What do you think?
Rate this book
On the Subject of Blackberries
Welcome to the garden. Here we poison our fruits, pierce ourselves with thorns, and transform under the light of the full moon. Mad and unhinged, we fall through rabbit holes, walk willingly into fairy rings, and dance in the song of witchcraft, two snakes around our ankles, the juice of berries on our tongues.
Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, these poems are meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother.
Using found poetry and under the influence of bibliomancy, Wytovich harnesses the occult power of her imagery and words and aligns it with a new, more vulnerable, darkness. These pieces are not only visions of the madwoman in the attic, but ghostly visitations that explore the raw mental torture women sometimes experience after giving birth.
This collection heals as much as it scars, and is an honest look at how trauma seeps into the soil of our bodies. Her poems are imagined horrors, fictional fears, and all the unspoken murmurs of a mind lost between reality and dream. What she leaves in her wake is nothing short of horror—the children lost, the garden dead, the women feral, ready to pounce.
Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, these poems are meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother.
Using found poetry and under the influence of bibliomancy, Wytovich harnesses the occult power of her imagery and words and aligns it with a new, more vulnerable, darkness. These pieces are not only visions of the madwoman in the attic, but ghostly visitations that explore the raw mental torture women sometimes experience after giving birth.
This collection heals as much as it scars, and is an honest look at how trauma seeps into the soil of our bodies. Her poems are imagined horrors, fictional fears, and all the unspoken murmurs of a mind lost between reality and dream. What she leaves in her wake is nothing short of horror—the children lost, the garden dead, the women feral, ready to pounce.
126 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2023
6 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie M. Wytovich
75 books270 followersStephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been featured in magazines and anthologies, such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year's Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, and The Best Horror of the Year: Volumes 8 & 15.
Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press and an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University. She has received the Elizabeth Matchett Stover Memorial Award, the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant, and the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for nonfiction writing.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. She is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning poet, and her nonfiction craft book for speculative poetry, Writing Poetry in the Dark, is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press. Readers can pick up her latest project, Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women in Horror, co-edited with Lindy Ryan, now from Black Spot Books.
Follow Wytovich at https://www.stephaniemwytovich.com/ and on Threads and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also sign up for her newsletter at https://stephaniemwytovich.substack.com/.
Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press and an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University. She has received the Elizabeth Matchett Stover Memorial Award, the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant, and the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for nonfiction writing.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. She is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning poet, and her nonfiction craft book for speculative poetry, Writing Poetry in the Dark, is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press. Readers can pick up her latest project, Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women in Horror, co-edited with Lindy Ryan, now from Black Spot Books.
Follow Wytovich at https://www.stephaniemwytovich.com/ and on Threads and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also sign up for her newsletter at https://stephaniemwytovich.substack.com/.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
November 29, 2024
More to come...stay tuned!
August 26, 2023
Based on the introduction and prose segments at the beginning of this, I was sooo excited to love this collection. It has all of the elements: gothic inspiration, about motherhood in a dark way, focused around ritual and the natural world. Unfortunately, none of these poems stuck with me much. Some felt way too literal (telling not showing) whereas others felt like shuffled proetic segments with no central theme. I'm just going to blame myself for not having read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson and move along.
(thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for an e-arc in exchange for a review)
(thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for an e-arc in exchange for a review)
November 24, 2024
This collection feels like an invocation. The poems don’t have titles, they just flow from one to the next, and they slide up against each other in the same way shadows eat each other. The poems feel narrative, but you won’t find a coherent story. Instead, they use the guise of narrative to be all emotion, id unfurled for all to rejoice in, fear, or shame, as is their wont. The author’s introduction went a long way to setting the scene and creating a home for these poems, which I appreciated. As I mentioned, the individual poems were short, but as they were divided into ten acts or sections but without any titles (for either sections or individual poems) they never felt truncated. The language was dense, often using uncommon adjectives to describe something expected or ordinary in such a way as to highlight a different type of experience, and it was effective. I felt the bare intimacy of this collection, and the wordplay combined with occasional shivers down my spine to compel me to read a number of the poems a few times over before continuing through the collection. Obviously none of the poems spoke to my personal (physical) experiences (since many find their locus in the experiences of birth and post-partum emotional exploration) but they reflected emotional experiences that felt common and incisive.
In short, evocative and lush wordplay combines with an almost narrative modality that eschews story for emotion/experience. The experiences are dark and cutting, but not with a mind toward shock or disgust but rather one toward recognition. This collection won a Bram Stoker award for a good reason, you will find it living under your skin once you think you have put it down.
I want to thank the author and the publisher Raw Dog Screaming Press, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In short, evocative and lush wordplay combines with an almost narrative modality that eschews story for emotion/experience. The experiences are dark and cutting, but not with a mind toward shock or disgust but rather one toward recognition. This collection won a Bram Stoker award for a good reason, you will find it living under your skin once you think you have put it down.
I want to thank the author and the publisher Raw Dog Screaming Press, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 5, 2023
“ I was a ghost existing in the corner of my house”
Let me begin by stating that this review is entirely subjective and based on my own personal experiences but
Stephanie Wytovich’s On The Subject of Blackberries was one of those books you read at a time in your like when you need it the most and it speaks to your life, souls and heart.
“ perhaps I’ll sleep on a bed of shattered glass, read the books of empty minds, shut myself away in a room without noise
The sense of sadness, isolation, loneliness and anger as well as bitterness she fellt all spoke to me on a personal level and resonated with my experiences recently due to my illness and mental state.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received this book from RDS Press as an arc copy besides that it was a feminist horror poetry collection filled with beautiful illustrations. It was beyond what I expected and will for ever be one of my favourite poetry collections.
