At Haute Macabre this week, all the books we’ve been gorging ourselves on lately! I foresee your summer reading list getting a little out of hand. Here’s a quick link list of each of the books mentioned–plus two that didn’t make the list, but were worth a mention…
Additionally, I read the oft-recommended The Troop, by Nick Cutter. I finished it just before starting The Hunger, and it was an interesting juxtaposition, these two books about insatiable appetites and voracious hungers. The Troop largely takes place on an isolated island where a boy scout troop has taken their annual trip, during which they are stalked by, and exposed to a terrifying biologically-engineered nightmare. Described as “part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later”, this was probably one of the grossest books I have ever read. But it was a lot of fun, too!
Just a few nights ago I finished The Family Plot by Cherie Priest; previously I’d only read Boneshaker and Maplecroft–the former a steampunk type affair and the latter a Lizzie Borden/eldritch horror sort of mash-up, and while both were wildly enjoyably, I felt I hadn’t yet read any proper “spooky” horror from her. The Family Plot a, haunted house tale with southern gothic trappings, volatile family dynamics, and lots of oddly precise details about how to salvage parts and hardware from a beautifully decrepit old home, fits the bit perfectly.
Bonus! I know my book lists consist, predictably, mostly horror and ghosts and spooky stuff. If historical fiction is more your cuppa, might I point you to my darling sister’s picks for the month of May, in her ongoing, monthly, “Brilliance of Books” selection?
I know I am a little late to the party on this one (how did I not know about this?) but Austin folks, you are in for a treat! Our friends at Recspec Gallery have curated a group show featuring new interpretations of the long-standing tradition of the bookplate. EX LIBRIS is a collection highlighting the work of 22 artists, and will be on display through June 9th, 2018.
“Do one thing every day that scares you” is a wonderful sentiment that is widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, but I’m not sure she actually said that exact thing (although she did say words about doing things in spite of fearing those things.) At any rate, I’m not very good at doing the things that scare me—not on a daily basis or any other time, really—but yesterday I did do such a thing. At six o’clock in the evening I met with a few other readers at a coffee shop and we talked about books. I guess you could say it was a book club, but I couldn’t think of it that way, or else I might not have gone. But books and steamy, delicious coffee, and maybe sharing my enthusiasm about both things? This I thought I could do. And I did. And I am going back next month! “We improve ourselves by victories over ourselves. There must be contests, and we must win.” This is a thing that someone else said.
I Am, I Am, I Am was a memoir, specific slices of life told through the author’s numerous brushes with death, and it was a beautiful, breathtaking piece of writing. Coincidentally, I was already reading The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, which is what they read last month, so I had the opportunity to discuss that as well. It is probably not fair to make this comparison, because I am not sure that it is meant to be an enjoyable read– but when I compare the writing styles, the Henrietta Lacks book just feels flat, functional, a vehicle for a vast amount of research; it just didn’t have the extraordinary gut-punch of the language that I Am, I Am, I Am did–which is unfortunately, because Henrietta Lacks was a remarkable story and deserved the same kind of treatment.
All these knitted squares upon which these books are cozied up in? Well, I’m working on my baby sister’s divorce blanket again, knitting up scraps of sock yarn (and sock knitters know—there are *always* scraps) into a chaotic, multicolored monster of an afghan. I just checked my notes and it would seem that I started it over three years ago, in January of 2015. Yikes. Hopefully I will finish before her next divorce! Haha, just kidding. She’d have to remarry first for that! Not gonna happen on my watch. For those interested, the pattern is Shelley Kangs’ sock yarn blanket, and I don’t know if the instructions are still on her blog, or if her blog exists, but ravelry links to a web archive page, so you should be able to find it.
I don’t quite recall when we first installed this spacious landscape of shelves into my office, but what I can assure you is that they have been amassing quite a lot of junk ever since! (The above is an “after” photo, and as you’ll see, I still have a lot of junk.)
It occurred to me that there was a great deal of empty space just begging to be filled with all of the books that were lying around the house because the other bookshelves were already dangerously full. I figured hey, I’ll take this opportunity in finding a home for all the wayward books, to do a bit of organizing…and who knows…maybe that will clear up space for more books!
