Danai's Dispatch: March

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"March, who skins and sets the logs on fire."

Photo of bonfire by Peter Fazekas on Pexels

It makes more sense in Greek. "Mάρτης, γδάρτης και κακός παλουκοκάφτης" is an old Greek folk saying about how unpredictable the weather in March could be, that it could force people to burn the poles from their fences to keep warm, having exhausted all their proper firewood during the winter. But in a sense, it's also about how March ushers in a fiery transformation. We burn the logs of old, to start anew. We are cleansed by the Fires of spring. Or something like it.

I've always been unreasonably territorial about March; as my birthday month, it has always felt "mine." I've greeted every March of my life with a burst of optimism and determination, like a green soot sprouting with audacity—until the March of last year literally tried to kill me, which kind of put a damper on our relationship. Now, as I massage my shoulder that's still not quite right a year after my accident, I'm thinking that I might be the log instead, and March the cosmic force that had to burn me into something new.

So bring on the Fire. And may we find beauty in our transformation as spring starts. 

This month began with my first pro-rate short story being published: Bride of the Gulf, in khōréō magazine. It's about a folk tale I used to be obsessed with as a kid, and it's set in Thessaloniki, one of my favorite Greek cities. If stories about mermaids, music, memory and murder sound like your jam, do have a read, or listen to the amazing audio version narrated by Kat Kourbeti. It's now available to read for free on the magazine's website.

P.S. khōréō magazine is doing great work featuring immigrant and diaspora writers. If you like what they do, consider supporting them on Patreon.

What I'm working on

Since we last spoke, my amazing co-writer A. J. Van Belle and I have finished CURSED THE DEER. This YA fantasy marks Book Number 3 for me and Book Number 24 for them (they're incredibly prolific and I can't wait for publishing to realize that). We ended up with with a word count of 72K, which may be on the short side for a YA fantasy, but I think it helped us keep the pacing very tight until the end. The book is now at the hands of our agent, waiting for her feedback. Then, if all goes well, it will be time for revisions and finally sending it out to editors. This will be my third book on sub so I'm cautiously optimistic but also very excited because it's my first foray into the YA market.

Okay, but now what? I asked on Twitter if there's a term for that stage of existential ennui that follows after completing the emotional and mental labor that is writing a whole novel. Responses ranged from "book post-partum" "post novel ennui" and "post-project doldrums" which I love, to suggestions that I should "read more" which, uhm, weren't really that helpful. Still, it made me feel less alone in this unsettled, itchy feeling. I still don't know for sure what I'm writing next — but I have an early-stage idea that's crazy enough that it might keep me entertained as I fumble through it, at least. Stay tuned!

Superb Short Stories

This roundup includes both stories I read this month, and ones I read earlier this year but still haven't left my brain. True to the theme of March, these are about new beginnings, inevitable endings, and transformation. Let them skin and burn you from the inside.

• Why We Bury Our Dead at Sea by Tehnuka in Reckoning, about humanity's interconnected relationship with the ocean (and greed, and environmental disasters).

• WE by Phoenix Alexander in The Deadlands. I don't even have words to describe this one, just read it and let it take you, trust me.

• Tell Me the Meaning of Bees by Amal Singh in Diabolical Plots, about the unraveling of the self that begins when we lose certain words, and about the nature of memory.

• Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed by Eugenia Triantafyllou in Uncanny, about generational traumas and resilience, and about how we carry all those who came before us.

• Who the Final Girl Becomes by Dominique Dickey in Nightmare Magazine, about surviving trauma and finding new ways to relate to yourself after the fact.

And just because it fits the theme, a contribution from me: Thirteen Ships for the Rising World, co-written with A. J. Van Belle and Len Klapdor in Flourish Fiction, about three generations of women who are doing their best to preserve the seeds of humanity.

Books that Blew My Mind

This month, I was blessed with an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu's RIDE OR DIE, out in June 2023 from Soho Teen. "Best friends Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope have earned their nickname, the “Bonnie and Clyde of Woolridge High.” From illegal snack swapping in kindergarten to reckless car surfing in high school, they have been causing trouble in their uptight California town forever. Everyone knows that the mischief starts with Loli. When it comes to chasing thrills, drama, and adventure, no one is on her level. At least until Loli throws the wildest party Woolridge High has ever seen just to steal a necklace and meets X, a strange, unidentified boy in a coat closet, who challenges her to a game she can’t refuse—one that promises to put her love of danger to the ultimate test. Loli and X begin an anonymous correspondence, exchanging increasingly risky missions. Loli’s fun has always been free and easy, but things spin out of control as she attempts to one-up X’s every move.

As Loli risks losing everything—including her oldest friend—she’ll face the most dangerous thing of all: falling for someone she shouldn’t."

Wow, what an absolute ride of a book that was! It kept me awake for two nights in a row, as I couldn't stop reading. Frenetic pacing, whip smart banter, and characters that are gloriously imperfect. Loli is someone you simultaneously want to root for and lowkey be very afraid of (and afraid for her), and let's just say her choices kept me at the edge of my seat until the last page. A great debut, Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu is a YA author to watch!

OTHER BOOKS I'VE ENJOYED SO FAR IN 2023: 

• Bang Bang Bodhisattva by Aubrey Wood. An exhilarating cyberpunk, techno-noir whodunnit by an exciting new trans voice from New Zealand.

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. This was such an accomplished, lush, confident story. It ebbed and flowed in a slow, organic way.

• This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede. It's been a while since I read a YA book with such a lush, intricate world; such a thoughtful magic system; so many glorious details.

• Dead Country by Max Gladstone. I have a soft spot for Gladstone's prose, and although I haven't finished this one yet, it looks very promising.

For more book recs, follow me on TikTok, if you can tolerate the clock app.

Monthly Giveaway Winner

Every month, I'm doing a little giveaway for those of you who have subscribed to this newsletter. So subscribe, if you haven't already! One winner, picked at random, will be able to choose between a query critique, a 1st page critique, or a 3-card tarot reading.

If you get a follow up email after this, congratulations, you're this month's winner!