Quail Bell (kwāl • bel) -n: 1. A social and artistic experiment in the imaginary, the nostalgic & the otherworldly. 2. A fairy punk living, questioning, and believing in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area (and beyond), online and offline.
Three Things Anacostia Doesn't Need
By Brainy Bird - Once upon a time there was a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. called Anacostia and many white, upper-middle class people who had never set foot there were terrified of it because black people called it home. Oh, wait. That neighborhood still exists and this same demographic is still scared of something they don’t know or understand. On October 23rd, <Urbane/> published a satirical map called, More...
I Was Born with a Stage Name
By Fay Funk - "So, do you like to get down and/or do you know what that smell is?” the boy in my tenth grade science class asked, with a slight flicker of humor across his face. I sighed inwardly. I had known what was coming. I had just told him my full name. Faylani Rae Funk. This boy and I had been in the same classes for over a year, but he only knew me by my nickname, Fay. That was intentional. I could tell the moment More...
Rum and Remorse
By Christopher Sloce - A pin-point moment for the family unit: your son came home after begging the night before to go to a Halloween party after party. He is dressed like Conan O’Brien, wearing a god awful tie, hair dyed red. He walked inside, his brow furrowed, focused on getting to his bedroom with no questions. You know he is hating himself for what happened last night. More...
Notes on Jellyfish
By Michelle Betters -
When desire aligns itself with the whirring the document Composes itself as follows With gelatinous tissue which is most often translucent but sometimes an opaque pink Propels itself on to the screen More... Other People's Stories
By Allison Corbett - Several months and some significant life changes later, I find myself not in Washington, D.C. but here in New York City, a student again. I am in the Oral History Masters Program at Columbia University and as I move through my studies and learn what it means to work with other people’s stories, I face an ever-growing list of questions: More...
An Anthropological Approach to Art
By Eva Rocha - I grew up in a small town of only three streets in a rural area in the south of Brazil. My country is a place where many traditions from many kinds of people—free immigrants or groups brought by force—not just survived but merged, forming new traditions specific to Brazil. Many of these cross cultural traditions took place in my town, for example the Folia de Reis, a Catholic/pagan celebration for the Three Kings, More...
For the Pink Shorts Crowd
By Sorcha Patricks - Ever been teased for your blatant preppiness? Ever had to explain why you bought five-dollar bright green hair ribbons? Ever had someone notice your New Balance sneakers and salmon shorts and scoff, “You look like a ninety year old man on a golf course?” If so, then Charlottesville, Virginia is the place for you! Welcome, fellow preps, as I guide you through the town you’ll come to love. More...
Montana
By M. Alouette & Alexander C. Kafka -
I never knew Big Sky Country in the flesh and soil, feet on the biggest landlocked state, wheels on I-90, but I knew it through the tales of a towering nurse, my lover’s godmother, a woman from Charles County, who fled her Washington college the moment she graduated to heal from the peaks to the plains. More... History Lies Here
By Mo Karnage - Even though Richmond, Virginia's City Council took the controversial baseball stadium proposal off of the agenda, over 20 citizens still attended the council meeting on Monday, November 11th to protest Mayor Jones' development plan. The proposal will be addressed at the November 25th council meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall. In the meantime, if you are a Richmonder who cares about history or even just humanity in general, please spread the word and talk to your councilperson More...
My Own Brain Working Against Me
By Fay Funk - When I still lived in New York City, I would go for a walk every night. After dinner I would set my homework aside, put on my shoes and headphones, and head out the door. I always went the same route; straight down 5th Avenue to 9th Street, then down 7th Avenue until about 1st Street. I walked past the same darkly-lit bars and More...
Another Symbol of Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, etc.
By Mo Karnage - For the reader not from my city of Richmond, Virginia or not familiar with the specifics of Richmond politics: The mid-sized city of Richmond as a microcosm is a great example of the multitude of problems that come with professional sports and public spending. Our issues are likely your town's issues, or have been before, or will be in the future. Our experiences with the racism of the NFL team from Washington, D.C., which began usingRichmond grounds as a training camp this past summer, are a part of a national discussion being had about their name. And Richmond's potential to disrespect a site significant to African-American history in the name of development is also a tale told in many towns. And the More...
A Shopping Trip in the 18th Century
By Misty Thomas - My stars! Suddenly these holidays are upon us and I have nothing to show for it! My house needs a little décor as everyone in town has seen the stale pottery that I have on display. How do I keep appearances up when all of my vases and paintings are old and tired?! During these specials holidays, there will be visitors in and out of our posh and magnificent home. I must make sure that everyone More...
Scungy
By Luna Lark, Modeled by Sandra Carmargo -
They told me to never come here after dark, even if it was a shortcut but I'm not the type to hold my breath in cemeteries and I wanted to see where he died and in the same conditions More... Away with the Sleeping Mask
By Lauren Hunt - There is a moment each day, before you remember what day it is and what year it is and where you are and who you’ve become. There is only you, and you are waking up, and maybe you’re really happy just to be waking up again, or maybe you’re really tired and cursing yourself for setting an alarm so early. I am in that moment right now, More...
More than Shingles
By Steve Mitchell - Let me begin by asking this simple question--Is “creativity” the main criteria you should consider when hiring a graphic designer? If you answered that question, “no,” then hooray for you. I agree! I ran across a design website just today, and the pitch was, “The only reason to hire me is because I’m creative. I’ll bring that quality to everything I do.” To me, that's sort of like saying, “I’m a roofer and you should hire More...
Emerald Snow
By Colin Keane - I thought I saw you in the Beaufort Bar
but it was merely a look-a-like. She was an infrared illusion, far- fetched, under sweeping lights. She was close, looked the part to play your ghost, but my chances turned to toast More... |
The Quail Bell Crew• Christine Stoddard - Editor
• Kristen Rebelo - Art Director • Claire LeDoyen - Editorial Assistant • Sarah Sullivan - Editorial Assistant • Luna Lark - Staff Writer • Sorcha Patricks - Staff Writer • Christine Skelly - Staff Illustrator • Laura Bramble - Staff Illustrator • Helen Stoddard - Staff Photographer • Elena de Leon - Staff Photographer • Sarah V. Smith - Staff Set Designer • M. Alouette - Contributor • Paisley Hibou - Contributor • Starling Root - Contributor • The Sparrow Goddess - Contributor • Belle Byrd - Contributor • Kay Feathers - Contributor • The Picture Pharmacist - Contributor • Josephine Stone (R.I.P.) The Quail Bell Crew operates out of the DMV—that's the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region to non-locals—but we receive submissions from writers and artists all over the world. Want to submit? Read our editorial mission and submission guidelines. Then contact us. 
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