Category: Literary

Introducing Collective Member Anthony Doyle

Published on by Nadja MarilLeave a comment

Writer and poet Anthony Doyle often uses short form prose in his work to link a concept or idea into a larger story. In talking about his forthcoming novel Hibernaculum, he says, “I hope the novel makes people consider hypotheses they may not have thought of before….it takes a multi-faceted approach. It’s a little like looking at something in a hall of mirrors, and that can be challenging but fun at the same time.” 

Ten dedicated writer poets comprise the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, with the goal of working with the Devil’s Party Press, a small independent publisher, to bring to fruition the concept of publishing chapbooks of poetry and short form prose under the imprint Old Scratch Press.

This week we are introducing founding member Anthony Doyle.

Anthony Doyle was born in Dublin and raised in Wicklow, Ireland. He has been living in São Paulo, Brazil, since 2000, where he works as a translator of fiction, non-fiction and film scripts from Portuguese. He has published numerous translations, including the novel There Were Many Horses, by Luiz Ruffato (Amazon Crossing), and the acclaimed memoir Operation Car Wash (Bloomsbury), by Jorge Pontes and Márcio Anselmo. In addition to short stories and poems, he has published the children’s book O Lago Secou (Companhia das Letrinhas, 2013). His first novel, Hibernaculum, is due for release in July 2023 through Out Of This World Press, the sci-fi imprint of Devil’s Party Press.

If you’d like to read a short piece of prose, by Anthony Doyle, his piece “Brain in a Jar” just won the AUTHOR OF THE MONTH AWARD on Spillwords.

Don’t forget to visit our Old Scratch Press Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter to find out what our contributors are up to and the latest poetry news. Thank You as always for your support.

Introducing Collective Member Virginia Watts

Published on by Nadja MarilLeave a comment

“My prose and poetry is about daily human life, the small moments in the hometowns of contemporary America,” says writer and poet Virginia Watts. “Through my work, I hope to celebrate the unique characteristics of close-knit communities, shared family histories, local war heroes, larger-than-life characters.  I am interested in exploring the concept of home, whether that is a city, suburbia, rural life, the far future. Why does one person leave while another stays? Why do some people go back? What haunts those who never do?”

Ten dedicated writer poets comprise the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, with the goal of working with the Devil’s Party Press, a small independent publisher, to bring to fruition the concept of publishing chapbooks of poetry and short form prose under the imprint Old Scratch Press.

This week we are introducing Virginia Watts.

Virginia Watts is the author of poetry and stories found in CRAFT, The Florida Review, Reed Magazine, Pithead Chapel, Permafrost Magazine, Broadkill Review among others. Her poetry chapbooks are available from Moonstone Press. She has been nominated four times for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. A short story collection is upcoming from The Devil’s Party Press.

On her website she introduces herself by stating, “I have always been drawn to creating with words. In fifth grade, I began staying inside during recess to write stories. I didn’t care about the taunts of “nerd,” because once my pencil hit the paper it never stopped flying until the bell rang. I wish I’d kept those notebooks. I do remember one entry was entitled “Peanut Butter and Peas.”

To enjoy Virginia’s poetry and prose, there are no shortage of opportunities available just by googling her name, but here are links to two notable poems you might enjoy. The first poem published by Two Hawks Quarterly is entitled “The News” and the second one, first place winner of the Joan Ramseyer Poetry contest, is entitled “Choose a Memory to Keep.”

If you’d like to learn more about Virginia’s writing practice and sources of inspiration, this link to her interview with Dark Lane Books will provide more insight.

And don’t forget to visit our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter to find out what our contributors are up to and the latest poetry news. Thank You as always for your support.

INTRODUCING COLLECTIVE MEMBER GABBY GILLIAM

Published on by Nadja MarilLeave a comment

Ten dedicated writer poets comprise the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, with the goal of working with the Devil’s Party Press, a small independent publisher, to bring to fruition the concept of publishing chapbooks of poetry and short form prose under the imprint Old Scratch Press.

