This issue will be released in November 2024.

Kitalo’s guest editor, Tramaine Suubi (she/they) is a multilingual writer who was born in Kampala. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Their forthcoming debut is a full-length poetry collection titled phases, which will be published in January 2025. Their forthcoming second book is also a full-length poetry collection titled stages, which will be published in January 2026. Both books will be published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins. Tramaine was one of our 2023 writers in residence and their poem "begin again" was included in Yellow Arrow Journal ELEVATE (IX/01). We appreciate all that she has done for Yellow Arrow and are excited to welcome Tramaine on this new venture.

The journal is just one of many ways that Yellow Arrow Publishing works to support and inspire women-identifying creatives through publication and access to the literary arts. Since its founding in 2016, Yellow Arrow has worked tirelessly to make an impact on the local and global community by advocating for writers who identify as women. Yellow Arrow proudly represents the voices of women from around the globe. Creating diversity in the literary world and providing a safe space is deeply important. Every writer has a story to tell, every story is worth telling.

*****

Kapua Iao 7/30/24 Kapua Iao 7/30/24

Weathering Rejection

By K.S. Palakovic, written March 2024

Rejection is a bit like rain.

Sometimes you expect it, and sometimes it comes out of nowhere and ruins your bright and beautiful plans. Some days you can light a candle that smells like Vanilla Serenity Me Time and hygge your way out of it. And other days, you get that one unfortunately we have decided to pass on this that you really, really wanted to be a yes, please your work is beautiful and so are you, and it feels like stepping in a puddle and discovering just then that your old rubber rain boots are not quite as waterproof as they once were, and now you’ll be stuck running four hours of errands in wet socks, and of course that car is coming up just a little too close to the sidewalk and a little too fast to hop away from in your now-squishy boots, and hello, you and your belongings have been baptized with half a street’s worth of gutter water.

Hallelujah.

I’m not a big rain fan. Much like the publishing slog or trying to find a writerly social media experience that doesn’t make me want to eat my own head, rainy days feel anywhere from dreary to genuinely depressing. Plus, I think my joints heard Steinbeck say, “one can find so many pains when the rain is falling,” and took it as a personal challenge.

But to paraphrase a wise anonymous person: if you don’t find joy in the rain, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of rain. If you want to write, and you want other people to see that writing, it means facing the rain of rejection: the steady, soul-eroding drip of no and this wasn’t really for me and sorry I didn’t finish it and thank you for submitting but we have chosen not to accept/represent/fund your work.

This isn’t just a problem for the echelon of novelists hoping to get a Big Five publication, or essayists chasing fame and fortune online. It’s for students in overly competitive MFA workshops. It’s for earnest new creators who’d be content with just some friendly community interaction, but whose posts meet a void of silence. It’s for writers who only share what they write with their moms (hi, Mom), because if you’re even slightly interested in growing or learning or trying new things, eventually you’re gonna make something that even your biggest fan—try as she may—just doesn’t love.

Rejection is an inescapable part of trying to connect with others through words. You just can’t hit the emotional bullseye every single time. And even if you know this on a logical level—no matter where you sit on the spectrum of writing optimism, from “getting published is essentially winning the lottery” to “it only takes one yes!”—having your dear words rejected doesn’t feel great. It can bring on confusion, frustration, shame, loneliness, and the kind of moping fits of creative insecurity only we artists are capable of. That rain, she’s gonna fall.

And while some rejections can feel kind, or helpful, or simply neutral—like just another kind of weather—it’s maddeningly unclear how to predict the depth of literary ennui one might sink to upon hearing no. For many writers, delivery makes a difference, even in the wording of a form letter: “thank you for taking the time to submit this piece; we will be passing on it, but we hope you find a place for it elsewhere” can be easier to swallow than “your piece was not accepted, goodbye.” To my brain, a no is a no whether it comes as warm wishes for future success, or a single automated notification, or as a blank silence that stretches on until I forget I’d sent anything in (track your submissions!). It’s all just water when I’d hoped for clear skies.

But how that intellectual no lands in the soft writer’s heart, well, that’s where things get curious.

Sure, I was devastated when my dream agent passed on representing my lumpy firstborn novel without a word of feedback. I’d been bursting with nervous excitement for the possibilities of fulfilling my oldest and dearest childhood ambition: I had written a book! I was going to get it published! I hadn’t learned yet that it truly wasn’t ready. Or that you do not re-query agents who’ve declined your manuscript, even if you revise the bejesus out of it, and even if, months of searching and learning later, you still think she would be the bestest, most perfect agent for your work. So, when that no arrived, it came with the realization that I had blown my one chance, in a way I could have prevented.

