Alchemy for Cells & Other Beasts

by Maya Jewell Zeller, Carrie DeBacker (Artist)

Poetry. Women's Studies. Ecopoetics. ALCHEMY FOR CELLS & OTHER BEASTS charts a course into magical waters, anchoring itself in the frightening politicization of a woman's body. The chemistry of this conversation between Spokane Poet, Maya Jewell Zeller, and Seattle artist, Carrie DeBacker, includes pomegranates for human heads, bones that can walk, and a ship sprung from a person's back, "floating farther from shore." The speaker in these incantations, behind these urgent watercolors, muses on the philosophies of geologic time, climate change, human genomes, and existential destruction. This book sets out to discover meaning in this terrible, beautiful time—and suggests wonder is where we'll find "the diagnosis is strong / for the wild & wind mills." We are proud to bring out this troubling work of eco-feminism in gorgeous full color. It may well be the most colorful poetry book you buy all year, but don't be fooled, it's an intense work of anxiety in an age of political and environmental upheaval. As per all of our books, it comes with an audio download of the poet reading many of the poems. This book is also the focus of Entre Ríos Books' first ERB Emerging Visions Filmmaker Award, which provides a stipend to a woman filmmaker in a Washington State High School or College program to work with our collaborators on the creation of a short film inspired by their work. The publisher's first award recipient is Rebecca Starkey of Central Washington University; her film will be posted on September 16, 2017.

"In ALCHEMY FOR CELLS & OTHER BEASTS, the world is turned inside out, its intricacies examined, like barnacles on a sea shell, in these fantastical, terrifying dealings with feminist anxieties. These surreal poems and artwork depict women under siege, under water, interpreting the myriad evolutions of mind and body...These poems are science and fairytale. They are heart flowers and 'heart poisons.'"—Jennifer Givhan

Genres: Poetry

68 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

About the author

Maya Jewell Zeller (she/her/hers) was born on the Oregon Coast, and has lived in the Northwest most of her life. She has taught writing and literature at the high school, community college, and university levels. She is the author of the memoir RAISED BY FERNS; the lyric introduction to fungi phenomena, THE WONDER OF MUSHROOMS; and the poetry collections OUT TAKES/ GLOVE BOX; RUST FISH; YESTERDAY, THE BEES; and ALCHEMY FOR CELLS & OTHER BEASTS (a collaboration with visual artist Carrie DeBacker). She is also the co-author, with Kathryn Nuernberger, of ADVANCED POETRY: A WRITER'S GUIDE AND ANTHOLOGY; and co-editor, with Sharma Shields, of EVERGREEN: GRIM TALES & VERSES FROM THE GLOOMY NORTHWEST. Maya teaches creative writing at Central Washington University, and nature writing and poetry in the low-residency MFA of Western Colorado University. She lives in the PNW with her two children and two tuxedo cats.

Reviews

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. Beautiful words, beautiful images!

[Christina Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Alchemy for Cells & Other Beasts (which is a little beauty of a book) at the Cascadia Poetry Festival’s small press fair back in October, as I ambled from one publisher booth to the next. Eventually, I found my way to Entre Rios Books, where collaboration and multimedia are a big part of the publishing company’s ethos.

I thumbed my way through of the books on the table before gravitating towards Alchemy for Cells & Other Beasts, and I was immediately struck by not only the playfulness of the content on the page, but the seeming innocence and whimsy of the visual art and poetry inside. I fell in love so, so quickly.

Over the next few weeks, I read and reread the poems in Alchemy for Cells & Other Beasts, marveling that Jewell Zeller was able to deliver earthy, intricate imagery and allude to gut-wrenching topics, all-the-while managing to keep the tone of the book light and hopeful.

The poems felt fresh and they left me full of wonder after each read: wonder at the author’s use of language rooted in biology, the natural world, science and medicine; and wonder at the illustrator’s ability to capture that same tone before instilling it with her own, quirky flavor. Much of the beauty of this book is in the synthesis of the soft edges of the art and the sharp language of the poems.

I also loved that the meat and the potatoes of the book, the poetry itself, is heartfelt and well-written. As a reader, each poem kept me on my toes with varied structure and placement on the page, use of repeated themes to evoke very different emotions in each poem, and subjects that virtually anyone can empathize with.

Overall, I’m thoroughly impressed with Alchemy for Cells & Other Beasts and I can’t wait to go down a literary rabbit hole of the author’s, illustrator’s and publisher’s other works. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the beauty of collaboration and/or the literary arts. It’s a feast for the eyes.

[Emily Migliazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hearing is feeling is another way to see" (29).

"...after several days the upright fish begins leaning / the way a person does after years in Idaho..." (50).

[Laura Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book of ekphrastic poetry - the images and words mix and mingle in surprising and wonderous ways. I'll be assigning this book in my "writing about nature and science" class from now on!

[maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was sooo delightful. gorgeous poetry gorgeous art

[Miriam Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

visually stunning. poetically good most of the time. occasionally redundant.