Resources and a Review!
When Wizards in Space Lit Mag founder and Editor-in-Chief, Olivia Dolphin, reached out...
to me for a review of issue no. 5, I was so excited! I'd been following the magazine for a little while, obsessing over their beautiful design work and spying on their fun-filled launch parties from afar. And the timing of this issue just couldn't be anymore perfect. I don't think it was the staff's intention to put out an issue so timely, but this installment has helped me process the events of COVID-19 with the sort of introspection that only literature can inspire.
First of all, can we just talk about
how beautiful this book is?!
Visit my Instagram for a flip-through video of this issue!
As the cover intimates, this issue of Wizards in Space has collected stories, poems, and musings on cyclical natures. The pieces themselves range from microscopic abstractions about the ways in which we internalize the world around us (a favorite of mine being Child by E. Jade Lomax) to stories that function as studies of the scope of our existence - stories that travel into different space times and remind us of our connection during times of such extreme isolation. All of this is peppered with provoking and beautiful artwork and illustrations that communicate liberation and strength (I get lost in Kelsey Dean's constellation hair drawings).
I want to highlight a few notes from the Wizards in Space team, for they perfectly capture the essence of this issue, but more than that, encapsulated in this issue is everything we need to help us process and get through this time of quarantine and self-reflection:
With this issue, we wanted to crack open everything we know about habits and cycles: how decay can spark rebirth, how some flowers can only bloom after devastating forest fires, and how hope can fuel us to rise from the ashes of our own demise, and to survive it... This collection asks: what happens when we keep going?... The words within this book move through grief, loss, and remorse, to warmth, pride, hope, and back around again... These books are a reminder that anything is possible, that you can be a part of something bigger than yourself, no matter what your time on earth is like. You can create whatever you want to create. You can be generous, driven, focused, kind, and brave. You can be yourself... The symphony of everything that has ever existed working together with one purpose: to keep going.
In the most authentic way, this issue asks us to embody our feelings - through the prick of a cactus or by candlelight or by the feeling of treading meaning in the middle of the ocean - and to examine ourselves in ways both minuscule and within a global context. Issue No. 5 of Wizards in Space is a meditation, a philosophical journey punctuated by a collection of amazing talent.
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connect with Wizards in Space!
Small Business Resources + Recommendations!
Are you a small business owner? Have you applied for the SBA relief full-forgiveness loan? If not, you can do so HERE.
Small businesses offering BIG things:
Listen, Lucy is offering mental health writing workshops throughout the month of April for only $10. I attended one and it was EXACTLY the boost I needed! Click HERE for more info.
Check out local author Katherine Mansfield and connect with her on her Instagram Spilled Ink + Images, where she's supporting fellow creatives through imagery and storytelling.
Are you an educator looking for support and resources? Connect with others in Diana Patton's Educators on the RISE Facebook group. She even offers a weekly LIVE community call.
This can be a really tough time for trauma survivors, especially with limited therapeutic resources. If you need support or someone to talk to, reach out to trauma survivor coach Katie Maloney.
As a small business owner, transitioning your focus to virtual programming can seem overwhelming right now. Need some help? Contact social media and digital guru Katie over at Wildess Digital!
Amazing Books & Records has started a subscription service where they'll ship you a package of surprise books! It's seriously awesome and seriously affordable. They'll even ship a box to your friends. Check it out HERE.
Are you a creative writer looking for some support and community?Check out our Patreon, On Fridays, We Write: an affordable hub where you can find weekly writing prompts, LIVE education courses, writing support, and likeminded friends!
Happy writing, friends!