“ I am the ghost Responsible for all that fell apart, a blank page, the smash table, scattered
Splintered”
Stephenie’s work depicts the horrors of her experience as a new mother, the mental torment of postpartum and her love for gothic fiction. Inspired by her go to book We Have Always lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, and her favourite fictional literary character Merricat, as well as her (inability to sing sweet disney songs to her newborn daughter) tendency to whisper rhymes about blackberries and poison to her newborn daughter. Stephanie writes about domestic horrors that many women are forced to endure in silence and does so with anger and hunger for change. She herself is willing to become the catalyst for the change and it won’t be done quietly or peacefully the way society expects women to react.
“such a quiet body twisted in great pain, overstaying it’s welcome losing track of time..
. I pretend not to understand”
I also really resonated with her writing about physical pain and her body. Although I didn’t almost die giving birth nor have I ever even had a child, I struggle with my own body due to disease.
“ I promise to leave, The night I swept piled glass, stuck glittering in my teeth: feral, this lingering sparkle, my laughing outright lie.”
She discusses the double standard of being woman and mother with a newborn and men. The feeling of being alone and lack of assistance. The overall lack of support and love within her relationship.
“ I left in red, the first symptom of violence. Oh, I’m quite comfortable now.”
I like her attitude and her attitude-rebellious personality and doesn’t want to take the hits and roll over.
“ the house was not a key to pay for hate. Perhaps it belong to the dance of the ghost, all the secrets lodged in dresser, drawers, in congested basements I did not visit.”,”
Feminist text
Dealing with feminist issues
Inspired by her love of gothic fiction and writing style
Pays homage to the genre
Let me begin by stating that this review is entirely subjective and based on my own personal experiences but
Stephanie Wytovich’s On The Subject of Blackberries was one of those books you read at a time in your like when you need it the most and it speaks to your life, souls and heart.
“ perhaps I’ll sleep on a bed of shattered glass, read the books of empty minds, shut myself away in a room without noise
The sense of sadness, isolation, loneliness and anger as well as bitterness she fellt all spoke to me on a personal level and resonated with my experiences recently due to my illness and mental state.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received this book from RDS Press as an arc copy besides that it was a feminist horror poetry collection filled with beautiful illustrations. It was beyond what I expected and will for ever be one of my favourite poetry collections.
“ I am the ghost Responsible for all that fell apart, a blank page, the smash table, scattered
Splintered”
Stephenie’s work depicts the horrors of her experience as a new mother, the mental torment of postpartum and her love for gothic fiction. Inspired by her go to book We Have Always lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, and her favourite fictional literary character Merricat, as well as her (inability to sing sweet disney songs to her newborn daughter) tendency to whisper rhymes about blackberries and poison to her newborn daughter. Stephanie writes about domestic horrors that many women are forced to endure in silence and does so with anger and hunger for change. She herself is willing to become the catalyst for the change and it won’t be done quietly or peacefully the way society expects women to react.
“such a quiet body twisted in great pain, overstaying it’s welcome losing track of time..
. I pretend not to understand”
I also really resonated with her writing about physical pain and her body. Although I didn’t almost die giving birth nor have I ever even had a child, I struggle with my own body due to disease.
“ I promise to leave, The night I swept piled glass, stuck glittering in my teeth: feral, this lingering sparkle, my laughing outright lie.”
She discusses the double standard of being woman and mother with a newborn and men. The feeling of being alone and lack of assistance. The overall lack of support and love within her relationship.
“ I left in red, the first symptom of violence. Oh, I’m quite comfortable now.”
I like her attitude and her attitude-rebellious personality and doesn’t want to take the hits and roll over.
“ the house was not a key to pay for hate. Perhaps it belong to the dance of the ghost, all the secrets lodged in dresser, drawers, in congested basements I did not visit.”,”
Feminist text
Dealing with feminist issues
Inspired by her love of gothic fiction and writing style
Pays homage to the genre
arc
August 28, 2023I'm not a big fan of modern poetry, but as a massive fan of Shirley Jackson, this description really intrigued me. This collection was hit or miss for me, but I blame that on my aversion to modern poetry and not the poet. It definitely delivers the promised gothic vibes, and the illustrations serve to highlight and add to the overall feel of the collection.
January 27, 2026
Poetry that is definitely entwined with Shirley Jackson and the Blackwoods’ story. I appreciate the background the author included citing postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, traumatic birth experience, etc. It definitely lent a personal connection to my reading of these poems with my own experience into motherhood. I also just recently finished a rewatch of The Queens Gambit and found it striking in connection with the emotions of these poems 🤔
August 28, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!
"Tell me: do you know what it's like to swallow fire only to never feel yourself burn?"
I thought this collection of poetry was deeply moving and haunting. The vulnerability the author writes with is truly commendable. She is sharing her story of PPD, grief, mental health struggles, etc. The poetry covers heavy, sometimes grotesque, subject matter but is also delicate. I especially loved all the illustrations throughout this book and thought they added to the poems greatness. I will also definitely be checking out Shirley Jackson after this!
"Tell me: do you know what it's like to swallow fire only to never feel yourself burn?"
I thought this collection of poetry was deeply moving and haunting. The vulnerability the author writes with is truly commendable. She is sharing her story of PPD, grief, mental health struggles, etc. The poetry covers heavy, sometimes grotesque, subject matter but is also delicate. I especially loved all the illustrations throughout this book and thought they added to the poems greatness. I will also definitely be checking out Shirley Jackson after this!
June 11, 2024
I expected a bit more from this. More horror, more details, more emotions. Poetry, for me, needs to cut you open, dig into you, tug at you. I want precision, a surgical dissection of a feeling or an image. If I wanted pure description I'd read a novel. A lot of these poems lacked focus for me or didn't have a precise enough image or message. Pretty words but no substance. Also, many felt like they were cut off at the point where the poem started to find it's focus. There's some pretty lines and images in here, they just don't go anywhere. Overall it was unfortunately a miss for me.
September 3, 2023
This is purely a personal rating and not indicative of the quality. This is a quality collection. But it’s a style that just sadly isn’t for me. I commend the vulnerability for sharing a collection of poems meant to heal during a turbulent time in Wytovich’s life. These are clearly personal poems. But when personal poems get turned into a public form like a poetry collection readers can be left confused and I was. I enjoyed what I could parse out namely the intensely great creation of a macabre mood and the occasional poem I could understand to what feelings/experiences it was referencing.
