The View From The Lunar Surface

by Michelle Wicklow

A desire to escape earth for a lunar vacation. A distracted lounge singer. A couple falling in love in the lobby of a hotel on the moon. A nostalgia for a past that has been obliterated by technology. An android realizing self-awareness. A search for human connection to alleviate loneliness. A pondering of "How did I end up here?"

This chapbook of poems was inspired by Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys. The idea for each poem stems from a song on the album, but these pieces stand on their own and do not use any of the lyrics from the songs. You don't need to be familiar with the album to appreciate this book, but if you are, you will notice similar themes and settings.

Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2021

About the author

Michelle Wicklow is a poet and author. Her motivation in writing is to create a world she wants to live in, because this one has proven to be quite disappointing so far. Poetry is her first love, because it's a way of taking photographs of a moment, rather than trying to change anything. Fiction requires authors to resolve their characters' problems in some way, and if she can't solve her own problems, she doesn't feel up to the challenge of solving someone else's. However, she is nearly finished with a novel she describes as a love story amidst a haunting. The story involves a demon, a ghost, a struggling rock band, and more maple syrup than she ever thought she would include in a novel.

Her work is inspired by her eclectic taste in music, half-remembered dreams, and the classic Halloween film Hocus Pocus, among other things. When not writing, she plays electric guitar and bass, although not very well yet.

She posts poetry on Instagram @autumnalfyre.