Tuesday, May 2, 2023

April '23 Madhouse Recap: Research, Poetry, and Celebrating Walpurgisnacht

Hello friends and fiends–

I started off the month by going to an estate sale where I got three candlesticks and a bell. I’m working on (slowly) transforming my first-floor bathroom into a forest witch aesthetic and these fit in perfectly (not to mention, will double as great altar and ritual tools, too!). I did some house cleaning and was generally feeling pretty good, but then I went to work and got in a car accident. I was a little sore for a few days and I’m missing the bumper on my Fiesta, but that should all get fixed and situated this month, and honestly, I’m just happy that things didn’t turn out a lot worse because…well, they probably should have. Someone was definitely watching out for me that day.

April is always the end of the semester for me (for undergrad), so there was a lot of running around, chasing students, and grading late work, extra credit, and final projects. I wrapped up my Women Write Horror class and was thrilled with how it turned out. The students went above and beyond what I asked of them and genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves and push their boundaries by doing extra work and reading stuff they might not have explored before. I’m still wrapping up three graduate classes now, but I’m making plans for summer residency (and doing some extra reading with my mentees) and honestly, I’m so looking forward to some writing time. Nothing makes me happier than holing up and disappearing into a manuscript, and if I can do that with a community of writers near me? Talk about a win! Plus, Lindy Ryan and I hate a date to watch Jennifer’s Body after we present our publishing lecture so yeah, lots to be excited about!


I tried to be nice to myself this month because it’s always so hectic what with registration, course withdrawals, etc., and I often have to remind myself that I’m low-key doubling as a student, too. I took a Psychology of Sexuality class this semester and it was a blast. My final was a photo-voice project titled: “The Use of Blood in Art: A Feminist Movement Advocating for Public Health Care, Equality, and a Normalization of the Female Body. I had such a good time with it, and I’m planning on expanding it this summer and maybe working it into a lecture on the monstrous feminine in horror. I’ll keep you all updated as things evolved. 

Around mid-month, I carved out some time to stop by Gypsy Parlor Tattoo shop and reunite with Michelle Joy, tattoo artist extraordinaire. She did an INSANE floral etching for me that covered my shoulder in these dark magic blackberry vines. It looks better than I ever could have imagined and the tattoo has such deep significance to me–something that I’ll share more with everyone a little down the line, but yes, it probably has something to do with my poetry collection coming out later this year!

Outside of the above, I bought quite a few books this month. I also picked up the May Nightworm Bundle and took advantage of White Stag Publishing’s spring clearing sale. I’m hoping to do a LOT of reading this summer as I have some ideas for new classes I want to create and essays I want to write.  Speaking of, I have a hold list at the library that’s a mile long. I need to go pick those babies up soon…

And speaking of babies, Evie is thriving and living her best life. She had a bit of a cold this month, but she punched it in the face and moved on quickly from it. She has so many teeth (even the doctors were shocked, ha!), she’s started to walk around a lot more, and her book obsession rivals mine. We’ve been reading a lot and building everything we can get our hands on, and she and I are definitely looking forward to some nice weather so we can get outside, feel the grass on our feet, and play with the flowers. I’m hoping to get her to the planetarium a few times this summer as well as to Phipps (which she already loves), and we have some hiking trails mapped out and our picnic basket cleaned and ready to rock and roll! There might even be some swim lessons on the horizon!

I closed out the month by doing a Walpurgisnacht ritual by myself. I did some shadow work, collected and burned old flower and herb bouquets, wrote messages to the dead, wished on dandelions, rang bells, drank some tea, and took some ghost pipe to help me center myself and do some healing. I don’t have a lot of privacy where I live but I played some soft music while I sat by our fire pit and quietly celebrated. I’m hoping that we can move here in the next couple of years so I can really let my witch flag fly without holding back.


