Status
Available
Publication
Avalon Publishing Group (2017), 128 pages
Description
"Literary Witches draws a connection between witches and visionary writers: both are figures of formidable creativity, empowerment, and general badassery. Through poetic portraits, Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan honor the witchy qualities of well-known and obscure authors alike, including Virginia Woolf, Mira Bai, Toni Morrison, Emily Dickinson, Octavia E. Butler, Sandra Cisneros, and many more.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member sturlington
This combination of fantastical prose-poems and art is a tribute to women writers from all time periods and all parts of the world. Each writer is depicted as a witch, but "witch," as the introduction says, is not a hag or devil's consort, but rather "a woman who stands entirely on her own. She is
So each writer is given a title. Octavia Butler is "sower of strange seeds, species, and the future." Emily Dickinson is "specter of windows, flies, and the unexpected." Mary Shelley is "alchymist of monsters, children, the living and the dead." Following her title is a prose-poem that delves into the essential nature of the woman and her writing, depicting her perhaps as a spirit or an immortal or a prophetess. The writing is tinged with darkness, a little creepy, but in a good way--the seductiveness of danger. On the opposite page is a portrait of the writer by Katy Horan, again using symbology and sometimes-disturbing images to get at the essence of her. There is also a short biography and suggested readings, and the whole encourages the reader to seek out these women--some very famous, some quite unknown (at least, to me)--and experience their work for yourself.
I also have a Literary Witches deck of cards, which can be used like an oracle or fortune-telling deck: pull cards and find answers to questions or simply what is influencing you today. The cards include all of the witches as well as their materials, symbols such as bees, a ghost, a spider, or a teacup. I was drawn to both the book and cards by the art (and by my interest in owning unusual card decks), but I found the writing to be enchanting, which I'd like to dip into again and again.
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more often than not an outsider, and her gift is transformation. She is a change agent, and her work is sparked by speech: an incantation, a naming, a blessing, a curse."So each writer is given a title. Octavia Butler is "sower of strange seeds, species, and the future." Emily Dickinson is "specter of windows, flies, and the unexpected." Mary Shelley is "alchymist of monsters, children, the living and the dead." Following her title is a prose-poem that delves into the essential nature of the woman and her writing, depicting her perhaps as a spirit or an immortal or a prophetess. The writing is tinged with darkness, a little creepy, but in a good way--the seductiveness of danger. On the opposite page is a portrait of the writer by Katy Horan, again using symbology and sometimes-disturbing images to get at the essence of her. There is also a short biography and suggested readings, and the whole encourages the reader to seek out these women--some very famous, some quite unknown (at least, to me)--and experience their work for yourself.
I also have a Literary Witches deck of cards, which can be used like an oracle or fortune-telling deck: pull cards and find answers to questions or simply what is influencing you today. The cards include all of the witches as well as their materials, symbols such as bees, a ghost, a spider, or a teacup. I was drawn to both the book and cards by the art (and by my interest in owning unusual card decks), but I found the writing to be enchanting, which I'd like to dip into again and again.
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LibraryThing member Amellia_Fiske
Lovely illustrations, beautiful fictional vignettes of amazing female authors.
LibraryThing member samalots
The illustrations are beautiful and haunting, but the book itself is more of a tasting menu of great writers. If you’re looking for a lot of information, you’ll be disappointed. Some of the more lyrical sections are best appreciated if you’re already familiar with the author, but some are
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intriguing enough to make me seek out new favorites. I’m glad I’ll be able to refer back to the recommendations. Show Less
Awards
NPR: Books We Love (2017)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
8.38 inches
ISBN
1580056733 / 9781580056731