Issue 17: Botanicals

Vol.17

Botanicals

Autumn 2022

Continue the Voice

EDITOR’S NOTE Autumn may be my favourite season of the year, although growing up I always said it was winter because that’s when my birthday is. There is just something about autumn that always makes me smile. The leaves changing, sitting by the fireplace, oversized cardigans, Taylor Swift albums, and long walks in perfect weather which like many Scots is a sunny day with a cold breeze. One of the best things to do in autumn is go to a botanical garden and check out all the plants changing with the season (more on that in our charity spotlight).

For me the best thing about botanicals is their versatility; they have the power to poison and heal. To draw you in and to warn you off. As such I loved reading all the different takes on this month’s theme and

particularly enjoyed Jessica Vergara’s pairing of illustrations with her poetry in her ‘Flower Series.’ So please grab a warm drink of your choice, a pastry if you fancy, put on your cardigan, light up the fire, and enjoy this autumnal issue of Continue The Voice. But before you do that please take a moment to accept my gratitude for your readership whether you have been with us from the beginning or if this is your first issue of ours as I am pleased to announce this once quarantine shower idea has now turned 2 years old!

Kirsty Taylor - Editor and Chief (She/Her)

Contents Black-Eyed Susans Daffodil

…

…

1-2 3

Accidental Garden …

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Marigold

5

…

Natural Lullabies

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6

Cornflower

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Di(vine) Blossoms

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A Queen’s Night

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The Gallery: Trudy Kalvynaite

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The Erotics of Fruits

17-18

Small Business Spotlight: Eden’s Glow Charity Spotlight Playlist Things We’re Loving

19 -20 22-23 24 25 - 26

Stravaig

28-29

Coorie Moments

31-32

Author Discussions

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Featured Artists

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Next Issue

35 - 36

Black-Eyed Susans For years, they'd simply been plants and flowers; admired, for sure, but nameless, as I grew up in a bucolic area nestled in Yonkers. It was Mum who knew their identities. She planted annuals and tended perennials in her English (or cottage) garden, radiant with deep red primroses and pink hollyhocks. The English garden has a loose, unruly order, as if the fragile lives there have chosen to sprout serendipitously to fend for themselves in nature.

I see Mum now, all these years later, kneeling on her gardening pad, a spade in hand, thick gardening gloves, leaning over as she digs in the rich earth among her peonies, phlox, and hydrangeas.

She’s creating a home for another of her delphiniums, massaging the roots to free them from their hothouse pot-bound existence, digging a ten-inch-wide hole and putting them in, then pushing moist soil and compost into the cavity, packing the dirt to secure the young plant, watering it in.

I imagine her in the company of her tribe of multi-coloured, diverse shapes and heights, leaves casting their oval or sword-like silhouettes on the lawn beside her. After a few hours, the wind tussling and the sun beginning to set, her gloves and trowel placed in the tool basket, she’s finished ‘til morning.

She gardened every day, away from her worries, feeling ‘in the moment’, with the scent of wet earth, blooms telegraphing sweet aromas to attract bumble bees and hummingbirds, the rich soil healthy from numerous worms.

It wasn’t until the last of my beloved cats died of old age that I refocused my attention to nurturing life in my own garden. While for years, plants for me

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had amorphous identities; suddenly, they became individuals with unique characters. I wanted to know them: the wildflowers, tall, gangly, needing stakes to stand secure; the easygoing begonias in pots on my deck; and the rugged hostas pushing reckless strings of purple blooms in all directions.

Yet it is the Black-eyed Susans that connect me most to Mum; the Susans that stretch to the sun and breathe a sigh after I pull out weeds crowding them. I can almost hear their thank you’s during this arid summer as their roots capture moisture from the sprinkler.

Decorative low-growing annuals like short yellow marigolds had controlled the edges of Mum’s garden. But the Black-eyed Susans represented her more resilient, freer side. Perhaps because of their hardiness, their grit in winter? She seemed to connect most with (and talked about) the Susans. Their bold black faces, surrounded by dazzling yellow, challenging any adversity attempting to thwart them.