On the writing/teaching front:

  • I finished the edits on my 7th poetry collection. We’re looking at a September/October release date and I’ll have more information to share with you all soon, but I’m so excited to share this dark little monster with you all.
  • I’m completely thrilled and honored that my piece “Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga”--previously published in Black Spot Book’s Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga–has been selected for publication in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year, Vol 15.
  • Monster Complex kindly interviewed me about Writing Poetry in the Dark and all things horror. You can check out the interview here.
  • The cover reveal for Under Her Eye debuted last month with cover illustration by Lynne Hansen and design by Najla Qamber. Black Spot Books' second annual women-in-horror showcase, UNDER HER EYE is edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray and features poems from 112 women (cis, trans, and non-binary femmes) around the world. Featured poets include Stephanie Wytovich, Jessica McHugh, and Marge Simon, with a foreword by Sara Tantlinger. Developed in partnership with The Pixel Project, all net proceeds from the collection will be donated to help support efforts to end violence against women worldwide. Release November 2023.

This month, I read:

  • God I Feel Modern Tonight: Poems from a Girl About Town by Catherine Cohen
  • Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (highly recommend)
    • I taught her short story “The Head” this semester and the students loved it. There are so many layers to this story and it’s so powerful. Weird, of course, but it has incredible depth and discusses topics like bodily autonomy, miscarriage, and female trauma.
  • Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (reread with my students)
    • This book continues to have such a strong grip on me and I’ve read it twice not in a little over a year’s time. If you’d like to check out my initial thoughts on the book, you can read my essay “On Becoming Nightbitch” via LitReactor.
  • I recently taught Samanta Schweblin’s short story “Mouthful of Birds” in my Women Write Horror Class, so I thought it would be a good time to pick up her collection of the same name. Some favorites were: “"Headlights," "The Merman," “ On the Steppe,” and "Heads Against Concrete." I so deeply admire Schweblin's work and I can’t wait to pick up more. Fever Dream was my first taste of what she could do, and I’ve been going back ever since. If you haven’t read her work, I think this collection would be a great place to start to get a good sense of her writing.
  • I’m still working my way through Spite House by Johnny Compton, Out There by Kate Folk, and Animal Wife by Lara Ehrlich, but I should have all three of those finished quite soon. Especially Spite House. I’ve been making up for lost time with it and I just have to know how it ends…
  • A Gift for a Ghost, a graphic novel by Borja Gonzalez
  • Twig, a graphic novel by Skottie Young
  • Taproot, a graphic novel by Keezy Young
  • Garlic and the Witch, a graphic novel by Bree Paulsen
  • “Delicate Webbing” by Beatrice Winifred Iker, Nightmare Magazine, flash fiction
  • “The Dissection” by GeorgHeym, Weird Fiction Review
  • “Fruit” by Alyza Taguilaso, Nightmare Magazine, poetry
  • “Axolotl” by Julio Cortazar, short fiction
  • “The Nature of Bees” by Priya Sharma, Weird Fiction Review


On the media front: 

  • Bros (2022), I Came By (2022), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), The Visitor (2023), Nanny (2022), Honor Society (2022), Mae Martin: Sap (2023), Evil Dead Rise (2023), The Strays (2023), A Simple Favor (2018), Nope (2022).

  • Not Dead Yet: Still enjoying. I’m rooting for an enemies-to-lovers spin here and I’m excited to see how they wrap up the season this month!

  • Working Moms, Season 7: I love this show so deeply: it’s funny and honest, and it makes me really think about my life, my goals, and who I want to be (especially now that I’m a mom). This final season wrapped up everything perfectly and I was so happy and emotional at the end. If you haven’t jumped into this one yet, definitely add it to your watch list, especially if you’re a mom. All the applause. 

  • The Mandalorian, Season 3: This season was a lot of fun and the last episode really had me excited about the universe in general. I especially enjoyed Bo-Katan’s arc this season, and I’m excited to see where that goes moving forward.

