I don’t know about you, but when it starts to get warmer outside, I just love curling up in the sun with a good book. Especially since we are all spending a bit more time at home these days, it’s great to be able to travel to new worlds just by taking a trip to your bookshelf. 

My lifesaver during social distancing has been my TBR pile – and I’ve actually had a chance at making my way through it! I always brew a nice cup of tea, fluff my coziest pillows, and get ready for an adventure. Hibernation mode, engaged. Who says you need to leave the house to find new books? I’ve got you covered. And I’ll even throw in a selection of fun summer beverages to enjoy with your new reads! 

Without further ado, here is a “tasting menu” of publishers to check out this summer, and some tea pairings to go with them.

Coach House Books

Coach House Books is based in Toronto, Canada, and publishes many emerging Canadian writers. They are similar to F(r)iction in that they have an affinity for the quirky, the weird, and the niche. They publish innovative fiction, poetry, film, drama, and select nonfiction. I’ve been reading their forthcoming book The Baudelaire Fractal (check out my review here) and I have to say, it’s kept me on my toes! Coach House’s books prioritize a unique author voice, and they’re worth the read. They also just published Pop by Simina Banu, which “combines deft lyricism with visual poems for a playful romp.” Pop was fun and engaging, and a “junk food fight of poetic styles.” I’d seriously recommend it. 

Tea Pairing: Iced maple matcha, perfect for delving into the playful world of Pop. 

V.S. Books 

V.S. Books is an imprint of Arsenal Pulp Press. It was founded by Vivek Shraya. If you haven’t yet heard of Vivek, what are you doing with your life? Check her out! V.S. Books was created as “a mentorship and publishing opportunity for an Indigenous or Black writer, or a writer of colour, between the ages of 18-28, living in Canada.” The first novel ever released by V.S. Books was Shut Up, You’re Pretty, by Téa Mutonji. 

Tea Pairing: Vanilla chai rooibus—comforting and surprising at every sip (perfect for cozying up with Mutonji’s debut book!). 

Inhabit Media

Inhabit Media is the first Indigenous-owned independent publishing company in the Canadian Arctic. It was founded so that Inuit children could see themselves represented in books. Their mandate is to bring Arctic stories and wisdom to the world. Their “About Us” section is partially written in Inuktitut! One of their popular books is called The Origin of Day and Night. 

Tea Pairing: Wild blueberry! Add some sunglasses, a sunny backyard, and The Origin of Day and Night, and you’re in for a perfect evening! 

Tiny Fox Press

Tiny Fox Press is run by a quirky, fun, well-rounded publisher team that “came together wanting three things: talented writers, wonderful stories, and the entrance to Doc Noss’s lost gold mine.” Though they have not yet found that gold mine, they are publishing some great books! Uniquely, they have a military fiction genre. An example of one of these titles is Repentance by Andrew Lam. This book is a timely exploration of the lengths to which someone will go to right their family’s wrongs. 

Tea Pairing: A robust berry tea, to give the feeling of an explorer going through the woods, picking wild berries.  

Tupelo Press

Tupelo Press is an independent literary press based in North Adams, MA. The press has an impressive catalog of poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction by both emerging and established writers. They recently published America That Island off the Coast of France by Jesse Lee Kercheval, a stunning collection discussing emigration, citizenship, and linguistic borders. 

Tea pairing: Chamomile. Perhaps Earl Grey, if you’re feeling adventurous. 

By way of an interesting side note, both of these teas have a lot of history, making them perfect for a book about travel and culture. Chamomile tea’s origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt, whereas Earl Grey tea, named after Earl Charles Grey, has disputed origins. No one really knows who brewed the first cup of Earl Grey tea, but its distinct quality comes from essential oils. It is based on Chinese tea but contains bergamot oil. 

Featherproof Books

Featherproof Books publishes “strange and beautiful fiction and non-fiction and post-, trans-, and inter-genre tragicomedy.” They stuck out to me as a press to explore further, because I had never come across a publisher whose mandate includes tragicomedy. A 2017 title, I’m Fine, But You Appear to Be Sinking, has definitely earned a place on my to-read list! 

Tea pairing: Frozen raspberry tea. Trust me, this tastes like a melted slushie and I am HERE FOR IT. I’m Fine, But You Appear to Be Sinking takes you on a journey, and a nice, refreshing tea would be the perfect fit!

Hopefully, this adds some new and exciting publishers to your repertoire this summer. You’re welcome for the ever-growing TBR pile. Go get your picnic blanket, sit in the yard, and read away! Don’t forget your SPF! 

In celebration of the recent release of F(r)iction #16: Monsters, we bring you this monstrous read-along to intrigue and disturb…

Sometimes a monster is just a sympathetic antihero with a bad publicist. Take that corpse Dr. Victor Frankenstein went and galvanized back to life with science and audacity. He wasn’t a monster by nature, he was off doing good deeds—fetching firewood and saving little girls from drowning. And all he got in return was yelled at and shot and betrayed, doomed to solitude after the literal one person qualified to be his wingman backed out of the deal, turning him from “chill dude” to “violent incel” in record time.   

In the past few months, we’ve been spooked into greater caution by visual representations of ‘rona’s asymptomatic spread; horrified by thoughts of how many people we may have unknowingly infected by carelessly handling the grocer’s apples. But what if we could track not just disease, but damage? Everyone’s a villain in someone else’s story, but how many of us have been oblivious Victor Frankensteins, leaving monsters budding in our wake to become someone else’s problem? 

Help stop the spread with this list of novels featuring sympathetic antiheroes and other morally dubious characters whose slides into the ethical gray were most likely preventable—their murrrders and other bad behavior simply defensive positions adopted in order to survive or correct injustices. Maybe, just maybe, identifying what motivates these “monsters” will help us avoid creating or becoming monsters ourselves. And wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world with slightly fewer monsters in it?

Darling Rose Gold

by Stephanie Wrobel

If you’re a mother with Munchausen by proxy, you’re going to intentionally make your child sick. It’s what you do. If you’ve kept your daughter weak, dependent, and wheelchair-bound for eighteen years before being caught and incarcerated, don’t make that relationship awkward by moving in with her and her baby when you get out. She’s definitely forgiven-forgotten those unnecessary surgeries, the hair loss and isolation, the years of poison-laced puke, and has in no way been masterminding her revenge all these years, but why risk her overreacting and doing something she won’t regret? You’ve already suffered so much. 

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë

When you get jilted in love, you can choose to be gracious about it or make yourself scorch-the-earth unforgettable. Relationships are complicated; one person’s “monster” is another’s “wildly romantic Byronic hero,” and long before Gone Girl, “Banished Boy” Heathcliff invented using revenge as flirtation to fight for the one who let him get away. Overhearing Cathy scoffing that she could never marry him because “ew, poor,” he huffed outta town, returning three years later flashing “How u like me now?” money at Cathy and her Mister. Then he did his hair toss, checked his nails, married into the family, and destroyed everyone except his beloved, who for sure took him back into her… confidences. 

Blacktop Wasteland

by S.A. Cosby

Jean Valjean: patron saint of patriarchs, situational ethics, and…bread, whose whole “#sorrynotsorry for feeding my kid” deal is the template for the most sympathetic of antiheroes, the everyman doing the wrong thing for the right reason where the reason is invariably “family.” A getaway driver comes out of retirement for “one last job” to provide for his family, unwittingly ripping off some emphatically unsympathetic criminals in the process. When they threaten his wife and kids, he’ll do a lot more to protect them than just drive fast. Note to baddies: when you back someone into a corner, their only way out is through you. 

My Sister, the Serial Killer

by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Enabling a monster can be just as undesirable as creating one. Although we’ve established that vengeance is an acceptable response when it comes to threats against family, every relationship has its limits. And if this is the third time your sister has killed a lover in “self-defense” and come to you for help disposing of the corpse, it might be time to confront her about her problematic behavior. Consider staging an intervention before these murdery indiscretions get out of control. As the saying goes: Dowash the bloodstains from the floor, don’t wash your hands of responsibility—if you see something, say something!   

Beijing Payback

by Daniel Nieh

It’s difficult to “accidentally” make an assassin. You can accidentally make a killer, even a serial killer if you’re ambitious, but an assassin requires some grooming. So all you have to do to avoid making one is to NOT scoop an urchin off the Beijing streets and raise him into a life of organized crime. If you’ve already done that, you can balance the situation by leaving your protégé behind, moving to the California suburbs and starting a “straight” family there, telling your birth son nothing of your criminal past. And if worlds collide after you’re dead I’m sure it’ll be just fine.

The Book of Night Women

by Marlon James

In the list of reasons why you shouldn’t own slaves, “to avoid creating an antihero,” doesn’t even make the top ten. But it’s a really long list, so it’s probably on there somewhere. Typically, the bigger the injustice = the more sympathetic the antihero = the more satisfying their revenge. Born into slavery by way of a plantation overseer’s rape of a fourteen-year-old slave girl who dies giving birth to her, Lilith is owed—and will inflict—some deeply satisfying revenge. As for “sympathetic”… well, not all antiheroes wear capes and Lilith’s not looking to be your movement’s poster child, tyvm. 

The Female of the Species

by Mindy McGinnis

Here in the afterglow of the Me Too movement, whose support empowered unprecedented numbers of survivors of sexual assault and abuse to come forward and fight for the justice they deserved, you almost want to discourage the teengirl vigilante from slaughtering the man who raped and murdered her older sister and got off on a technicality, because violence is never the blah. But a teenage girl is already nature’s most stubborn and unforgiving creature and once she’s pissed off, armed, and determined to right a few of rape culture’s wrongs, it really seems best to just stand aside and leave her to it.

