ARYA'S WRITING & READING BLOG

This is an update on what launching an author's website through Tertulia has been like after about a year. Early last fall I decided it was time to feature my writing on a site and I remain as positive now as I was then about Tertulia as a terrific vehicle/helper for this. They have ongoing tech workshops for writers and are generally very supportive. On the plus side, in terms of results, the website has attracted some readers--not a huge number, but sales have gone up a little, and for that I'm grateful.  Today I decided to revisit and revamp my book descriptions, as what I had was what publishers required on the back of each of my books, rather than what I consider more engaging info about each read. So aside from what photos I are on my site and the blog attached to it, most of the text is new as of today. The negative is that having a website has attracted too many faux editors and marketers who then email me wanting to help me market my book, but have no profiles on Linke...

Literary Veganism is an online journal to which I submitted a flash fiction piece titled, "Favorite Things," two days ago. Their incredibly fast turnaround and enthusiastic response currently make them one of my favorite journals to tout since, as we all know, writers generally spend a ridiculous amount of time waiting for journals to give a yay or nay to their submissions, to the extent that I've often wondered "will I still be alive by the time I hear from them?" That said, Literary Veganism is a sharp enterprise focused on an extremely worthy cause so I recommend them to anyone interested in writing poetry or prose with their mission in mind. The editors require you to email your proposal, what you intend to submit, and if they're interested, ask you to send it along. You do not have to be a vegan, but your work and theme should align with their mission and goals. In case you wonder, here they are: "MISSION: To help promote veganism since by definiti...

A Courtship of Winds Literary Journal is a beautifully curated venue for diverse and lyrical poetry. Its summer issue includes a narrative that came to me one early morning, its visuals as clear as if I was watching a film unfold before me. The editor, William Ray, introduces the summer issue with these words: "Poetry in this issue depicts subjects as varied as suicide and fraught family relations to those moments of grace we all live for and marvel at. Fiction in this issue is unusually varied, from lyrical and unconventional pieces to fine conventional storytelling."  Once again I am proud to support a literary journal that is on the right side of history. The summer issue includes an essay that elaborates on that and an exciting array of poets that includes Marc Jacobs, Alexander Payne Morgan, Martina Reisz Newberry, Emma Goldman-Sherman and Terry Trowbridge. Here's my narrative: https://www.thecourtshipofwinds.org/arya-f-jenkins

fifth wheel press editor-in-chief nat baum has compiled a unique and exciting digital anthology titled 'motherboard', which includes my noir prose poem, le rouge a levres--sorry, this medium does not facilitate my accenting French words--and a multitude of innovative and outstanding works by poets such as Bethany Cutkomp,  D.W. Baker, Flossie Hedges, Tyler Gillespie, Meagan Kane, Gemma Cooper-Novack and many others. Explore the anthology here. https://fifthwheelpress.com/anth9-backend/jenkins1 The letter from the editor-in-chief introducing the works in 'motherboard' is worth sharing as well for its timely and courageous declarations, which this writer celebrates. https://fifthwheelpress.com/anth9-backend/letter-raum fifth wheel press accepts submissions from "individuals who belong to the queer, trans, and/or gender variant communities." It does not accept AI-generated work and is currently open for blog submissions, meaning, only interviews or reviews.

Feeling overwhelmed? Join the club. Feeling overwhelmed right now is normal, but sometimes a good book can lighten the load. Books, as any avid reader knows, have the power to change, transform and enlighten us. I feel intensely, therefore I write and read. Books help me to stay on track emotionally and spiritually. They are my escape to  what is important and valuable in life and art. The books I'm going to recommend are wildly diverse, although all are considered inspirational. I've read some but not all of my recommendations. With two exceptions these books were all published recently.  There are numerous authors not mentioned whose entire oeuvre I find inspirational, consistently yielding lightness and offering rare vantage points and light-- Ann Patchett and Amy Tan come to mind immediately. Reading virtually any of the many works produced by either of these authors is likely to put you in a state of wonder and awe and to bring you powerfully into a sense of your own co...