This week we are introducing Gabby Gilliam.

Gabby Gilliam is a writer, an aspiring teacher, and a mom. She lives in the DC metro area with her husband and son.

Her poetry has appeared in One Art, Anti-Heroin Chic, Plant-Human Quarterly, The Ekphrastic Review, Vermillion, Deep Overstock, Spank the Carp, and others. It has also appeared in anthologies from Pure Slush, White Stag Publishing, Black Hare Press, Raven’s Quoth Press, Devil’s Party Press, and others. 

Old Scratch Press will publish Gabby’s first chapbook of poems. The working title is No Ocean Spit Me Out. Approximately 30 pages in length, the poems in No Ocean Spit Me Out explore the dynamics and evolution of family relationships. It is scheduled for release during the second quarter of 2024.

Whether Gabby Gilliam is writing about the universe or writing about the give and take of emotions between two people, her work covers a wide range of topics. Want to read more? Here are a few links to Gabby’s poems published in Topical Poetry, One Art Poetry, and Ekphrastic Review : Quantum Physics Proves There is No Such Thing as Nothing, What We Can Gather and When a Woman Reaches Super Nova.

Keep up with Gabby’s work by following her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit her website for her latest literary news.

ANTHONY DOYLE, OLD SCRATCH POET, ON SPILLWORDS

Published on by Nadja Maril1 Comment

Anthony Doyle, poet, and author of HIBERNACULUM, is one of the ten founding members of the Old Scratch Press Short Form and Poetry Collective. A person of many talents, he writes a great story. Check out his short story on Spillwords. If you enjoy Anthony’s work as much as we do, please give him a LIKE. The most LIKES will give him the coveted honor of #1 story of the month. Thank you.

Daffodils and Mud Inspired Poetry

Published on by Nadja Maril3 Comments

Welcome to Week Two of National Poetry Month. The four seasons of the year are the subjects of many different types of poetry from traditional sonnets to exuberant free verse sprawled out across the page. So to start this week we are sharing two poems by American poets from the past.

The first poem is by Amy Lowell (1874-1925). A Pulitzer Prize winner for her poetry collection, What’s O’Clock, Lowell is associated with the early 20th Century Imagist Movement, which sought to use precise, colloquial language and concrete imagery in lieu of traditional poetic diction and meter. Compared with the second poem we’re posting by E.E. Cummings, however, to our twenty-first century ears it sounds very traditional, until you compare it to last week’s poem posting by William Shakespeare.

To an Early Daffodil

By Amy Lowell

          Thou yellow trumpeter of laggard Spring!

           Thou herald of rich Summer’s myriad flowers!           

           The climbing sun with new recovered powers

          Does warm thee into being, through the ring

          Of rich, brown earth he woos thee, makes thee fling

           Thy green shoots up, inheriting the dowers

           Of bending sky and sudden, sweeping showers,

          Till ripe and blossoming thou art a thing

           To make all nature glad, thou art so gay;

          To fill the lonely with a joy untold;

           Nodding at every gust of wind to-day,

          To-morrow jewelled with raindrops.  Always bold

           To stand erect, full in the dazzling play

          Of April’s sun, for thou hast caught his gold.

The second poet, E.E. Cummings ( 1984-1962) was one of the most popular poets of the twentieth century. Challenging the established approach to words on a page, Cummings experimented with form and language to create a distinct personal style. The exhilaration of the change in seasons is transmitted by his merging certain words together and distancing others in a poem that shouts out to be read aloud.

[in Just-]

By E.E. Cummings

in Just-

spring          when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

whistles          far          and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it’s

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far          and             wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it’s

spring

and

         the

                  goat-footed

balloonMan          whistles

far

and

wee

Do you have a favorite poem to greet the season? Share it with us and share it by posting it on your own social media account as well. Poetry is not only meant to be read aloud, it is meant to be shared.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to follow us on WordPress, Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter.