She Rides Shotgun

by Jordan Harper

If you’ve been released from prison with a bounty on your head for crossing an Aryan gang, you need to go on the run. You don’t need to take your eleven-year-old daughter with you. Unless the gang already murdered her mother and stepfather before you could warn them. Then you do need to take her with you but you don’t need to teach her how to use a gun. Unless she’s also being targeted and needs protection. So “yes” to going on the lam, “yes” to learning weaponry, fighting techniques and assorted criminal skills, but no tattoos ’til she’s twelve, ‘kay? 

Confessions

by Kanae Minato

The biggest compliment a teacher can receive is that their students remember them years later, and those still alive at the end of this book will certainly never forget the lessons they learned. Because teachers also remember their students, especially the ones who have killed their only child. If anyone knows how to make a lesson sink in, it’s a teacher, and the final is going to be brutal. The low-hanging lesson here is “don’t kill people,” a piece of advice matryoshka’d inside a broader “don’t incite a mother’s wrath,” itself nestled in “don’t piss off people who are smarter than you.” Class dismissed. 

Survivor Song

by Paul Tremblay

Now for your homework: imagine a highly communicable virus (you can do it!) with a shortened incubation period; the disease spreading more rapidly than information about the disease, resulting in panic, hysteria, and misinformation; where roads become impassable as those already infected struggle to make it to already-overwhelmed hospitals and others try to flee, as the state is put under quarantine, curfews are established, individuals grow restless and resentful under restrictions…

Now imagine you’re a doctor whose best friend has come to you, pregnant, infected, and several-hours widowed. What wouldn’t you do to protect her? What takes priority: professional duty or personal loyalties? How slippery is the slope between desperation and the greater good? Are there still rules in the middle of chaos? 

Enjoy!

Businesses are usually hierarchical and authoritarian. They put turning a profit first, sometimes to the detriment of the planet and their employees. In this interview series, we’re highlighting presses and bookstores managed along horizontal lines. Some are cooperatives, while others simply reduce hierarchies in their management. By spreading out leadership and in some cases ownership of a business, these companies allow their employees to steer them into making sustainable, ethical choices that aren’t driven by profit.

Left Bank Books is an anarchist collective bookseller and publisher located in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Founded in 1973, Left Bank is collectively owned and operated by its workers and has been since its inception. They are self-managed; there are no bosses or one singular owner. Left Bank hosts readings and book signings. Their zine section is also unmatched in the Seattle area.

The store has been forced to close its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Please consider supporting them by donating to their GoFundMe page. You can also purchase books through their webstore and request store credit at leftbank@leftbankbooks.com.

This interview is credited to the entire Left Bank Collective, rather than one member of Left Bank.

Thomas Chisholm (TC)

What does a worker-run collective actually look like? How are workers’ positions organized, do people work in a specific role until they tire of it?

Left Bank Books (LBB)

Left Bank is a bit of an amorphous entity, largely propelled forward through a combination of self-discipline and over-commitment. Maybe it’s just that we’re mostly anarchists, but we make up for a lack of formal structure with a love for the work we’re doing and the way we’re doing it.

Left Bank is organized around two tiers—a maximum of twenty volunteers, and around six or seven core collective members. Everyone is a full member of the collective and has equal power in decision making at meetings, but the core collective takes on more financial responsibilities. You can probably see that this creates an implicit hierarchy, which is something we all try to challenge as much as possible.

As for roles, they’re largely self-decided and unless there’s any conflict, people do their tasks until they tire of it.

TC

I imagine certain tasks require quite a bit of institutional knowledge, how are people trained? Are there departments? Do position changes happen in calendar cycles?

LBB

Left Bank was originally entirely volunteer-run, which is theoretically great, but in practice meant that knowledge quickly drained out of the collective. The current system of a small core of paid staff means that knowledge stays in the collective longer and gets circulated throughout the collective. Folks are generally trained by the collective members they work with, or those whose tasks they’re taking on. We don’t really have departments, as we’re a small store, and tend to spread knowledge and tasks throughout the collective based on worker interest.

TC

Do workers get benefits?

LBB

Unfortunately, no, though we do try to pass on the wholesale discounts we get on books to all collective members (as part of our responsibility towards radical self-education).

TC

How long do collective members and volunteers typically stay on for?

LBB

The minimum commitment for volunteers and the core collective is six months and two years, respectively. There’s an unwritten rule that members kick themselves out of the collective after ten years, though there’s currently no one who’s even close to that level of commitment right now.

TC

Part of Left Bank’s mission seems to be educating its volunteers on running a collective store and press. Are there any notable projects current or former members/volunteers have formed?

LBB

Yes. Detritus Books comes to mind as a recent project. Folks have also helped rebuild the University of Washington medical herb garden, become involved in labor organizing at UW, and have been a part of Sins Invalid.

TC

Have members ever been fired? Is it particularly challenging to do so?

LBB

Yes, and yes. Generally, we follow protocols around accountability processes and the only situations where members have been fired is when they have refused to undergo those accountability processes

TC

What goals does Left Bank have for itself beyond selling and publishing radical literature? There used to be a distro service and sister stores. Are there any projects coming down the pipe?

LBB

Besides acting as a radical bookstore and publisher, Left Bank is one of only two remaining radical spaces in Seattle. Functionally, this has kept it as a site for building connections within radical scenes and helped us build community stretching outside those scenes. In recent years, the store has also served as a venue when the need arises.

TC

How active is the publishing side of Left Bank Books? How often do y’all put out books and zines?

LBB

Since Detritus Books split off from Left Bank in 2017, we haven’t published any new books. That said, we do still have a publishing committee that is working on new titles.

TC

Was Detritus Books started after their split from Left Bank, or was it a part of the collective? How did it differ from the Left Bank Press?

LBB

Detritus Books formed after a collective member who was involved with publishing moved away from Seattle. They continued to be involved with Left Bank Publishing for a few years after leaving the collective as a whole, then started Detritus Books in 2017.

TC

Given the extreme cost of living rises in Seattle over the last fifteen years, do you think it’s possible for another collective like Left Bank to open its doors and sustain itself in Seattle today?

LBB

We’ve actually seen that pretty consistently not happen, though there’s a lot of utopian thought and planning going into it which is definitely admirable. 

TC

How has Left Bank been able to sustain itself for so long?

LBB

Part of it is that we do participate in capitalism and with Seattle’s growing tech and tourism industries, the store itself has benefited (its workers, not so much.) Otherwise, we’re lucky to exist in a “community” owned location that has rent control. In recent years, I think a growing interest in radical politics has played a huge role in our continued relevance and existence.

TC

In my experience living in co-ops, everything happens incredibly slowly. Is there anything about the cooperative model that inhibits Left Bank or its workers? What are the drawbacks of cooperation?

LBB

Meetings are, without a doubt, endurance tests. And consensus, even at its best—and it is very rarely at its best—can be torture. There is also always conflict between newer members—who may have more utopian views on the collective’s potential—and older members, who may be more invested in the way the store has historically functioned. Conflict can definitely be productive, but only if folks know how to have conflict, and that’s something that everyone has to work on, on their own.

TC

What advice would you give to folks interested in forming a worker-owned business?

LBB

Organize along the lines of affinity groups and as radically as you possibly can. If you’re planning for longevity, definitely leave some roadmaps and good documentation of pitfalls. And definitely try to account for mission drift—the worst thing is when a radical institution begins to fail its constituents.

Aries

The Ram / Courageous, Adventurous, Independent / Domineering, Selfish, Arrogant

Try not to read too much into your productivity this month. You might feel the urge to, well, strike out. (Get it? Because you’re a ram? Okay, I’ll see myself out). Anyway, your insecurities will spike mid-July, but drive them back with some virtual friend dates. 

Your story pick could be a great distraction, too!

• A Girl at the End of the World, by Prashanth Srivatsa

• Teaser: “He turned his face the other way, toward the forest where the leaves swayed, the branches drooped in clusters to form hideous gates leading into darkness, and the fragrance of the alinyas beckoned her.”

Taurus

The Bull / Loyal, Friendly, Resourceful / Self-Indulgent, Possessive, Greedy

Whoa, I’m glad to see you made it through June! Ditch your pseudo-survival bunker and enjoy these early summer days. Maybe even go a little crazy and find a patch of sunshine—grassy meadow or sturdy fire escape will do—and soak up this gorgeous poem.

It’ll transport you to another place and time.

• The Grain of the Voice in the Failing Head, by Kari A. Flickinger

• Teaser: “Finger-pad stalks dance off each plastic frond / methodically, as your hand drifts / through our bedroom blinds. You stay / in time. / We collect curve against timorous bone shard / to practice our language of sound.”

Gemini

The Twins / Intelligent, Adaptable, Creative / Moody, Opportunistic, Inconsistent

Don’t look now, Gemini—a shiny new romance could be yours! I know what you’re thinking; how can you get your groove on in quarantine? Well, these tea leaves don’t lie. Look for it around the end of the month, when you’ll be extra creative and witty. Pro tip: Tone down your atomic levels of snark (…at least till the third date).

In the meantime, I have just the thing for you:

• The Other Me, by Michelle Bailat-Jones

• Teaser: “I saw the other me at the airport. We were waiting for the same plane, both of us halfway home.”

Cancer

The Crab / Honest, Generous, Faithful / Insecure, Needy, Crabby

Finally, it’s crab season! Leo will steal the spotlight in July, but until then, this grand stage is all yours. I know adorable crabs like yourself tend to hide under shells (heh). Try to show off a little, though. Pursue a dream you’ve been thinking about; don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, even if that translates to a virtual platform. 

