B.L. Bruce's Blog, page 5
November 17, 2020
North
For a moment in the calm,
between gusts of wind:
the faint push of air beneath wing.
The northern harrier drifts above
a flowering field of yellow mustard.
Bobbing among the eddies,
the murre learn centuries
of the waterwork and currents,
driven unthinking by what
we cannot know.
Farther still, the north horizon
is choked with fog;
the clover lies trampled by salt wind
along the clifftop.
I turn my face into the sun.
Were it not for some small
burning ember,
I’d have lifted my arms
and fallen into the sea.
Award-winning author and Pushcart Prize nominee, California poet Bri Bruce (writing as B. L. Bruce) has been called the “heiress of Mary Oliver.” With a bachelor’s degree in literature and creative writing from the University of California at Santa Cruz, her work has appeared in dozens of anthologies, magazines, and literary publications, includingThe Wayfarer Journal, Canary, Northwind…
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November 13, 2020
Lightning flickers over the Santa Lucia Mountains (Poem Excerpt)
Lightning flickers over the Santa Lucia Mountains.
Stretching past the tideline, the swollen moon
dances in the dark bay–I think of Li Po
on the bank of the Yangtze River.
Perhaps he, too, saw a woman lying bare, shivering
in the cold.
c. B. L. Bruce
Excerpt from The Weight of Snow
November 10, 2020
Excerpt from Award-Winning Poetry Collection, ‘The Weight of Snow’
More autumn months graced by frost,
the flowering quince dies. I set out
to walk the edge of the woods,
think of all the pleasures in being alone.
c. B. L. Bruce
First published by the Soundings Review
PURCHASE COLLECTION
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September 18, 2020
Call for Submissions of Poetry, Short Prose & Art
Submissions will remain open until end of February 2021.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
While we are open to style, we’re looking for work that is nuanced, raw, and imagistic with strong elements of the natural world or the human-nature relationship.
We prefer free-verse poetry and prose that is accessible to readers, is straightforward, and avoids fancy language and doesn’t try too hard to be clever, to rhyme, or to be confined by syllabic or structural constraints—unless haiku, tanka, micropoetry, or similar.
When it comes to art, we like the subtle, and both the realistic and abstract—think out-of-focus photography and impressionistic smears of colors on a canvas. We love photographs of nature, be it landscapes, animals, or otherwise.
See our inaugural issue for the type of work we publish.
SUBMIT
[image error]Inside spread of Humana Obscura‘s Fall/Winter 2020 Issue, Out Now
Humana Obscura is an independent, bi-annual literary magazine that seeks to publish the best of new, emerging, and established writers and artists in what we like to call the “nature space.” As our name suggests—”obscured human”—we focus on work where the human element is concealed but not entirely absent, aiming to revive the genre of nature-centric poetry and artwork in today’s modern world while providing a platform for new voices. Humana Obscura is published twice yearly in print and online, and features work from around the world.
September 11, 2020
Two Poems in the Autumn Issue of The Remnant Archive
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The Remnant Archive
AUTUMN 2020 ISSUE
The Remnant Archive is an online journal comprising features on literature, art and history.
When I Die
When I die, burn my body.
I hope to leave with you—
among other things—
a sort of fury, enough for you
to imagine me beating the ground
with my fists, igniting.
Miracle
Tell me what brings you
to your knees, what becomes of us.
Your fears.
I can tell you in my own words
what we are: we are many things—
small humors, superstitions.
It must also be said
there can be beauty in anguish—
in yours and in mine.
Each of us our own poetry,
a language of wounds, and of dawn,
and the color blue.
And aren’t we, after all,
the miracle of a long-ago mess
as though by accident?
What more need we be?
c. B. L. Bruce
First published in The Remnant Archive, Autumn 2020 Issue
Letter from the Editor: Humana Obscura’s Inaugural Issue
On the release of the inaugural issue of Humana Obscura, a new bi-annual independent literary magazine, founding editor-in-chief Bri Bruce shares the origin and mission of the publication, and what she hopes it will achieve in future issues.
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Humana Obscura was born to capture, curate, and share the experience of others and their relationship to their environments, but in a way that was not anthropocentric and not focused inward.
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Humana Obscura
FALL/WINTER 2020 ISSUE No. 1
NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND ONLINE
LEARN MORE
Readers;
It’s with great pleasure that I write this letter for the inaugural issue of Humana Obscura.
In the making of this magazine, I was often asked what my inspiration was, and what the name meant. I’ll take this letter as an opportunity to provide insight into both. In doing so, I hope to set the stage for future issues but want to note that I hope the publication evolves, further finding its niche with the help of its contributors—and because to change is to improve.