My hostas, petunias and, of course, my Black-eyed Susans are enabling me to process my own grief. Their nurturing qualities my mother must have intuited, when I couldn’t have known (and she wouldn’t have told me) about her own pain.

The pain of an early childhood trauma; of unrealised dreams of performing professionally; of a domestic life with few chances to travel; her tour of duty in the Caribbean as a sergeant in the US Army before her marriage, her most significant experiment with autonomy.

As with all of us, there was joy and remorse. The healing of new life emerging and thriving transported her into a botanical oasis where she could process her regrets. Or forget about them.

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While I don’t anticipate becoming as sophisticated a gardener as Mum, or to establish anything close to her elaborate English garden, I’ve discovered that learning the names of these individuals and nurturing their specific needs, is a way to nourish myself. I’ve also discovered another level of connection with my mother, now that I understand how her hollyhocks, delphiniums, and those exuberant Susan’s held hope and promise for her, their lush growth a satisfying symbol of refuge and healing.

By Lorraine Rose

Lorraine is an essay writer and published poet who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL).

Her themes extol the wonders of nature, transitions in life through which all of us journey, and the imperfections and beauty of human and animal attachments. Lorraine is a contributing author to the online North Salem Post. She currently lives in Brewster, New York.

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Flower Series By Jessica Vergara.

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The Accidental Garden

By Kate Flavely Why not just see what blooms?

After the storm hurled the mad sea onto the already flimsy promise of my wanton, low-rent garden – I watched the salted iris twitch, the lilac spit foam, the English ivy gag on twisted iron stakes sagging on crumbled, chalk-faced gnomes.

The stalwart pines frizzled rustily like the husks of trampled honeybees in an overheated ransacked hive.

Nothing was alive, not one speck of rue or rosemary, breath of stunned beach rose bud or shiver of beleaguered knotgrass.

The neighbours went to town, hauling bags of gypsum, shovelling stalks, snapping branches, sweeping splintered pots – re-seeding and replenishing, sending death spinning while I retrieved a blistered Buddha from the scrap heap at the kerb, let him bleach inside a wilderness of thistle and waited for the winds to do their work of wafting new beginnings.

Originally published in The Language of Little Girls (David Robert Books), 2016

Kate's work has been published in many journals and anthologies, including a previous issue of Continue The Voice; in a full-length collection, ‘The Language of Little Girls’ (David Robert Books); and in two chapbooks, ‘What the Sea Washes Up’ (Dancing Girl Press) and ‘Morning Constitutional in Sunhat and Bolero’ (Green Fuse Poetic Arts). She co-founded (with Monique Ferrell) and edited the 2 Bridges Review, published through City Tech (City University of New York) where she teaches, and is an associate editor for the Bellevue Literary Review.

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Flower Series By Jessica Vergara.

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Natural Lullabies

By Lybra

How beautiful and alive, after the whole earth cries, natural lullabies Anahata is open and the gifts we receive, When the heart chakra opens and the world blossoms green.

Lybra is from the mean, green, always clean, filled with magic beans, shoulder lean, tuktuk EARTH. She’s been published in the Still Waters Collective Anthology and travelled to over 20 countries. Her soul resides with Smooch & Parque Lage.

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Flower Series By Jessica Vergara. Jessica is a writer and poet, with a creative non-fiction piece published in Rollick Magazine and two poems in the upcoming printed anthology ‘Cherish: 365 Thoughts on Heavenly Mother’. She placed third in Yeah Write’s Super Challenge #25By Jessica Vergara fiction competition while balancing a circus of four young boys at home with another due this October. She’d like her handsome and supportive husband to know: no, we cannot get a dog.