  • Ghost, Season 2: There are not enough words for how much I love this show. It’s definitely become a comfort watch for me, and it never fails to crack me up.

  • Waco: American Apolcaypse: I watched the Waco Survivor dramatization that was on Netflix during the pandemic and it broke me–truly. I don’t think I’ve openly wept like that too often in my life, so when this 3-part documentary came out, I knew I had to give it a go. There’s something about this entire incident that has such a hold on me, and I find myself constantly going back and forth about decisions, accountability, etc. I definitely want to do some reading about this to explore further, so if anyone has any books that you’d like to recommend as I continue down the rabbit hole, please reach out and let me know!

  • Swarm: This show was WILD. I’m still a bit in shock over it and in awe of some of the performances in it. If you haven’t made time for this yet, definitely do so. And go in without expectations and as little knowledge of it as possible. 

Podcasts:

Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.

Best,

Stephanie


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Saturday, April 1, 2023

March '23 Madhouse Recap: Rest, Relax, and Haunt

Hello friends and fiends–

March is always a reflective month for me. The whole crew–myself included–got sick mid-month and it was a nightmare. The house desperately needs to be aired out and cleansed so the energy can reset and I’m hoping to do a big spring clean here soon. That aside, I turned 34 on the 28th and have been doing a lot of evaluation and resting and planning as I think about what I want to do now that the semester is coming to an end and summer is faintly on the horizon. I was planning on starting down a new path this fall, but the graduate program I was accepted into had a modality change that doesn’t really align with my schedule, so for now, I’ve had to defer to spring so I can meditate on how I can make this happen, and if I really want to put myself through the stress of it. 

Mostly though, I just want to write. I have so many stories and half-finished projects that need tending to so I’m planning on doing just that for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, everything else will align as the universe sees fit after that. 

Dennis and I did manage to steal away for a long weekend this month, which was more needed than I realized. We stayed at this adorable bed and breakfast in Gettysburg (The Inn at White Oak) and it was the most charming place I’ve ever stayed before. The hosts were lovely, the scenery and lodging were truly incredible, and we were treated like royalty with fresh breakfast every day, coffee, a selection of teas, and homemade pastries and snacks available throughout the day. The owner even built us a fire in the pool house so we could swim in style at night.

We managed to do some hiking at Devil’s Den and then visited some other battlefield sights. We antiqued, did some shopping, sampled lots of cider and mead, and then one of the highlights of the trip was a candlelight dinner in the library of the Dobin House. I’m such a sucker for anything historical and I love nothing more than soft light, good company, and creating memories, so this was a great little birthday surprise for me, and one I won’t soon forget. Plus, the food was incredible (always a plus!)

We extended our trip a bit by heading to Rocky Gap State Park. We did some more hiking, some more relaxing, and okay, I did go to the casino for a bit but they had this Little Shop of Horrors machine, so what do you really expect from me? I really enjoyed the park though, and we’re making plans to visit again this summer with Evie to do some more exploring. There’s just nothing quite as soothing as spending time in a forest. I need to do more of it…and I intend to.

As we pick up speed this April, I’ll be finishing teaching three graduate courses and one undergraduate course, as well as submitting my final work for the psychology class I’m taking. I have some trips planned for the summer and then I’m signed up for StokerCon, so hopefully, there should be lots to look forward to.

In the meantime give this poem a read: “How to Break a Curse” and continue to do good things and be kind to each other. 



On the writing/teaching front:
  • I know some people don't connect with craft books, so I wanted to write something that recommends books to inspire creativity (while still subtly teaching). As such, check out my article Craft Books for Writers Who Hate Craft Books via LitReactor.
  • I was thrilled to be highlighted via @HorrorWriters for #WiHM. You can check out the interview here.
  • I managed to hit some submission calls this month, which is wild because it’s been ages since I’ve disciplined myself enough to do that. Feeling quite proud, regardless of how things shake out.