Note to artists and writers: those elements in your work that bother people the most are probably the very ones you should cultivate. In my novel, Punk Disco Bohemian , I set out to rub people the wrong way w a transgressive approach to plot, for one. I wanted people to think differently about time, space and memory, and even alerted the reader about that at the start of my book. Sure enough, it was the very aspect two reviewers, one a transgressive writer herself, seized upon as the novel's weakness.  In the long run the criticisms please me as contradiction is necessary to any conversation about art and, personally, I don't believe anything that is praised exclusively is likely to have a long life beyond the cultural moment in which it was conceived.  I've found and continue to find that utter fearlessness and constant experimentation are the keys to growing artistically. Not everything is going to work, but if you don't go off the deep end from time to time, you won...

House of Gucci , a two and a half hour operatic-style extravaganza, is currently streaming on Netflix and is worth watching exclusively for Lady Gaga 's performance as the lead character Patricia Reggiani , a real life personage (still alive). The 2021 film, directed by Scott Ridley , is a take off on a scandalous true story about the Italian fashion empire and has a big-name cast that includes Adam Driver as Maurizio Guzzi , Al Pacino as his uncle Aldo Gucci , Jeremy Irons as Maurizio's father Rodolfo Gucci , and Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci , Maurizio's cousin. Whether you take this film seriously or as an invigorating dose of camp, replete with memorable disco songs and 70s fashion and styles, it's Lady Gaga's acting and scenes you will want to watch, as she simply steals the entire movie. An espresso and Napoleon while watching House of Gucci would have surely added to the fun. A critical PS: I've told myself I will not make fun of other actors or neg...

  The Assistant on Netflix is a 2019 movie starring Julia Garner ( Ozark ) in a harrowing role as a young aspiring producer named Jane who is hugely overworked and underlooked in a male-driven company. The film, which runs about an hour and a half, takes the viewer through the complicated tedium of Jane's days and her struggles not to become overwhelmed by petty and gross injustices as she starts to uncover her boss's sexual secrets. I had to double and triple check the setting/date of the movie which so accurately depicted horrors I endured working as an admin assistant for various companies, including non-profits, in the late 80s and early 90s, when I was fresh out of a little ivy league college and only knew I wanted mostly to write, and primarily make money so I could do what I wanted artistically. To realize that this is a present-day story in which nothing, absolutely nothing has changed from what I knew working dead end jobs in the early 90s brought a double punch to...

If there has ever been a time for inspiring true stories about women, this is it. LILLY , on Netflix, is a true story about Lilly Ledbetter , the factory worker turned national hero as she became a courageous advocate for fair pay, which led to the passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 . Who better to star in this role than Patricia Clarkson , who has left another indelible mark in her acting career playing Ledbetter with characteristic unflinching emotional honesty, precision and grace.   LILLY is a film about a quiet, hard-working, southern gal, deeply sure of certain values, which include love of her family and the importance of fighting for what's right even in the face of great opposition. The film has a solid cast that also features actual footage of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg sharing her dissenting opinion and lending insight into this important case. And once again, Clarkson steals the show with her sure portrayal of an undervalued woman who...

Dear Fellow Authors and Readers: For your interest, here are some recent and upcoming publications:  " Gloria ," prose poetry , in Thorn & Bloom , Issue 3 " Venus On the Rocks ," a noir-inspired short short, in Screaming Beyond Borders anthology " Sarah Vaughan Performing ," poetry, audio and text, in Jerry Jazz Musician , 11/23/25 " Night Swim ," creative nonfiction , in Rockvale Review , 11/30/25 Detailed postings about these and other forthcoming publications will appear on my website, aryafjenkins.com . Thanks. And keep the love and inspiration coming by doing what you do and love best.  Recipe for writers :  Write, review, let sit, revisit and edit . Re-write, review, let sit, revisit and edit. Do it until there isn't a word you disagree with on either your worst or best day. Then, submit . Happy day, all!                                       ...