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Di(vine) Blossoms ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ – John Lennon

By Dana Kinsey

Lady in Red I like your slow blush yellow freckles green punk hairdo Perennial Queen Flaunt your curves congo-line my yard your babies groove too Milkshake Mama Rock Daisy Dukes white-flowered long-limbs jam to Dua Lipa Rosy Riveter Flip green cardboard pulpit preach Wonder Woman’s durability Shortcake Contessa Keep your crown above soil don’t let them hull you tough cores triumph Ruby-lipped Sister I really dig your Sweetart soul your always sundae best knowing I’m your daughter Dana is an actor and teacher published in ‘Fledgling Rag’, ‘Drunk Monkeys’, ‘ONE ART’, ‘On the Seawall’, ‘Porcupine Literary’, ‘Sledgehammer Lit’, ‘West Trestle Review’, ‘Continue The Voice’, ‘Autumn Sky Poetry Daily’, and ‘Prose Online’. Dana's play, ‘Water Rise’, was produced at the Gene Frankel Theatre. Her chapbook, ‘Mixtape Venus’, is published by I. Giraffe Press. Visit wordsbyDK.com to see more of her work.

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A Queen’s Night

By Ceth Isle

‘is it worth the wait?’ the butterflies always ask. i remember them coming and going i remember them as they pursue my beauty at night. and i would forget their names once they leave.

i am the queen of the night. i decide when to open my heart. the night is worthy of romance and beauty. i am then ready with my fairness and fragrance.

the joy of butterflies was the talk. now, they remain a memory. now that the night is fragrant, the queen has come. the butterflies must once again gather, because this cinderella is only certain at night.

moon is ticking. stars faded before dawn. i then end my rule. the butterflies are a memory.

Ceth is a young Filipino literary artist living in Manila, Philippines. With cum laude, he majored in Literature and minored in Language. He has published English and Tagalog poems, fiction, and creative nonfiction as a student journalist and aspiring creative writer. Internationally, his works have appeared in India, Canada, and the United States of America.

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The Gallery: Trudy Kalvynaite

Trudy is a student of many things, a creator of numerous trinkets and a connector of all kinds of people. Painting has been with her ever since she could hold a paintbrush, and inspiring people around her has kept her going.

She loves learning from the world, from people and from herself, which reflects deeply in her work, dominated by vivid colours and simple, yet effective subject matter – faces and bodies. She attempts to celebrate the sensitivity and pureness of what it means to be human – how glorious and scary it may sometimes feel.

She is holding her first solo exhibition at The Salisbury Centre this autumn – please join Trudy in a journey through art, emotion and self-reflection with five workshops in between – where we will explore self-awareness, connectedness and beauty of fear, sadness and anger.

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The Erotics of Fruits

By Carlo Rey Lascamana

Apricot The feel of apricot In the palm The soft, fine hair

Pomegranate

Of your skin Sunset-stained Imperceptible

This is what it’s like to be

Prickling

sweetened

To the touch

Cut in two Like an unbuttoned shirt Fingers drenched in red Not of wound Or of hurt

Passion fruit

But of wanting Seeds like fragments of a heart

Dark

That ceased to beat

Purple as a bruise

But sweet still

The night With its ever growing Ache Peels us with shivers Every last bit of the body Hatches stars I am the passion You are the fruit

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Lemon When the fatigue Of the body sets in The yellow hush hums Like a lemon

Blueberries

That quenches the thirst With a sharper thirst

You who arrive with blueberries

Sour as the skin soaked

Marvelling at how one can

In the ecstasy of another skin

Gather such fullness Darkness and blossom In the cup of your palms An entire summer Your whole body In my mouth

Plum You discover by chance The colour of dreams Of warm tunnels Of dusk-shaded plum that leaves you dazed In your quest for breathlessness

Carlo is a Filipino born and raised in Manila, Philippines. Since 2005, he has been living and working in the Tuscan town of Lucca, Italy. He regularly contributes to journals in the Philippines, writing politics, culture, and art. His works have been published in magazines in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Australia, India, China, and Mexico.

Visit his website or follow him on Instagram @carlo_rey_lacsamana.