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National Poetry Month A Time For Reading-Out- Loud

Published on by Nadja MarilLeave a comment

April is the month for poetry, and in the part of the United States where I live, I’m fortunate to have a hiking trail where years ago small signs were posted with quotes from poetry. What a delight, to only hear the sounds of my shoes crunching into the dirt and the twitter of birds and insects, blue sky overhead, surrounded by green. I pause and read the poem painted on a wooden sign. If I am with a friend, I read it to them aloud. If I am alone, I still read it out loud to myself, because poetry is meant to be heard.

National Poetry Month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. According to the Academy, it is the largest literary celebration in the world. Listening to a poet read their own work is a treat. Click on the previous link to see and hear Joy Harjo read one of her exquisite poems.

One of the earliest poets I was introduced to in school was William Shakespeare. Today, due to the evolution of the English language, his works are not as frequently read. Some of the words and phrasing may seem “odd” to your modern ear, but listen to the phrasing and the selection of vowel sounds and consonants. Read him aloud and his work may start to grow on you.

Discovering new poets and rediscovering forgotten favorites, is part of the fun of National Poetry Month.

Writer and Artist Morgan Golladay, a founding member of the Old Scratch Poetry and Short Form Collective, created this beautiful piece of artwork featuring a flower found in many spring gardens, Impatiens.

Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in the Spring

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

From you have I been absent in the spring,

When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,

Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,

That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.

Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell

Of different flowers in odour and in hue,

Could make me any summer’s story tell,

Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:

Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,

Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;

They were but sweet, but figures of delight

Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those.

    Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,

    As with your shadow I with these did play.

IF you have a favorite poet or poem you’d like to share, let us know. Follow us on WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thank you for reading.

INTRODUCING COLLECTIVE MEMBER ROBERT FLEMING

Published on by Nadja Maril2 Comments

Ten dedicated writer poets comprise the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, with the goal of working with the Devil’s Party Press, a small independent publisher, to bring to fruition the concept of publishing chapbooks of poetry and short form prose under the imprint Old Scratch Press.

This week we are introducing Robert Fleming. His chapbook White Noir will be published in the fall of 2023.  Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog, as we’ll be introducing the contributing editors, member of the collective, one by one each week. You’ll also learn about poetry events, publishing opportunities, and new ways of approaching the genre of short form.

MEET ROBERT FLEMING

Robert Fleming is a word-artist born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada who emigrated to Lewes, Delaware, United States. Robert follows his mother as a visual artist and his grandfather as a poet. In his work, Fleming explores masculinity, sexual orientation, sin and virtue, and dystopia in words and graphics on earth and beyond.

Since 2017, more than 400 of his works were published internationally in more than 95 print and online publications, art galleries and online mic features. His style is influenced by the writers Robert Frost, Dr. Seuss, and the Beats and his graphics by surrealistic artists like Salvador Dali.  A Member of the Rehoboth Beach and Horror Writers Association, nominated twice for the Pushcart Award and twice for Best of the Net,  Robert Fleming’s is the winner of the  2022 San Gabriel Valley California Poetry Broadside Award and is in the 2021 Best of Mad Swirl.

Robert’s chapbook, White Noir, a Black and white visual poetry exploration of human birth to death and beyond on earth, is scheduled for publication in the November of 2023. He says about the book, the vibe is dark, goethe, and dystopian, but I lighten it up by including humor. And,” he adds, “ it offers a hopeful ending.”

Follow Robert on  https://www.facebook.com/robert.fleming.5030 .

Learn about the other writer/poets in our collective in the upcoming weeks, or click on their links here:

Alan Bern
Anthony Doyle

Ellis Elliot
Gabby Gilliam
Janet Holmes Uchendu
Morgan Golladay
Nadja Maril
R. David Fulcher
Robert Fleming
Virginia Watts

In just four more days April will be here, and you know what that means?… National Poetry Month!  If you have a favorite poem, we’d love to hear about it and possibly post it ( if it is in the public domain). Please use the comment space to get in touch, We’ll be sharing favorite poems and pieces we admire along with writing prompts, thoughts and musing about poetry, short form prose and other hybrid forms.

