Not Ghosts, But Spirits Volume IV

by Emily Perkovich (Editor), Alex Carrigan (Contributor), Ammy McCollum (Contributor)

art from 55 contributors from the women, queer, trans, intersex, & enby communities - all sales from this volume will be donated to Crossroads for Women



- Edited by Emily Perkovich

Genres: Poetry

190 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2024

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

[mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a brilliant collection! All the artworks included were magnificent, colourful and so interesting. The poems and prose were also very moving and I really loved that most of them played so freely with form; of course, as it often is with collections, some pieces were less engaging than others.
Some of my personal favs are: “STS. ANTHONY, PRAY FOR US” by Reyzl Grace, “metamorphosis (i try to remember)” by Katherine Zhao, and “First Meetings” by Mrityunjay Mohan !!!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

This anthology collects a variety of prose, poetry and art from women and LGBT+ authors, poets and artists. While not every piece features here was to my liking, there were still quite a few I enjoyed.
My absolute favorites were "metamorphosis(i try to remember)" by Katherine Zhao (a poem masterfully connecting food and language in a way that made me hungry and sad) and "prose poem for being the only trans person in your office" by nat raum (a poem about how this emails finds you). I also quite enjoyed "pomegranate seeds & the heart of men" by Shilo Niziolek (a lesbian romance with greek mythology), "Sts. Anthony, pray for us" by Rezyl Grace (a haunting story about a hike), "Mary Webster's last laugh" by Eva Korošec (a poem about a witch hunt, very lyrical and like a song), "Jump" by Luis Lopez-Maldonado (a poem about having ancestors that have been colonialized and gender), "how to not know the pseudo-lovers I tossed out like facial tissue in order to try and replace my last lover" by Val West (a poem about grief and past relationships), "all ellbows" by Emilce Ferreria (a short text about being a woman working in construction), "Hypothetically speaking" by Leanne Moden (a poem about walking home at night and being followed, haunting and claustrophobic), "Lycantrophy" by Brooke White (a story about the difference between the prince and the werewolf and how to relates to abuse in relationships), "Fat Girl's Dinner Party" by Kali Meister (a poem about being a fat girl at a dinner party and various serial killers) and "Siren Song" by Venus Fultz (a short story about a trans girl escaping from the curse that has led her brothers to ruin, short, but sweet).
All in all this anthology touches on a lot of themes that deal with the experiences of women, LGBT+ people and seems to have a good inclusion of BIPOC artists as well, which made for an overall very interesting reading experience to me and I have definitely found some artists whose work I want to check out.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

[Willow]

I appreciate getting to read a wide range of works by queer and female artists, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me. There were a few works that grabbed my attention, but most of them didn't. I feel it's mostly because I struggle with committing to a story when I know it will be over soon. (Most works are 1-2 pages long, only a handful a little longer.)

I tried something new and it didn't work for me and that's okay. I do hope others find joy in this work, as there are plenty of artists represented that deserve to have their voices heard.

Thank you NetGalley and Querencia Press for giving me access to this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review

A well rounded and lovingly curated anthology of poetry, prose, short stories, and art by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors. The collection was well paced and fun to read. Definitely a collection worth picking up for those interested in the genre.

[Moth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
I skimmed the first half and decided to DNF because I wasn’t actually getting anything out of the book. The writing wasn't interesting to me, but the fine art pieces were amazing.
CW: sexual content; sexual harassment; queerphobia

[Dia VanGunten · Rating 5 out of 5]

These anthologies are reliably good, every time. Beautifully curated by Emily Perkovich, they’re always a treat. I am a contributor (of comics) as well as a reader.

[Kristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Not Ghosts, But Spirits series is one of kind in how it consistently and continuously uplifts marginalised voices, and the calibre of the work in Volume IV is seriously impressive. Querencia Press’ curation also remains unmatched. This volume was my favourite thus far which only fuels my excitement for the next anthology!

[Dawn Mabaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Firstly I would like to extend my gratitude to Netgalley, Querencia Press and Emily Perkovich for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up "Not Ghosts, But Spirits IV: art from the women's & lgbtqiap+ communities" expecting a photography book (as that's how it was tagged), but what I got was a delightful selection of poetry, short stories and visual art. While not all the pieces resonated with me, I appreciated the diverse perspectives and was surprised at how moved I was at some of the pieces. In fact, I ended up following many of the artists whose work I enjoyed, and I was thrilled to discover that the curator had given a platform to so many smaller (under 1000 followers) artists.

What I am most grateful for was the way this collection challenged my perception of what it means to be an artist. Seeing the different art forms and subject matters on display helped me realize that there is no one "right" way to create art. It was inspiring to see how each artist had carved out their own path and made a career out of their passion. I loved looking up the artists and learning more about their processes and experiences.

Overall, I would give "Not Ghosts, But Spirits IV" 3.5 stars. It's a wonderful collection that celebrates diversity, creativity, and self-expression, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it.

[Melanie Solar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to net galley for the ARC

There were a few pieces in this collection that I enjoyed however, I found it really hard to connect with a lot of them.