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Small Business Spotlight: Eden’s Glow Candle Co. In 2020 on the heels of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Instagram became a space of celebration and uplift for Black businesses and content creators.

Every platform imaginable was highlighting different Black businesses, from large major corporations to the smallest momand-pop shops. For our Autumnal issue, we found it only fitting to feature a business made for those cosy Autumn days in, Eden's Glow Candle Co. Eden’s Glow is a Black woman, and graduate student run candle business, specialising in plant-based handmade soy candles. I spoke directly with the company’s founder, CEO, and candle creator, Angel C. Dye, to get a closer look at the evolution of Eden’s Glow and what’s to come for this little fire of a business.

Angel and I caught up just before she prepared to teach her late afternoon literature class. She is a professor, PhD candidate studying English, and a widely published poet who has just published her first chapbook of poetry titled Breathe in 2021.

CTV: What made you want to start Eden’s Glow?

ACD: “Actually, it was my mom who encouraged it! I always loved buying candles and had spent so much money for years buying them for my mom’s place or for my dorm. One day my mom just suggested that I learn to make my own, so I started doing just that. Once I tried making them myself for a while around late 2017, I started reading up on how much to invest in supplies and materials, and then I

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launched Eden’s Glow in January of 2018.”

At the top of 2018, Angel began marketing Eden’s Glow to her friends, family, and other personal extended networks on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook—but little did she know, in 2020 Eden’s Glow would receive a huge push forward when actress, and vegan guru Tabitha Brown featured Eden’s Glow on her Instagram page for her “Very Good Monday’s” feature which she did alongside her daughter, Choyce Brown to review products from small businesses.

Angel had decided to send over some candles for Brown on a whim after being a big fan of her joyous Instagram content and infectious spirit. Brown, whose own fame was steadily mounting, yet hadn’t even reached a million followers just yet made space for Eden’s Glow on her Instagram page, and provided a stellar review with feedback that influenced Dye to invest further in her enterprise by hiring a web designer and graphic designer to help launch a rebranded website and logo.

Similarly, earlier that very same year, Dye, a die-hard fan of R&B and pop superstar Janelle Monáe, received word from a fellow Monáe fan that Monáe and her management were looking for fans who were small business owners to join her YouTube live event in partnership with Verizon Wireless to celebrate small businesses in need during the pandemic. Just two short days later Angel ended up on a facetime call with Janelle Monae

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herself streamed on YouTube live where Eden’s Glow was given a huge spotlight. In these instances with both Tabitha Brown and Janelle Monáe, Eden’s Glow sold out immediately and their Instagram followers quickly went from hundreds to over a thousand.

Eden’s Glow has continued to evolve immensely over the last four years, and this is largely intentional as Dye explained to me that it is important to “keep up with candle trends, yes the candle making industry has trends.”

What she is referring to are factors like the rising popularity of woodwicks, using plant-based materials, varied shapes, colours, styles, etc. However, one characteristic of Eden’s Glow that Dye emphasises, is their choice in omitting the use of paraffin wax, which can produce toxic smoke upon burning. Eden’s Glow uses real soy wax, which offers a longer burning candle without the toxicity of traditional paraffin wax. “Eden’s Glow is a safe haven for me,” says Dye. She continues with “I enjoy being able to do something with my hands, and the fact that it has nothing to do with my work.

It is something that is my own that I am the boss of."

Indeed, most notable in our interview was the “why” behind Dye’s creation of Eden’s Glow. Outside of the initial push she received from her mother, Dye explained that she loves “bringing joy to other people. This isn’t about money. I truly enjoy being a part of that joy.”

and relaxation. Black women owned brands like Eden’s Glow are breaking down barriers in the candle and aromatherapy industry. Their creator and owner Angel is “just having fun with it,” and she doesn’t put pressure on herself to over-sell or extend herself as a business owner. She is a full-time student, a scholar, an artist, a sister, daughter, and a friend – and she said it best that she “just enjoys this as another part of [her] life.”