Be ye warned! Do not query too early.

But there’s actually another rejection that stings even more than that day-ruining, doused-in-grimy-city-water loss. Years of nos and yeses later, a small queer lit mag about plants very gently declined all six poems I sent them—including the one I’d written, with loving attention, just for that submission call. I’d assumed at least one piece would make it in. I’m queer! I love plants! I’m bisexual leaning against a trailing pothos vine right now.

Still, to this day, I don’t quite know why it hurt so much. I’ve put more of myself into other poems; I’ve felt surer elsewhere about my chances of acceptance and been wrong; I’ve spent far more time and effort and money on other submissions. But that’s how it goes, sometimes: can’t control the weather or your instinctive emotional reactions.

When you submit different things to different audiences at different times—literary magazines, contests, grants, agents, publishers, performances, applying for a mentor, applying to be a mentor—of course no two rejections will feel exactly alike. Even the same piece of your own writing, without a single revision, will change and grow in your reading of it as you do too. Over time, your goals and motivations may evolve. Your relationship to your audience may shift. Your relationship to rejection itself may change, too.

Fortunately, not every rejection will make you want to go hide under the covers. These days, for me, many of them feel like nothing at all: I see the notification, say a mental “oh well,” and in a few seconds it’s forgotten.

Some rejections can even be unexpectedly refreshing. The first writing grant I ever applied for, to fund a poetry manuscript, took many hours hunched over a laptop trying to describe my work like a “Real Poet” while the janky nerve in my right arm grew increasingly and unpoetically numb. I was proud of the effort, the learning experience, and the step forward in my writing career—tingly arm notwithstanding. A few weeks later, I decided to go in a different direction with the project and started bracing myself for the possibility of having to send the grantor an awkward “actually, thanks but no thanks.” So, when I learned I wouldn’t be awarded the grant, it came as a relief.

Meanwhile, a writing friend of mine talks with joy about an agent who declined her historical fiction novel after requesting the full manuscript. This agent read her novel closely and thoughtfully, understood what it was trying to say, and genuinely liked it. She had no idea her feedback would be the first time my friend received creative validation from a stranger. Because peers and coaches and family members have reasons to spare your tender writer feelings, but not an agent you’ve asked to read tens of thousands of your unpublished words, for free, when they’ve got a perfectly adequate form rejection saved and ready to go.

When my friend tells other people about how happy that rejection made her, they don’t get it. And you absolutely do not need to try and find a silver lining in a thundercloud of disappointment. Because the thing is, all of this, all these feelings and reactions that might not even make rational sense to the one feeling them? That’s ok. You can dance in the rain, or you can light that candle that smells like cupcakes and self-pity, or you can just sit and wait for it to pass. Feeling isn’t failing; you’re still a writer if rejections hurt.

Agent Naomi Davis has talked about how writers have to walk a tightrope of being thick-skinned enough to withstand rejection and criticism and indifference—but also vulnerable enough to be open to the human experience, to emotionally connect with readers. We can’t lock ourselves away from the world’s realities, including our own internal realities, and expect to have material anyone wants to read.

I don’t believe writing is precious, or particularly noble: it’s marks on a page that we hear as sounds in our head. But writing can be hard and it’s okay to say so. Having your creative baby turned away is tough, and pretending otherwise doesn’t make it any easier.

What does? For many of us, time and exposure help. I find that regular submissions, and the subsequent regular rejections, build a kind of tolerance against the emotional drop of hearing no. And casting your net widely, instead of pinning all your hopes on one opportunity, spreads out the disappointment and gives you a more realistic chance of success. Getting the odd acceptance once in a while helps, too.

Set goals that are important to you, even if they’re not what people around you are aiming for. Play a long game. Find reasons to write other than external recognition. When it’s rough, commiserate with other writers who get it.

And do some rejecting yourself: weed out the shoulds and musts that don’t work for you. I’ve got a fussy brain and a hoard of diagnoses that keep things interesting, so finding sustainable ways to keep writing means a lot of experimenting and adapting and politely ignoring anyone who claims to know the “One Weird Trick” to writing success. When you have a disability, or other big demands on your body, mind, or time, typical writing advice may not work for you—including how to handle hearing no. That’s okay. Find what you do need and defend it to no one but yourself.