I posted a few photos on Instagram of this process and several folks requested that I share some lists of the titles I was reorganizing. I am happy to! See below for a shelf-by-shelf breakdown of what got moved where and why, my probably-logical-only-to-me reorganization system, and where to find each of the books if you want them for your own shelves.
A shelf of mostly haunted anthologies that have covers illustrated by Edward Gorey.
A shelf of poetry that didn’t fit on the other poetry shelf, zines, and weird booklets that defy categorization. And a funny little goblincat to watch over it all. Also, the best candle.
And the rest of the shelves…well…they’re a bit of a work in progress. There’s my mom altar, my shelf of incense, potions, and elixirs, and then an entire shelf dedicated to perfume samples! And as you can see from the photo at the very top of this post, there’s still a few shelves that need some work; they’re in odd or hard to reach spots with relation to my desk and where I sit, and so right now they are home to weird little action figures and toys that still need some sorting.
…so that’s it! And in case you are wondering: yes. Yes, I did clear some space to make room for even more books.
I am currently in the beginning pages of four books which –so far!– are equally wonderful. I’m not far enough into the stories to tell you much about them, but they are all magical, for good or ill, and I am enjoying them each immensely!
If you are the type to judge a book by it’s very excellent cover or if your tastes are similar to mine, which is to say you love ghosts and fairy tales and terror and enchantment and you treasure lyrical language and mysterious stories and beautiful illustrations…well, I don’t think you’d be steered wrong if you picked up any or all of these books to curl up with before the year ends.
Well, I don’t know about you, but when I have a Saturday afternoon all to myself and a pile of books crying for my undivided attention, I go all out. It’s true. I will slip into my most splendid finery, don my sparkliest baubles, paint my face, spritz myself with the most expensive fragrances on my shelf (sometimes maybe three or four at once!) and then…plop down on the sofa and begin reading long into the night.
Is that weird? I don’t know. I often get all dressed up to spend the day alone, and there’s no finer reason to do so than in the name of devouring a much anticipated stack of books. Here’s a suggested ensemble for the next time you have the marvelous opportunity to get all gussied up for your bookstack. (With some required reading, of course!)
It makes me very grumbly that Halloween is not an official holiday and that I actually have to preoccupy myself between the hours of 9-5 on this day with things that have nothing whatsoever to do with ghosts or monsters or candy. Who can we complain to about this?
Being old farts, my partner and I are forgoing spooky soirées (not that we’ve been invited to any tonight, come to think of it) and staying home to pass out treats, carve up pumpkins, and watch Monster Squad. Maybe drink some whiskey. I might not even wait until the last kid has rung the doorbell! We’ll see what kind of night it is.
Speaking of soirées! I was actually invited to a Halloween party a few weeks ago, and I am shock–shocked!– to tell you that I had a fine time. I actually had fun. What! How can this be? Honestly, parties are pretty awful for me; I get anxious about a lot of things, but nothing sends me into panic attack mode faster than the thought of celebratory social interaction. I think what made this an okay experience is that I knew the hostess and had been to her home a number of times, I already knew most of the attendees in some capacity, and, well, I went with a date. Actually three! My sister, brother-in-law and partner were all there. Come to think of it, there was actually nothing to be nervous about. Huh. My costume, in case you couldn’t tell, was a skeletonwitch. Oh, what, you thought I was a panda? Are you blind or something? Unfortunately, this fabulous hat arrived after the event, but that’s fine. I’ll wear it while I’m watching Monster Squad and drunkenly carving children. Pumpkins, I mean. I’m not drinking already or anything.
Though we’ve had some glorious weather these past few days with lower temperatures that lend to layers and cloaks and tights and cardigans, the beginning of October was pretty wretched, as this time of year tends to be. I felt sorry for myself and bought an obscene amount of autumnal candles, spooky records, and a numberofhauntingreads. Also some “trock or treat” socks from Korea.
