Hello Friends and Fiends—
September felt like a whirlwind, but that’s to be expected with the start of school. I’m teaching a handful of graduate classes this semester and I just finished up with a 4-week Witch Lit Class via LitReactor, and ah, what a blast! Teaching is exhausting and a ton of work, but it always invigorates and inspires me. I always try to push myself to read something new, too, whether that be a book of criticism, a new poetry collection I think might help in the future, an academic essay, etc. For my Witch Class this time around, I read Witches, Witch-hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici, which I really enjoyed. And talk about eye-opening!
Mostly, I’ve been living my life by my planner these days and making sure that I’m creating a balance of achieving my goals, going to work, and including lots of moments of self-care. The self-care bit mostly looks like me remembering to drink water and go to therapy, but hey, those things matter and I’m calling it a win. Outside of that though, I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to the psychology classes I’m taking at Point Park, and I’m really loving the challenge and energy, and knowledge I’m gaining from them. I’ve also been reading a lot of fairytales because I find them nostalgic and relaxing, and that’s something I need right now. Ironically, most of them have been about sleep–I’m sure Jung would have something to say about that…
Evie and I got to celebrate our first Mabon together, and I tried to make it special by putting up a little altar, burning my Mithras candle (which only gets lit 3, maybe 4 times a year), and taking her for a family trip to Trax Farms. We went on a hayride, walked through a 3-acre corn maze, and then picked some pumpkins and a ton of apples (to make a spiced apple loaf, of course!). I find myself so amazed by her each and every day, and I had no idea that being a mother could feel so enchanting. Sure, it’s hard and frustrating at times, but seeing the wonder in her eyes and watching her laugh at scarecrows, and pet goats, and just generally be so excited at everything is…healing. I can’t wait to spend Halloween with her, and while I consider it a cardinal sin, I’ve started Christmas/Yule shopping as well (but shhh).
We’re getting closer to the launch of Writing Poetry in the Dark this October! As such, I want to remind everyone that preorders are open and you can pick your copy of the book up here, plus we have the Writing Poetry in the Dark Event that you can sign up for as well! This three-day virtual event will feature poetry workshops, lectures, networking opportunities, and more for writers of genre poetry. Guests are still being added and more info about the programming and schedule will be available soon. Featuring on-demand prerecorded content, live sessions, and for our Evergreen Lifetime Members recordings labeled (LT) from past events.
I’m so excited to be participating in Winter Haunts this year, thanks to the ever-kind Alex Davis. This is an online day of workshops, panels & talks on ghost stories, gothic and supernatural fiction, and I’ll be running a workshop on How to Write the Speculative Poem and then appearing on a Baba Yaga panel to talk about all things feral and witchy.
My interview with Cynthia Pelayo went live on my blog. We talked about her upcoming poetry release, CRIME SCENE, and also had a wider discussion about the true crime genre in general. Give it a read here.
This month on LitReactor, I chatted with Donna Lynch about her latest poetry release: Girls From the County.We kicked off the Writing Poetry in the Dark Roundtable Interview Series this month, and for our first post, we tackled the mystical with Carina Bissett, Saba Razvi, and Leza Cantoral. You can read it here.
I chatted with the ever-lovely Desiree Duffy about the HWA Poetry Showcase and all things horror for her podcast Books That Make You. I’ll be sure to let you folks know when it airs, but in the meantime, please check out their podcast (and her Youtube channel!).
This month, I read:
The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy
Goblin by Josh Malerman
We Can Never Leave This Place by Eric Larocca
Witches, Witch-hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw
On the media front:
Watcher (2022), Kept Woman (2015), The Stepfather (1987), The Munsters (2022).
The Patient: I eagerly look forward to this show every Tuesday, and while I wish the episodes were longer, I’m enjoying it. We’ve even been talking about it in my psychology class about how it pulls from Jungian archetypes, and my god, I just love having those conversations and juxtaposing them along trope and genre criticism.
The Sandman: We’re still making our way through the show, but I have to say that Episode 4 (“A Hope in Hell”) was absolutely gorgeous and Episode 5 (“24/7) was just deliciously dark.
Dahmer: Yes, I’m watching it (but very slowly; only on episode 3). Yes, I think it’s well done (so far) and that Evan Peters is doing an exceptional job. Yes, it’s super dark and very disturbing. I don't find myself rushing to finish this, honestly. Maybe I wont?
She Hulk: Madisynn and Wongers for life! I’m enjoying this show a lot, and I appreciate all the moments where she highlights how different it is to be a woman in professional field compared to a man, especially in certain fields (like law). I like that we’re seeing this focus on fashion and beauty and dating and intersecting it with feminist criticism about how it's hypocritical, humiliating, and one-sided.
Only Murders in the Building (Season 2): This was so much fun, and that final killer reveal episode? JESUS. I always want to pretend like I’m really great at solving these types of murder mysteries, but I’m just not, which is why I love them so much. That reminds me…I’m probably due to read another Agatha Christie novel here soon…
American Horror Stories: I’ve just gone too far with this series not to watch at this point. I will say that I loved the episode “Necro” because of course I did. But overall, this season was pretty flat for me. It had some moments but overall, I’m just over it. It feels like an obligation at this point.
Devil in Ohio: I had to jump on the bandwagon and see what this show was about and while it was ridiculous and frustrating, I still binged the entire thing in two days. It was entertaining but I called the ending halfway through episode 2, and if anyone knows me, I am never right about these things, so the fact that I was should tell you all something.
What We Do in the Shadows: I absolutely loved this season and continue to adore this show. Lazlo and Colin Robinson were my favorites this season–hands down–and I’m still laughing about the home makeover plotline. Definitely, one of my favorite series these days, and *spoiler* I love that Colin grew up to be boring again. I feel like this is going to just send Lazlo into an existential crisis.
Podcasts:
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! Episode 3 “Zeus, King of the Gods and Creepy Old Man Who Tricks Women”
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! Mini Myth: Echo, echo, echo…&Narcissus
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! Theseus, Ruiner of Women & All Around Awful Person
Le’ts Talk About Myths, Baby! Mini Myth: Daphne, the Nymph Who Said, “Hell No, Apollo!”
Books in the Freezer Podcast, Faustian Bargain Horror with David Demchuck
Books in the Freezer Podcast, Bonus: Pride Month Recommendations
Books in the Freezer Podcast, Grief Horror with Clay McLeod Chapman
Best,
Stephanie
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