This utterly fantastic story will be your reward. 

• Wavelengths, by Desiree Evans

• Teaser: “As she walks toward the water, I take in the long line of her back. Those wings are as long as she is tall, so black they almost shine blue. I smile and go over to meet her, sidling up against her side to wait for the waves to roll in, for the cold water to slip over our feet.”

Leo

The Lion / Cheery, Noble, Imaginative / Demanding, Boastful, Melodramatic

An opportunity may slip by at the height of the month. Try not to let it get you down or set off those melodramatic tendencies. Instead, turn that energy outward and help some loved ones. Your cheery nature is a superpower, so get sharin’! 

When you need a break, though, here’s a story pick that’s just for you: 

• This Is Not the End, by Aarti Monteiro

• Teaser: “When your husband leaves for work every day, you sit on the balcony and study the schoolgirls with slick black hair in tight plaits as they walk by. The fisherwomen shout the prices, and you crave the pomfret your mother cooked for you as a child.”

Virgo

The Maiden / Practical, Diligent, Kind / Obsessive, Self-Righteous, Compulsive

Oh, Virgo, you may be put through the wringer this month. Take extra care at the start of July—you’ll be vulnerable to all kinds of jabs—and avoid your “witty” colleague like they’re going out of style. Remember to take care of yourself. Say it with me: Self-care isn’t selfish. 

In the meantime, let’s distract you with some good reading:

• Tide, by Mandira Pattnaik

• Teaser: “We marvel at the hypocrisy of the waves—gnawing away at our barely-standing home, but never quite gobbling it. Ena and I sit by the broken table, on the floor, the corners of which are encroached by drifted sand and watch a dinghy being cradled.”

Libra

The Scales / Compassionate, Trustworthy, Peacemaker / Disorganized, Materialistic, Indecisive

June may have been a tad boring, but July is looking up! New money is headed your way this month. Remember to put some of it in the bank for future travel plans—a.k.a. beaches with rainbow-colored margaritas—and party like it’s 1999. You know, in your living room.

Here’s some reading to dry your tears. Erm, I mean to get you started:

• Chroma Charm, by Diane Callahan

• Teaser: “Nestled inside were five tiny tubes that shone peach, clear, red, green, and pink, their labels facing outward: Apocalyptic Sunshine, Secret Agenda, Lady Sinful, Vintage Disaster, and… The fifth name was obscured; Candice turned the bottle. Strawberry Fizzpop.”

Scorpio

The Scorpion / Purposeful, Charismatic, Cunning / Aggressive, Manipulative, Possessive

These past few months have been full of ups and downs for you (talk about whiplash). In the summer, you might want to make some time for you. It’s oh so tempting to stay in your Netflix pants—who isn’t tempted, honestly?—but now is a good time for new projects and hobbies. 

…Or you could stay on the couch and read this story pick. Hey, I’m not judging.

• Fragment, by Ania Mroczek

• Teaser: “We did not fuse into a thousand-headed anomaly, perhaps that’s the thing: we did not fuse at all. There are many ways to fragment. A metamorphosis of loss, of rupture and sudden space—an opening.”

Sagittarius

The Archer / Straightforward, Optimistic, Adventurous / Careless, Impatient, Hotheaded

Alright, so your best months haven’t hit yet. Summer will still be the bee’s knees for you (fall might be even better!). If these tea leaves are right, July should be a middle-road kind of month for you. Like June, every day won’t feel like a Monday morning, but they won’t have that Saturday buzz, either. 

Escape the monotony with your compelling story pick for July:

• Keep Tabs on You, by Kristina Ten

• Teaser: “The paper-doll women stand with their legs together and their arms bent at the elbows. They are thin from one side and thinner from the other, and their faces are set in a pleasant, close-mouthed expression that never changes.”

Capricorn

The Mountain Sea-Goat / Traditional, Responsible, Ambitious / Unforgiving, Blunt, Pessimistic

Good news, Capricorn! Your health issues should clear up in July. Go outside and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine any way you can (safely, of course). Life is short, so it’s good to stop and smell the roses. Eat that extra slice of cake. Bask in the moment. 

Start by seizing the day with this bold and unique read.

• The Augur and the Girl Left at His Door, by Greta Hayer

• Teaser: “There would be a child—there was already a child quickening in the bride’s belly; that much was obvious by the angles of the cuts, the swell of the muscles by the shoulder blades—but that child would be the end of them.”

Aquarius

The Water-Bearer / Intellectual, Open-Minded, Outgoing / Unpredictable, Self-Conscious, Chaotic

Guess what, Aquarius? It’s time to bust out your summery clothes and change those sheets (bonus points if they have cartoon characters). This month will be all about fun and frivolity, which has to be a welcome change after that doozy of a spring. Embrace the season as early as you want, you heat junkie you.

First things first: Check out your monthly story pick.

• Don’t Throw Stones, by Amy Barnes

• Teaser: “He didn’t look at me as he sped from fairgrounds to home, our city glass house in a row of glass cut-out, glass-blown houses. People peeked out of windows pulling back silly curtains without offering help.”

Pisces

The Fish / Charitable, Intuitive, Artistic / Timid, Impractical, Indolent

Toward the beginning of the month, quarantine fever might make a comeback, but don’t let those four walls keep you caged. If last month was all about work progress, then July is your time to shine in the family/friend department. Schedule a few Skype calls and try a virtual movie party or game night.

In your downtime, I have a spellbinding read for you.

• What You Lost in the Wildermere, by R. J. Howell

• Teaser: “You walk to the border between this world and that, stand in the tangled underbrush, and peer between the gap in the ancient redwood trees.”

Businesses are usually hierarchical and authoritarian. They put turning a profit first, sometimes to the detriment of the planet and their employees. In this interview series, we’re highlighting presses and bookstores managed along horizontal lines. Some are cooperatives, while others simply reduce hierarchies in their management. By spreading out leadership and in some cases ownership of a business, these companies allow their employees to steer them into making sustainable, ethical choices that aren’t driven by profit.

Established in 1945, the People’s Co-op Bookstore is a member-owned bookshop in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The People’s Co-op has a long and haggard history. They’ve moved locations and almost shut their doors for good on multiple occasions in the last seventy-five years.

Like many businesses at this time, their doors have closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Though a store as resilient as the People’s Co-op will surely reopen for business soon.

This interview was conducted with Rolf Maurer, the board of directors’ chairperson at the time this interview took place. The opinions he expresses are his own and do not represent the entire perspective of The People’s Co-op.

Thomas Chisholm (TC)

Is The People’s Co-op Bookstore a worker-owned co-op?

Rolf Maurer (RM)

No, it’s what’s usually called a consumer’s co-op. Anyone can become a member of the co-op by buying twenty-five shares.

TC

How would you describe its cooperative structure?

RM

This is pretty much set out by law (the Co-operative Association Act) here in BC, which has a long history of co-operatives in a lot of different areas. Members get together at general meetings to set general directions and choose a governing board, which in turn hires or appoints individuals responsible for keeping the doors open and the lights on.

TC

How many people does The People’s Co-op employ? Are volunteers a part of the staff?

RM

We’re generally able to afford one part-time paid staff person at the moment and are otherwise dependent upon volunteers.

TC

How does the management structure differ from a traditional business?

RM

In a narrow, technical sense, it doesn’t, as intended by the governing legislation. Theoretically, professional management is responsible to a board of directors appointed by members at general meetings. The main technical difference is between one-dollar-one-vote, in normal share capitalism, and one-member-one-vote in (effectively) co-operative capitalism. But the repercussions of that difference are far-reaching. In our instance, the co-op structure made it possible, back in 2009, for the membership to turn aside the then management’s proposal to close the store.

TC

The People’s Co-op Bookstore has gone through a number of personnel, location, and financial changes in its almost seventy-five-year history. The store has almost closed for good on multiple occasions, as recent as 2018. Is the store on steady ground again?

RM

Nope. The store’s future is still somewhat precarious and probably will be for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, this is the nature of bookselling and commercial-rent paying in the modern age.

TC

How has The People’s Co-op sustained itself for long? What has made it so adaptable to changing conditions?

RM

There’s a two-part answer to the first question. The store was founded by a broad coalition of trade unionists, communists, social democrats, unitarians, activists, as well as ordinary citizens. And was thus established on a broad basis that served the co-op well even during its extended decline when it was de facto controlled by the local communist party. 

But the second part of the answer is probably the cooperative structure we’ve been talking about. Because it wasn’t always about the money, but about some underlying purpose—operating this bookstore that offered something the other bookstores in town were not. The co-op’s open membership structure was able to respond differently to conditions than a more traditional ownership structure might have.

TC

In my experience living in co-ops, everything happens incredibly slowly. Is there anything about the cooperative model that inhibits The People’s Co-op or individual workers? What are the drawbacks of cooperation?

RM

Ah, yes. That can be true. A few years/boards [of directors] ago, we used to amuse ourselves at the expense of previous boards that spent years and years discussing the possibility of a new store sign, before another board finally ended up doing something about it. Surely, some future board will make fun of this current one for taking up literal years of talking about painting this place, while leaving it untouched the whole time.

TC

What advice would you give to folks interested in forming a cooperative bookstore?

RM

Embrace used books and use your status as a co-operative to solicit donations of used books (you will, in fact, be providing the community with a valuable service). Embrace BOOKS, period, and don’t waste a lot of time considering all the other things a bookstore might be: coffee bar, performance space, gift emporium, mail drop, whatever. And, by all means, go ahead and draw up careful plans about exactly what kind of bookstore you want to have, but be prepared to adjust according to your actual experience.  Listen carefully to what The People are telling you. Abandon preconceptions all you who enter here. 