A few additions to the gallery over the past month: a lovely petite bat lady from Lady Weird and this wondrously elegant Martyred for Love sculpture by Carisa Swenson of Goblinfruit Studio
Knits finished in the past month: all patterns by Caitlin Ffrench. A thick, cozy shawl {Mabon} from her Wheel book, and two smaller altar pieces, each finished in a day.
Earlier in the month I spent the weekend with my best good friend in Orlando, who is moving out of state. I can’t believe she’s leaving, but we’ve been through this before. 15 or so years ago, I was the one who was leaving…and everything ended up being just fine. So, although I will miss her, I know this will just be a new phase in the adventure that is our weird and wonderful friendship. Anyway, she fixed the most amazing breakfast for me, during the course of our visit. Basically a toads in a hole slash avocado toast mashup. It may now be one of my top five favorite breakfasts.
Let me tell you about my other favorite breakfasts lately: rice with a little butter and soy sauce, topped with a runny fried egg and furikake; a “fake bagel”, which is basically a low calorie english muffin toasted and spread with laughing cow cheese, ripe tomato slices, red onion, and Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning, and salmon jerky. For real! Salmon jerky is amazing. Do you, like me, hate sweet breakfast offerings? Cereal, yogurt, most breakfast bars, etc.? Gah, they’re just the worst.
What are you up to this Halloween? Tricks? Treats? Napping with your cats and favorite monsters? That sounds pretty great, actually.
Over at Haute Macabre today you will find a media extravaganza! Take a peek at Stacked to grow your autumn reading list and afterward, head on over to Aural Fixation to learn more about our current earworms and sonic obsessions!
Today I am happy to share: a magical celebration of visionary female writers Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan‘s Literary Witches! I can’t believe that I’ve been excited about this book for over a year now, and it was finally released yesterday!
I’ve never been one for book clubs (I’m not much of a joiner, I’m afraid), but if I were, Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan‘s witchy gem, Literary Witches, released into the world yesterday, October 10th, is certainly a title I’d want at the very top of the roster. Incidentally, the few book clubs I have attended focused on best-selling titles I had no interest in reading, and there was more gossipy chatter than book-related conversation, so perhaps book clubs just aren’t for me. (And don’t get me wrong, I do love the gossips, but if I’ve consented to leave the house for a reason, I want that reason to hold true to its intended promises! Especially where books are concerned.)
Literary Witches is a celebration of magical woman writers, a “mystic dossier” sprung from the heads of two women, magical in their own right, and accessing the spirits of the titular Literary Witches through their own respective mediums–Taisia Kitaiskaia, who channels the book’s fanciful, enigmatic prose, and Katy Horan, the conjurer of its enchanting and intimate illustrations. Together Katy and Taisia draw a connection between witches and visionary writers, and through their poetic portraits and imaginative vignettes, they honor the formidable creativity, empowerment, and general badassery of well-known and obscure authors alike, including Virginia Woolf, Mira Bai, Toni Morrison, Emily Dickinson, Octavia E. Butler, Sandra Cisneros, and many more.
I had the good fortune to chat with Katy, who Katy graciously indulged my questions about this curious compendium in our illuminating Q&A, (and I like to think that Taisia was there in spirit, too.) Thanks to them both for conjuring these connections, channeling these women, and creating this wonderfully special, utterly splendid book.
See below for our interview wherein we chat about what, exactly, is a “literary witch”; a potent handful of Katy and Taisia’s favorite authors from within this lettered coven, and how to best approach this dazzling tribute of a grimoire. We did not, however, discuss how the grand work that is Literary Witches might fit into the agenda of your next book club’s discussion …but no doubt you will have more than a few strange and splendid ideas after you’ve finished the last page of this singular creation. Come back and let us know, and in the meantime, read on!
S. Elizabeth: How did Literary Witches come about? What sparked the idea of connections between the ultimate mystical female archetype of the witch, and visionary writers, these conjurers of words and worlds?
Katy Horan: Literary Witches came directly from its genius writer, Taisia Kitaiskaia. At first, her idea was to make a sort of Tarot deck, with the writers as the various characters and figures of the Tarot. We let that idea go, though, as we further conceptualized the project. However, it still influenced the visual language I used in the illustrations.