Born during the shelter-in-place orders imposed by the global coronavirus pandemic, Humana Obscura was built on a foundation devoid of the human, with the kind of creativity and self-discovery that spawn out of solitude, and out of the feelings of unrest and the despair that it can bring. It’s often been iterated throughout history, by poets, artists, and philosophers alike, that a great deal of creative work has arisen out of solitude. “Without great solitude,” Pablo Picasso once said, “no serious work is possible.”
No stranger to solitude, I once spent twenty-eight straight days alone in a small, one-room cabin in the remote forests of Northern California. Though, in retrospect, this was a small amount of time in comparison to the implications of the current pandemic. This self-imposed isolation became the basis of my creative work in the years following. I wrote an entire collection of poetry during that stay, along with a short memoir detailing the day-by-day account of a writer at work, and made headway on the seemingly lifelong project of a novel I had the idea to write when I was a teen.
Then, it was as though I had run out of things to say. The well went dry. I took a hiatus from my personal writing to further my career and focus on other creative endeavors not involving writing, like helping produce a documentary film and helping other writers on their journey to becoming a published author. Only until in the throes of such a turbulent time in our history, when I was forced indoors day after day and away from others and my usual routines, did I feel that familiar resurgence in creative stimulus.
I was craving to create, to express myself in ways I knew how—perhaps as a means to cope with the violence and uncertainty of the time. I was reminded of the studies of the effects of isolation on the creative brain, and if what comes comes after solitude-induced introspection and periods of self-discovery is a looking outward to what is beyond us—to others, to the places around us, to the larger meaning of it all.
I got to work. The early months in shelter-in-place were personally prolific, and I wrote an entire full-length collection of poems and began working on a second, yet still needed more.
I sought to connect with other creatives who may have experienced similar surges in creativity. Thus, on the precipice of emerging from solitude, Humana Obscura was born to capture, curate, and share the experience of others and their relationship to their environments, but in a way that was not anthropocentric and not focused inward. Rather, Humana Obscura provides a hint of how we emerge from solitude with a new appreciation for our natural world.
And, well, I’m an admirer of nature poetry. Much of my personal work is inspired by nature, and in today’s world I feel this is a genre becoming more obscure, its readers and writers waning fewer.
At the soul of this publication, I hope to curate written vignettes of the human experience with the backdrop of breathtaking art that lives in the spaces of the readers’ interpretation. Humana Obscura’s mission is to publish and promote the best work of today’s new voices and talents. The intention is to inspire readers and enrich their lives while providing an inclusive space for elevating the voices and creative work of our contributors.
As our name hints, we strive to publish work where the human element is removed from the forefront—obscured—focusing more on our natural surroundings. We seek work that examines the relationship we have to those surroundings and to one another while illuminating the struggles of the human condition in relation to the natural world.
Thank you to each of the contributors in this issue. Without you, this would not be possible.
Readers, I truly hope you enjoy the first issue—and that you’ll return again for future issues.
Sincerely,
Bri Bruce
Founding Editor-in-Chief
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Award-winning author and Pushcart Prize nominee, California poet Bri Bruce (B. L. Bruce) has been called the “heiress of Mary Oliver.” With a bachelor’s degree in literature and creative writing from the University of California at Santa Cruz, her work has appeared in dozens of anthologies, magazines, and literary publications, including The Wayfarer Journal, Canary, The Remnant Archive, Northwind Magazine, The Soundings Review, and The Monterey Poetry Review, among many others. Bruce is the recipient of the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize and the PushPen Press Pendant Prize for Poetry, as well as the author of three books: The Weight of Snow, 28 Days of Solitude, and The Starling’s Song. Her highly praised debut collection The Weight of Snow was the 2014 International Book Awards poetry category finalist and the 2014 USA Best Book Awards poetry category finalist. The Starling’s Song was released in February of 2016, and was selected as Honorable Mention in the Pacific Rim Book Festival. In addition to her writing pursuits, Bruce is also a painter and photographer, with work that has been featured in The Sun Magazine, Near Window, and many others.
New Lit Mag ‘Humana Obscura’ Fall/Winter 2020 Issue One OUT NOW!
It’s officially here! The Fall/Winter 2020 Issue of #humanaobscura, the inaugural issue, is now available!
We are incredibly impressed by the quality of work in this beautiful first issue, and sincerely welcome all of our contributors to this creative community we’ve built—and hope to continue to expand. Without your work, this would not be possible.
The issue features work from 37 writers and 20 artists from around the globe, from Amsterdam to Australia to Sweden.
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SEE INSIDE ISSUE ONE
The inaugural Fall/Winter Issue of Humana Obscura is available in both print and digital formats.
