Houston Poet's Debut Chapbook Defies Genre

Finishing Line Press is proud to announce the publication of Holly Lyn Walrath's first chapbook of poetry, Glimmerglass Girl, available August 3, 2018. Similar to the work of Instagram poets Lang Leav and Rupi Kaur, this unique visual collection of speculative poetry addresses femininity, feminism, and the intersection of womanhood and nature.

Glimmerglass Girl draws from Walrath's own experience, as she explains: "I wanted to shine light on the darker parts of my own personal history as a woman, while acknowledging that society expects us to be as delicate as a butterfly." The lead poem in the book, Espejitos(first published by Iscaoustic magazine), applies the metaphor of a glass-winged butterfly to women who are targeted for sexual assault. "Butterflies are actually incredibly strong creatures in the natural world. I think women are the capable of great acts of strength so I wanted to highlight that irony," explains Walrath. Sensitive topics in the book include sexual abuse, self-harm, body issues, death, and alcoholism.

VIDA: Women in Literary Arts calls Glimmerglass Girl ". . . an intersection between ethereal loftiness, humorous speculation, and poignant consideration . . . a collection of poetry and images that encourage readers to be more than they perceive themselves to be."

In her debut collection, Walrath explores femininity through her unique lens of fantastical, weird, and fabulist poetry. Poet Karen An-hwei Lee, author of Phylo of Joy, Ardor, and In Medias Res, calls it "A marvelous mix of toughness and tenderness. In a shimmering world at once 'honey-brimmed and buzzing,' where 'blueberry coffee' and a 'kissing prayer,' or a 'quiet mess of a body of light' offer diurnal delights, this book is a wildly chimerical gathering of hybridized fairy tales and fabulous meditations on womanhood."

About the Author:
Holly Lyn Walrath's writing appears in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Luna Station Quarterly, Liminality, and elsewhere. She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master's in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. She is known for her work in the Houston literary community with Writespace and other writing organizations.

Ordering Information:
Finishing Line Press/Leah Maines, Editor
PO Box 1626
Georgetown, KY 40324
859-514-8966
Finishingbooks (at) aol (dot) com
http://www.finishinglinepress.com
ISBN: 978-1-63534-545-2

Available on NetGalley until November 30, 2018
Glimmerglass Girl on Goodreads
Author's Website
Author's Twitter
Author's Instagram

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