The Art of Conjuring

by S.L. Carroll

“I hear whispers: Have you seen her? The woman who is not a woman, she is a walking museum. Have you seen her wares?”

The narrator of SL Carroll’s radiant debut leads an empty life in a small town until she is employed to catalogue the Museum's collection. She has never seen anyone rewrite their bones the way the Museum has, until they are hardly bones at all. Obsession takes hold and the Museum's display case body inhabits her mind. In an attempt to duplicate the Museum's existence, the narrator secretly begins collecting objects of her own. Can she curate an authentic collection, balancing her own desires with her increasing responsibilities to the Museum?

The Art of Conjuring is a lyric and whimsical novella that probes the boundaries of femininity, friendship, and the fine line between obsession and inspiration.

158 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2026

Reviews

[Carolyn Carroll]

This lovely book was unique in its story. A young girl seeming to find herself in the most peculiar of ways. Every line is beautifully written.

[Al Maxine]

Deeply atmospheric, with gorgeous prose. Especially for a debut I was impressed. I found it to be a little opaque in places, including the actual physical description of The Museum, but not in an unenjoyable way. Excited to see this author grow

[J]

Beautifully written!