Because sometimes rejections will just suck, and it’s comforting to recognize this, and to know you have a choice. Maybe at some point you’ll get tired of the deluge of nos and want to do away entirely with other people’s opinions of your writing. Sequester your work away from even your loving mother’s eyes. Move to Los Cabos, never deal with rain or disappointment again.

That’s always an option, for a while or forever. Allison K. Williams puts it frankly: “you have to be the kind of person who can hear a hundred nos before you get to yes, and . . . if you are not that kind of person, selling your art may not be for you.”

But she goes on to say: “It is not a cruel world full of no. It is a beautiful world in which the one (or many) persons to whom your work—your particular, personal work—speaks are waiting for you. Waiting for you to grow, to revise, to polish, to publicize, to sell, to share. Waiting for you to make art they love and will pay for.”

This is one piece of advice that I and my “Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria” come back to, however begrudgingly: don’t self-reject. Assuming someone won’t read or accept or pay for your work is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And, anyway, you’re not getting paid to reject your own work—so why not let someone else have that delightful responsibility?

For me, it’s always worth the risk of getting a little rain on my writing parade, because I’ll always have that itch to connect. What would I even be doing if I wasn’t trying to reach out across the foggy expanse of humanity to see and be seen? Algebra?

Writing’s easier. So, I’ll put on my peeling red rubber boots and keep at it. I hope you do, too, puddles and all.

Katherine Sarah (K.S.) Palakovic (she/her) is an editor for money and a writer, singer, model, and rock climber for fun. For no money and questionable fun, she is also a disabled queer lady. Her words have found homes in The Berlin Review, Renaissance Press, Yellow Arrow Journal, and Exposed Bone, and if the writer could, she would crawl into their pages and live there, too. Until then, she lives in Toronto, Canada. You can learn more about K.S. at kspalakovic.com or on Twitter @kitkatkelly. Join her Substack Writing Through at writingthroughitall.substack.com.

*****

Kapua Iao 7/26/24 Kapua Iao 7/26/24

Her View Friday

single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc., as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews

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

“Claybody” by Samantha J. Pomerantz from Germantown, Maryland

Genre: Poetry

Name of publication: Blue Marble Review

Date released: June 2024

Type of publication: online

bluemarblereview.com/claybody/

“Quiescence” by Kellie Brown from Kingsport, Tennessee

Genre: poetry

Name of publication: Wise Owl

Date released: July 2024

Type of publication: online

dailyversethewiseowl.art/copy-of-week-4-june-2024

You can find Kellie on Instagram @kelliedubelbrown, Threads @kelliedubelbrown, Twitter @kelliedbrown1, Bluesky @kelliedbrown1.bsky.social, and Facebook @kelliebrown.

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 as well as prizes/awards, book reviews, and podcasts/interviews: here.

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

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Kapua Iao 7/23/24 Kapua Iao 7/23/24

Gratitude is a Divine Emotion: Yellow Arrow Interns

“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).

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 copyediting and proofreading as well as writing blogs and press releases. They create promotional material and images for our authors and create marketing campaigns. They help at live and virtual events and readings. And above all else, they support. Not only the Yellow Arrow team but our authors as well. I am so thankful to have had them with me on this journey.

So let’s introduce the summer 2024 interns. Each has our appreciation.

Caroline Kunz

Publications Intern

From Rochester, New York
*What do you do*? As a publications intern, I am largely responsible for formatting, copyediting, and proofreading Yellow Arrow chapbooks, vignette pieces, and journal pieces before publication. Additionally, I help to manage the Yellow Arrow blog by posting monthly Her View Friday and .Writers.on.Writing. content, as well as sharing my own personal blog posts. I assist in marketing these various publications by creating social media posts and designing graphics to promote Yellow Arrow’s many wonderful authors.
*Where do you go to school*? I am a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland studying English with a minor in writing. I will graduate in May of 2025.
*What are you currently working on*? As a college student, my most important job outside of Yellow Arrow is working toward my degree. However, since it’s currently my summer break, I’ve had the opportunity to substitute teach at a school district in my hometown. This, along with my publications internship, has been a great way to gain experience in one of my fields of interest. Plus, I’ve loved having the extra time recently to read for leisure and write creatively.

Caroline Kunz (she/her) is a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland, where she studies English and writing on a pre-MAT track. She enjoys traveling, scouting out new coffee shops, and, of course, reading and writing. As an aspiring educator, she hopes to share this love of the written word with future generations of students. Her current favorite authors include Taylor Jenkins Reid and Celeste Ng.

She plans to stay at Loyola for one year post-graduation to receive her MA in education. From there, she hopes to share with students her loves of literature and writing, as well as continue with her own personal creative pursuits!