I am very glad Wytovich starts off with an intro that establishes a background to the poetry. Too often I struggle to find the background and setup for poetry collections as you need to sweep the internet for interviews and only once recorded readings where the poet talks about the process and creation of the collection. But Wytovich lays it bare with her wonderful intro! As she notes these poems were written while she was struggling with post partum depression, a new OCD diagnosis, and practicing self love. I am amazed at the vulnerability to publish this colleciton of poems made during the little moments alone after reading her comfort book We Have Always Lived In The Castle (which is were the bibliomancy mentioned in the blurb comes from). However this does cause some issues for some readers. This collection draws heavy inspiration from We Have Always Lived In The Castle. These poems are written after having read passages and as such for those unaware of the source material many references or aides for the poems are lost.
Wytovich's form is nice. The poems err on the short side but that can lead to some strong poems in here. Very few are longer than two or three medium-length stanzas. Her poems are also very abstract. She creates wonderful mood and feeling. But sometimes it feels unclear what she is talking about. I know its probably snippets of emotions or feelings during that time of her life with PPD and her new OCD diagnosis but it feels too abstract for me to understand at times. These poems were written in little moments and are seemingly self-reflective. These poems are great to examine how she feels. But they weren't initially meant for an initial audience so it's hard to tell what is going on and whether this is a poem trying ot artfully portray a message about PPD, OCD, or some other experience and what is her just expressing her feelings after a hard day and reading some.
So if you're not into more abstract poetry or poetry with witch-y elements and allusions this might not be for you. That sorta stuff just isn't for me. It's not bad, it's just sadly not for me. I generally enjoy more concrete and narrative poems.
That being said there were some absolute bangers. I loved her poems that touched on hiding inner rage, unhappy marriages or relationships (which I think was more references to that one book), her want to die (omg relatable girl), and struggling as a mother by feeling like a ghost who's barely there.
I am very glad Wytovich starts off with an intro that establishes a background to the poetry. Too often I struggle to find the background and setup for poetry collections as you need to sweep the internet for interviews and only once recorded readings where the poet talks about the process and creation of the collection. But Wytovich lays it bare with her wonderful intro! As she notes these poems were written while she was struggling with post partum depression, a new OCD diagnosis, and practicing self love. I am amazed at the vulnerability to publish this colleciton of poems made during the little moments alone after reading her comfort book We Have Always Lived In The Castle (which is were the bibliomancy mentioned in the blurb comes from). However this does cause some issues for some readers. This collection draws heavy inspiration from We Have Always Lived In The Castle. These poems are written after having read passages and as such for those unaware of the source material many references or aides for the poems are lost.
Wytovich's form is nice. The poems err on the short side but that can lead to some strong poems in here. Very few are longer than two or three medium-length stanzas. Her poems are also very abstract. She creates wonderful mood and feeling. But sometimes it feels unclear what she is talking about. I know its probably snippets of emotions or feelings during that time of her life with PPD and her new OCD diagnosis but it feels too abstract for me to understand at times. These poems were written in little moments and are seemingly self-reflective. These poems are great to examine how she feels. But they weren't initially meant for an initial audience so it's hard to tell what is going on and whether this is a poem trying ot artfully portray a message about PPD, OCD, or some other experience and what is her just expressing her feelings after a hard day and reading some.
So if you're not into more abstract poetry or poetry with witch-y elements and allusions this might not be for you. That sorta stuff just isn't for me. It's not bad, it's just sadly not for me. I generally enjoy more concrete and narrative poems.
That being said there were some absolute bangers. I loved her poems that touched on hiding inner rage, unhappy marriages or relationships (which I think was more references to that one book), her want to die (omg relatable girl), and struggling as a mother by feeling like a ghost who's barely there.
March 11, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review.
Unfortunately, another poetry flop for me within the last month.
Like with the last collection, I was really excited for this and the premise was extremely intriguing, but, unfortunately, it ended up being a massive letdown for me. What I didn't know when I was getting into this collection was just how focused it was on the storyline of "we have always lived in the castle".
This summary, pulled from goodreads, is what had initially intrigued me:
"Welcome to the garden. Here we poison our fruits, pierce ourselves with thorns, and transform under the light of the full moon. Mad and unhinged, we fall through rabbit holes, walk willingly into fairy rings, and dance in the song of witchcraft, two snakes around our ankles, the juice of berries on our tongues.
Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, these poems are meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother."
However, the collection felt less like it was inspired by and more like the author was just trying to expand the story and slightly re-imagine it in a poetic prose. I have not read shirley jackson's story, though it is on my tbr, so maybe that contributed to me not enjoying it as much as I could. I had loved the introduction by the author and was excited to get into this collection, but it just didn't work. I found myself skimming poems just so I could get to the end and finish it before the arc expired.
I have recently become very fond of poetry (even if I don't always rate it the highest) and have read easily readable and hard to read collections and rarely have problems, but there was just something with this collection where I just felt like I didn't retain anything and couldn't tell you what poems I had just read. There were some poems that shone for me, but overall I just couldn't get into it or care about the disjointed, rushed poems that only sometimes made sense (even if they were highly over-analyzed).
Unfortunately, another poetry flop for me within the last month.
Like with the last collection, I was really excited for this and the premise was extremely intriguing, but, unfortunately, it ended up being a massive letdown for me. What I didn't know when I was getting into this collection was just how focused it was on the storyline of "we have always lived in the castle".
This summary, pulled from goodreads, is what had initially intrigued me:
"Welcome to the garden. Here we poison our fruits, pierce ourselves with thorns, and transform under the light of the full moon. Mad and unhinged, we fall through rabbit holes, walk willingly into fairy rings, and dance in the song of witchcraft, two snakes around our ankles, the juice of berries on our tongues.
Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, these poems are meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother."
However, the collection felt less like it was inspired by and more like the author was just trying to expand the story and slightly re-imagine it in a poetic prose. I have not read shirley jackson's story, though it is on my tbr, so maybe that contributed to me not enjoying it as much as I could. I had loved the introduction by the author and was excited to get into this collection, but it just didn't work. I found myself skimming poems just so I could get to the end and finish it before the arc expired.
I have recently become very fond of poetry (even if I don't always rate it the highest) and have read easily readable and hard to read collections and rarely have problems, but there was just something with this collection where I just felt like I didn't retain anything and couldn't tell you what poems I had just read. There were some poems that shone for me, but overall I just couldn't get into it or care about the disjointed, rushed poems that only sometimes made sense (even if they were highly over-analyzed).
September 9, 2023
What an engaging and beautifully written poetry collection! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even through the moments of darkness and pain on the page. I was especially moved by the author's preface - knowing what these poems were born out of helped me connect more deeply to the writing. The intro was written with such specific style and emotion that I knew I would be hooked on the actual poems. Definitely my favorite style of poetry - very real and intense while still living in the land of poetic language. The descriptions of the more horror/grotesque images were so well done - everything was visceral. I will be thinking about this collection for a while, what it means to go from "maiden to mother" as she put it. There are just so many heavy feelings that were explored in these poems - putting things usually unexpressed about the experience of birth and motherhood and postpartum into words that were so powerful. Will be recommending this one!
Thank you to NetGallery & RDS Publishing for the advanced copy!
Thank you to NetGallery & RDS Publishing for the advanced copy!
July 23, 2025
On the Subject of Blackberries is an award-winning collection of well-crafted and consistently-styled poems that ooze Shirley Jackson from their pore and orifices (thus, the 4-stars). I can see why people made this the Bram Stoker Award Winner, but it really isn't my cup of tea. The tone and creepy feel work well, but the poems (IMHO) lack depth, insight, punch and beauty (unless you love Ocean-Voung-eque non-sequitur metaphors, which I really, really, really don't like). None of the poems grabbed me emotionally or intellectually.
However, that's one of the great things about poetry. There are many different styles of, ways of, and reasons for creating them. So I'm probably in the minority for not enjoying these more than I did.
However, that's one of the great things about poetry. There are many different styles of, ways of, and reasons for creating them. So I'm probably in the minority for not enjoying these more than I did.
September 4, 2023
"I laugh in red, the first
Symptom of violence."
~ On the Subject of Blackberries
"On the Subject of Blackberries" is a captivatingly grotesque collection of speculative poetry. The poems maintain a delicate balance between a gothic undertone and saccharine sentiments, revealing the intricacies of an emotional journey in a visceral manner. This anthology of poems is delivered with an unflinching honesty. The poems skilfully interweaves darkness and warmth , creating a symphony that vividly portrays the nuances of postpartum depression. Undoubtedly, the muse of this polite horror is a wounded beauty named motherhood. The verses strikingly conveys the raw, feral and bittersweet elements of this paradoxically beautiful and violent blessing. The collection manages to encapsulate both the gothic and rhapsodic essence of newfound motherhood, forming a cohesive landscape where these seemingly contrasting elements coexist harmoniously. Ultimately, these verses provide a vivid and impactful exploration of the multifaceted nature of motherhood. This achievement stands as a remarkable, albeit haunting, testament to the power of poetic expression.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an earc in exchange for an honest review.
Symptom of violence."
~ On the Subject of Blackberries
"On the Subject of Blackberries" is a captivatingly grotesque collection of speculative poetry. The poems maintain a delicate balance between a gothic undertone and saccharine sentiments, revealing the intricacies of an emotional journey in a visceral manner. This anthology of poems is delivered with an unflinching honesty. The poems skilfully interweaves darkness and warmth , creating a symphony that vividly portrays the nuances of postpartum depression. Undoubtedly, the muse of this polite horror is a wounded beauty named motherhood. The verses strikingly conveys the raw, feral and bittersweet elements of this paradoxically beautiful and violent blessing. The collection manages to encapsulate both the gothic and rhapsodic essence of newfound motherhood, forming a cohesive landscape where these seemingly contrasting elements coexist harmoniously. Ultimately, these verses provide a vivid and impactful exploration of the multifaceted nature of motherhood. This achievement stands as a remarkable, albeit haunting, testament to the power of poetic expression.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an earc in exchange for an honest review.
Read
September 1, 2023Thank you NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the chance to read and review this book.
Stephanie M. Wytovich is a good writer. I absolutely loved the way she introduced this collection. It's also really made me want to read 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' which I haven't wanted to do so in the past.
However, maybe it's the fact that I haven't read any Shirley Jackson or maybe I'm not too into horror poetry (I haven't decided yet) I wasn't really enthralled by her poetry.
Stephanie M. Wytovich is a good writer. I absolutely loved the way she introduced this collection. It's also really made me want to read 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' which I haven't wanted to do so in the past.
However, maybe it's the fact that I haven't read any Shirley Jackson or maybe I'm not too into horror poetry (I haven't decided yet) I wasn't really enthralled by her poetry.
October 22, 2023
I think most poetry is just not really for me. I was intrigued by the description and I read about halfway through. What I did read was interesting enough and felt.... visceral? I just couldn't fully get into it. I imagine anyone who's into dark poetry and horror-laced prose would devour this, though.
March 28, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the ARC.
As a poetry collection, this takes on more of an endless stream of gothic imagery to convey the physical and mental tolls of motherhood. Its madness is overwhelming until the speaker accepts these thoughts as their own. Its style might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine.
As a poetry collection, this takes on more of an endless stream of gothic imagery to convey the physical and mental tolls of motherhood. Its madness is overwhelming until the speaker accepts these thoughts as their own. Its style might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine.
September 16, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review :)
4 stars!
