By Gretchen Gales

Based out of Nashville, Tennessee, Lexx is a pop artist who draws inspiration from the realities of day-to-day life while harnessing the mystical sounds of music to create a new breed of pop music. Her first single, "Runaway", chronicles a desire to escape the world, even it is only for a little while. Though she has yet to release a full album, true magic can only happen with time, something Lexx knows well. 

We spoke with Lexx about her creative rituals, her musical influences, what her latest track "Taking In" is all about, and what being an artist truly means. 
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By Leah Mueller

“Oh, you’re going to AWP!” my friends said excitedly when I told them about my upcoming literary pilgrimage.

​“Yeah, it’s like Burning Man for writers,” I responded. I was exaggerating a bit. Unlike Burning Man, AWP doesn’t happen in a dry lakebed filled with sand fleas. The conference is held in a different city every year, within the semi-posh confines of convention centers and upscale chain hotels. 
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By Ghia Vitale

​Shrill is a truthful representation of what many fat women (including myself) go through every day. I recommend this series not only to fat people, but also to thin people who want more insight into what fat women experience all the time. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

By The Editors

What lovely news from our nest of creatives! Founder Christine Sloan Stoddard and former Quail Bell artist Sami Cronk have their children's book The Book of Quails available for pre-order from Clare Songbirds Publishing House. 
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By The Editors

Teen pop sensation Billie Eilish has just launched her very first full-length album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

By The Editors

We hope everyone had a blast at AWP Portland 2019! Some of our contributors and friends were in attendance this year, so we want to show off some highlights of the event. This year's conference had many awesome speakers and books, so to celebrate, here are some of our favorite Instagram posts from the conference. 

By The Editors

We recently had the chance to chat with the intrepid Jess Burgess, director of Dogtown Dance Theatre in Richmond, Virginia, where Quail Bell was founded. Admittedly, it's hard for us to turn down the opportunity to hear what badass ladies have to say. So when a Dogtown staff member reached out to us, we bit. Curious about this dance haven and the inspiring woman who runs the show? Then read on!

What's your elevator pitch for Dogtown Dance Theatre?

​Dogtown Dance Theatre’s sole purpose is to provide independent dance artists with resources and opportunities to help transform Richmond into a destination for exceptional, professional dance. To make this a reality, Dogtown created the Artist Resource Program to provide artists with the tools, monetary stipends, performance opportunities, and industry knowledge to alleviate the financial and professional burdens that are associated with self-producing art. Our goal is to educate and create a community of artists that have the skills necessary to sustain a vibrant independent choreographic voice in RVA.

By Raymond Greiner

As we slip quietly beyond the half-century mark vistas change. Memories move to the forefront and dreams become complex. During formative years carefully configured social outlines are presented to guide us.
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I was born in 1940, which was considered the last year identified as Depression Era babies. We lived in West Virginia until I was eleven, then moved to Marion, Ohio where my dad found a better job. West Virginia didn’t really feel the effects of the Depression, as it historically has been a poor state with fewer economic opportunities than more industrialized states. Deprivation was nothing new in West Virginia. Neighboring states were more affected by Depression years as they were reliant on factory employment, which crashed during the Great Depression. In 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, trigging American involvement in World War II. This event changed everything. Factories began manufacturing military hardware funded by the government. My memory activated around age four and I vaguely remember radio newscasts describing war events.
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By The Editors

Great photography captures both what is on the surface and the many interpretations of the world as we see it. Michael E. Ruiz, a landscape and wildlife photographer based out of Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland, balances the raw elements of nature with the man-made architecture that captivates so many people. 

We spoke with Ruiz about how his love of nature and Cuban culture manifest in his own work as well as what stories he hopes to tell with the work he has done so far. 

By The Editors

Have you seen our new Facebook fundraiser? We are getting things going for Her Plumage, our third anthology and need your help!
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