Hello Friends and Fiends,
Ah, it’s finally September! I don’t know about you, but I’m beyond ready for this heat wave to break so I can throw on my oversized sweaters, live in my leather boots, and layer in unreasonable amounts while drinking coffee and summoning the dead...er, I mean snuggling up with a good book!
That said, August was a blast. Jennifer came over for some kitchen witchery, tea, and good conversation. We made a strawberry-rhubarb pie together (from scratch!) and made lots of spooky plans for the future. I also got to spend some time with a handful of other friends this past month; pedicures were had, tacos were devoured, and lots of laughs and memories were made all around.
That said, August is always a hectic month for me because it’s crunch time before the start of the semester. Most of my time was dedicated to reading and syllabi prep, but my beloved Ford Fiesta recently took its last breath, so last month also meant buying a new car. Was it stressful? Yes. Am I in love with what we bought? Yes. Did I hug my Fiesta while taking out the trash today because I’m also in mourning? Also yes.
I ended the month with a Pumpkin Creme Cold brew, no shame, and lots of hope and inspiration for the month ahead. I love September, so I’m looking forward to the upcoming weeks and the magic they hold.
On the writing/teaching front:
My poem “Sagittarius Moon” will appear in the upcoming issue (#147) of Space and Time Magazine.
In continuing my work toward my degree in forensic psychology, I was honored to attend a virtual lecture by none other than Harold Schechter, who talked about his book Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects. My mind is still buzzing from this talk, and the Q&A was intense but fascinating, especially regarding topics of ethics, hybristophilia, and the Son of Sam Law.
I also did some reading via CrimeReads this month and checked out: “On Poisonings, Serial Killers, Mass Murderers, and Other Symbols of the Zeitgeist” by Harold Schechter
I read an article on the San Gennaro catacombs of Naples, Italy (courtesy of Morbid Anatomy) and then looked at some photographs depicting the structures and frescos at the site. I wasn’t familiar with this location or its history before, so this is a good reference point for my thanatology studies. I went on their website, and they have this cool feature where you can light up and darken the catacomb space, so if you want a sneak peek, you can do so here.
I took a virtual tour of the Neapolitan Cult of the Souls of Purgatory via the Church of San Pietro and Aram with Shaman Antonio Paciello (courtesy of Morbid Anatomy). I learned so much, and it gave me a ton of ideas regarding some things I have planned to do/ want to do as a Death Doula/ student of Thanatology.
Point Park did a lovely write-up about the creative writing camp I helped host: “Monsters, monologues, and mayhem made for a delightfully chilling week as the School of Arts & Sciences' Department of Literature, Culture and Society hosted its Creative Writing Camp, inspired by the horror genre. Middle and high school students spent the week developing villainous creatures, macabre backstories, and hair-raising plots all while growing their writing and storytelling skillsets.” Read the full article here.
I’ll mentor five students at WCSU this fall and advise one during their thesis semester. As always, I like sharing what we’re reading and studying, so here are some books on our horizon:
Nonfiction: Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of Ancient Myths by Helen Morales; Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lessner; The Creative Act by Rick Rubin; A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver; The Art of Syntax by Ellen Bryant Voigt; Poetry as Spellcasting by Tamiko Beyer, Destiny Hemphill, and Lisbeth White; The Book of Queer Prophets: 24 Writers on Sexuality and Religion edited by Ruth Hunt; Catching the Light by Joy Harjo; and · Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther.
Historical Fiction: The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh; Shirley: A Novel by Susan Scarf Merrell; Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown; The Madwomen of Paris by Cody Epstein; Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler; and The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin.
Poetry: Obit by Victoria Chang; Lesson on Expulsion by Erika L. Sanchez; Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers by Jake Skeets; Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim; Now We’re Getting Somewhere by Kim Addonizio; A Hundred Lovers by Richie Hoffman; Ascend, Ascend by Janaka Stucky; Satan Says by Sharon Olds; · Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo; The Body Wars: Poems by Jan Beatty; The House on the Marshland by Louise Gluck; and Hemming the Water by Yona Harvey.
Poetry Close Study: excerpts from Plath, Sexton, Bishop, Lowell, Snodgrass
Genre: The Drowning Country by Emily Tesh; When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill; A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
Fiction Close Study: stories from Angela Carter, Kelly Link, Bora Chung, Samanta Schweblin, Priya Sharma, Lucy A. Snyder, A.C. Wise, Theodora Goss, and Devin Miller.
This month, I read:
Morganna and Oz: This is so cute, cozy, and witchy. I’m on episode 15 now, and I always turn to it when I need a dose of whimsy in my life.
[insert boy] by Danez Smith
The House on Marshland by Louise Gluck
Soft Science by Franny Choi
If you haven’t read any of her work yet, here is an excellent piece to start with “Second Mouth.”
Spectregraph Issue 1, James Tynion IV
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Issues 1-6 by Patrick Hovarth
Stuff of Nightmares: The Monster Makers by R. L. Stine
Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu
Mall Goth by Kate Leth
Unfamiliar, Vol 2 by Haley Newsome
Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue
Hide by Kiersten White
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
The Weirdies by Michael Buckley + The Weirdies Get Weirder by Michael Buckley
This series was so much fun, and Kate Winslet was phenomenal as the narrator. I listened to this with my daughter; it was the perfect amount of weird without it being too much for her. We giggled a lot and fell in love with the madness of the triplets, and it reminded me of all the things I loved about A Series of Unfortunate Events as a kid.
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee
I started reading Anais Nin’s collection In Favor of the Sensitive Man and Other Essays. This month, I read: “Eroticism in Women,” “The New Woman,” “Anais Nin Talks About Being a Woman,” etc.
Short fiction/nonfiction: “Fairy Tales for Drowning Girls” by Bree Wernicke;“The Memory of My Disappearance” by Meg Rains; “I Am Not The One They Found in a Cornfield” by Jennie Evenson; “Remember?” by Pam Durban; “Thin Place” by Constance Eggers; “The Oddity” by Jessica Franken; and “Which Super Little Dead Girl Are You? Take Our Quiz and Find Out!” by Nino Cipri.
On the media front:
Tarot (2024), Lisa Frankenstein (2024), Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023), Immaculate (2024), Mean Girls (2024)
Junji Ito Maniac, Japanese Tales of the Macabre: “Tomb Town,” ‘Tomie’s Photos,” “Mold/Library Vision”
The Umbrella Academy (S4, 2024): Dennis and I finally started making time to jump into the latest season, and I’m itching to know where things are going. I usually don’t like time travel/multiple timeline narratives, but this one has its teeth in me, and I really enjoyed the season (and the series) overall. It should be no surprise that Klaus was my favorite character, but at the end, Five was up there, too.
Creepshow: “Cassandra; Smile” (S4, E1), “The Hat; Grieving Process” (S4, E2), “Meet the Belaskos; Cheat Code (S4, E4)
School Spirits (2023): This gave me some Cruel Summer-meets-Ghosts vibes, so I started watching it. I flew through the eight episodes but wasn’t super thrilled with the ending. I saw the show got renewed, so here’s hoping the next season clears up some things…
Podcasts:
Poetry Spoken Here, “Tanya Tagaq Reads from Split Tooth”
Poetry Off the Shelf, “Team Mystery”
TedTalk, “How to Build Your Creative Confidence,” “How to Spot a Cult”
Entrepreneurs On Fire: Inspiring Interviews “Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk: Your Elusive Creative Genius”
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