I really loved the vibe of this. The opening alone got me and I thought "oh wow". The reason it's not a 5 star despite how much I loved this is because it didn't hit me all the way through, but it is still a collection of stunning work and words. Very happy to have found another poet and talent to keep my eye out for.
4 stars!
I really loved the vibe of this. The opening alone got me and I thought "oh wow". The reason it's not a 5 star despite how much I loved this is because it didn't hit me all the way through, but it is still a collection of stunning work and words. Very happy to have found another poet and talent to keep my eye out for.
February 2, 2025
There was a lot to love and relate to in this haunting collection. The lyrical language cuts deep and the gothic atmosphere makes for an evocative but disturbing read.
August 25, 2023
Thank you to the publisher NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely loved this collection of poetry. I admittedly do not read a lot of poetry, but I devoured all of these. I think a big part of that was that fact that the inspiration to Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle was very apparent. You could feel the raw emotion radiating off the page and I only wish there were more!
I absolutely loved this collection of poetry. I admittedly do not read a lot of poetry, but I devoured all of these. I think a big part of that was that fact that the inspiration to Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle was very apparent. You could feel the raw emotion radiating off the page and I only wish there were more!
August 20, 2024
“Do you tend to the funeral of moons?
Visit the lost sisters, the demons
Dancing in the woods? They say
There are doors to our graves,
Small openings smiling
On the wrong side of death (...)”
Sometimes a book just finds you at the right time, and that’s exactly what happened here. On the Subject of Blackberries is filled with themes and prose I’ve been a bit obsessed with lately – trauma, horror vibes, plants and nature, and, of course, the moon. It was beautifully written and everything just came together in a way that leaves you with such a clear, and maybe a bit uncomfortable, feeling at the end.
This is modern poetry, and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’ve ever wanted to pick up a witchy female-focused collection of beautiful prose, this might be the book to start off with.
Thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Visit the lost sisters, the demons
Dancing in the woods? They say
There are doors to our graves,
Small openings smiling
On the wrong side of death (...)”
Sometimes a book just finds you at the right time, and that’s exactly what happened here. On the Subject of Blackberries is filled with themes and prose I’ve been a bit obsessed with lately – trauma, horror vibes, plants and nature, and, of course, the moon. It was beautifully written and everything just came together in a way that leaves you with such a clear, and maybe a bit uncomfortable, feeling at the end.
This is modern poetry, and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’ve ever wanted to pick up a witchy female-focused collection of beautiful prose, this might be the book to start off with.
Thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 7, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
On the Subject of Blackberries had everything I could have every wanted: gothic, We Have Always Lived In the Castle vibes, poisons, foraging, witches, it just sounds so good.
Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. The prose felt more like ramblings and late night notes app entries than formulated, flowing poems. The writing was, and this may be harsh, just blends into the background. There was no defining shape, unique voice, nothing to set the poet aside from others. It also felt rushed, like this was compiled last minute.
On the Subject of Blackberries had everything I could have every wanted: gothic, We Have Always Lived In the Castle vibes, poisons, foraging, witches, it just sounds so good.
Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. The prose felt more like ramblings and late night notes app entries than formulated, flowing poems. The writing was, and this may be harsh, just blends into the background. There was no defining shape, unique voice, nothing to set the poet aside from others. It also felt rushed, like this was compiled last minute.
December 3, 2023
Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year's Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8, as well as many others. Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University, and a mentor with Crystal Lake Publishing. She is a recipient of the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and has received the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for non-fiction writing. Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. Her newest poetry collection is On the Subject of Blackberries.
On the Subject of Blackberries is a collection of poems that the author describes as “meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother.” This is a collection of horror poetry, therefore, grounded in the reality of a new mother, but through a lens of myth. Using found poetry techniques and bibliomancy, Wytovich created a collection layered in images. The poems here read as spells, incantations almost, but dark and surreal.
Into an air of change, I lay
like fog refusing the clouds
underneath my boots, my hand
held against the thin things
with splintered hair,
their watchful gaze
a sliced shadow on creeping walls,
a crooked ocean waving
to a doll with your face.
These are nightmares illustrated, dreams that one begs to wake from. The confusion and grief is palpable in these lines, found in the shadows that Wytovich explores with her language.
As if Wytovich’s poetry weren’t worth the price of admission itself, the presentation of this book is really quite something to behold. It’s a hardcover text with Victorian illustrations, but filled with poems of magic and rage, steeped in darkness. The whole aesthetic of the book makes for an experience for the reader, almost like they were prying into the grimoire of some haunted witch.
Stephanie M. Wytovich is a name that every horror reader should be familiar with. They are an outstanding author and editor with too many accomplishments and awards to list. It should be no surprise that On the Subject of Blackberries is a solid collection of poetry because Wytovich is a solid poet. However, this book is so different than previous collections, in ways both intimately personal and deeply magical, that it’s almost like discovering a completely new poet. If you know Wytovich’s work, then you are in for a dark surprise that is gripping and haunting and elegiacally beautiful. If you have not read a book by Stephanie M. Wytovich, this is the book to correct that mistake with, because this book needs to be on the shelf of every horror reader.
On the Subject of Blackberries is a collection of poems that the author describes as “meditations on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thoughts. They pull from periods of sleep deprivation, soul exhaustion, and nightmarish delusions, and each is left untitled, a nod to the stream-of-conscious mind of a new mother.” This is a collection of horror poetry, therefore, grounded in the reality of a new mother, but through a lens of myth. Using found poetry techniques and bibliomancy, Wytovich created a collection layered in images. The poems here read as spells, incantations almost, but dark and surreal.
Into an air of change, I lay
like fog refusing the clouds
underneath my boots, my hand
held against the thin things
with splintered hair,
their watchful gaze
a sliced shadow on creeping walls,
a crooked ocean waving
to a doll with your face.
These are nightmares illustrated, dreams that one begs to wake from. The confusion and grief is palpable in these lines, found in the shadows that Wytovich explores with her language.