Businesses are usually hierarchical and authoritarian. They put turning a profit first, sometimes to the detriment of the planet and their employees. In this interview series, we’re highlighting presses and bookstores managed along horizontal lines. Some are cooperatives, while others simply reduce hierarchies in their management. By spreading out leadership and in some cases ownership of a business, these companies allow their employees to steer them into making sustainable, ethical choices that aren’t driven by profit.

Founded in 2007 by a small group of people with decades of publishing, media, and organizing experience, PM Press is an independent publisher of radical literature. PM is primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area, though many of their workers are remote.

Like many small businesses, PM could use your support as COVID-19 grinds the economy to a halt. Consider purchasing some books from their webstore, or becoming a Friend of PM.

This interview was conducted with Joey Paxman from PM Press. The opinions he expresses are his own and do not represent the entire perspective of PM Press.

Thomas Chisholm (TC)

When we spoke at AWP, you mentioned that PM Press is not exclusively an anarchist press. I wouldn’t have noticed that looking in from the outside. What types of writing are y’all open to publishing?

Joey Paxman (JP)

PM has published across the left-wing spectrum. We have authors who are anarchists, Marxists, and even liberals. Some think voting in an election is a total sham; others think that more lefty radicals should run for office. From Understanding Jim Crow to Bodies and Barriers,the books we’ve published are quite varied and diverse. We have a science-fiction novella written by a trans woman and crime-noir novel written by a Vietnam veteran. We have books that analyze the history of UK punk and a forthcoming title by Richard Manning that, among other things, explores the roots of so-called Americana music. 

TC

Did PM Press start in living rooms and garages? Is there any formal office space today?

JP

PM did indeed start out in living rooms and garages. God, what a nightmare it was when our warehouse was literally Dan’s house in East Oakland! You’d walk through his front door and it was like a goddamned corn maze of boxes in there! You had to play “Marco Polo” just to find Dan hidden somewhere between stacks of books. Luckily, we have a real warehouse now.

In the last thirteen years, PM Press has spread throughout North America and the UK. We now have offices with our full-time staff from the Pacific coast through the Rockies, into New England, Montreal, and beyond. So, by necessity, we don’t have a central office space where everyone clocks in.

TC

How is the management of PM Press organized? In what ways is it different from a typical top-down business model?

JP

This is a question that we receive quite often and most folks seem genuinely disappointed to hear that we don’t actually operate as a formal collective—in the sense that we don’t practice a formal collective process.

First of all, as mentioned above, we all work remotely. Basically, we are all adults at PM Press and we try to make adult decisions based on mutual respect and an understanding of what will work best for us, both as a publishing company and as individuals.

We don’t have a formal management structure. But the work we all do inevitably intersects at some point, which creates a situation where we all kind of hold each other responsible. For example, if I drop the ball on something that I’m responsible for during the production process then it’ll more than likely hold up something that another PM staffer is meant to be working on. They might give me a nudge to get my work done so that they can, in turn, get their work done.

I think it’s a more “human” approach than your typical top-down business model where you have a manager breathing down your neck. Though it should be acknowledged that this is hardly a profound approach. I mean, much of society actually operates in this fundamentally anarchistic way. Pay attention to your daily interactions. The majority of our lives are spent voluntarily cooperating with other humans.

TC

What about this model suits the needs of those employed by PM Press?

JP

I really can’t speak for everyone at PM Press. No matter what I say someone at PM will roll their eyes (and rightly so). So, speaking strictly for myself, this model allows me to retain a functional life outside of work. Much has been said about the soul-sucking nine-to-five grind. I like that my fellow PM Press cohort can trust that I’m giving 100 percent while I work remotely from the furthest reaches of the Rocky Mountain west. We don’t have to have weekly “consensus” meetings to decide on every painstakingly-tedious aspect of running the company because we trust each other.

TC

Are there defined positions for the PM staff? How would someone switch jobs if they tired of their role over time?

JP

There are defined positions at PM Press, though concrete definitions remain elusive at best. Everyone at PM Press plays a very dynamic role in the day-to-day operations. There does not exist any college degree or formal training program that could prepare you to work at PM Press. Aside from a passion for books, ideas, and a working knowledge of radical Left politics, there are countless other skills (or attitudes) required for working at PM. Can you travel? With the complete collapse of the book trade there simply are not many physical spaces where books are sold (i.e. actual bookstores!), so we are forced to set up shop at places like book fairs, music concerts, and conferences to sell our books one at a time, face-to-face. Do you have thick skin? Everyone’s a critic! Are you self-motivated, self-reliant, self-organized, etc.?

A complete switch in jobs isn’t necessarily possible since we operate as a skeleton crew. With that said, there are actually endless variations within each position. It’s a dynamic job and positions are, more or less, ever changing.

We have a warehouse manager who basically takes care of damn near everything related to shipping (which is so much MORE than just filling online and catalog orders). We have copyeditors/proofreaders. We have a fulltime publicist/web coordinator and a fulltime events coordinator. There are a few of us who mainly work as editors or book production managers. And, as I said, we all pitch in on a countless amount of other activities.

TC

With job positions at PM being fairly static (yet elusively so), does that mean they can be exclusive? For example, if the warehouse person has a great idea for design and layout (and the know how to pull it off) would they be allowed to take that kind of project on, or is that stepping too much on someone else’s toes? 

JP

Jobs are not exclusive at PM. Your example is kind of funny because it just so happens that our warehouse person has designed almost half of our T-shirts! So, yeah, there can actually be lots of crossover at PM.

TC

I was reflecting on your thoughts about the book trade. Specifically, how PM has made most of its sales in person at events like book fairs and conferences. As someone working for a journal always in need of more readers, what are the logistics of getting books to events? You mentioned PM’s good fortune in having dedicated volunteers or staffers table events all over the country. Does that mean the warehouse person has to ship a bunch of boxes of books to a volunteer on the opposite side of the country and then that person ship back what they don’t sell? I’d love to table events for F(r)iction, but they may not yet have the capacity for shipping things like that.

JP

Getting books to events is quite a task but we’ve more or less figured out a doable system. First of all, our full-time PM staff is spread throughout the country and whenever possible we try to choose events within driving distance so that we don’t have to ship stock beforehand (we all generally keep some tabling stock in our respective garages).

But if a flight is required, or a volunteer is staffing the PM table, we either have books shipped from our distributor (Independent Publishers Group in Chicago) or our warehouse in Oakland. The unsold materials must then be shipped back at some point. Of course, shipping materials can be costly. So this kind of leads us to some big questions: how to choose conferences and book fairs worth attending. Or, what is our “goal” or “purpose” for attending a conference? Are our goals financial, political? We’re constantly weighing the pros and cons of every conference we choose to attend.

And sometimes high on that list of considerations is whether or not we can actually break even financially (which includes the high cost of shipping our materials). Frankly, there are very few, if any, events each year where we turn a bona fide profit. But there are less tangible benefits too. Like meeting new authors and bookstore owners, getting a face-to-face dialogue with customers, and just a general engagement with the rest of the book trade. Sometimes we think that it’s important to simply have our books (and the ideas contained therein) on display at a certain event. 

TC

How many people make up the PM Press staff? Does PM hire freelance editors? Do volunteers make up any of the staff?

JP

We currently have ten people who work full time at PM Press. We work with freelance editors on an as-needed basis. Freelance editors such as Terry Bisson are absolutely indispensable to PM Press! One of the major obstacles to hiring freelance editors is that we simply do not have the resources (i.e. the dough!) to do so regularly.

Finding volunteers is quite difficult since we do not have a central office where volunteers can just show up and get plugged in. We do have a number of folks who generously volunteer their time to sell our books at a variety of events.

TC

How has PM Press sustained itself for thirteen years?

JP

Believe it or not, we somewhat know what we’re doing. Financially speaking, it’s been our willingness to keep showing up. The greater book trade is dead. Period. And so we just keep showing up anywhere and everywhere. As I said above, we have sold millions of books often one at a time, face-to-face. Otherwise, we’ve sustained the operation because we believe in what we are doing and therefore keep chuggin’ along.

Another important aspect of financial stability has been our Friends of PM (Book Club). It’s a subscription type of deal where you can pay a small monthly fee and have all of our new releases shipped to your front door each month. We have hundreds of subscribers and their monies help give us a stable platform from which we can operate.

TC

Twice now you’ve mentioned that the greater book trade is dead. Would you mind elaborating a bit on what killed it and when? As a follow up to that, I’m also curious about marketing at PM. I think we live in this mythical golden age of marketing because social media dominates so much of our culture. In the death of the greater book trade, does social media and web marketing help sell books at PM?

JP

Your question about the book trade being dead is incredibly complicated and an entire volume could be written. I hesitate to give a simplistic answer since many will inevitably poke holes in my thin argument. The current decline of the book trade really started about thirty years ago. It’s incredibly complicated and multifaceted. I think one thing we can all agree on is that people simply do not read anymore. But there are also countless factors that make the book trade incompatible with capitalist economics. And everyone has quickly figured out that Amazon doesn’t merely “dominate” the book trade; Amazon is the book trade!

In terms of social media and web marketing, both are definitely an important aspect of bookselling these days since there are precious few bookstores still in operation. But the majority of our books are still being sold in-person. The big, dark secret in the ENTIRE book trade is that nobody really knows how to sell a book these days. And nobody can accurately predict best-sellers. We’re all groping in the dark.

TC

Since PM’s founding, has there been any turn over in the staff? If so, how are new people hired?