Why did you choose an internship with Yellow Arrow?

I was immediately drawn to Yellow Arrow because of its mission to highlight and empower the voices of female authors across the world. As a young woman with a passion for writing, myself, Yellow Arrow and its impacts on the community were especially inspiring to me.

How are things going so far?

My experience as a publications intern has been meaningful in a variety of ways. I feel that I’ve gained valuable, hands-on experience in the publishing field, strengthened my skills in writing and editing, and found a deep appreciation for the female writers in our communities—all while working alongside women whose values align so closely with my own.

Sophia Lama

Program Management Intern

From Scotch Plains, New Jersey
*What do you do*? As the program management intern, my focus is centered around creating posts and graphics to support the team on social media, aid in building workshops, and assist with any and all programs Yellow Arrow has in the works. I also will be assisting in the editorial process as a reader and editor.
*Where do you go to school*? In the fall I will begin my senior year at the University of Maryland in College Park, and will be graduating in May of 2025. I have been pursuing a degree in English.
*What are you currently working on*? At the end of April, I completed my semester abroad in Spain, so I am trying to perfect my Spanish and become fully bilingual. Outside of that and Yellow Arrow, I am preparing to begin my senior year at the University of Maryland and I will be completing my degree in English in the spring.

Sophia Lama (she/her) is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, majoring in English. She is a part of a fundraising organization at college that raises money for Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. Sophia spends her summers in New Jersey with her family, and in her free time you may find her running, skiing, or reading. Her favorite thing about reading is sharing her passion with friends during book club!

She will be graduating next spring and completing her degree, so the next step is pursuing a full-time job. Ideally she would love to work in New York City because it’s so close to where she calls home, but the true end goal is to work in publishing, wherever that may take her.

Why did you choose to do an internship with Yellow Arrow?

I chose an internship with Yellow Arrow not only because Maryland connections run strong, but because of their mission. As a female student at a large school dominated by computer science and business majors, I find solace in the smaller classrooms surrounded by predominantly female students. I see the hard work my classmates put in, reading several books a week and writing 10 papers per semester, and I also see it go unnoticed outside of the classroom. Yellow Arrow’s mission truly resonated with me because they put a spotlight on dedicated women readers and writers, and ensure their chance to shine. I chose Yellow Arrow because that is something I will always want to be a part of.

How are things going so far?

After about a month and a half of interning at Yellow Arrow, I’ve been given the opportunity to meet and learn from so many intelligent people. We are currently gearing up to host an advisory event with local individuals in the Baltimore/Maryland arts scene, so I am extremely eager to hear from those with great success in the field I hope to stay in.

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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 7/16/24 Kapua Iao 7/16/24

On the Fullness of Grief

Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to announce the next guest editor for Yellow Arrow Journal, Tramaine Suubi. Tramaine will oversee the creation of our Vol. IX, No. 2 issue (fall 2024).

This next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal explores the concept grieful, whether grief is unconventional, unexpected, unpredictable, unabashed, undying. How can grieving and its rituals and odes be a loud testament to what it is that one is grieving and gratified for? To learn more about this term, read Tramaine’s words below. Mark your calendar! The theme will be released next week. Submissions open August 1 and the issue will be released in November.

Tramaine Suubi (she/they) is a multilingual writer who was born in Kampala. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her forthcoming debut is a full-length poetry collection titled phases, which will be published in January 2025. Her forthcoming second book is also a full-length poetry collection titled stages, which will be published in January 2026. Both books will be published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins. Tramaine was one of our 2023 writers in residence and their poem "begin again" was included in Yellow Arrow Journal ELEVATE (IX/01). We appreciate all that she has done for Yellow Arrow and are excited to welcome Tramaine on this new venture.

Please follow Yellow Arrow on Facebook and Instagram for the theme announcement. Below, you can read more about Tramaine’s perspective on grief. We look forward to (re)working with Tramaine over the next few months.

Show some love to Tramaine on YouTube here.

By Tramaine Suubi

The idea we plan to explore for the forthcoming issue of Yellow Arrow Journal (Vol. IX, No. 02) is grieful. This term was created by my psychologist, and it feels deeply resonant for our current times. My life, my very body, feels full of grief. As I tried to find home on 15 wildly different streets, in five cities, across four nations, on three continents, my body certainly kept the score. We began the COVID pandemic with emails hoping to find us well, when most of us rarely were. Government officials and publications often wrapped the chaos of our lives in the package of “these unprecedented times.” The times were definitely unprecedented, but they are also so much more than that. Many social media users still allude to the profound exhaustion of living through major historical events. I am right there with them. Decades from now, I wonder what scientific studies will teach us about the unquantifiable loss that our society is simply not processing.

