Not Ghosts, But Spirits II

by Emily Perkovich (Editor), Mattie-Bretton Hughes (contributor)

art from 81 contributors from the women, queer, trans, & enby communities - all sales from this volume will be donated to Classroom of Compassion

- Edited by Emily Perkovich

Genres: Poetry

290 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2023

About the author

Emily Perkovich (she/her) is from the Chicago-land area. She is the Editor in Chief of Querencia Press, a poetry reader with Split Lip Mag, and on the Women in Leadership Advisory Board with Valparaiso University. Her work strives to erase the stigma surrounding trauma victims and their responses. She is a Pushcart & a Best of the Net nominee, a SAFTA scholarship recipient, and is previously published with Horror Sleaze Trash, Harness Magazine, Rogue Agent, Coffin Bell Journal, and Awakenings among others. Em is Otomí and learning ways to reconnect with her kin. You can find her on IG @undermeyou or Twitter @emily_perkovich or visit her website.

Reviews

[Kristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this volume - superb and powerful writing and art from start to finish.

[Alexandria Piette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honored to contribute to this brilliant charity anthology edition featuring women, queer, trans, and enby voices. My poems “my body is not revolutionary”, “the purge”, and “compulsory” are each dear to me at my core as a genderqueer, plus size lesbian. It is vital to me in my work to uplift marginalized words and art, and I feel Querencia Press as a whole accomplishes this to the fullest extent. I encourage readers to support this press and Not Ghosts, But Spirits II as we fight each day to highlight groups that are often silenced in mainstream media. We are not quiet like ghosts, roaming aimlessly in search of peace. We are spirited, alive, and strong-willed, and we are here to stay.

[Sara Wiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have two poems featured!!! Read “Kriah: The Mourning” and “Imagine Girls At Parties” now!

[willow page · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital copy from Querencia Press in exchange for an honest review.

"Unfortunately, there is no happy ending to this story. For now, all I can do is get up every day and make the choice to keep fighting."

I had mixed thoughts on this collection, due to the extensive breadth of collaborators with a range of writing styles. Some of the poems came across as clunky and unpolished, and I think this work would have benefitted from further editing. However, I appreciated the primary theme of resistance to gendered oppression, which was a current underlying virtually all of the pieces, and there were several poems I absolutely loved. Furthermore, the visual art / photography interspersed between the text was gorgeous.