As if Wytovich’s poetry weren’t worth the price of admission itself, the presentation of this book is really quite something to behold. It’s a hardcover text with Victorian illustrations, but filled with poems of magic and rage, steeped in darkness. The whole aesthetic of the book makes for an experience for the reader, almost like they were prying into the grimoire of some haunted witch.
Stephanie M. Wytovich is a name that every horror reader should be familiar with. They are an outstanding author and editor with too many accomplishments and awards to list. It should be no surprise that On the Subject of Blackberries is a solid collection of poetry because Wytovich is a solid poet. However, this book is so different than previous collections, in ways both intimately personal and deeply magical, that it’s almost like discovering a completely new poet. If you know Wytovich’s work, then you are in for a dark surprise that is gripping and haunting and elegiacally beautiful. If you have not read a book by Stephanie M. Wytovich, this is the book to correct that mistake with, because this book needs to be on the shelf of every horror reader.
September 21, 2023
Stephanie M. Wytovich’s latest poetry collection, On the Subject of Blackberries, dishes up sugar-coated fruit pervaded with poison and decay, each poem a rot-infested berry picked by a bleeding hand from a bush of brambles.
The most harrowing part of this collection is Wytovich’s raw confession of mental health struggles brought on by postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. She speaks candidly and bravely about this issue in the “Author’s Note” and “The Witchcraft of Writing,” both of which darken the stage for what’s to come.
Divided into ten sections, the collection begins with “the memory of poison,” dark drupelets that, bitten into, squirt with tart paranoia, shred with thorns as sharp as raptors’ talons. Wytovich paints imagistic words in black and beautiful strokes—some with a desperate flourish, others with a spatter of rage.
Throughout, we encounter revelations of instability and turmoil masked with a smile that’s begun to crack:
- “I force my body into a kindness” (35)
- “a black mound of sugar, / hysterically unhappy / but polite” (36)
You’ll find beliefs abandoned and a violent darkness, now embraced; murderous admissions rising from a whitewashed tomb.
In the third section, Wytovich shares sparks of light, a needed breather from the smothering angst of the opening pieces.
Wytovich’s poems remind me of Emily Dickinson’s, cloistered with her depressive and damning thoughts, of murders premeditated—or committed with motives unanalyzed, as if surprised at the results of spontaneous action.
My favorites: “I carried knives”; “I washed out the space in my head”; “The quiet kill of stars pushes darkness.”
The collection, which Raw Dog Screaming Press has published in hardcover, is sprinkled with Victorian etchings that complement overall themes and images from individual poems. This is a gorgeous volume for any reader’s collection. Add it to yours.
Wytovich asks, “Do you think I’m safe with these / dirty hands?” (114) You be the judge.
On the Subject of Blackberries was a delectably disturbing read. You owe it to yourself to taste its bitter fruit.
The most harrowing part of this collection is Wytovich’s raw confession of mental health struggles brought on by postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. She speaks candidly and bravely about this issue in the “Author’s Note” and “The Witchcraft of Writing,” both of which darken the stage for what’s to come.
Divided into ten sections, the collection begins with “the memory of poison,” dark drupelets that, bitten into, squirt with tart paranoia, shred with thorns as sharp as raptors’ talons. Wytovich paints imagistic words in black and beautiful strokes—some with a desperate flourish, others with a spatter of rage.
Throughout, we encounter revelations of instability and turmoil masked with a smile that’s begun to crack:
- “I force my body into a kindness” (35)
- “a black mound of sugar, / hysterically unhappy / but polite” (36)
You’ll find beliefs abandoned and a violent darkness, now embraced; murderous admissions rising from a whitewashed tomb.
In the third section, Wytovich shares sparks of light, a needed breather from the smothering angst of the opening pieces.
Wytovich’s poems remind me of Emily Dickinson’s, cloistered with her depressive and damning thoughts, of murders premeditated—or committed with motives unanalyzed, as if surprised at the results of spontaneous action.
My favorites: “I carried knives”; “I washed out the space in my head”; “The quiet kill of stars pushes darkness.”
The collection, which Raw Dog Screaming Press has published in hardcover, is sprinkled with Victorian etchings that complement overall themes and images from individual poems. This is a gorgeous volume for any reader’s collection. Add it to yours.
Wytovich asks, “Do you think I’m safe with these / dirty hands?” (114) You be the judge.
On the Subject of Blackberries was a delectably disturbing read. You owe it to yourself to taste its bitter fruit.
October 31, 2023
On the Subject of Blackberries is an excellent book of poetry. The energy shown through the imagery of darkness and thorns empowers people to get out of the thickets and stand up against life’s greatest challenges. Stephanie Wytovich describes her experience with postpartum depression. It represents one of the most severe forms of mental and emotional suffering. The text indicates she is not weakened. Because of her state, she is able to pull out tricks, spells, poisons, and weapons. All vibrant through the strength of roots and tightly woven structures. Her enthusiasm never dissipates. As if anyone who didn’t become a witch, withers and falls into oblivion. Her language is full of surprises. Her sense of commitment to realize the hells of suffering shows courage. Blackberries are prized for their fruits. But scorned for their pricks. A witch can tell you what you don’t see in the thickets. Stephanie’s descriptions of her state, both physically and mentally, set the tone at the beginning. She describes herself as recovering from postpartum depression. Her clothes were covered in vomit and urine, not leaving her home for several days, lying in darkness and despair. She finds her escape by reading and playing with her daughter. Personally, I find blackberries to be an excellent subject for poetry. The polarities of gentle and harsh nature, softness versus toughness, sharp and dull, different shades. All making for good slashing. The ideas are tough to uproot without destroying the fruits of the poet’s labor. Berries and thorns, good and evil. They were the subject of my problematic unfinished dissertation. What people consider weeds, despised and destroyed until they are extinct. They’re not a hindrance unless a person conjures a dislike through their intention. Stephanie can find positive energy in befriending and endearing a beautiful plant, which is also considered a nuisance.
