VIOLENCE / JOY / CHAOS

by

Jane Marshall Fleming

Essays / Poems

Publisher: Rhythm & Bones Press

On Twitter

Date of Publication: April 1, 2020

Number of Pages: 154

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This debut full-length hybrid collection of essays and poetry explores the moments of joy and chaotic hilarity that mingle with the experiences of trauma and trauma recovery.

Jane Marshall Fleming writes with boldness and shows the beauty in every moment amidst violent chaos, embracing joy just as much as darkness. Moving from a backdrop of a small Virginia town and eventually finding herself in the freedom and wilderness of the desert, readers will follow the author on her journey mapping her skin, sharing in her joys, grief, pain, loss, discovering love and self-growth, night-blooming like a desert flower.

┃ Rhythm & Bones Press ┃

Publishing in a Pandemic

Guest Post by Author Jane Fleming

Ten days ago, I was still working on getting ready for the book launch and readings for my debut full-length book, Violence/Joy/Chaos. Even as the news about COVID-19 continued to roll in and the spread of the virus escalated, I tried to stay positive and worry about things like the number of books I would bring to the launch and what chapters or poems I would read.  I focused on interviews and preorder numbers and kept writing thank you notes. It was good work— work that feels productive and creative and celebratory all at once. And then, of course, the virus officially arrived here in Austin.

Early this week, we postponed my book launch event to comply with social distancing guidelines and I, like almost everyone else, have taken to my home to keep from getting or spreading the disease. These measures are important and are necessary steps to stopping the escalation of what has truly become a global crisis. That does not mean, however, that they do not bring with them disappointment. To have worked so hard for years to arrive at the publication of a book only to have the launch, sales, and celebration dismantled by something so far out of one’s control, for lack of a better word, sucks. And I know that this is a feeling that a lot of artists and performers are going through and it feels weird to meld that disappointment with other swirling anxieties like the service industry shut down (where many artists and performers work), the closing of many office spaces, the health of oneself and loved ones, and a country/world that is bracing for a likely failure of critical healthcare systems. In the grand scheme of things, the disruption of a book launch feels miniscule, perhaps even petty. At least, that is the line that I have been giving myself as I told everyone that it was “totally fine” and that there were “more important things.”

But thing is, even if it is true that there are far more important things right now, it is okay to feel these disappointments. Even in a pandemic, life goes on and we must be able to, even from a distance, celebrate life’s moments both big and small. In reality, now more than ever, we need the smile-inducing news of your accomplishments, a snippet of the poem you wrote today, an in-progress picture of the painting you have been working on while in “quarantine,” or the funny trick you just taught your dog. We need those videos of neighbors playing music with one another from their balconies, virtual movie nights, and video-chat happy hours. And with all of that, we need celebration. We still need community and the feeling of oneness, even if it must be from the comfort of our own homes. These are the things that remind us that, though the world itself might feel as though it is shuddering, as Dr. Ian Malcolm says, “Life, finds a way.”

So, while I will allow myself to feel the disappointment and confusion that comes with having my first book release in a pandemic, you will still find videos of me celebrating from the safety of my quarantine. Be healthy, be safe, be responsible, and don’t be afraid to find some real light through your computer screen.

Thank you for your thoughts during this crazy time Jane.  Who would have thought just a month ago that this is where we would be today?

Jane Marshall Fleming is an author and artist living in Austin, Texas. She currently works as an assistant instructor at the University of Texas at Austin and is also the author of the chapbook, Ocotillo Worship (Apep Publications, 2019). Violence/Joy/Chaos is her first full-length collection.

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TWO WINNERS

Autographed copy of Violence / Joy / Chaos 

March 31-April 10, 2020

(US ONLY)

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