As a writer, editor, and teacher, I am obsessed with words. Not only is “Words of Affirmation” my primary love language for receiving, but it is also the primary way I give love. When it comes to grief, words do not feel adequate because language is inherently limited. I eventually found freedom from this finitude of language by being content to bear witness to the infinity of human experience. There really is an art to witnessing. My favorite essay is “Poetry is not a Luxury” by the late, great Audre Lorde. She is one of my guiding lights not only in the practice of writing but the practice of living. In the first half of the essay, she illustrates the beauty of the dark as a place of transformation. She believes, “These places of possibility within ourselves are dark because they are ancient and hidden; they have survived and grown strong through darkness.

In my present season of life, I am reclaiming darkness and blackness as spaces of goodness—as spaces of rest, reflection, and revival. And so, as I wade through these depths, I keep encountering grief. I commune with my grief and listen to her diligently. She is teaching me so much. Whenever I come up for air, I am struck by what grief leaves in her wake: gratitude for the good that remains. My philosophy studies taught me how to ask questions more than they taught me how to find answers. My creative studies are teaching me how to ask better questions. I was trapped in why we suffer, now I am exploring how we love as we suffer. Grief and gratitude are often intertwined in my findings.

Through my chronic pain and chronic fatigue, I try to adhere to a daily gratitude practice. The muscle is weak, but the movement is growing. In this issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, I invite us to meditate on communal grief and communal gratitude. The infinite manifestations of our griefulness can find space here. A teacher once told me that we write out of the wound. Though the wound never fully heals, the wound always changes. I hope we move beyond the farce of individualism and into the power of collectivism. After all, as a beloved once reminded me, wounds are for community.

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Why is Creative Nonfiction Important?

The value of reflection and moving forward: Ghosts Only I Can See by Julie Alden Cullinane

Her View Friday

Meet a Staff Member: Amelia (Mel) Silberger

Her View Friday

“Intercession: ER Waiting Room” by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

EXHIBITIONS

Four Poems by Laura Rockhold from Minneapolis, Minnesota

Finding a Writing Community

A Review of The Safety of Small Things by Jane Hicks

Specters of Ourselves: A Conversation with Julie Alden Cullinane, author of Ghosts Only I Can See

Meet a Board Member: Barbara Frey

Her View Friday

“The Calf” by Kay Smith-Blum from Seattle, Washington

PRIZES/AWARDS

Revelation by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

Splendid and Tender: A Review of When Your Sky Runs Into Mine by Rooja Mohassessy

Ordinary Oracle: A Conversation with Chrissy Stegman

When to choose a small press to publish your writing

Meet a Board Member: Emily Ross

Shine your light bright: Baltimore creatives radiate in Yellow Arrow Vignette AMPLIFY

Yellow Arrow Journal (IX/02) Kitalo Submissions are Now Open!

Weathering Rejection

Her View Friday

“Claybody” by Samantha J. Pomerantz from Germantown, Maryland

“Quiescence” by Kellie Brown from Kingsport, Tennessee

Gratitude is a Divine Emotion: Yellow Arrow Interns

Caroline Kunz

Publications Intern

From Rochester, New York

Where do you go to school? I am a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland studying English with a minor in writing. I will graduate in May of 2025.

Sophia Lama

Program Management Intern

From Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Where do you go to school? In the fall I will begin my senior year at the University of Maryland in College Park, and will be graduating in May of 2025. I have been pursuing a degree in English.

On the Fullness of Grief

“Intercession: ER Waiting Room” by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

EXHIBITIONS

Four Poems by Laura Rockhold from Minneapolis, Minnesota

“The Calf” by Kay Smith-Blum from Seattle, Washington

PRIZES/AWARDS

Revelation by Nancy Hugget from Ottawa, Canada

“Claybody” by Samantha J. Pomerantz from Germantown, Maryland

“Quiescence” by Kellie Brown from Kingsport, Tennessee

Caroline Kunz

Publications Intern

From Rochester, New York

Where do you go to school? I am a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland studying English with a minor in writing. I will graduate in May of 2025.

Sophia Lama

Program Management Intern

From Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Where do you go to school? In the fall I will begin my senior year at the University of Maryland in College Park, and will be graduating in May of 2025. I have been pursuing a degree in English.

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