PRINT ISSUE
DIGITAL ISSUE
View this post on InstagramA post shared by humana obscura (@humanaobscura) on Sep 1, 2020 at 7:12am PDT
. . . #litmag #literarymagazine #litmagazine #callforartists2020 #callforartistsubmission #callforsubmissions #callforpoets #callforpoetry #callforpoetrysubmission #poetry #poet #poems #prose #shortprose #flashfiction #art #photography #subsopen #submissionsopen #nowacceptingsubmissions #opencall #publishing #publication #magazine #inauguralissue #firstissueJuly 22, 2020
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Humana Obscura is now accepting submissions of poetry, prose, and art for its inaugural Fall/Winter issue!
While we are open to style, we’re looking for work that is nuanced, honest, raw, and imagistic with strong elements of the natural world or the human-nature relationship.
We are an independent, bi-annual online literary magazine that seeks to publish new and emerging writers and artists. As our name suggests, we focus on work where the human element is obscured but not entirely absent, aiming to revive the genre of nature-centric poetry in today’s modern world while providing a platform for new voices.
We prefer free-verse poetry and prose that is accessible to readers, is straightforward, and avoids fancy language and doesn’t try too hard to be clever, to rhyme, or to be confined by syllabic or structural constraints—unless haiku, micro poetry or similar.
When it comes to art, we like the subtle, the experimental and abstract—think out-of-focus photography and impressionistic smears of colors on a canvas. But be sure to keep in mind our magazine’s theme.
Surprise us, delight us. Haunt us.
Get to know us and submit now at www.humanaobscura.com
View this post on InstagramA post shared by humana obscura (@humanaobscura) on Jul 21, 2020 at 8:53am PDT
Hey, #WritingCommunity! Newly launched, we're actively looking to publish your work–poetry, short prose, and art that emphasize the natural where, as our name suggests, the human is obscure.
— humana obscura (@humanaobscura) July 22, 2020
Get to know us: https://t.co/qMKb9Jbneb #poetrycommunity #amwriting #writerscommunity pic.twitter.com/EOsBHKNBTm
July 15, 2020
NEW LIT MAG: humana obscura
It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to start a lit mag–and, well, the time has finally come. Call it creativity in the time of coronavirus?
Humana Obscura is a brand new, independent, bi-annual online literary magazine that seeks to publish new and emerging writers and artists.
June 30, 2020
COVER FEATURE: “How graphic designer Bri Bruce brings beauty to books” (Books & Buzz Magazine, June 2020)
I’m so excited to share that I was featured on the cover of this month’s issue of Books & Buzz Magazine! In the feature article, I talk my shameless love for books, my history in design, and the current projects filling my days.
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“I’m a shameless bibliophile,” says graphic designer, film producer, and Pushcart Prize–nominated author Bri Bruce, who around here is best known for being the designer of Books & Buzz Magazine‘s virtual cover every month.
“Bookstores, libraries, book cover art, even the smell of old books,” she says. “I love it. My dream is to one day have a library room in my house with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a library ladder.”
But Bri didn’t always feel that way about books.
“Ironically, I had trouble reading as a kid,” she says. “I remember I nearly failed my English class in middle school. My reading comprehension just wasn’t there, and I couldn’t write a five-paragraph essay to save my life.”
Then one day, she says, it just clicked—and suddenly it seemed all she wanted to do was be around books. “I spent long hours in the library with my nose in a book or getting lost in the stacks,” she says. “I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in post-modern American literature and creative writing. Go figure!”
Bri is telling me all of this from her home in Aptos, California, about an hour south of San Francisco. “I was born and raised just to the north, in the beachside city of Santa Cruz,” she says, “as were five generations before me. Needless to say, I never ventured far. My roots are here. It’s the place that most inspires me.”
It’s hard to know if growing up in such an inspiring place contributed to her artistic mind and eye for beauty, but it probably didn’t hurt. What is certain is that Bri has always been drawn to the visually appealing.
“I’ve always been artistic in some way, dabbling in photography and painting from an early age,” she says. “I loved magazines just for the ads and the pictures and how it was all put together. I’d cover my bedroom walls in collages. Graphic design came naturally, and seemed to me a way to combine both visual arts and typography in today’s digital world.”
“I have an unending admiration for the beauty of books,” she says.
It didn’t take long for Bri to realize that she could combine her love of stories and literature with her love for design.
“When I discovered that I could be a part of that world of book aesthetics,” she says, “that’s when I really discovered that graphic design was my calling. I have an unending admiration for the beauty of books, and ultimately this is what has led me to specialize in book design.”
By offering just a handful of design services, Bri has found she can put more energy into each one. “I take pride in specializing in book cover and interior design/layout,” she says. “This laser focus ensures I am bringing my A-game to each and every project. In addition, I also help with e-book conversion, book marketing—tip sheets, ads, media packages, etc.—print processes, and general publishing consultation.”