This month, I read:

Comics and Graphic Novels–

  • I Hate Fairyland Issue #5 by SkottieYoung
  • Lovesick Issue #5 by Luana Vecchio
  • Blue Book Issue #1 by James Tynion
  • Betty the Final Girl #1, one-shot via Archie Comics
  • Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1, one-shot via Archie Comics
  • Farmhand Vol 3 by Rob Guillory
  • Little Vampires Vol 1 by Jeff Lemire
  • Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
  • Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
  • Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Novels & Collections–
  • Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
  • Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
  • Sisters by Daisy Johnson (reread)
  • I’ve been reading Lesley Nneka Arimah’s short story collection What it Means When A Man Falls From the Sky. This month I read: “The Future Looks Good,” “War Stories,” “Wild,” and “Light.”
  • I’ve been reading Bora Chung’s short story collection Cursed Bunny and really, really enjoying it. This month I read: “The Head,” “The Embodiment,” “Cursed Bunny,” “The Frozen Finger,” “Snare,” “Goodbye, my Love,” “Scars,” and “Home Sweet Home.”
Individual Short Stories and Essays–



On the media front: 

  • Nocebo (2022), Scream 6 (2023), Lars and the Real Girl (2007),  I See You (2019)

  • The Outsider: I really enjoyed this and I’m deeply curious to read the book now. Great suspense and horrifying images. I don’t know that I should have watched this considering the subject matter but once I started it, I couldn’t stop. 

  • You, Season 4, Part 2: This entire series is such a comfort watch for me, and I know that shouldn’t be the case but I can’t help it. I liked where this season ended up going, and it got me thinking about Dexter again. I 100% need to catch up on my reading here… I still haven’t read book #3 ye

  • Waco: American Apocalypse: I only watched the first episode, but WACO has a pretty strong hold on me for whatever reason, so I definitely plan to finish this soon.

  • The Mandalorian, Season 3: I'm all caught up and remain in love with this show. I also very much appreciate the direction they are going in with Bo-Katan.

  • Not Dead Yet: I'm not in love with this show, but it's a cute idea and something I like to watch here and there when I need to turn off my head for a bit. Fun fact: back when working in journalism was my career goal, I so desperately wanted to get my feet wet in the field by writing obituaries. I actually applied to do it once, but didn't get the position.


Podcasts:

Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.

Best,

Stephanie


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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

February '23 Madhouse Recap: Lattes, Friends, and Betelgeuse (Betelgeuse Betelgeuse!)

 February ‘23 Madhouse Recap

Hello friends and fiends–

I feel like I blinked and February was over, and to be honest, this month really tested my ability to keep my cool (spoiler alert: I didn’t keep my cool). My sensory issues have been getting worse and it’s making home life a little challenging with two pit bulls and a 1-year-old, but I’ve been using my sensory ear plugs and they’ve been really helping, so I think I’m just going to have to lean on them more. Plus, I don’t think the steady streaming of Elmo’s World and Baby Shark is really helping. I joke with Dennis that we worship at the house of the Red God now. 

Speaking of health, I’ve been trying to get clever with my cooking this month and have been finding lots of vegetarian recipes that are quick and easy to whip up and have on hand for lunches. I’ve been making this kale salad a lot lately that has dried cranberries, walnuts, and wild grain rice all mixed together with some sun-dried tomatoes and chia seeds, and it’s really good (and filling!). I found another one on TikTok that I want to try that uses sliced carrots as a base. Apparently, it’s a favorite of Florence Pugh, so that’s good enough for me! 

I did manage to carve out some time this month to relax and spend time with friends, though. Jennifer came up for the weekend and we surrounded ourselves with book talk, tea, good food, and lots of good conversation. We have so many plans for RDSP that I’m just over the moon excited about, and it’s really inspiring and I can’t wait to start working on some things here soon. Heidi and Jason even joined us for a bit and got to meet Evie, and it felt good to just have the gang over and laugh and make plans for the future. 

