It’s been a crazy and wonderful Fall, and I’m ready for the cold quiet that comes with winter. It’s always been my favorite season to write. I have projects planned and stories to finish. Time to get back to business!
Overall, October was a fun month. I received my author copy of the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. V, edited by Stephanie Wytovich. My story “Blood Works” appears in this wonderful collection featuring some of my favorite poets currently working in the speculative realm. There are some truly lovely works in this powerful and haunting journal. Among my favorites are “The Joy of Seeing” by Christina Sng, “The Temptation of the Moon to Shadow” by C. R. Langille, and the featured poem “Amalgamation” by Sara Tantlinger. The Horror Writers Association has showcased dark poetry for the last five years. It’s been such a lovely experience, I hope I’ll be able to submit again next year.
Also in October, I received my author copy of Birthing Monsters: Frankenstein’s Cabinet of Curiosities and Cruelties, a stunning grimoire collected by Firbolg Publishing. Opening this package was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve had as an author. Not only was my story marked in the hardcover edition by a goose quill, but the box was brimming with treasures galore–all of which were unique and marvelous in their own way. The book itself is meant to be explored as an adventure; in fact, it doesn’t even have a table of contents. My essay, “Mapping the Collective Body of Frankenstein’s Bride,” can be found about halfway through and is bookended by an eerie piece of short fiction by Bruce Boston and a selection of strange images ranging from a black-and-white still from the movie Bride of Frankenstein to an excerpt from a criticism of the original publication of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (The London Literary Gazette; November 19, 1831). The line-up of authors, poets, scholars, composers, playwrights, and artists featured in this quirky compendium includes Michael Bailey, Adam Bolivar, Jason V. Brock, Cecile Grimm Cabeen, Robert Payne Cabeen, Scott Edelman, Brian Evenson, Eric J. Guignard, Anne Jackson, Thierry Jandrock, Erik T. Johnson, S. T. Joshi, Lisa Morton. Gene O’Neill, E. F. Schraeder, Darrell Schweitzer, Doktor Alex Scully, B. E. Scully, Mary Shelley, Marge Simon, and Darren Speegle. The result is a stitched narrative that celebrates one of the most influential novels ever penned. It’s an experiment unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I hope I will have the opportunity to work with Firbolg Publishing again.
Carina Bissett 