May Press Updates: New Chapbooks & Internship Program
Keep reading for pre-orders, a new internship program, and workshop offerings!
We just wrapped up a very busy season for Abode with festivals, book launches, planning our inaugural Virtual Retreat, and more to come. Check out what we’ve been working on!
My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry by Desiree McCray, out 6/1/24
Pre-orders are officially open, and copies will ship on June 1st!
My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry embodies a thought-provoking exploration of faith, heritage, self-acceptance, and identity. This collection celebrates the richness of cultural heritage and boldly embraces themes often overlooked like embracing being unapologetically fat and the intricate legacy of the author's grandmother's faith. The narrative weaves ancestral connections that birth a distinctive perspective on the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. In My Sisters Look Like God, each title serves to inspire and empower through celebrating cultural heritage. The book beautifully captures the essence of being a black woman navigating the intersectional complexities of identity and faith. This collection of poetry serves an invitation to embrace diversity, challenge preconceptions, and find strength in the embracing one’s unique authenticity. My Sisters Look Like God is not just a book; it's a testimony to the vibrant, vivid vocalizing of rich human experience.We’re so excited for My Sisters Look Like God to be out in the world soon!
Coral in the Diaspora by Jerrice J. Baptiste, out 8/1/24
We’re super excited to share our first fiction chapbook! Jerrice J. Baptiste’s Coral in the Diaspora is a collection that captures the lives of the Haitian people as they embrace the goodness in their community. You can pre-order your copy here.
Quererme En La Luz by Farrah Fang - limited copies left!
Our first poetry chapbook is almost out of stock! You can get your copy here. Quererme En La Luz was also mentioned in this article by Sofía Aguilar, 15 Poetry Collections by Latina Writers Coming Out in 2024.
Fall Intern Reading Program - applications close 6/30/24
Interested in reading manuscripts with us? We’re launching a new intern reading program! Join Abode Press for our internship reading period this Fall in either poetry, hybrid, or fiction. Readers must read 1-2 manuscripts a week and will gain hands-on experience in the indie publishing world. Interns will also have access to our CLMP internship program to network and learn from other publishing professionals. Internships are volunteer-based roles, but interns will have access to our virtual writing workshops for free.
The Fall Reading Period will take place from August 15th to December 15th. Applicants based in Texas are highly encouraged to apply. Previous reading experience is important but not required. Applicants must be 18 years of age by July 1st, 2024 and must reside in the U.S. to be considered.
You’ll hear back from us in early July. We can’t wait to meet you!
Workshops
We have an incredible slate of workshops scheduled for the rest of the year! At Abode, we believe offering affordable workshops is important so all writers can have access to writing tools and community engagement. All of our workshops are virtual and are offered on a sliding scale, most starting at $10.
Join us for Love, Names, & Odes with Ariana Brown, Saturday June 8th, 1-2:30pm CST starting at $25
Some of the strongest feelings we have are about our own names and the people we love. In this generative workshop taught by Ariana Brown, we will study poems by Ebony Stewart and Meghan Malachi on reclaiming your own name and how to love someone by truly seeing them. Through a series of writing exercises and conversation, participants will consider the power of their own names and the strength of their love (self-love or love for another person). Ariana will guide everyone in writing odes to themselves or to their loved ones. We will close with a group share!
Also in June, join us for Coloring Outside the Margins: Language as a Place of Struggle with Najya Williams, Saturday June 15th, 11am-1pm CST starting at $10
“The oppressed struggle in language to recover ourselves, to reconcile, to reunite, to renew. Our words are not without meaning, they are an action, a resistance. Language is also a place of struggle.” bell hooks, Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness
For writers, there are few feelings greater than that of what we feel when we begin a new writing project. We rise early, ensure our devices are charged and pens are primed and dive head first into an exciting new world of our own creation. However, after some time, that feeling of exhilaration can devolve into frustration, fatigue and the oh-so-dreaded writer’s block. I used to allow these feelings to keep me trapped in this place, but as my work and perspective have matured, I realized that those moments were an indication that I was finally scratching beneath the surface of my ideas, my craft, and most importantly, my inner self.
In this workshop, we will examine short articles and poetry to identify how we can identify the boundaries we place upon ourselves, the boundaries society places upon us, and the ways in which we can work “outside those margins” in a manner that will elevate our thinking and overall ability as literary artists.
Shout out to presenter Devi Sastry for leading a fantastic workshop last weekend!
Thank you for all the support in our first year as a press! We can’t wait to keep bringing you exciting literature and writing experiences.