I admire Stephanie for her courage, strength and determination, but especially for her creativity in describing a dark and troublesome time through beautiful imagery and poetic verse.
Thank you Net Galley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for this advanced readers copy.
I admire Stephanie for her courage, strength and determination, but especially for her creativity in describing a dark and troublesome time through beautiful imagery and poetic verse.
Thank you Net Galley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for this advanced readers copy.
June 17, 2024
On The Subject of Blackberries
Author: Stephanie M. Wytovich
Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press
My Review and Thoughts:
On the Subject of Blackberries by Stephanie is a truly memorable collection of poetry. This is a book that has so many dynamic realities to it, it's something that grows under your skin as you read along and your mind opens to the imaginative word play.
Something that poetry, well good poetry is, is word play. It's words that define the subject through the imagery that the reader becomes a part of and that's what this collection of creativity does.
It is something that lingers with you. I found myself reading complex and very descriptive words. There is a personality to the poetry that flows throughout this book. I love when a book of poetry gives off vibes that is reality-based and complex at the same time.
This is a very enjoyable collection. I flowed through it quite quickly and then re-read many of the pieces that stuck out to me. I think Stephanie has a gifted imagination, a gifted reality of creating spot-on poetry that the reader can grasp and think about in emotional ways.
In a sense this is another wonderful example of word play coming off the pages into the mind of artistic endeavors.
Stephanie is magical. Stephanie is brilliant in creating flawless, personal, intense, emotional beauty through her poetry.
I loved this collection of poetry from beginning to end. There was no bad reality in it. I think this is a flawless collection of something the reader can become a part of, remember it, think about it, linger on it and most of all share it and spread it with other people.
Something good poetry is, is to always remember and I think this collection is that style of poetry. Poetry to remember and to spread to others the beauty of its reality.
RDS Press released another wonderful example of creativity and artistic power.
Would I Recommended: Absolutely. All lovers of poetry should experience this glowing example of word play.
Would I Return to it Again: Already have. Love how it grabs you and pulls you back in to its pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Four Final Words: Beautifully written, Passionately complex.
Author: Stephanie M. Wytovich
Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press
My Review and Thoughts:
On the Subject of Blackberries by Stephanie is a truly memorable collection of poetry. This is a book that has so many dynamic realities to it, it's something that grows under your skin as you read along and your mind opens to the imaginative word play.
Something that poetry, well good poetry is, is word play. It's words that define the subject through the imagery that the reader becomes a part of and that's what this collection of creativity does.
It is something that lingers with you. I found myself reading complex and very descriptive words. There is a personality to the poetry that flows throughout this book. I love when a book of poetry gives off vibes that is reality-based and complex at the same time.
This is a very enjoyable collection. I flowed through it quite quickly and then re-read many of the pieces that stuck out to me. I think Stephanie has a gifted imagination, a gifted reality of creating spot-on poetry that the reader can grasp and think about in emotional ways.
In a sense this is another wonderful example of word play coming off the pages into the mind of artistic endeavors.
Stephanie is magical. Stephanie is brilliant in creating flawless, personal, intense, emotional beauty through her poetry.
I loved this collection of poetry from beginning to end. There was no bad reality in it. I think this is a flawless collection of something the reader can become a part of, remember it, think about it, linger on it and most of all share it and spread it with other people.
Something good poetry is, is to always remember and I think this collection is that style of poetry. Poetry to remember and to spread to others the beauty of its reality.
RDS Press released another wonderful example of creativity and artistic power.
Would I Recommended: Absolutely. All lovers of poetry should experience this glowing example of word play.
Would I Return to it Again: Already have. Love how it grabs you and pulls you back in to its pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Four Final Words: Beautifully written, Passionately complex.
September 11, 2023
Thank you, Netgalley and RDS Publishing, for this ebook Arc in return for an honest review.
The setup up for this had me really excited. I love We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson. So when certain passages were to be inspired by it, I couldn't wait to read it. On a more serious note , I also struggled with depression during and after my pregnancy. It was debilitating at times, but you still had to get up and parent this beautiful being you created.
Let's start with my favorite quote that stood out to me. "The dishonesty of disguise picks at me, my true form a cackle peeling from the walls." Wytovich is so raw in her passages, showing the barest parts of her struggle that most of us continue to disguise from prying eyes. It is a social taboo to not be overjoyed with the birth of your child. No matter how traumatic the birth was or your own personal struggles afterward, They need to be pushed to the wayside forced out by smiles and happiness, whether they faked it or not. No one wants to be burdened with a mom who is not picture perfect when a new baby enters the world. I was moved to experience her feelings and to find solace within them. Her poetry is dark and moving. I feel that with poetry, it's so personal, especially this collection, so it's hard for me to rate it. I enjoyed her intro and all the easter eggs inspired by Shirley Jackson, but if you have never read it, you won't pick up on them at all. I also felt a little lost sometimes with the collection feeling a little all over the place. It's less of a story and more of raw feelings bared all for the reader.
My rating 3.5/5 rounded up
The setup up for this had me really excited. I love We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson. So when certain passages were to be inspired by it, I couldn't wait to read it. On a more serious note , I also struggled with depression during and after my pregnancy. It was debilitating at times, but you still had to get up and parent this beautiful being you created.
Let's start with my favorite quote that stood out to me. "The dishonesty of disguise picks at me, my true form a cackle peeling from the walls." Wytovich is so raw in her passages, showing the barest parts of her struggle that most of us continue to disguise from prying eyes. It is a social taboo to not be overjoyed with the birth of your child. No matter how traumatic the birth was or your own personal struggles afterward, They need to be pushed to the wayside forced out by smiles and happiness, whether they faked it or not. No one wants to be burdened with a mom who is not picture perfect when a new baby enters the world. I was moved to experience her feelings and to find solace within them. Her poetry is dark and moving. I feel that with poetry, it's so personal, especially this collection, so it's hard for me to rate it. I enjoyed her intro and all the easter eggs inspired by Shirley Jackson, but if you have never read it, you won't pick up on them at all. I also felt a little lost sometimes with the collection feeling a little all over the place. It's less of a story and more of raw feelings bared all for the reader.
