Literary News: Hoot 'n' Waddle at the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Literary Fair

Book Revelry at Arizona State University

By The Editors

We're excited for Hoot 'n' Waddle, an independent press based in Phoenix, Arizona, and the publisher of our founder's forthcoming collection of short stories and poems, Desert Fox by the Sea. On Friday and Saturday, they tabled at the beautifully named Desert Nights, Rising Stars Literary Fair at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Above is a photo they posted to their Facebook page yesterday. Their table had their current books, as well as merch and info about their podcasts.

According to their Facebook event page, the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Literary Fair is the public face of ASU's writers' conference by the same name. Folks came for more than 20 readings, talks, and performances from authors, publishers, and literary organizations at this large public university. (Learn more about the fair here.)

Wondering about our founding editor's Hoot 'n' Waddle book? Well, Christine Sloan Stoddard's Desert Fox by the Sea is still in production, so we can't reveal too much, but we can show you the first blurb that came in! Here's what Brooklyn-based writer Joanna C. Valente has to say about the collection:
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Christine Sloan Stoddard's Desert Fox is a gift. The insights and observations the speaker gives us are raw, chilling, and real. In "Twenty-Six," the speaker of the poem recalls her mother with an uncommon clarity, and a pregnant sadness: "I was sure she had fallen asleep. Cuddling was forbidden." Stoddard also explores race and identity. In "Teacher," the speaker says, "No one ever believed I was half Mexican because I was milk white. People scanned me for a just a hint of brownness." This is a dense collection to read over and over again."

More on Desert Fox By the Sea soon, dear Fledglings!