CTV: So, what’s next for Eden’s Glow?

ACD: “New scents, new styles. Also, room sprays are currently in the works. More gift boxes for Black Friday. All the new items, along with the next big restock will happen around Black Friday.”

You can follow Eden’s Glow at @EdensGlow on Instagram.

All Eden’s Glow candles and other merchandise can be purchased here: https://edensglowcandleco.com/

By Kesla Elmore

Directly next to me on my bedside table is an Eden’s Glow candle in the scent Zen, a combination of white tea, ginger, and jasmine. Inside of the milky white soy wax candle are flakes of rose-coloured potpourri, adding a luxurious and romantic flair to the invigorating candle burning experience. As a Black woman myself, we are rarely given space for leisure

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Charity Spotlight:

Royal Botanic Gardens Where better to speak about in our Botanical issue than the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh? Our editor, Grace, went to visit the Gardens to find out what all the fuss was about.

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explorer, and conservationist - he founded the US National Park System.

I am not a plant person – I never did much gardening as a kid, and I never fell into the millennial stereotype of ‘Plant Mum’ with succulents and house-plants of various forms all around my flat. But since moving into a flat with a garden, I’ve been learning about all sorts of plants that I could grow – flowers for the bees, vegetables and herbs. And the Royal Botanic Garden seemed like the best place to get inspiration from.

We wandered around more, passing by the Chinese Hillside Garden and seeing the rhododendron collection that is scattered all around the Gardens. Between the four Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, Benmore, Dawyck, and Logan, there is one of the world’s biggest collections of rhododendrons. There are about 500 of the known species (about half) cultivated in the Gardens, including over a third of those species that come from the tropics, which is pretty impressive considering Scottish weather!

When you visit, make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes as you’ll be doing a lot of walking! I visited the rock garden where there are over 5,000 plants from mountains all over the world, as well as deserts, Arctic and dry Mediterranean landscapes.

We walked over the loveliest little bridge and waterfall river into the Woodland Gardens. The Upper Woodland Garden has a rather beautiful circle of giant redwood trees, which is apparently a very popular location for outdoor weddings and events. I was reminded of Ferngully – that movie from the 90s with the fairies saving the rainforest – because we were so small beneath these trees! These trees, which were planted in the 20s, are over 24m in height. In 1990, this area was renamed the John Muir Grove to honour the Scottish writer,

The gardens are beautiful at any time of year – so don’t worry about only going in the summer!

Comprising over 13,500 plant species, RBGE’s collection includes many plants that are endangered or extinct in their native habitats. It took about three hours to walk around the gardens and we didn’t see

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everything, so definitely wear comfy shoes! Heels are a big no-no, and bring water to stay hydrated. But there are places to get food in the gardens, and in the surrounding area.

The last place we visited, and probably the most exciting bit for a budding gardener was the shop. It has everything you could possibly need to start your garden – even if you don’t have a garden! Seeds, pots, and full blown plants for those plant parents among you! Books, jigsaws, and even soft toys are also available for those of you who are more enthusiastic about gardening rather than greenfingered. Plus homeware for the gardener-core aesthetic.

The only thing I didn’t get to see that I would have loved to were the Glasshouses. The Gardens have one of the largest collections of rare and almost extinct plants in the UK, and they are a leader in plant research as well as protecting and conserving endangered species. Their Living Collections in the Glasshouses are currently closed as part of their Biomes and expansion projects to make sure as many plants as possible are kept alive and welllooked after.

By Grace Balfour-Harle

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Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/ 5nHVMHeq6oF1Gy3IBSLMAY?si=b39247fd2b454943

Gin and Juice - Snoop Dogg Prologue/Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack Zombies on your Lawn - Plants vs Zombies soundtrack I wish I was a Punk Rocker (with flowers in my hair) Sandi Thom Asking for Flowers - Kathleen Edwards Where the Wild Roses Grow - Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds What a wonderful world - Louis Armstrong Trees - Twenty One Pilots

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Things we’re loving!