My rating 3.5/5 rounded up
September 5, 2023
Rating: 4/5
TW: Violence, Gore, Unsafe Food, Postpartum Depression
(Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for a review)
“On the Subject of Blackberries” is a fascinating, if conflicting, poetry collection from Stephanie M. Wytovich. Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s "We Have Always Lived in the Castle", the poems focus on nature, violence, murder, the domestic space and all the festering wounds in it.
Accompanied with some lovely illustrations, the poems are sectioned off into short chapters without titles for individual poems. While it can make deciphering when some of the longer poems end difficult, the effect of them all working together is well done. Wytovich’s imagery is brilliant (“two cups of sleep”) and the emotions pulse, like on page 112.
I say confusing, and this does throw the book a beat off, because the reader has two short writing entries (“The Witchcraft of Writing” and “Author’s Note”) before the poetry begins. Both are by Wytovich and speak on how she relied on poetry and Jackson’s novel while recovering from giving birth. These pieces are well written and intriguing, but set up a collection that I don’t think we get. I kept looking for more birth imagery, more references to Wytovich’s preludes. If presented without such context, I think the poetry would have been stronger and I could have read it with a clearer eye.
It’s a great poetry collection for anyone interested in nature, witches, and violence.
TW: Violence, Gore, Unsafe Food, Postpartum Depression
(Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for a review)
“On the Subject of Blackberries” is a fascinating, if conflicting, poetry collection from Stephanie M. Wytovich. Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s "We Have Always Lived in the Castle", the poems focus on nature, violence, murder, the domestic space and all the festering wounds in it.
Accompanied with some lovely illustrations, the poems are sectioned off into short chapters without titles for individual poems. While it can make deciphering when some of the longer poems end difficult, the effect of them all working together is well done. Wytovich’s imagery is brilliant (“two cups of sleep”) and the emotions pulse, like on page 112.
I say confusing, and this does throw the book a beat off, because the reader has two short writing entries (“The Witchcraft of Writing” and “Author’s Note”) before the poetry begins. Both are by Wytovich and speak on how she relied on poetry and Jackson’s novel while recovering from giving birth. These pieces are well written and intriguing, but set up a collection that I don’t think we get. I kept looking for more birth imagery, more references to Wytovich’s preludes. If presented without such context, I think the poetry would have been stronger and I could have read it with a clearer eye.
It’s a great poetry collection for anyone interested in nature, witches, and violence.
September 4, 2023
“No matter how bad or dark things got in my head, the shining light behind all of it was my little girl’s laugh, her smile, her tiny hand in mine. “—excerpt from the author’s note*
Anyone who follows Stephanie Wytovich on social media has seen pictures of her darling daughter Evie, an angel with a magnetic smile. Wytovich’s latest poetry collection is dedicated to Evie and inspired by the dark days of postpartum depression and various other mental health and home issues. Wytovich leaned heavily on her favorite novel Shirley Jackson’s WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, studying repeated words and seeking to solve the cypher created by Wytovich’s own demons.
Wytovich states that her writing process for this collection was different than that of her others. The format is different as well. Instead of individual titled poems, ON THE SUBJECT OF BLACKBERRIES contains numbered poems that work together to create a singular unsettling vision. Step inside Wytovich’s Jackson inspired world, but beware as the blackberry tea is laced with terror.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.
*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.
Anyone who follows Stephanie Wytovich on social media has seen pictures of her darling daughter Evie, an angel with a magnetic smile. Wytovich’s latest poetry collection is dedicated to Evie and inspired by the dark days of postpartum depression and various other mental health and home issues. Wytovich leaned heavily on her favorite novel Shirley Jackson’s WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, studying repeated words and seeking to solve the cypher created by Wytovich’s own demons.
Wytovich states that her writing process for this collection was different than that of her others. The format is different as well. Instead of individual titled poems, ON THE SUBJECT OF BLACKBERRIES contains numbered poems that work together to create a singular unsettling vision. Step inside Wytovich’s Jackson inspired world, but beware as the blackberry tea is laced with terror.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.
*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.
December 17, 2023
"We were but a closed door,
a subdued fawn, the woods hungry,
starving for bodies of small,
wicked girls."
Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her
work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies
such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year’s Best
Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8 & 15, as
well as many others.
This is collection of about ten poems written by her when she was suffering from PPD. Few of the poems I could relate so much being a recent new mom. It is hard for mothers because of what we go through physically but society always judges mom for being a mom. Even though everyone will praise motherhood in general, a mom is always frowned upon for other thing or the other. that's how the society goes. What hypocrisy!!!
Anyways there are poems which touches few topics that goes hush hush. And I admire the boldness of the poetess.
"The two of us, against the world.
Blackberries and sugar.
With only the memory of poison. "
I found them very dark, they have a haunting vibes about them. A viscerity. A bluntness that can cut you raw. But I found them more gloomy than for my liking.
Thank you Netgalley and RDS publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
a subdued fawn, the woods hungry,
starving for bodies of small,
wicked girls."
Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her
work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies
such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year’s Best
Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8 & 15, as
well as many others.
This is collection of about ten poems written by her when she was suffering from PPD. Few of the poems I could relate so much being a recent new mom. It is hard for mothers because of what we go through physically but society always judges mom for being a mom. Even though everyone will praise motherhood in general, a mom is always frowned upon for other thing or the other. that's how the society goes. What hypocrisy!!!
Anyways there are poems which touches few topics that goes hush hush. And I admire the boldness of the poetess.
"The two of us, against the world.
Blackberries and sugar.
With only the memory of poison. "
I found them very dark, they have a haunting vibes about them. A viscerity. A bluntness that can cut you raw. But I found them more gloomy than for my liking.
Thank you Netgalley and RDS publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews