It was an event worthy of any Goddess! Thank you to the Clarion Free Library for hosting the launch of Goddesses I Have Known in their beautiful space, to poet and activist Tabassam Shah for her introductory remarks, to Keith Hileman for the gorgeous artwork on the cover, to Stringamajigs for the lovely music, and Miola Macaroons for the amazing grazing table. Most importantly, thanks to all who bought a copy of the book, which led to donations to both the library, and Clarion SAFE. To say I came away with a full heart is an understatement.

Goddesses is now available at Sparrow Books in Clarion, on Bookshop.org, and on Amazon. A donation will be made to Clarion SAFE for every book sold.

I am pleased to share that proceeds from the sales of my forthcoming poetry book, Goddesses I Have Known, will be shared with a charity doing important work: Clarion’s SAFE Inc. SAFE (Stop Abuse For Everyone) is a nonprofit organization that provides services to victims of domestic violence in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. While not exclusively a crime against women, the vast majority of domestic violence victims are current or former girlfriends or wives.

They are mothers, daughters, sisters. 

The poetry in Goddesses I Have Known explores all aspects of the feminine experience. One chapter is titled “The Goddess In Chains.” Another is “The Goddess as Warrior.”  By donating a significant portion of the book’s ongoing proceeds to SAFE Inc, I hope to empower the Warrior to aid these victims trapped in the chains of violence.

To maximize the profits gained from the sale of the book (and thus the associated charitable donations), I have decided to publish it through our imprint, Quimbey, Pickford and Cheshire, LLC, and not through Mammoth Books as previously announced. I’d like to thank Mammoth’s founder, Tony Vallone, for his support of my work and for my goal regarding charitable giving. 

A mid-October launch is targeted at the Clarion Free Library. Stay tuned for more information!

On Saturday, August 26, 2023, the Oil Region Library Association (ORLA) held its third annual Festival of the Book (FOTB) in Oil City, on the streets in front of its stunning library building. It was such a pleasure to spend the day outdoors in the sunny, temperate weather alongside so many writers and community organizations. I enjoyed several meaningful conversations on topics ranging from Orphic poetry to the history of the Underground Railroad in Northwestern PA. It was energizing, inspiring, affirming, and simply FUN. And I did sell some books, which I appreciated!

The folks at ORLA asked me to be a featured speaker this year, which was an honor. I thought I’d share the text of my remarks here. Forgive the slightly salesy nature of some passages– I was there to introduce myself, after all! But my real purpose was to give thanks. Here is what I said:

I’d like to thank the Oil Region Library Association for supporting local writers by holding this festival and the many other things they do— for truly, where would we writers, and readers, be without libraries! “Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination,” said Sidney Sheldon, one of the top ten best selling fiction writers of all times. He went on: “They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.” And now, as we all know, libraries are on the front lines of a battle many foresaw but I can hardly believe, fighting book bans and censorship. We should all be extraordinarily grateful for their support.

I write poetry— more on that in a moment—and nonfiction, primarily the biographies of people forgotten by history but whose lives still have lesson for us today. My book, Cursed, about a young woman who died because her husband belonged to a faith-healing cult and denied her the care she needed after getting sick, is in between editions. I have a few copies at my table. Her husband, by the way, was a native of Brookville.

I started writing poetry in my teens, finding it helpful—as so many do—as I worked through the angst that came with those years. But I first fell in love with the craft through song lyrics—the poetry of folks singers and songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, too many to list. They were the first to seduce me with the power of metaphor and simile. I still play the guitar and sings those songs— they’re in my literary DNA.

My poetry reflects my experience in the world on three major fronts: the beauty of the Northern Appalachian landscape; the experience of living as a woman; and the frustration and pain of social injustice. In the first instance, I am a member of the group Poets of the Wilds which has a table here. We have a beautiful book by Clarion poet Tabby Shah, and work by that consummate outdoorsman Byron Hoot. I have published a book titled Sanctity that offers a series of lyrical poems organized by season celebrating the beauty of Northern Appalachia. Here is an Autumn poem from that book:

Path

There’s a path
that runs to the east
the grass grown up from neglect,

only the faintest denting from deer moving during the night.

On certain days the drifting sun
rises directly there—

the light slithering along the weedy heads of seed,
through the trees,
reaching me as I wait
like a sacrifice in the temple
aligned to catch
the golden snake; or
a priestess at Newgrange, praying
as the solstice sun pierces the passage
to anoint the dead.