I finally did the thing I've been told I should have done long ago, which is probably why I didn't do it. I have an author's website . Most of my books are available through it, and I have to admit, Tertulia did a pretty neat job putting it together for me, although, of course, authors still have to do some work. It's $9.99/month, if you pay monthly--I opted for that--and $7.99 if you pay yearly, which means 20-percent off, I think. (Let me never be the one who pays more cheaply for anything!) You get two weeks free at the start if you are undecided.  I really thought I could bypass the presumed pomposity of an "author's website" by keeping everything on this blog, but the wave of writerly opinion says otherwise. So I'm going with the flow. We'll see if it makes a difference regarding sales. Who knows. My new website is via a domain that is mine for a year, procured through Stripe . Price for that was $15/yearly. Am I wrong to think the whole auth...

  I joined a couple of friends, one of whom has a late October birthday we were still celebrating, to see Deliver Me From Nowhere , the Springsteen biopic starring the unforgettable Jeremy Allen White (of THE BEAR series , and before that, SHAMELESS series). To be honest, my expectations were not that high, as biopics often turn out to be slathering portraits mainly composed of colorful heaps of praise and lacking an equanimous lens, neither of which turns out to be true here. In retrospect, low expectations is probably the best way to go see a film. White's performance as Springsteen and acting in general I cannot say enough about. Both he and Springsteen have that same grounded, gritty vitality and ooze a similar kind of unvarnished, sexy masculinity. White is 32 and plays Springsteen when he was the same age, working on his sixth album, Nebraska (which came out in 1982), a time when he was plagued by demons from his past and a nagging depression. Deliver Me From Nowhere is a ...

October 18, 2025 around America hundreds of thousands protested the trump regime and its injustices , declaring loudly and proudly, we want no king . The count of protesters throughout America on this day is approximately seven million. In Youngstown, Ohio , at least 1,000 people gathered with signs in front of the Mahoning County Courthouse to make their voices for American democracy heard while passing cars honked their support. The best takeaway from this day of protest is the realization that we are not, after all, being riven as a country as some government officials hope and expect due to their actions, but in fact, united in protest and #resistance against this regime's unjust laws and policies. Here are a handful of photos I took on No Kings 2 . First, Susie B., a longtime activist, with an up-cycled sign from the Bush years . Secondly, some guy in a funny getup with an achingly true sign. And finally, an artist who spent the day scrawling important sayings on cement wi...

I don't know anyone of my generation who grew up with the image imprinted in memory of a young, beautiful, starry eyed explorer on the cover of National Geographic alongside chimpanzees , which she was dedicating her life to understanding, who is not mourning the loss of this great teacher and helper now. That remarkable model of hope for young women who choose to take a unique and deeply personal route into learning about the world, who became a hero for animals in the wild, and for Mother Earth and all of humankind was Dr. Jane Goodall , and the impact she has left in her wake cannot and will not ever be able to be estimated.  If you have not yet seen her final message to the world on Netflix , please do yourself the favor and watch her deeply moving, personal message. Her lessons, like those of HH the Dalai Lama , are profound, universal and simple: Be kind to all. Appreciate Mother Earth and every sentient being on it. Be gentle.  There are other imperatives too, which D...

My prose poem, "Gloria," was accepted by two publications--first, Thorn & Bloom , which is put out by Red Rose Thorns , and a week later, by NonBinary Review , a magazine from Zoetic Press . I always sign a contract with the first taker and, in this case, I'm not sorry I did, as Issue 3 in which "Gloria" appears in Thorn & Bloom , is featured both online and in magazine format and the cover and layout are beautiful. For me, as a writer and reader, there is still nothing as gratifying as having writing available to hold and peruse in an actual magazine or text. Online reading comes secondary to reading actual books for me. A couple of days later, I was invited to read at a poetry Zoom and read " Gloria," a pantoum , and a flash to an audience of poets from California. Each of them had their own works to share, some of which was quite good. Here's the lovely cover of Thorn & Bloom , Issue Three, and "Gloria": #ThornAndBloom   #...

"To Write, first of all, is not to be seen," relays the narrator of The Possession, Annie Ernaux's 62-page novel, written like a journal entry, on the subject of jealousy. Someone else I am reading wrote that it's best to write in secret, as if no one will ever read one's thoughts. Or maybe this was Ernaux's protagonist, who is a writer, earlier on, while in the initial throes of her obsession.  Most writers I've known treat their craft like an obsession. How often have I heard, even out of my own mouth, "I have to write. If I don't, I'll go crazy." Well it's true, even if it's equally true that everything we set down is not necessarily fit for public consumption, or even publication through Amazon.  It is a noble endeavor to commit to the act of writing, regardless of outcomes. The process inevitably leads to truths, and so it's a brave act too. The arts are not just an exercise for the ego, they are one of the few ways we ca...

Someone I hold very dear recently wrote to me about her refusal to go by the cultural standard in America where one must pretend always to be successful, that one's life and work are in great shape and failure nowhere in sight. Failure is intrinsic to human life and we tend to forget that in a competitive society. My friend's statement prompted me to question my own ideas of what success is. To what standards do I hold myself? Who selected them? What does it mean to succeed in life? Are the values of our culture, my values? What do I consider success to be? As a writer, I've long grown accustomed to rejections from journals. It's part of the writing process which writers have to learn to take in stride. I've developed a pretty good sense of equanimity about that by now, taking into consideration a journal's timing, themes, taste, preferences, how many editors are reviewing my work. There are multiple factors to consider and sometimes it seems like a literary acc...

It will come as no news to those struggling to get books published these days that times are especially tough right now. An author friend who finally got an agent last year and is trying to sell what I don't doubt is a well-written novel has struggled through 26, that's right, 26, rejections from publishers since then. For starters, the market is saturated, as more and more people want to write books, even if they are neither readers nor experts nor experienced "writers," even in terms of understanding Grammar and style. AI and self-publishing both support these kinds of authors and they are creating challenges for those more practiced in the field who need to generate interest in and sell their work too. Another big problem is that marketability has taken the place of originality in terms of what publishers now seek. How likeable are you as a writer? How likeable is your style? These are questions that would have made most, if not all authors from the past with any ...

  "Oh,
say,
can
you
see,
by
the
dawn's
early
light,
 What
so
proudly
 we
hail'd
at
the
twilight's
last
gleaming?
 Whose
broad
stripes
and
 bright
stars,
thro'
the
perilous
fight, O'er
the
ramparts
we
watch'd,
were
so
gallantly
streaming?
 And
the
rockets'
red
glare,
the
bombs
bursting
in
air,
 Gave
proof
thro'
the
night
that
our
flag
was
still
there.
 O
say,
does
that
star‐spangled
banner
yet
wave
 O'er
the
land
of
the
free
and
the
home
of
the
brave?" These words, by Francis Scott Key, speak of the glory of war and the loud bombastic cry of victory. There is no glory in war. No joy in celebrating a country contributing to genocides around the world and there is nothing to celebrate about a regime that would take even from the poor in order to satisfy its grotesque greed.  Lady Liberty is ashamed and sad and so many of us stand with her on this holiday, proclaiming that our liberty is in peril, justice has not been served, the American flag ...

We are all filled with opinions, as plentiful as soot, which are often the byproduct, or garbage, of our obsessions, the result of long-held habits like watching cop shows, and what we have gleaned from that, consciously and unconsciously. What do opinions matter? Not at all, except when we recognize how people kill for them. Wage war for them. Sacrifice their own lives for a belief. A belief. An opinion. Mind bubbles. What if, in chatting with a fellow activist, for example, I discover that she supports Israel, is sympathetic to its cause. While I am deeply opposed to the genocide in Palestine, my companion sees it as a necessary exclamation of history and nature, mere necessity. Do we argue until our faces redden and one or both of us walks away, or do we set aside the dagger of our differences, doubling down instead on the more important imperative--treating the other as a human being regardless, inquiring about them as if their lives matter, listening sincerely, offering no judgmen...