JP

Believe it or not, the answer is no. There hasn’t actually been any turnover when it comes to our fulltime-core staff. PM has hired new folks as we grow and this usually comes from knowing the person on both a personal and professional level. As I said above, there isn’t any sort of college degree that could prep you for working at PM Press so hiring new people can be a real challenge.

TC

Is there a process for firing someone?

JP

We don’t have a process for firing someone. Oops!

TC

What advice would you give to folks wanting to start a press or work in the publishing industry? Does it make sense to do one before the other?

JP

You know, I guess it depends on what you’re trying to do. Are you starting a vanity press that will publish one or two books a year? Or a poetry press with monthly releases? Do you seek a full-time staff that will be paid a reasonable salary? Or is this just something to do on the side as a hobby?

Before starting your own press I would highly encourage you to first work within the publishing industry to learn how it operates. The trouble, of course, is that many opportunities for a paid gig in publishing do not exist anymore. So you might try for an internship or a volunteer gig first and see where that leads.

TC

What goals or benchmarks is the press currently aspiring towards?

JP

Total domination of the book trade of course!

Aries

The Ram / Courageous, Adventurous, Independent / Domineering, Selfish, Arrogant

I have good and not-so-great news for you this month. Let’s call it “good adjacent.” The first half of the month will be rough, but after June 16^th, it’ll be smooth sailing without a cloud in sight. Until then, step up your game with some gal-pal dates of the Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime variety. 

Don’t forget your story pick for June, either!

• Study in Chiaroscuro, by Carol A. Caffrey

• Teaser: “It was of a tree in winter, bare branches stretching towards the sky in something like supplication. So many freezing days in the forest trying to capture the light between the branches, the yearning in their stretch and reach.”

Taurus

The Bull / Loyal, Friendly, Resourceful / Self-Indulgent, Possessive, Greedy

Sorry, Taurus. It’s time to confront some demons you’ve been dodging (tsk, tsk). Whether they’re in your personal or professional life, you need to face the music and curb your tendency to, well, self-indulge. We all hate confrontation, but still—you’re not getting out of this one.

To make up for the cloudy horoscope, check out this gorgeously written story: 

• As Dark As Hunger, by S. Qiouyi Lu

• Teaser: “The tail of a fish flows seamlessly into the torso of a young woman, her arms threaded through mangrove roots. Her long, black hair, slimy with algae and the waste of birds that had roosted above her, is tangled in the branches.”

Gemini

The Twins / Intelligent, Adaptable, Creative / Moody, Opportunistic, Inconsistent

I probably don’t need to tell you this, you opportunistic scene-stealer—I say that with love—but June is your month to shine! After a messy spring, you’re going to feel like a rock star over the summer. Razzle and dazzle them, darling. Put that creative mind to good use and go after what you want.

Treat yourself with this poem that lingers:

• Photograph of Judy, Holding Elk Heart (after photograph by Laura McPhee), by Susan Carlisle

• Teaser: “What is it makes us want / to hold a big wet heart / that just stopped beating?”

Cancer

The Crab / Honest, Generous, Faithful / Insecure, Needy, Crabby

The daily grind might get to you within the first few weeks of June. Keep your chin up and remember that your time will come later in the month. So, party hardy with some good ol’ nesting at home (c’mon, you were going to do that anyway). In your shell, try to stay inspired with some creative exercises.

Speaking of inspiration, here’s your supernatural story pick for June: 

• Did You See the Moon? by Bill Arnott

• Teaser: “Across the room was the warm-smiled woman who served me – us – years ago, looking just the same. Two lifetimes it’s been, and I look three times older.”

Leo

The Lion / Cheery, Noble, Imaginative / Demanding, Boastful, Melodramatic

You might have felt like a work zombie this past month, but June will be all about rest and relaxation! So order your favorite dessert, start a Netflix marathon, and step into your softest pair of sweats. Keep doing you till your favorite holiday rolls around. After all, those fireworks won’t set themselves.

First thing’s first, though: Check out the latest from Menacing Hedge.

• Teegarden’s Star, by Jack King

• Teaser: “He’d lost all sense of time, and didn’t know how long he’d been hanging upside down. He didn’t wear a watch. A car drove by. He could hear it but not see it. They didn’t stop.”

Virgo

The Maiden / Practical, Diligent, Kind / Obsessive, Self-Righteous, Compulsive

Kudos on all that yoga and meditation you did in May (wink, wink). Now that you’ve given your future some serious thought, it’s time to dip your toes back into the present. Catch up with friends or family however you can—social distancing and masks, people—before treating yourself to something sweet, shiny, or stylish. 

Consider this insightful story pick an added bonus.

• Clay-Filled Grave, by Joaquin Macias

• Teaser: “We dropped in an upstairs bedroom with walls covered in green and blue tapestries as bongs, blunts, and bowls were passed round and round and round. We half-knew everyone in the room, and they knew us collectively as the Bolanos twins.”

Libra

The Scales / Compassionate, Trustworthy, Peacemaker / Disorganized, Materialistic, Indecisive

June will be a tedious month of boredom for you. Try to distract yourself with a new book or passion project. You could also remedy this ennui with a classic upper: retail therapy! This deliciously bad habit could support local businesses, too. 

For your story pick, we’re boarding a rocket ship to the past. Check out this downright lovely experimental piece:

• grounding exercise, by Samantha Nock 

• Teaser: “take time out of worrying about things that aren’t written in the stars to daydream about your / favourite childhood memories. the good ones. like the time you were fishing in the creek with your dad.”

Scorpio

The Scorpion / Purposeful, Charismatic, Cunning / Aggressive, Manipulative, Possessive

No spoilers or anything, but you’re about to hit some hills in the romance department. Try to stabilize one of your relationships by examining the foundation. In the end, maybe you’ll need to rip out the carpet and lay some tile. Or spring for hardwood floors—I hear cherry oak is nice.

When you need to zone, I have the perfect treat for you.

• Fire and Flames, by Nick Hickman

• Teaser: “Most people don’t wish their house had burned down, but Ralph Herbertson did.”

Sagittarius

The Archer / Straightforward, Optimistic, Adventurous / Careless, Impatient, Hotheaded

Last month was all about romance and Skype dates. June won’t be quite as fruitful, but it won’t slap you with any downers, either. Embrace the start of summer and reflect on your goals for the fall. I might be biased, but I have a feeling we’re about to hit your best months yet.

Celebrate with this engrossing read. It’ll grab you from the first line, satisfaction guaranteed. 

• Unspoken Language, by Susan Watts

• Teaser: “The synchronization of words unspoken. The facial expressions, the twinkling in their eyes, the engagement of limbs, legs, lips, and satiation of food, wine, and cigarettes spoke volumes to anyone who observed their intimacy.”

Capricorn

The Mountain Sea-Goat / Traditional, Responsible, Ambitious / Unforgiving, Blunt, Pessimistic

May was all about embracing your inner wild child. I knew you had one, deep down (deep, deep down). You’ll need to think of June as “opposite day.” In other words, put on that responsibility cap, and prepare for a few clouds. Your personal life is safe, but your professional one could use a little polish. 

Don’t miss your story pick, though. X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine has served another great dish:

• Hannah and Her Husband Used to Be Happy, by Jennifer Todhunter

• Teaser: “Hannah and her husband married on the edge of a river, fifty feet from the spot they’d chosen, and neither one of them noticed they were in the wrong place.”

Aquarius

The Water-Bearer / Intellectual, Open-Minded, Outgoing / Unpredictable, Self-Conscious, Chaotic

Last month, your quarantine fever reached new heights. You’ll feel much happier and calmer in June. Soak up as much sunshine as you can, whether that means a window garden or a daily walk (check your area’s regulations, first!). 

Before you hit the pavement, though, crack open this truly unique read.

• The Wall Is a Horoscope, by Priyanka Sacheti

• Teaser: “The sun is in a black mood today: / a viscous coal corona / extending this way and that.”

Pisces

The Fish / Charitable, Intuitive, Artistic / Timid, Impractical, Indolent

Don’t worry about any backhanded compliments you might hear in your social circle. After all, you’re fluent in sarcasm and burns. Plus, you’ll be rewarded for good behavior around the middle of the month. Not only will you have a breakthrough with your boss, but that latest hobby? You’re going to knock it out of the park. 

Speaking of slam dunks, pull up this incredible story pick:

• Beehive, by Karen Gonzalez-Videla

• Teaser: “The constant exposure to honey had loosened her skin so much it resembled a damp sponge, and when she flexed her muscles, streams of honey oozed out of her limbs until she retched at the sweetness.”

Aries

The Ram / Courageous, Adventurous, Independent / Domineering, Selfish, Arrogant

Believe it or not, May will be a transformative time for you. Put your adventurous spirit to use and connect with people through your sweet virtual setup. Join a Skype book club, try something new. Remember: Self-care isn’t selfish.

Speaking of self-care, check out your gorgeously written story pick for May:

• Becoming, by Han Clark

• Teaser: “So many times you left me at the roadside with my head-ringing in the light of the stars and the love of the moon tugging me along like the tide.”

Taurus

The Bull / Loyal, Friendly, Resourceful / Self-Indulgent, Possessive, Greedy

Man, you’re on fire, Taurus! The stars were aligned in your favor last month, and May seems to be continuing the trend. You know what I say? Go crazy with it! Kick back and enjoy your month. For the foreseeable future, the stars are gloriously aligned in your favor.

Don’t forget your sublime story pick:

• The Vanishing Point, by Lara Ehrlich

• Teaser: “Diana constructs a torso with materials she’d used to design a durable exosuit for soldiers. She builds outward, adapting her S-shaped spine to the deer’s rolling curve.”