This month, we’re mixing things up – literally! For our Botanicals edition, our Editor Grace wanted to share her favourite Scottish botanical gins!

Originating in Holland in the 16th century, gin is a base spirit infused with juniper and other botanicals, giving it a unique taste. As the Dutch army drank gin before battle and were seen as extremely good fighters, other armies started doing so and so the phrase ‘dutch courage’ was born. In the Victorian times, the ‘Distillers Act’ was a bill which allowed the public to make their own alcohol for free in their homes if they had a 10-day public notice. It also restricted Brandy and wine – which encouraged home-grown gin-makers.

However, for the base alcohol, everyone started to use low quality grain cut with methylated spirits and turpentine and had to add other locally grown botanicals and flavours to make it tastier. This started the ‘Gin Craze’ that this period was known for.

In 1720, this was consolidated as a new law was passed that exempted anyone distilling alcohol in their own home from housing soldiers. As a result, by 1730, there were more than 7000 gin shops in London, and by 1733, the average person was drinking approximately 14 gallons of gin a year, or 1.3 litres of gin a week! As this gin was 160 proof, it was highly alcoholic and was being drunk like it was water. This level of alcoholism in the general public was blamed for a rise in crime, mental health disorders (or ‘public madness’), higher death rates and falling birth rates. As gin in people’s homes allowed women to drink alongside men (pubs were ‘men-only’ at the time), it is

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thought that this led to women neglecting their children and turning to prostitution – hence gin’s nickname of ‘mother’s run’!

Now, gin is seen as a luxury drink with millions of different flavours and tonics to go along with it. Gin’s really had a huge resurgence (the second ‘gin craze’) and with a quarter of the world’s gin being exported from Scotland, we’re clearly the experts!

Gin: Misty Isle Gin is made on the Isle of Skye and is a not-so-hidden gem after being named The Gin Guide Winner 2021 and receiving The Gin Guide 'Best in Scotland' Badge 2021 as well as many other accolades! It is distilled in the town of Portree, and represents the Isle of Skye – even with a secret ingredient that can only be found on Skye! Notes of citrus hit you first, then the classic juniper dry taste, finally leaving you with a slight spicy undertone. Misty Isle’s best serve for this drink is a Scottish tonic water with a twist of fresh orange peel.

Liqueur: The Dundee Gin Company’s marmalade Gin Liqueur is a liqueur made using Dundee original recipe marmalade from Mackays. Dundee was the first place to commercially produce marmalade, so this drink holds Dundee at its heart. Their liqueurs are strong, and are made with the minimum amount of sugar that you can legally call it a liqueur, which means that the natural flavours of the fruit shines through first, then the slight bitterness and tanginess from the zest, and finally the sweet gin finish. This liqueur is best served with lemonade if you want a mixer, or can be drunk straight with ice. It also makes an amazing gin fizz with prosecco if you’ve got something to celebrate!

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Non-alcholic: For those of you who don’t drink – this is my favourite to have when I’m wanting to feel fancy. It can be adjusted for your own tastes (substituting the tonic water for lemonade if you fancy a sweeter drink for example).

Tonic 25ml elderflower cordial 10ml summer fruit diluting juice (squash) Juniper berries Strawberries Cucumber Ice Fill your glass with ice and put your fruit in. Pour in your elderflower cordial and the diluting juice. Top up with tonic and then add the juniper berries. Finish with a straw and tiny umbrella if you’re really fancy and enjoy!

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Stravaig: A Book Lover’s Guide to Edinburgh Stravaig: (Verb, Scottish) To wander about aimlessly As our regular readers know Edinburgh is very much at the heart of this zine and is our home, as such every once in a while we like to make our Stravaig piece about Edinburgh so as to encourage our readers to pay us a visit! Edinburgh is often considered the literary capital of Scotland and for good reason.

Naturally one of the best ways to be inspired in Edinburgh is to quite literally ‘stravaig’ about the streets.

