Sherman Oaks small press publisher Edgar & Lenore’s Publishing House celebrates women’s artistry & literature with a brand new website & poetry archive. The publisher’s master website www.EdgarAllanPoet.com has come along way since 2006, when it was only one page highlighting poetry by only a few select poets. Now featuring poets and writer’s from all over the world the site takes an artistic approach to contemporary publishing and offers a Master Library where viewers can look up content by title and or by a List of Writers.
Calliope’s Closet, the new website features select poetry and artistry by women from across the globe, including several talented local Los Angeles poets and writer’s such as Alicia Winski, Amanda LaPera, Camille Solari, Helena Hunter, Jessica Wilson, M. K. Presson, Sheila Crawford, Trish Falin and myself, Apryl Skies.
Calliope’s Closet is geared toward exposing the talent of women from around the world. The site features poetry, prose, micro-fiction and memoir as well as featuring art, jewelry, stationery and handmade crafts.
In its infancy Calliope’s Closet was originally developed to promote Edgar & Lenore’s new anthology for women entitled, In the Company Of Women - Poetic Musings Of Wit And Wisdom, but soon after the submission calls the project took on a life of its own. It became apparent early on that this project was to be a wide collaboration of talent. The anthology due for publication in early 2012 will include voices from women of 10 different countries and many different walks of life.
In the women’s directory entitled Women of beauty Wit and Wisdom you are able to browse the bios and books of dozens of female writers of all ages.
Alicia Winski, Co-Editor of this exciting new anthology, has been displayed in a wide array of publications including Edgar Allan Poet, Calliope’s Closet, A Brilliant Record Magazine, TheRightEyedDeer, 5th Edition, and will soon be featured in The Book of Night, an anthology of Poetry & Short Stories. Originally from Los Angeles, she now resides in Seattle where she is currently working on the follow-up to her first collection of poetry, Running On Fumes; the second collection tentatively entitled, Naughty Girls Dream in Color.
Jessica Wilson of Los Angeles is a dedicated voice in the poetry community and founder of the Los Angeles Poet Society, Writers’ Row and Soapbox Poets which is a collaborative group of artists delivering their work to the masses. Her work is bold and provocative and often showcases her background in the arts. Jessica has also organized a tribute to women writers for the month of August at Writer’s Row and on August 10, 2011 from 7:30-10 PM you can catch Jessica Wilson, Amanda LaPera and myself on stage where I will be reading for a 15 minute set. In addition to all Wilson has put into the poetry community, she has been highlighted by both EdgarAllanPoet.com with her poem Fantasy Parisian Natural Habitat & on CalliopesCloset.com where you can read her poem Nice To Meet You. Jessica is also a welcome addition to the Anthology in the Company Of Women which will include her poems To Heather & Dark Muse.
Amanda LaPera finds inspiration in the vibrant sunsets and monstrously powerful thunderstorms of the high desert. Amanda's life drastically altered course when her beloved father disappeared on a trip that involved four continents, thirty countries, thirteen wives and a lost fortune, finally returning to the United States homeless. This painful experience inspired her to complete her first non-fiction book, Losing Dad, and in a roundabout way, helped her to reconnect with her sense of humor and her passion for writing. With, Losing Dad, Amanda hopes to increase awareness, provide comfort and offer hope for those coping with loss or mental illness. Her short stories have been published in The Midwest Literary magazine, The Short Humour Site, and Pill Hill Press's Flash Fiction Anthology. In addition, she has been interviewed several times on Blog Talk Radio.
In celebration of Calliope’s Closet & In The Company Of Women, Edgar & Lenore’s Publishing House has released a preview of some of the poetry from these local writers to be included in the anthology.
The Unexpected By Apryl Skies
Under a firelight, shining distance
angels observe with wings spread wide
Orion arches his bow
above the hills of Los Angeles
and beneath this hazy sky
where an unexpected stranger
enters Neptune’s orbit,
love spills over like wine
or April rain.
In the air, a scent of something
unexpected, destined, new.
Somewhere an infant cries
in this crowded, crumbling house
where its weary eves bend
beneath this heavy dale of time
and with the independence of St. Lucia
a ghost wanders these narrow hallways
creaking the wooden floor boards
and tells a tale
unfolding like a wailing accordion
in this settled unquiet.
An old woman rocks in her chair
with, gray locks twisted tightly
like a cinnamon pastry
her tiny frame swallowed up
by colorful quilts sewn
with two crooked, calloused hands.
In the backyard orange groves bend
bearing fruit, as the grapevine
trolls the terrace in search of sun
and beneath this February storm
rabbits seek the dry warmth refuge
of handmade hutches,
crafted of wire and wood.
This day arrives with joy and fear,
tears of uncertainty and celebration.
a bouquet of flowers
stands tall in the dining room
and in its smiling, bold beauty
…renders the poet a name.
Apryl Skies © 2011
Pieces Of You By Alicia Winski
A hot day spent in the sun with
sticky fingered old ladies
bickering over bits of you;
something to stick on their shelves,
to take up some space,
leaving me hollow;
blindsided by a sorrow
I never dreamed possible
when it came to you and I
Those asinine bodice busters you used to read
eagerly stacked on the table in front of me
by a lady about your age anxious to get to reading,
nearly had me reeling when I remembered
watching you devour, “The Flame and the Flower”
with such divine anticipation
That silly red hat you found so charming
I found it quite alarming
to see an indifferent casual shopper
fingering it up with a hint of interest
only to toss it back onto the table
allowing me to breathe again
It took all I could do to keep from screaming
while handing over pieces of you to strangers
who had no idea what treasures they carried home
Memories of our lives going
for pennies on the dollar
Lost chances and hopes
sold at red slashed prices …
Our journey together is over
There will be no resolution,
no bright new evolution of you and I
You are really dead and gone
and life moves on as I pack up my case
while trying to erase the visions
of a life I once knew being walked away
on a good bargain day
Pieces of me and …
…pieces of you…
Alicia Winski © 2011
American Beauty by Amanda LaPera
Girl-next-door
Bodacious brunette
Doe-like eyes
Sweet, sensuous smile
Crowned one night
Before her time.
Sun-bleached blonde
Wisps of gold frame face
Painted and shimmered
Conceals resignation
Dream of future
Of body, not mind.
American Beauty
Held in high-esteem
Jealous gazes abound
Façade of friends
One-night-stands line the wall
Like the trophy you are.
Time comes to pass
What to show for it all?
Swinging down poles
Dollar bills on the floor
Or give up on life
Obey, plastic wife
Still, an American doll.
Amanda LaPera © 2011
Dark Muse by Jessica Wilson
Can’t stop reminiscing – the hair that embraced you –
brown satin flesh –
breasts holding firm above mine –
our skin was stretched so tightly
there was no blood to run through us –
only heat lived
and made its way coarsely, thudding violently
over our arms –
my legs were wet
dampened by the confrontation.
No sudden thought before
collapsing into your skin; breasts holding –
solid buds of enveloped pleasure.
How I wanted you – your violence
laid down to my desire – where I topped you,
held you against a street rail,
winding my legs across yours to feel the moistness you carried.
I think I may have known you before,
but for now
this is haunting...
Jessica Wilson © 2011
To find out more about this women’s project visit Calliope’s Closet Or Edgar Allan Poet. To find out how to submit your work for either of these websites follow the guidelines on our Submissions Page.
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