we’re continuing the practice of sharing about my published books with specter dust, my second chapbook!
i had the idea for specter dust around the time i started writing you stupid slut: a chapbook where each piece centers on a specific object that serves as an agent for a memory of mine. as i started to flesh it out into its chapbook state, i tied many of the pieces to wraith lore as it’s presented in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. a vengeful specter seeks to depart the world of the living, but is tied here through objects associated with traumatic memory. though mostly poetry, this one closes with a braided essay that tackles the chap’s core themes.
the real fun part of this chap is how fast i wrote the last six poems in it. i had been looking at Bullshit Lit as a potential home for this chap, so when they opened chapbook submissions for 24 hours after hitting 3k on twitter and the chapbook wasn’t quite finished, i kicked it into high gear. i had a class on campus that night (one of the first after pandemic campus closures were lifted), and my professor brought leftover wine, as well as her dachshund. i powered through the back third of the chap, arranged it, and sent it off. thanks, Veronica!
praise
specter dust is a viciously honest collection of raw emotion. Nostalgia nips and gnaws at nat raum's heartstrings in this beautifully haunting narrative. Come bleed into the pages as each piece strikes you in your core.
—V.L. Parz, author of HOLLOW BODIES + FALSE IDOLS and founder of Jetpack Magazine
If I had to summarise specter dust, I would say that this collection of poetry is one that challenges emotion, living and nostalgia whilst confirming that life is a journey of sentimental self-discovery and emotional reflection that continues long after temporary interactions.
—A.R. Arthur for Full House Literary
press
selected works
you can find selected pieces from this book published in the following places:
“winter wrens” in Blue River Review, Spring/Summer 2022 Issue
“cottonmouth” in Hell Is Real: A Midwest Gothic Anthology
specter dust can be purchased from Bullshit Lit in print and digital formats.