Gemini

The Twins / Intelligent, Adaptable, Creative / Moody, Opportunistic, Inconsistent

It’s official: the butter-side down days have hit (I did warn you!). Expect some fallout in your professional life and a few partings in your personal life. Maybe adopt an “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality?

It can’t hurt to distract yourself with this monthly read, too:

• Ever After, by Sarah Freligh

• Teaser: “Afterward, you’re still and opaque as the lake, a sad landscape I ache to row, imagine how each pull of the oars would leave a wake of holes but we’re running low on Cointreau.”

Cancer

The Crab / Honest, Generous, Faithful / Insecure, Needy, Crabby

Last month might have been all about creative breakthroughs, but this month is the perfect time to focus on your family! Now, don’t groan—it’s not polite (I’m winking, if you can’t tell). Set aside some time for your loved ones. And no, a two-minute phone call doesn’t count.

Well, maybe it does a little.

• The Paper Son, by Bradley Sides

• Teaser: “The man gently tucks his paper son inside his shirt’s pocket. The man doesn’t button the flap, so it’s easier for him to look down inside the cotton crevice to see his paper son as he leaves the store.”

Leo

The Lion / Cheery, Noble, Imaginative / Demanding, Boastful, Melodramatic

May might be topsy-turvy for you, Leo. You’ll be an absolute pro when it comes to the three f’s: friends, family, and fabulousness. Work is another story, though. Your cheery nature will demand that you fix this—and you should—but remember to shake your gorgeous mane out, too.

First things first: Read this startling, vibrant story pick:

• I Know How I’ll Die, by Shemaiah Gonzalez

• Teaser: “It starts with a tinge under my skin. An itch begging to be scratched. I find my pulse there, contracting, growing. I dare not touch it.”

Virgo

The Maiden / Practical, Diligent, Kind / Obsessive, Self-Righteous, Compulsive

Try not to rely on others too much during the second half of spring. You got to forge new friendships last month—kudos on the hot n’ heavy courting of the platonic/remote variety—but now is the time to look inward. Give your future some serious thought and think about where you’d like to be in five years.

After all that fun meditating, be sure to dip your toes in this gorgeous read.

• Regret: In Seasons, by Holly Spencer

• Teaser: “I weaken in the spring, at the knees, not the heart. I know what is coming, tiny buds, a warm, wild passing breeze through the pistil.”

Libra

The Scales / Compassionate, Trustworthy, Peacemaker / Disorganized, Materialistic, Indecisive

Bad news, my ever-balanced friend: May probably won’t be filled with spring fever for you. More bad news: Your current relationships are going to become more complicated than ever. Why, you might ask? Apparently, the universe chose you for some delightful chaos.

When you’re not shaking your fist at the sky, check out this absolutely stellar read:

• All the Stars, by Lori Sambol Brody

• Teaser: “The mountains were burning in Southern California, as they do, ash falling on the hood of his Range Rover as he backed me into the door, his knee between my thighs, the music from the club muted.”

Scorpio

The Scorpion / Purposeful, Charismatic, Cunning / Aggressive, Manipulative, Possessive

April was a bit wishy-washy for you, but May will be a full-steam-ahead kind of month. Revisit your New Year’s resolutions and embrace 2020 like it’s going out of style. If you’re lucky enough to work from home, then don’t hesitate to set a schedule for yourself. Those goals won’t reach themselves!

As a reward, read your lovely story pick for May:

• Mealtimes with Milly, by Leonie Rowland

• Teaser: “My order follows hers exactly: one large bowl of cheese ramen with a soft-boiled egg and a side of beef rice. I have been a vegetarian all my life, but Milly wouldn’t like that.”

Sagittarius

The Archer / Straightforward, Optimistic, Adventurous / Careless, Impatient, Hotheaded

For you, the flavor of May is romance. You roped in a total cutie around the end of April. Continue the goodness with some Skype dates and scandalous texting—the works. I wouldn’t even blame you if you started singing in the shower (your roommates might, though).

Save this monthly read for when they’ve locked you in your room:

• The Structure of Shadows, by Mike Fox

• Teaser: “We both turned our attention to the half-formed figure on her bench. The limbs seemed to taper forward in what looked to me like a seeking gesture. I stroked it.”

Capricorn

The Mountain Sea-Goat / Traditional, Responsible, Ambitious / Unforgiving, Blunt, Pessimistic

Treat springy May as an opportunity to make up for lost time. You might prefer winter months, but when it comes to relationships, the season of love is your best friend (see what I did there?). Don’t give in to your responsible tendencies all the time. C’mon, I know you can do it!

Your reward is this eye-opening read:

• Robin Egg Blue, by Jenny Stalter

• Teaser: “Luke was a rock star. The honey of his song poured through him, into the microphone and out the speakers. Everyone worshiped him.”

Aquarius

The Water-Bearer / Intellectual, Open-Minded, Outgoing / Unpredictable, Self-Conscious, Chaotic

You might experience quarantine fever around the middle of the month. Combat it by taking time for yourself each day. Do the best that you can, even if that means getting out of bed. Cozy up with some coffee or tea and that embarrassing sweater you keep hidden in your sock drawer. You know the one.

Now, you’re ready to crack open this enthralling read.

• Engulfment, by Drew Coles

• Teaser: “The skeleton of the dream is always the same. The grain bin stands strong as the day it was built. An impossibly faint sound comes from inside. A single finger striking metal. From behind you comes the rumbling of an engine, growing until the ground vibrates. You’re rooted.”

Pisces

The Fish / Charitable, Intuitive, Artistic / Timid, Impractical, Indolent

Let’s be honest: Last spring was rad. The bee’s knees. The best thing since sliced bread. This year is pretty different, though—fight the indoor blues with a new nest by your window, on your balcony, or in your backyard. Let the sun touch your skin while you immerse yourself in fabulous stories.

Speaking of…

• Epilogue, by Carol M. Quinn

• Teaser: “Summer is strawberries and sangria and sunflowers, Teddy pulling rabbits from his hat and releasing butterflies from his upturned palms, and it will not work, it cannot work, because she cannot let it, because she has yet to pay.”

Published January 14, 2020 by Macmillan

Sometimes a book lands perfectly along the ley lines of past and future. Uncanny Valley by Anna Weiner is one such memoir. A reflection of life that is impossible to look away from, it masterfully outlines the past two decades’ rapid shift to a tech economy and the accompanying anxieties around privacy, surveillance, and technological dependency most of us have been trying to ignore.

Weiner, who ventured into the booming tech industry of 2010s San Francisco, writes of beginning as an admittedly naïve twenty-something experiencing first-hand the euphoria and anxiety of working in Silicon Valley. She engages in a sweeping discussion of the tech industry and startup culture, interweaving her own very personal journey as a perpetual outsider-on-the-inside.

Just like the industry it studies, Uncanny Valley operates in contradictions: sincerity alongside performance, hope mixed with doubt, childlike wonder given power and control. To see it all through Weiner’s eyes is also to experience her gradual disenchantment, and her razor-sharp observations frequently reflect the social balancing act that we’re all attempting to navigate. Some of the funniest lines in the book are those that deliver the most dread; they are so absurdly and blatantly real that laughing is less a symptom of disbelief and more a sign of recognition.

One stand-out feature of the book is how nuanced a perspective it takes. It would have been incredibly easy to write a narrative solely of corruption, bad actors, how technology is making the world worse. And Weiner doesn’t resist looking the biggest problems squarely in the face: economic inequality, misogyny, racism, the ways in which the worst qualities of the internet and technology are actually symptoms of success. But nothing is overblown or taken out of context. Every scene is presented plainly, with intense humanity, and she takes care to lay every card on the table—even when they show her own flaws.

To show how easy it is to uphold an industry hell-bent on progress at any costs, Weiner implicates herself, showing how her personal desires for relationships, security, and meaningful work reinforce both her blindness to the industry’s problems (only halfway through the book does she begin to acknowledge that her company’s data collection is surveillance work), but also her early, impassioned belief that those profiting from the system are victims of it. Every time she places her trust in the system, the voice of her future self steps in, takes stock, lets us peek behind the curtain. She doesn’t use hindsight to put her optimism on trial; instead, she takes a measured look at her original assumptions alongside the nuanced reality she had to survive.

The experiences within Uncanny Valley are also distinctly millennial, characterized by a search for greater purpose amidst economic hardship and lack of meaning. As a narrator, Weiner is constantly analyzing herself and others, observing with embarrassment the adolescent culture cultivated by the startup industry while simultaneously wishing she could exist fully in that space. And it’s millennial most of all in the disillusionment she experiences, a commonality with today’s 20- and 30-somethings who spent their early adulthood crushed by student debt, struggling to find living-wage jobs in the recession, bombarded by the 24/7 news cycle of climate change and growing political unrest, and coming to terms with their individual powerlessness in the face of billionaires and corporate monopolies. Should we work inside the castle walls of capitalism, where at least we get healthcare and a decent wage, even as our identities are subsumed? What about everyone else? Weiner doesn’t claim to have the answers, but this book shows she’s drawing her line in the sand.

At its heart, Uncanny Valley is a window into a world many of us have only seen from a distance, a world some of us are all too familiar with. Alongside other contemporary works like Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion and Susan Fowler’s Whistleblower: My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber, Weiner has expertly shared her own experiences and offered insight into the technological movement that is shaping our futures.

