2024 First Matter Press cohort release: “greenhouse” and “Suspended In My Insecticide Jar”
First Matter Press released two titles of poetry and hybrid literature in August ’24.
A hybrid work of poetry and creative nonfiction, greenhouse by Sophie Hall,is a literary journey that transcends genre boundaries, weaving together the raw honesty of creative nonfiction with the subterranean power of dream poetry. In her queer coming-of-age inquiry, Sophie Hall vividly portrays the stark realities and challenges faced growing up in rural Appalachia, where economic hardship, divorced family life, and societal prejudices shaped her daily existence as a young person. Her intricate sorting of identity and place invites readers to connect to resilience, hope, and home.
A book of poems, Suspended In My Insecticide Jar, by Clara McAuley follows a teen girl’s struggle with mental health and body image while interpreting and grappling with feminist political issues including women's safety and abortion rights. Readers are spared no darknesses in an intimate excavation of identity, bisexuality, and death’s alluring call. Moths are drawn toward light to orient themselves in space—here the poems twist in the dark toward healing. By the end of the journey, the poet refuses to be her own entomologist.
The 2024 cohort was guided by myself and co-editors Lauren Paredes, Hailey Spencer, and Emily Moon. Covers feature artwork by Seattle artist Alexandra Strenfel. I designed and facilitated production for both titles, and served as lead editor for greenhouse.
greenhouse
AVAILABLE @ BOOKSHOP.ORG + OTHER BOOKSELLERS
Written by Sophie Hall
Paperback | 96 pages | August 2024
Published by First Matter Press
Suspended In My Insecticide Jar
AVAILABLE @ BOOKSHOP.ORG + OTHER BOOKSELLERS
Written by Clara McAuley
Paperback | 56 pages | August 2024
Published by First Matter Press