Speaking of books, I won a GoodReads Giveaway last month: The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. Eek! Christa Carmen also released the cover and preorder information for her book The Daughters of Block Island, which I immediately preordered–because obviously. 


Evie stayed at my parent's one weekend and Dennis and I got to kind of catch our breath and spend some time together for Valentine’s day. We went downtown and hung out at the strip, reenacting our first date. We tried a new coffee place, played pinball, went to the candy store, and visited some of our favorite shops. I left with my pockets full of antique keys, star mica crystals, and some beautiful rose-hibiscus perfume that Dennis picked up for me at Roxanne’s. We then had lunch at Allegheny Tavern and left full and happy. 

I also got to meet up with Michelle Renee Lane last month, which was way overdue! We met at the Steep Mountain Tea Company in Greensburg (which I’m now obsessed with) and caught up over Chocolate Strawberry Lattes and pastries. Then later in the month, it was my brother’s birthday so he and my sister-in-law came in for the weekend and we all went to go see Beetlejuice The Musical, grabbed dinner at Nicky’s Thai Restaurant, and then got drinks at Con Alma. Wrap that all up with the fact that I finished my Agatha Christie puzzle and made it to spring break in my psychology class and well, all I can really say is onward!

On the writing/teaching front:

  • To see Writing Poetry in the Dark be a finalist in the nonfiction category is a dream. It was one of my writing life goals to edit a collection of speculative poetry essays and I'm so happy with how this turned out and then to see it on the ballot? Honestly, it's emotional. A million thanks yous to Jennifer Barnes and John Edward Lawson for helping me with this vision. Beyond that, Cina Pelayo's essay (from Writing Poetry in the Dark) was nominated in short nonfiction, which is just incredible news, and when you add that hers and Donna Lynch's poetry collection made the ballot, too? I'm just so incredibly proud and excited and honored to continue working with such creative, brilliant people. I know how hard you both worked on those books and it's wonderful to see you getting recognition for that. *hugs* And speaking of kind and brilliant people, Lindy Ryan's anthology Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga is nominated in the anthology category and I could not be more over the moon for her. I love this project with all my heart and it was such a joy to be able to participate it in. Congratulations to everyone nominated, to everyone out there writing, to everyone celebrating and championing horror. I'm happy to be beside you all.
  • I’m honored that my poem "Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga" has made the long list for the Rhysling Award. This piece was originally published in Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga, ed. by Lindy Ryan (Black Spot Books). Congrats, everyone!
  • My undergrad students and I recently finished reading My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. One of the creative assignments I used this semester was for them to select five songs that made them think of the book so that we could construct a reading playlist, and I think it turned out really great. If you’re interested, you can check it out here.
  • Last month in The Madhouse, I was honored to host Tiffany Morris and talk about her cosmic masterpiece: Elegies for Rotting Stars. Join us here.


This month, I read:

On the media front:

  • Don’t Worry Darling (2022), We Have A Ghost (2023)

  • You, Season 4, Part 1: I gotta say, this entire series has become such a comfort watch for me and this season is living up to just that. It’s like a cozy murder mystery with one of my favorite villains, and I’m here for the old English settings and Agatha Christie vibes. However, I will say that I’m so happy Joe is paired with and going after a guy this season. It’s a nice change of pace, even if we do see his old habits break through now and again. I’m looking forward to Part 2 in March, and I’m sure I’ll happily binge it on its release day!

  • Wayward Pines Season 1: I’ve had this show on my radar for a while now, but randomly decided to pull the trigger on it last month. I enjoyed the first season…even if this was nothing like I expected it to be. I made it about halfway through season 2 and lost steam. I might finish it eventually, but I’m not in a rush to do it. 

Podcasts:

Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.

Best,

Stephanie

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April '23 Madhouse Recap: Research, Poetry, and Celebrating Walpurgisnacht

Hello friends and fiends– I started off the month by going to an estate sale where I got three candlesticks and a bell. I’m working on (slow...