Erin Vance

Bearing witness to women in history. A History of Touching is a poetry collection about women in folklore and history who were ill, disabled, or otherwise labelled 'hysteric.' The work bears witness to the lives of women with varying experiences, such as a woman whose epilepsy was mistaken for demonic possession, Sarah Winchester's grief, Mary Roff and her love of leeches, and the "witch", Biddy Early. There is a poem about Bridget Cleary, who upon displaying her independence was burned to death by her husband, believing her to be a changeling. The collection includes pieces on anchoresses, Rosemary Kennedy, and accused witches. A History of Touching tells the stories of 'difficult women.' Each poem discusses an aspect of or a moment in a woman's life, connecting these moments to different aspects of embodiment and the natural world. A History of Touching is an examination of women vilified or left behind for their strength or their weakness. This book uses strong poetic imagery and metaphor to elevate details drawn from real life to that of poetry. The book comprises of three sections, each drifting between biographical poetry (Scrying, about Biddy Early), experimental poetry (Projections of a Glass Womb, which manipulates the text of a midwifery textbook), fairy tale sequences (What a Pretty Sight), folklore, (Macha, Flickers) and pieces that incorporate elements of confessional poetry (Bloodletting, Whiskers).

Look, all Joshua Deering wanted was to pass his final photography project. It should have been simple: find a subject, take some photos, get an A, and get his dad off his back. But that's not what happened. And, okay, maybe he should've known better than to befriend a guy chilling out in a cemetery. Maybe he should've taken the hint when a mysterious girl stepped out of the mist and announced that there might be hunters after the cemetery guy. And maybe he should've studied more for his other exams instead of panicking about his project. But hindsight is 20/20, and now creepy cemetery guy Adrian, Josh, and Josh's two friends are being stalked by nameless, violent strangers. Their only defence is a heavy bookbag, an expensive camera, Adrian's big secret (that actually might be the reason behind this mess), and a lot of optimism. ... This is probably going to get messy.