Published January 14, 2020 by Soft Skull Press

I’m a big fan of ‘weird.’ My favorite stories tie together the uncanny with strong characters I can connect with. I was fortunate enough to find this exact mixture in Nicolette Polek’s fascinating debut short story fiction collection, Imaginary Museums. The collection is aptly named: it is, quite simply, imaginative. Polek invites us to dive headfirst into the bizarre, and swim through a host of engaging characters with the strangest of experiences and lives.

Polek takes us through four sections of brief, surreal fictions with an assuredness indicative of her skill as a writer. Her characters—often nameless, with few (if any) physical characteristics outlined—shine with unprecedented strength, and resonated with me strongly. A distrustful woman with a personal rope barrier, a mathematician with a glass house, a seamstress who “decides to give up people”—the collection features characters dealing with love, insecurity, relationships, grief, and growth.

In the title piece, we find recently-divorced Annie, thoroughly dissatisfied with her life but lacking the courage to leave her small town. The prospect of visiting the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Museum in New York City invigorates her with a new passion—but what is she to do when she learns it does not exist?

In “The Dance,” an uncommunicative couple wants to go dancing, but will only go if the other insists first. “Thursdays at Waterhouse” brings us a discontented clerk, whose clothes are repeatedly stolen from the Waterhouse—the only place he can find contentment. And in “Love Language,” a plane full of people find themselves “somewhere that should no longer be there.”

Characters’ identities are often secondary to their present emotions, which is why, funnily enough, the characters resonate. The minimalist characterization often allows readers to insert themselves into these moments—these insecurities and anxieties, these hopes and determinations—and experience them firsthand. In my personal favorite, “Field Notes,” Erica desperately tries to forget her responsibilities long enough to take a relaxing walk, but the mounting sense of being watched parallels her growing anxiety over her neglected work. I felt my own unease escalate alongside hers and had connected with this character by the story’s second page.

The whole collection reads like a series of snapshots, each story a quick dive into seemingly unrelated characters and scenarios. The stories rarely share any similarities in form or content, ranging in length from less than one page to almost eight, and frequently shifting between points of view. As a result, each proceeds at a rapid pace—until each ending stuns like a sudden drop.

I can’t say I understood every story on first read. I often finished with a question: “What is this supposed to mean?” And yet, each piece left me with some visceral emotion strong enough to keep it in my mind. Sometimes the purpose of the story seems to be simply to express a particular feeling elicited by a particular moment. And realizing that led me to wonder whether the collection is a representation of humanity itself. Unpredictable, often bizarre, but suffused with notions of hope, longing, ennui, love, and anxiety.

Polek’s outrageous concepts are infused with heart, and therein lies the power of this collection: her words at once chill and ache, because she renders each character and situation with close and careful attention. The result is often dark, but also sharply poignant.

So, take a foray into these weird yet wonderful glimpses into humanity–I guarantee you’ll be thinking about them long after you close the book.

Here at F(r)iction, we are huge fans of winter. I, for one, love this time of year. Everything is cozy, quiet, and comfortable. Scratch that—these words aren’t enough to express how wonderful winter is.

In fact, I need more words—better words, more poetic words, so-great-they-don’t-seem-real words!

So have a look at these new tongue-ticklers to try out this season—I hope you love them as much as I do.

1. Petrichor (peh-trick-or): “a distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall especially when following a warm, dry period” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   Okay—how amazing is this word?! I’ve always appreciated that calm-after-the-storm, rain-and-soggy-leaves smell, but I never had a word to describe it before. Now I do! Where I live, we’ve had a lot of fluctuation between snow and freezing rain, so this word seems particularly relevant this year. Does this sound like a robot name to anyone else?

2. Crepuscular (creh-pus-cue-lar): “of, relating to, or resembling twilight” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   You know how, as the weather gets colder, it feels like you’re never in the sun? You’re out of the house before it’s fully up, and back home after it’s gone down. It feels like the only time you’re in nature is during those twilight hours. Well, maybe you’ll feel just a bit better thinking of it as your crepuscular time. It’s pretty satisfying to say.

3. Apricity (apri-si-tea): “the warmth of the sun in the winter” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   This is literally my favorite word. I learned about it last winter, and I think it is a poem in itself. Thank you, office desk “word-of-the-day” calendar.

4. Hygge (hyoo-guh): “a quality of coziness and contentment” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   Leave it to the Danes to come up with a cute little word that sounds like you’re wrapping yourself up in a blanket. I don’t know about you, but up here in Canada I can definitely appreciate some hygge.

5. Subnivean (sub-niv-ee-an): “situated or occurring under the snow” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   As in, sorry, I can’t make it into work… there is a subnivean squirrel blocking my path. Amazing.

6. Psychrophilic (psych-row-fill-ick): “thriving at a relatively low temperature” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   I suppose coniferous trees would be considered psychrophilic. I certainly am—get me to a hockey rink, put some hot chocolate in my hands, maybe a good book or two… perfect!

7. Skijoring (ski-jawr-ing): “a winter sport in which a person wearing skis is drawn over snow or ice by a horse or vehicle” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   Though it sounds vaguely terrifying, how cool would it be to say you went skijoring over the weekend?

8. Primaveral (pre-ma-vaer-al): “of or relating to early spring” (Merriam-Webster).
   
   No, friends, this is not a pasta. Fooled you there for a second, didn’t I? This isn’t technically a winter word either, unless you are one of those people who just stays inside, counting the days until winter is over.

9. Crule (crew-ell): can mean “to shiver with cold” or “to crouch by a fire to warm up” (A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words).
   
   While I wish I could use this one every day—who doesn’t love warming their hands by a fire?—it would most likely be confused with cruel one too many times. Still cool, though, huh?

10. Meggle (megg-uhl): “to trudge laboriously through mud or snow” (Dictionary of the Scots Language).
    
    Whether it’s fall, winter, or just especially rainy, we have all had to meggle at some point. Nice to know there’s a word for it!

11. Mufflements (muff-el-ments): “thick, warm, insulating clothes” (The English Dialect Dictionary).
    
    I don’t know about you, but next time I’m out in the snow, I will be telling all of my friends not to forget their mufflements.

12. Hogamadog (hog-uh-muh-dog): “the huge ball of snow made by [people]* in rolling a snowball over soft snow” (The English Dialect Dictionary). *Edited to say people because sexism.
    
    This word is definitely the most fun to say of any on the list. Although I bet if you asked someone to make a hogamadog with you, they would be very confused.

So now you have twelve new words to add to your vocabulary. Anyone else keep a list of new words they want to use? Stay warm, don’t forget your scarves, and have a cup of apple cider or two (or three…). Happy winter!

If you’ve ever met one of our wonderful F(r)iction staffers, you’ll quickly learn that almost every one of them was once an intern in our Publishing Internship Program.

This program is run by our parent nonprofit organization, Brink Literacy Project. While our publishing internships are a great way to get a crash course in the literary industry, they can often provide a path to what can become a long and rewarding professional relationship. For more information, please visit the internship page on the Brink website.

Delaney Heisterkamp

What is your favorite place to read?  
There used to be these wide, beige pillows just the size of a curled-up child body in my house—when I was little, I’d pull them into window squares of afternoon sunlight behind the couch and read for hours. Now, any 2-for-1 combo of warm and cozy will do: hot tea, blankets upon blankets, golden hour. Bonus points for the smell of fresh growing things or that deeply yellow light that sometimes occurs when it rains in the afternoon.

You’re on a walk in the woods. It’s a lovely day, and you’re looking up at the blue sky and rustling leaves overhead—when you trip over something! It’s a magic wand! What does it look like? Do you pick it up, and if so, what do you do with it?
I definitely pick up the wand—it’s wonderfully bizarre and arcane, like a branch from a lightning-struck tree or a polished antler or a slim malachite geode. It’s rare enough to be strange but also common enough to be a coincidence. When I experimentally slice the air with it, I blink and gasp in a winter grotto shiny with snow and moonlight. It is impossible to tell what when this is. Another swipe, and I’m ankle-deep in green water. The trees grow copper leaves overhead; a breeze blusters through in clicks and whirs. Another arcing motion takes me back to the blue sky and rustling leaves I began in. I hastily return the wand to where I found it, but I have to sit and collect myself for minutes or hours before I can leave it behind.

How do you take your coffee? If you don’t drink coffee, describe your favorite beverage ritual.
I’m more of a tea person myself, though I have been known to drink coffee in desperate times. There is nothing more intimate than someone preparing a cup of earl grey for you, just the way you like it.

What is your favorite English word and why? Do you have a favorite word in another language?
While choosing only one took some time (runners up, in no particular order: susurration, filament, ochre, occlude, dentulous, effervesce, arborescent, apocrypha), my current favorite is fabulist. The word has two delightfully juxtaposed definitions, ‘a writer of fables’ and ‘liar,’ and rolls around in your mouth with a rich, bright feel. Fantastical and poetic implications abound!

In terms of another language, the first thing I thought of was hiraeth, a Welsh word that describes yearning for a home to which you cannot return, or a home which may never have been. According to Pamela Petro in her article “Dreaming in Welsh” in the Paris Review, “[t]o feel hiraeth is to feel a deep incompleteness and recognize it as familiar.” When I first learned the word in high school, it struck me as deeply elegiac and nostalgic. Now, I find it still resonates with me when I think about futurity—my own, and that of others in the same and subsequent generations.

You’re on a deserted island. You have one album and one book. What are they and why?
Finding myself on a deserted island would definitely feel a little uncanny and apocalyptic. San Fermin’s “The Cormorant I” and Hozier’s “Wasteland, Baby” are both albums I could imagine myself crooning and screaming to the ocean at various points during my descent into wildness. However, the book side of things is hard! I eventually settled on my current read, The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, since I’d hate to leave it halfway-finished. It’s probably also thick enough to last me some time as survival kindling.