As for the actual origin of Literary Witches, Taisia says she made the connection “…because witches and literature are two of my most treasured subjects, the idea came to me as an obvious connection. One day, I concluded that all of my favorite writers are witches.”
Your art, with its focus on feminine folkloric magic, seems perfectly suited to Taisia Kitaiskaia’s luminous language, and the mystic fragments of text that accompany each portrait. Can you share how you came to work together on this curious compendium?
Taisia contacted me late in 2014. She was looking for someone to illustrate her “Ask Baba Yaga” series. There was an agent interested, but as I was working on the sketches, they dropped out. We realized we both lived in Austin, and knew that we needed to get together and discuss other possible collaborations. When we met, she told me her idea for Literary Witches, and I took to it right away. I was in a career lull, having just had a baby and was in dire need of a project. We set out to work on the first 5 and pretty quickly got word that Electric Literature wanted to put those five online, so the project had direction and purpose pretty much from the start.
As we were working on the original five, we talked about how it would be an awesome book, and once Electric Literature published it and received the response it did, we started thinking it might have a shot. We were talking about putting together a proposal when our agent, Adriann Ranta of Foundry Media, found us. With her help, we got our deal with Seal Press. We owe so much to her.
AND! Ask Baba Yaga found a publisher too and is out now with lovely illustrations by Brenna Thummler, so It was all meant to be.
Can you define for us, in your own words, what is a Literary Witch, and identify the criteria you used to choose the Literary Witches you celebrate in the book? Do you have a favorite literary heroine amongst those featured?
To me, a Literary Witch writes with her own voice regardless of what is expected of her. Her work has originality and weight to it. She isn’t afraid to be dark, moody, challenging or funny. Her work is fearless and boldly her own. In the end, her writing feels like something channelled or conjured. For me personally, Shirley Jackson and Toni Morrison were favorites before the project, so I was incredibly honored to do their portraits.
As a further, among the thirty Literary Witches in the book, you reference “a matter of seniority”, that “long-practicing Witches must be noted before newly initiated Witches”; I’m curious–if time and space had allowed for the inclusion of authors one might consider novices and initiates, who would you like to have included, and why?
I would add Maya Angelou, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Walker. All of these were on the table at one point but were removed to make space for older (even ancient) writers, foreign writers and some much lesser known writers that we wanted to shine a light on, like Yumiko Kurahashi. Even though I love those writers I mentioned, I am completely happy with the 30 we chose.
Taisia has a great list of who she would add. She says, “There are lots of daring, magical writers out there who have Literary Witch written all over them. Here are a few who come to mind: Helen Oyeyemi, Carmen Maria Machado, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Valeria Luiselli, Rivers Solomon, Han Kang”
In the book’s forward, Pam Grossman has a fabulous approach to tackling this tome; as an act of bibliomancy, flipping pages at random and following where the wit, wonder, and wisdom of the selected Literary Witch leads. Early reviewers laud it as an enjoyable illustrated almanac of fun facts to bone up on your favorite literary heroine’s superpowers, and suggests that not only will it inspire readers to dig further into transportive works of fiction and poetry, but allow access to their inner creatix. As one half of the creative team responsible for Literary Witches, how would you advise of the book’s purpose, and the best way to read it?
All of that sounds good to me. I think it depends on the reader. If you are methodical and enjoy order, then start from the beginning and move through it page by page. If you want a more organic experience, find a random place and consider what the witch you land on is trying to tell you. No matter how you approach it, though, I hope you get lost in Taisia’s bewitching and beautiful words and enjoy deciphering all the symbols and hidden meanings I put in my illustrations. Most of all though, I hope you discover a new writer, put down our book and go get lost in their magick.
So as you may know (because I complain a lot) I have tried many, many subscription boxes over the past few years. And canceled all of them. None of them have measured up to the consistent excellence that is The Nocturnal Readers Box, a monthly subscription service for fans of Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy Books and Psychological Thrillers. Today at Haute Macabre you can my recent interview with founders Vincent and Jessica Guerrero, as well as a chance to win their sold out October box!
A shelf for perfume and the dark arts.
The Death & Stuff shelf.
