Hey! You’re here. Thank you.
Dunkin is here too. He’s nervous, but he is showing up anyway. Little hero.
April was full of tiny and huge beauty, despite it all. We’re blinking out into the sunshine. Cautiously optimistic that Spring is here to stay.
Here’s a little recap of what filled up my world this month.
Favorite Read(s)
Tiana Clark’s new collection, Scorched Earth, hit every note for me. I’m still learning how to write about poetry, and I don’t always have the words to explain how a poet does what she does, but I can tell you how it made me feel. This collection made me feel at home in my body. It made me feel so happy to be queer - in love with my own queerness and the queerness in the world. It made me want to hug the little girl inside of me. It made me want to sink my teeth into the world. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to hear Tiana read or speak about her poems, you see immediately that she approaches her craft with a joy, reverence, and sense of play that immediately envelopes her reader in her arms.
We are the lucky ones because Tiana was the featured guest on The Stacks this month - first speaking about her new collection, and then for the monthly book club episode in which she and
discuss Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton.Tiana Clark reads and writes with arms wide open. She is deeply generous and her work leaves a trail of beautiful bread crumbs for the reader to follow and devour. I am grateful. Thank you, Tiana. Thank you, poetry.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
I wrote about this last week, but this month I gave myself the little gift of re-reading On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. If you know me even a little, you have some idea what this book means to me.
I am reporting now from the middle of my re-read of The Emperor of Gladness, Ocean’s new novel out May 13th.
Do you like how I am pretending I have never told you about this? Like I’ve been really quiet and demure about these books??
My brilliant friend,
, taught me to never apologize for my wild enthusiasm for the art I love. I’m going to write more about The Emperor of Gladness next week so buckle up beauties.I may be going too hard for this one, but I am willing to take that risk. I know beauty when I read it. I can’t pretend to know everything you need but I know you need this book.
I truly am the luckiest reader because I got to hear the authors of my two favorite April reads in conversation at the Smith College Poetry Center this month.
Some days I really do love my job.
I believe Tiana is looking down in this photo because she was literally taking notes throughout the conversation. It truly felt like eavesdropping on two brilliant minds riffing and building off of one another. If you want to go full nerd (you do), you can watch the full reading and conversation on the poetry center’s youtube channel.
One Bright Glimmer
The list of reasons the internet is terrible and destructive is long, and getting longer every day. And yet, somehow, I find myself to be on the receiving end of one of the greatest gifts the internet can bestow - friendship.
This month I got to meet and hang out with by bookish bestie, Melissa -
on substack! - and it was the brightest glimmer. Melissa and I met through The Stacks Pack, the unmatched bookish community built by . Whether we are yapping about books or dogs or gossip (always gossip), Melissa has been there for me through it all in the last few years.Melissa went out of her way to visit Broadside and have lunch with me in Northampton. Then she came back (!!) days later to hang with me, Rebecca, and, of course, the dogs.
We had a time!
I am so moved by the lengths Melissa went to to make sure we got the chance to spend time together in real life.
Though let’s be honest I think she was really here for Yaya & Dunkin.
I always say, books won’t save us, but people (and dogs) will. Melissa lives that out everyday.
Thank you, friend.
Book(s) I’m Looking Forward To
Have I told ya’ll that Ocean Vuong has a new book out this month? I’ve been really slacking on hyping that one…. anyways here are some others I am looking forward to.
Spent by Alison Bechdel // Due out May 20th
We are getting a new Alison Bechdel in May! I don’t know anything about it except it’s comic novel about a cartoonist from Vermont named Alison Bechdel. Hell yes. Go off, king.
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline // Due out May 20th
This is the first definitive biography of legendary queer activist Marsha P. Johnson and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
I’m so glad this legend is finally getting what
calls the Presidential biography treatment.Biggest Surprise
Rebecca and I are part of a new, little, in-person western mass book club, and the whole things has been a joy and a surprise. This month, though, we really showed out.
Our prompt was to read some Emily Dickinson and bring poems to the meeting to discuss. Simple and perfect.
In my particular Emily deep dive I discovered something incredible - a heavy metal adaptation of one of my favorite (and one of the most devastating) Emily poems. Listen if you dare.
I played this for the group and laughed until I cried.
I don’t know. Life is so weird and beautiful sometimes.
What were your glimmers this month? Your favorite reads? Tell me in the comments!
I’m so glad you’re here.
Love,
Rosamond
I love being able to think about you and Rebecca and yaya and Dunkin in your cute little home, drinking delicious teas and snuggling under all the blankets. Seeing my humans (and non-humans) in their environments helps me feel so much closer to them! Thanks for welcoming me! (Also, I almost used the same photo in my post yesterday, but made a last minute pivot.)
Love this all so much. Curious to know more about that author whose book you’re excited about. Hadn’t heard of them or the book. Thanks for putting it on my radar.