If you could change one thing about the literary industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, I would spur on decentralization. While we slowly seem to be acknowledging the industry’s current inaccessibility and economical exclusion (as well as all the ways this interacts with race, gender, ability, sexuality, etc.), we are a long way away from wholly rectifying these things.

Megan Walters

What is your favorite place to read?  
In bed with a mug of hot cocoa. 

You’re on a walk in the woods. It’s a lovely day, and you’re looking up at the blue sky and rustling leaves overhead—when you trip over something! It’s a magic wand! What does it look like? Do you pick it up, and if so, what do you do with it?
My wand is speckled with silver glitter, and I definitely can’t resist picking it up. I would use it to create the coffee shop I’ve always wanted to own, one that doubles as a bookstore and has a performance space for readings.

How do you take your coffee? If you don’t drink coffee, describe your favorite beverage ritual.
With cream and perhaps a sprinkle of sugar. 

What is your favorite English word and why? Do you have a favorite word in another language?
My favorite English word is quixotic, which means excessively idealistic and impractical. I think both this definition and the sound of it are beautiful. One of my favorite Spanish words is ensimismamiento. I’m not sure exactly how to translate it, but it refers to the sensation of being so lost in your own thoughts that you ignore your surroundings. 

You’re on a deserted island. You have one album and one book. What are they and why?
This is a hard question, but I think I would select the album Born To Die by Lana del Rey. Her lyrics and style really inspired me when I was younger, and I still enjoy her sound. For the book, I would choose the short story collection Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins, because of its complex characters and evocative imagery. I couldn’t put it down when I read it for the first time. 

If you could change one thing about the literary industry, what would it be?
I wish that it were more accessible. There are a lot of barriers, particularly financial, that prevent passionate readers and writers from entering it. I think this automatically limits the possibilities of what can happen in the world of popular literature. 

Madison Cotton

What is your favorite place to read?  
My favorite place to read is in my bed late at night on my phone when I should be sleeping.

You’re on a walk in the woods. It’s a lovely day, and you’re looking up at the blue sky and rustling leaves overhead—when you trip over something! It’s a magic wand! What does it look like? Do you pick it up, and if so, what do you do with it?
The wand feels brittle when I pick it up, like it’ll crumble like moon sand if I squeeze it too hard. It’s the same width all the way across, and I wonder if the light brown color is attributed to the moon’s illumination or the actual materials of the wand. Is it made of sand? Or maybe a really light oak. How do I know for sure this is a magic wand? I think as I let it tumble from my fingers into the palm of my hand. I weigh it and close my fist around one side. 

Oh.

I don’t know what else it could be besides magic. It electrifies me, making my hair stand on end and sending little muscle spasms up my arm. 

This isn’t how I expected to find out I have powers. I was waiting for a messenger or a little animal familiar to come whisk me away to some real-world equivalent of Hogwarts or Fillory, but this will have to do. I let the wand fall from my hand and take deep breaths as my hairs lay back down and I regain control of my twitching arm. Gathering leaves in both hands, I grab the wand using the leaves as a buffer between the magic stick and my skin, and stuff it into my backpack which holds all sorts of interesting rocks and leaves. In due time I’ll figure out what to do with it. For now, I’ll live with this exhilarating secret, and wait until I can share it with the world. 

How do you take your coffee? If you don’t drink coffee, describe your favorite beverage ritual.
I prefer strong coffee with a little milk or cream and some sugar if I’m feeling festive. It can’t be too sweet though, or I’ll crash by 2 p.m. 

What is your favorite English word and why? Do you have a favorite word in another language?
My favorite English word is moist because of the visceral reaction it gives people which I think is hilarious. I like every French word ever because they sound so elegant, like charcuterie or l’horloge, I think they sound better than English. 

You’re on a deserted island. You have one album and one book. What are they and why?
The one album I’d take is XX by Loona, the Kpop girl group not only because I love every song on the album, but because it’s one of the many things my younger brother and I have bonded over. For that, I will always love it. I would bring Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because I could relate to the main character being awkward, but I appreciate how Rowell didn’t make the character super insufferable or stupid. She was a normal girl with normal problems and I liked that she didn’t make me cringe. 

If you could change one thing about the literary industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the literary industry it would be how much of a platform we give voices outside of the US. 

Craig Hartz

What is your favorite place to read?  
I have a giant blue La-Z-Boy that’s over twelve years old and falling apart that my roommate calls “the Blue Throne.” It’s a little ridiculous, honestly. It was my dad’s—I picked it out for him as a gift when he was deployed to Iraq. It was perfectly comfortable for me, but not so much for him, it turns out. When I graduated from High School and left for college, he told me it was mine if I could fit it in the car. I lofted my dorm-room bed almost to the ceiling to make room for it, and slept in it most of the year. When I joined the Army, it moved around with a few people who were generous enough to look after it for me. These days we’ve been reunited, and it’s a proper reading chair, still perfectly comfortable, and nestled between the five full-sized bookshelves I’ve managed to cram into my apartment in Denver.

You’re on a walk in the woods. It’s a lovely day, and you’re looking up at the blue sky and rustling leaves overhead—when you trip over something! It’s a magic wand! What does it look like? Do you pick it up, and if so, what do you do with it?
It’s a little worn, scuffed, and warped. It’s magic, so of course it fits perfectly in my hand—did it shiver and stretch and form itself as I picked it up, or is that just a trick of the light? Curious. But I use it: in one sweeping motion eliminating First Past the Post voting systems around the world and replacing them with something more representational (perhaps the Single Transferrable Vote, ahem). Some good in the world accomplished, I think. And then, just maybe, a little gift for myself—the ability to write perfect first drafts, perhaps.

How do you take your coffee? If you don’t drink coffee, describe your favorite beverage ritual.
At the risk of sounding like a snob, it depends on how good the coffee is. I started drinking coffee in the Army—Maxwell House, black, while deployed or in the field training. These days the coffee I drink is better, and so most of the time I still drink it that way, but I’ll add a bit of cream from time to time. Especially if it’s Maxwell House.

What is your favorite English word and why? Do you have a favorite word in another language?
I think my favorite English word changes every few months. Currently, I’d say nuance, because it continually reminds me of and anchors me in the complexity of life, perspectives, and beliefs. It was a touchstone throughout the undergraduate studies I just completed, forcing me to interrogate my presuppositions, beliefs, and arguments as well as those of the authors I was reading, the professors I was learning from, and the students I was interacting with. It’s also a reminder of the textured depth I’m always striving for in my writing.

As for another language, there are so many. But I lived in Germany for six years and have a really deep love of that language despite having lost my fluency, so I’ll pick one from there: Fernweh (FEIRN-veyh). It’s something like wanderlust, but more specific—an intense longing to return to a place you’ve been before. It seems fitting in a way that there’s a word in German to describe my feelings about Germany.

You’re on a deserted island. You have one album and one book. What are they and why?
The album: re:member by Ólafur Arnalds. He’s a brilliant composer and pianist who plays classical fusion, and his albums are perfect for writing. This album in particular is sublime—I think it’s about as close to a perfect album as I can think of. I could listen to it forever and still be finding new layers, and the absence of lyrics would mean that I can spend my time on this deserted island trying to craft some that complement it, which seems like a good distraction.

The book: Mink River by Brian Doyle. Doyle’s writing is simply breathtaking, and this novel tells the story of a little town on the coast of Oregon with all its myriad people and creatures and events. The way he evokes emotion and investigates the nuances of the human heart, relationships, and pain are staggering. I’ve never cried or laughed as many times as I have reading (and rereading) this book. Plus, there’s a talking crow named Moses in it, and who wouldn’t love reading that?

If you could change one thing about the literary industry, what would it be?
I think I’d love to see more kinds of literature valued. It seems that literary fiction is often seen as the pinnacle of writing, and other genres discounted as somehow less artistically, epistemologically, or culturally valuable. Don’t get me wrong—I love literary fiction. But I think that there’s truth, beauty, and joy to be found in so much other writing, be that high fantasy or experimental essays or dystopian futures or YA fiction. I believe that storytelling is an act of healing, and that, at base, all writers are trying at some level to communicate some truth that they see. I want everyone to wonder at that, be excited and curious about that, instead of throwing up walls between which genres are worth engaging with and which aren’t.

‘Aolani Robinson

What is your favorite place to read?  
My favorite place to read is in bed, covered in fuzzy blankets.

You’re on a walk in the woods. It’s a lovely day, and you’re looking up at the blue sky and rustling leaves overhead—when you trip over something! It’s a magic wand! What does it look like? Do you pick it up, and if so, what do you do with it?
It is short and unexceptional looking at first. However, a closer look reveals that its blackened wood is covered in an iridescent shimmer. I pick it up and use it to build a path to another world.

How do you take your coffee? If you don’t drink coffee, describe your favorite beverage ritual.
I prefer my coffee with as much sugar and milk as possible. The sweeter, the better.

What is your favorite English word and why? Do you have a favorite word in another language?
My favorite English word is Serendipity. I love the way it sounds and its meaning. It reminds me of the many possibilities in life.

You’re on a deserted island. You have one album and one book. What are they and why?
I would have Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll for my book. I have always loved this book due to its focus on wonder and imagination. My album choice would be White Noise by Pvris. I really like this band’s sound and I can relate to most of the songs on the album.

If you could change one thing about the literary industry, what would it be?
One thing I would change about the literary industry is the lack of diversity. While strides have been taken in recent years to expand the amount of race, gender, and sexuality-based diversity, I would love to see more people from different locations and languages succeeding in the industry as well.