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Do you have an idea for something you’d like to read about in this space? Let us know. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Introducing Collective Member Ellis ElLiot

Published on by Nadja Maril2 Comments

Ten dedicated writer poets comprise the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, with the goal of working with the Devil’s Party Press, a small independent publisher, to bring to fruition the concept of publishing chapbooks of poetry and short form prose under the imprint Old Scratch Press.

To launch, we’ll be introducing the contributing editors, member of the collective, one by one each week.

MEET ELLIS ELLIOT

Ellis Elliott is a writer, ballet teacher, and facilitator of online writing groups called Bewilderness Writing. She has a blended family of six grown sons and splits her time between Juno Beach, FL., and the mountains of Crozet, VA. She has an MFA from Queens University, is a contributing writer for the Southern Review of Books, and an editor/workshop teacher for The Dewdrop contemplative journal. She has been published in Signal Mountain Review, Ignation Literary Magazine, Literary Mama, OPEN: Journal of Arts and Letter, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine/Award Poem, Sierra Nevada Review, Women of Appalachia Project Anthology, Delmarva Review, The Rail, Spotlong Review, Euphony Journal, and others. 

Old Scratch Press is delighted to be publishing Ellis’s first chapbook, a collection of poems entitled A Break in the Field. In her poetic statement about herself on her Bewilderness Writing website, Ellis says,

“I am a perennial student of nature, inner realms, and the wisdom of the body, and write to bear witness and disentangle the world as I perceive it.”

Approximately fifty pages in length, the poems in A Break in the Field grapple with the concept of how human perception can change, depending on the vantage point. Target month for the book’s release will be June 2023.

In the upcoming weeks we’ll be introducing the other members of the group
Alan Bern
Anthony Doyle
Gabby Gilliam
Janet Holmes Uchendu
Morgan Golladay
Nadja Maril
R. David Fulcher
Robert Fleming
Virginia Watts

And we’ll be sharing favorite poems and pieces we admire along with writing prompts, thoughts and musing about poetry, short form prose and other hybrid forms.

Have something you’d like to read about in this space, let us know. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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New ways of seeing

Published on by Ellis Elliott1 Comment

My name is Ellis Elliott and I am proud to be a part of the Old Scratch Poetry Collective. I recently read Ben Weakley’s first poetry collection, Heat + Pressure. Ben is an Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. I am not one normally drawn to books or movies about war, because it is much easier to keep something at a safe distance, to pretend it’s not there, if we do not engage with it. But poetry has a particular way of helping us see with new eyes, and this time the writer is bringing us along with him on patrol with his infantry, at home with his young son, watching the events of Jan. 6, and back to his childhood, when war meant a game to be played. This collection is visceral as well as lyrical, and will linger long after you’ve read the last poem.

Field Dressing 

The silent doe stiffened in her bed of leaves,

where moments ago she fell, panting.

Her last breath rattled.

Life passed from nutbrown eyes

into damp January morning.

The snow wrapped us in a womb of silence.

My frost-tipped fingers gripped tight

around the stained handle of a buck-knife,

the curved edge trembling.

Warm against my back, my father’s hand.

Soft against my ear, my father’s voice—

Careful, son. Cut gently.

We eat what we kill.

We honor the animal.

We honor the dead who gave us life.

Boys like me are not made with words enough for this. 

                                    -Ben Weakley

Welcome to Old Scratch Press

Published on by DPP1 Comment

Old Scratch Press, specializing in poetry and short form prose is an imprint of the Devil’s Party Press, LLC family. We’ve set up this website, administered by members of the Old Scratch Short Form Collective, to share our love for poetry and short form prose with the global community.