By Gretchen Gales

After scandals and disagreements between the Swedish Academy and the Nobel Foundation Board of Directors disrupted the awarding of high literary merit, the Nobel Prize for Literature will once again be awarded for both 2018 and 2019. 
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By Melina Bee

By Ghia Vitale

By Archita Mittra

Editors' Note: An earlier version of this interview and the book review was previously published on Archita's blog. 

Lisa Marie Basile is a poet, essayist and editor living in New York City. She’s the founding editor-in-chief of Luna Luna Magazine, and most recently is the author of Light Magic for Dark Times, a collection of practices and rituals for intentional and magical living. You can read my review of the book here.

In this interview, Lisa tells me (and now you!) how she found her calling as a witch, her writing and magical practices, the social backlash that witches often  face and her favorite spells:

When did you first identify as a witch? How would you define your witchcraft? 
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When I was a teenager, I took great comfort in the archetype of the witch. As a former foster youth, I found spirituality, folklore, and magic empowering; I wasn’t necessarily practicing elaborate rituals (because I didn’t have the tools), but I was connecting with nature, setting intentions, and writing little spell-statements. I felt very much like a teen witch, especially when the 90s popularized the archetype and her story. Although this was a bit silly, it did pave the way for my own practice. I lost touch with it for a few years in my mid-twenties, mostly due to college and extreme stress levels and PTSD. Once I realized the void, I tapped back into the practice. Today, I feel very comfortable identifying as a witch; my practice is rooted deeply in meditation, earthing, and shadow exploration. It’s secular, eclectic, a little chaotic, and rooted in intention above all. 

By Gretchen Gales

When you think of fear-inducing creatures, you may think of werewolves, vampires, or goblins. Whatever comes to mind, early American lumberjacks referred to things that went bump in the night as "fearsome critters". The same creatures help inspire a new generation of writers and artists, including myself. 

That's one reason I'm honored to have my own art featured in Fearsome Critters' upcoming second issue. After all, an appreciation for old culture in today's times will always win our hearts at Quail Bell. I asked Editor-in-Chief Korbin Jones, who is also author of the forthcoming poetry collection songs for the long night ​(QueerMojo), some questions about the new issue and what it takes to run a literary journal in the modern world...which like the old lumberjack days, relies on lots of hard labor. 
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By The Editors

Michael Onofrey's novella Sightseeing (CLASH Books) focuses on two strangers and their lustful exploits amidst art in Paris. We wanted to learn more about the inspiration for Sightseeing and its sensual textures, which will appeal to romance and fine art aficionados alike. So we asked Onofrey, an ex-Californian who lives in Japan, a few questions about his second book. (His first novel, Bewilderment, was published by Tailwinds Press in 2017.) See our conversation below:
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By The Editors

Thanks to everyone who helped us reach our fundraising goal for our 2019 web re-design! We've already surpassed our $500 goal and for that we are so grateful. Check out the Facebook fundraising page for the full list of donors and updates. Want to donate? There's still time! The fundraiser is open until March 27th. You can donate through Facebook or via PayPal on our Donate page. Thanks again for your support!

By The Editors

Congratulations to Quail Bell senior editor Ghia Vitale for her recent feature in Metro.co.uk! The story focuses on autosexuals, using Ghia as its main source (the star!). There's even a link to one of Ghia's Quail Bell essays. Read the Metro.co.uk story here.

By The Editors

Lisa Marie Basile recently rounded up 11 poems about the body from poets ranging from Sharon Olds to former Quail Bell Magazine contributor Jessica Reidy. Our founding editor, Christine Sloan Stoddard, has a poem in the round-up, too. The poems appear in a story on the poetry website Little Infinite. Read it here.

By Luna Lark

How much privilege do you have to have to actually want to live in a bygone era? I'm nostalgic for certain art and design, especially from the Victorian Age, but I'm too savvy to fantasize about living then. No aesthetic is beautiful enough to tempt me away from having basic human rights—and with movements like #metoo, it's debatable I even have those today. Time travel is a much cooler concept if you're a white man, preferably Christian, able-bodied, and heterosexual. You couldn't pay me any amount to live in 1800's England, no matter how much exquisite lace I could buy. 

By Gretchen Gales

Though many people seem to think the contrary, children's literature can be hard to write. After all, it is a lot harder than it looks to create a meaningful story to keep the attention of young minds. That's why The Adventures of Jenny and Philip: We All Need Friends is impressive for presenting a simple but unique narrative: that of a young girl who, with her wise cat, navigates the world around her and the impact of her choices. 

By Christine Sloan Stoddard

​Editors should never make assumptions about your capabilities, where you've been published, or what you know. No matter how accomplished (they think) they are compared to you, editors should treat you like a human. Maybe an editor doesn't think your pitch or submission is a good match for their publication. Maybe an editor doesn't think you're the right writer to hire to complete an assignment. Maybe an editor doesn't think you're even ready to be published. They are entitled to their opinion. In fact, it's part of their job to make these kinds of judgment calls. However, an editor should always treat you with courtesy and professionalism, regardless of how they assess your work. It's possible to decline a writer's work without being condescending, pretentious, or mean—and that's the exact approach editors should take. Of course, that is assuming a writer brings civility and tact to the table. Don't bring attitude and be surprised if someone treats you less than graciously. Read my article on how to respect editors' time as a writer if you haven't already.
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By The Editors

Quail Bell Magazine and Eudaimonia Press, publisher of the recently reviewed Love_Is_Love, are teaming up to do an anthology to benefit She is Rising, a nonprofit devoted to ending human trafficking and gender violence. We cannot tell you how excited and grateful we are for this collaboration! Stay tuned for news about our forthcoming book. Learn more about Eudaimonia Press at www.eudaimoniapress.org.

By The Editors

We first came across the works of Richmond, Virginia painter Helene Ruiz at the beginning of Quail Bell history. Our dearly departed Josephine Stone interviewed the artist in August 2011. (You can read the piece here; just be warned that it appears in an archived format not in accordance with our 2019 re-design.) Now Helene has a solo show, Human Categorization, at Anne's Visual Art Studio, a gallery in Richmond through April 26th. You can see these acrylics on canvas and come to your own conclusions about what society deems acceptable—and why. But first, read what Helene told us about Human Categorization over email:

By M. Alouette

Maybe you already keep a diary, but do you keep a success journal? A diary is where you pour your heart out; a success journal is where you limit yourself to reviewing recent successes. You can do this however you wish: Jot down notes or write nice, long paragraphs. What you count as a success moment or event is also up to you, but consider taking an expansive approach. Capitalism urges us to focus on financial success, but success has many forms. Your success could be calling your grandmother to catch up after a while. Success might mean taking a bath and reading on a Friday night instead of going out. Success could mean getting your book of poetry accepted for publication by your favorite small press. Your definition of success should be yours alone. 

By The Editors

For Creative Girls generously did a featured on Belladonna Magic: Spells in the Form of Poetry and Photography by our founder Christine Sloan Stoddard. The feature includes a brief intro with some of Gbemi Lolade Adekanmbi's insights on the book, but the bulk of it is an interview with the author. Read the story here—and grab your copy of Belladonna Magic on Amazon.
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