I wait, the trees aflame above,
the ground glowing from burnished leaves,

the sky growing brighter,

the light’s shaft coiling, ready
to crack open my
heart.

My older poetry often tackled the emotions of a woman in love, or sorting through the challenges of a difficult childhood, but it is my forthcoming book, titled Goddesses I Have Known that explores all aspects of the Feminine Spirit. I hope to see it in print in October. This is the dedication poem from that book.

Be My Muses

Be my muses, you crones and queens— 

I need you more than Greeks

in their flowing gowns and marble 

shrines to Beauty. 

Erato enchants,

Polyhymnia promises, 

Calliope beguiles—but all

faint in the face 

of caste and farce,

plague and force. 

The muses I need now are darkly different,

more at home with Hel than Hera.

Come, then, Tiamet and Bast, 

Mazu and Yemaya.

Meet holocaust with chaos,

revenge with vengeance. 

Deliver to me a pantheon of all 

that is unholy 

in this sanctimonious world, 

strengthen this spine,

prepare my mouth to speak

the messy truth of sweet

blasphemy.

I am a co-founder of the group Poets Against Racism and Hate, which has presented readings at both the Franklin and Oil City libraries. When I write about social justice, I tend to tap stories from historical figures. My book Inspired by their Voices is based on the testimonies of Underground Railroad operatives. Here’s a short poem from that collection based on the testimony of Graceanna Lewis from Phoenixville, PA (to learn more about her, check out my previous blog on her life).

Rachel Moore escaped

with her six young children

and came to our farm

in the most pitiful condition.

After they left the home of their master

a rain came on

and the flapping of their wet garments

against their unprotected limbs

wore off the skin

until it bled with every step.

Yet their sense of danger of capture

was so great

that they pressed forward 

with all the speed

possible to them—

the mother carrying the youngest child

to hasten them forward,

She wore but a single garment,

a coarse heavy dress 

woven in broken stripes

of red. 

If you are a poet who writes about social justice, or a reader interested in joining our community, I have some material at my table about PARH USA.

The support for writers in this region is extraordinary! I’d like to mention the Bridge Literary Arts Center which has a table here and recently put on a wonderful literary festival at the Wildcat Mansion in Franklin. If you aren’t tapped into that group, change that today by visiting with them! They’re already planning next year’s festival.

Being a writer can seem like a solitary endeavor, but really, it takes a village. The libraries, the Bridge Literary group, festivals like these— this is our lifeline. Thank you for being here.

It is such an honor to use this beautiful work by Clarion artist Keith Hileman as the inspiration for the front cover of my forthcoming book of poetry, Goddesses I Have Known. The book is in the final stages of production by Mammoth Books of Dubois, PA. We are targeting a mid-October launch– more news about that soon.

Most writers will agree that the submission process can be a source of frustration and disappointment. It is usually costly on several levels. Writers typically pay for the privilege to submit, and are rarely paid if their work is chosen. The steady stream of rejections– an inevitability for nearly every writer– can play havoc with one’s confidence and motivation. There are times when the process can even seem fraudulent, especially when a journal’s editor never takes action on a submission call, and your hopes for an acceptance evaporate along with your submission fee.

My experience submitting one poem, titled “Ritual of Purity,” to the anthology Stained was a happy exception.

This project was extremely well run. To start with, there was no fee to submit. The editors, Rachel Neve-Midbar (http://rachelnevemidbar.com/) and Jennifer Saunders (https://www.jennifer-saunders.com/), were clear in their submission call about the type of work they were hoping to see. They expertly managed their authors’ expectations about the timeline. This was especially important, since the project took several months. And, they were clear that they would be seeking a publisher for the anthology– in other words, there was no guarantee that the book would be published otherwise.

No fee, a compelling theme, editors with integrity– a writer’s dream! Add to that, Rachel and Jennifer had a charitable intent. 25% of the proceeds of the sale of Stained will be donated to Days for Girls, https://www.daysforgirls.org. Days For Girls works to end period poverty and ensure menstruators have protection products so they can attend school, work, and manage their menstrual health.  I found it immensely satisfying to know my work is helping with such a worthy cause.

I hope those of you subscribing to my page promote this anthology through your own purchase of the book, and your effort to share it with your network. Thank you in advance for your support.