84 pages
Published 2020
Read June 14
Rating: 3 out of 5
Collecting books and reading books are two separate pastimes. I’ve owned a copy of this anthology ever since early 2021, when I purchased it alongside a copy of the December 2020 issue of Prismatica Magazine (which was my very first print publication as an author). It’s come along with me on three big moves, but I’m only just now reading it. (To be fair, I didn’t do much reading at all in 2021. Too much fresh trauma and long-term recuperation.)
Ah, 2020. A miserable time for most, a tragic time for many. Yet it was also when I got reacquainted with the indie press scene. So many of the small litmags and micro presses that I read and published in back then are gone. A good chunk of my publications were lost in various website closures. In the case of Prismatica and its associated indie press, it enacted a small miracle by resurrecting after its initial shutdown in the summer of 2021. The magazine’s back catalog is still available to read online, which is another small miracle. All the press’s one-off anthologies and chapbooks, sadly, seem to be out of print, including this collection. I’m happy I got a copy when I did.
If any of the authors have since chosen different names, I apologize. I don’t mean to deadname anyone here.
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“White Flowers to the Sea” by Jameson Hampton. A brief but charming tale of a priest of Poseidon at Sounion, and his curiosity about the furtive Athenian man who leaves offerings of white flowers at the temple. Hampton brings out character with deft phrasing, making this story feel deeper than its length would suggest.
“The Keeper” by Jacob Holmes-Brown. After a tryst in the lighthouse, warrior Kallias must leave to accompany Alexandria's governor on a voyage. Kallias' love, Timon, a keeper of the lighthouse, waits for his return, but riots sweep through the city in the governor’s absence. An effective story.
“Miindo” by Lyndon Ang. A sweet, sapphic tale of an enslaved entertainer named Jeonghyang and a painter named Yunbok. Dynastic Korea is not the ideal place to be a woman, a commoner, or queer. This story grounds our protagonists in that system, but is mostly concerned with giving them a glimpse of a life outside those strictures, literally seeing past the male gaze. It also graces us with a strong dose of the "queer panic" trope. Enjoyable.
“Loss” by A.R. Salandy. Nathaniel and Tom taste love on the eve of the American Civil War.
“Gas-Flame Countess” by Percival Vogt. An atmospheric stroll through 1865 Paris, a world of nocturnal pleasures, tribades, and complaisants. This story was inspired by the real-life "Countess" and her queer community, which I just now learned about thanks to this story.
“By the Mahoning River” by M.P. Armstrong. One close to my heart, this story takes place in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1943. Tony works at a steel mill, missing her brother, who's been drafted. Then a new family moves in above a corner storefront, and Tony meets Beatrice, who also finds work at the mill. Another sweet little story, a brief but vivid depiction of a moment in time. I wish it had gone on longer.
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And that’s it! Overall, a solid and enjoyable sample of indie publishing. I’m sad the other offerings from the press are out of reach.
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