Doing what she loves while helping others achieve their own goals has led Bri to a thriving business. “I have a true passion for design,” she says, “and for the last decade I’ve had the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs, award-winning and best-selling authors, academics, non-profits, and businesses small and large across a variety of industries.”
As varied as her client list has been, one thing remains constant after all these years: Bri still loves digging into the minutiae of each project. “There are so many small nuances that go into designing a book that one normally wouldn’t think about. Each has an impact, on a psychological level, and affects your reading of the book, from colors to empty space to typography. It’s probably these small details that I love the most.”
Yet for all her natural ability, Bri never stops learning. “I’ve had a lot of on-the-job training and over a decade of experience,” she says, “and have also taken online courses just to stay up to date. Working daily with graphic design keeps my skills fresh and challenged, and I’m always striving to learn the new trends and continue to grow.”
As Bri stays absorbed in her work, every day brings new opportunities. “I live and breathe it,” she tells me. “It’s hard for me to say no to any project—and it’s very rare that I do.”
Bri enjoys working with all genres, but admits that one genre rises above all others in her mind—mainly because it gives her so much creative wiggle room with her designs. “I have a soft spot for poetry,” she says. “I just love the versatility in structure that poetry books have, a kind of ‘anything goes’ and breaking away from convention. Plus, it seems like poetry book covers are always really unique.”
This might be because she’s a poet herself—a fact that surprises a lot of people, according to Bri. “Not many people know that about me,” she says. “So often I am on the service provider end and I don’t do enough promoting of my personal work.”
But considering all of her success as an author, Bri’s work may just speak for itself. “I’m a Pushcart Prize nominee and award-winning author of three books: The Weight of Snow, 28 Days of Solitude and The Starling’s Song,” she says. “My debut collection, The Weight of Snow, was a finalist in the 2014 International Book Awards and the USA Best Book Awards in the poetry category, and an honorable mention in the 2014 San Francisco Book Festival. The Starling’s Song was selected as Honorable Mention in the 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival in the poetry category.”
Between her freelance work, her own writing, and her duties as a marketing director in the renewable energy industry—among other projects—life is a constant hustle for Bri. “I’ve been called a workaholic before,” she admits, “but to me it’s not exactly work in the traditional sense. I have such a passion for what I do and continually being in this frenzy of creativity is very fulfilling—even when it means working nights and weekends, and nearly every day of the week.”
Just don’t barge in on her when she’s concentrating. “I have a habit of going into a sort of trance,” Bri says, “and when I get pulled out of it by an interruption, it is difficult to get back into it, so that can be frustrating. I’m the type that needs a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on my office door when I am in the zone—which doesn’t happen all the time.”
It may happen more often ever since her state’s pandemic-related lockdown started, though, because Bri has been able to give even more of her undivided attention to her projects. “These last months in shelter-in-place have actually been very productive,” she says, “and have not only allowed me to hunker down at home and focus more on my work, but has also allowed me to express myself, and taken my mind off of the gloom of the volatile, violent state the world is currently in.”
Fortunately, before all of the turmoil caused by recent events, Bri and her family were able to travel and get in touch with their cross-cultural roots—and make a movie about it. “I took a recent hiatus these last few years from my own writing to produce a nature/adventure documentary film about Baja California, Mexico, called The Devil’s Road,” she says. “The film centers around our family’s discovery of our roots in Baja. It’s very much a family affair, in that it’s the brainchild of my father and brother.”
“It’s an exciting mix of adventure, history, and culture,” she says about the film. “All set to some awesome vintage rock ‘n’ roll tunes.”
Also awesome is the recognition the documentary has garnered. “The film has been honored as an Official Selection at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, the Baja California International Film Festival, and the Big Bear Film Summit,” Bri says. “I recommend taking a look!”
While Bri remains available to help make your next book beautiful, she’s got plenty of her own goals for the coming months and years. “I am currently working on my next collection of poetry,” she says, “slated to be out at the end of the year. I’ve really enjoyed working on it and am excited to share it.”
And of course, Bri plans to keep working hard to bring beauty to as many books as she can—to the great benefit of authors and their readers. “I want to continue to hone my craft in the book design world,” she says, “meet new authors, and help them share their work with the world.”
Want to work with Bri on your next book cover? Get in touch with her through the ChapterBuzz Service Directory, where she generously offers a discount for ChapterBuzz members. Connect with Bri through Twitter and her Instagram feeds, both business and personal. And be sure to check out the documentary she helped produce, The Devil’s Road!
Original article published here June 30, 2020 by Timothy Pike, Editor-in-Chief, Books & Buzz Magazine