However, for those that prefer to have their days a little more planned, I have some places compiled that I suggest you check out as a book lover whilst in this stunning city. The first thing is check out the programme of the Scottish Storytelling Centre and see if they have any events or exhibitions that you fancy attending. I recently enjoyed their ‘Sharing Gardens, Sharing Lives’ exhibition and whilst you are there I strongly recommend checking out John Knox’s house and trying some haggis at their cafe.

From there I would head straight on up the Royal Mile to The Writers Museum which is free to enter and celebrates the lives of three key Scottish Writers: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Right outside the museum you can enjoy wandering around Makars’ Court being sure to keep your eyes on the ground as there are many literary quotes etched onto the stones and it is regularly being added to.

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Now that you have enjoyed some of the history of Edinburgh’s literature scene the next step is to enjoy losing yourself in some book shops.

Edinburgh has a flurry of independent bookshops that are must visits. Bookshops I frequent often are the incredible Lighthouse Books not only known for being Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop but also for its insane events; Armchair Books for the ultimate cosy bookshop feel; John Kay’s Shop for the more pricey but gorgeous hardback coffee-table worthy books; Golden Hare Books for it’s ever helpful staff; and last but most certainly not least all the charity shops around the city with incredible deals on books.

If you are not in a position to buy a book, but happen to have a book you have finished reading and would like to swap, I highly suggest checking out the little libraries dotted around Edinburgh. My personal favourite one is on 17 MacDowall Road probably because of its proximity to my house but I have also found some gems at the one in the Meadows Community

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Garden and at 1 Rosevale Place. To see the locations of more little libraries dotted around Edinburgh check out this blog!

Whilst we are on the theme of libraries one of my favourite things to do when I go travelling is check out the libraries and as such I will shout out some of my favourites you must see in Edinburgh. Naturally the first is the National Library of Scotland, then Edinburgh Central Library across the road, the Scottish Poetry Library, and Fountainbridge Library.

Lastly, after all that wandering and bookshopping you are going to want somewhere to rest your feet and read your book so it is absolutely essential you check out one of the great local cafes of Edinburgh. My personal favourite is Lovecrumbs, known for its delicious cakes and wonderful window seat (not to mention its monthly open mic nights). However, some other top contenders are Black Medicine Coffee, Honeycomb and Co, Brew Lab, Artisan Roast, The Milkman, The Maytree, La Barantine, Project Coffee, and The Earl Grange Cafe. For the ultimate story lover's way to end your day I highly recommend going up Blackford Hill to watch the sunset over Edinburgh.

By Kirsty Taylor

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Coorie Moments The scent of freshly cut grass

Orange perfume in the summer

Sitting under a blanket after being soaked by the rain

When you’re gifted a bouquet of flowers and you take the first inhale

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Finding leaves and flowers to press between pages and make a scrapbook

A fizzy fruity drink on a warm day

Gifting flowers to the people you love

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What is your favourite flower or plant?

‘I like the dandelion plant. I always have memories from my childhood about them, they are bright, kind, and sunny!’ – Sergey Dobrynov ‘My favourite flower is tulips!’ – Jessica Vergara ‘Unlike us high-maintenance humans, my humble sansevieria (snake plant) asks so little of me: morning light, weekly watering, occasional plant food, and breathable space in a larger pot as it grows.’ – Lorraine Rose ‘My tiny garden is a patchwork of friends' contributions both in seed, bulb, plant, and labour. I live in a tiny bungalow by the beach and yet my miniscule plantable borders bloomed wildly with vines and weeds, even after being sanded and salted by hurricane-driven ocean. I simply couldn't keep up with more than the desire for a garden. Then Betty planted innumerable Blackeyed Susans, irises, and tiger lilies. She and John cleared out all the bracken and complaints 'til they got down to rich enough soil. And, remarkably, Campbell's lilac bush from Connecticut continued to sprout little pebbly blooms. My old-growth roses woke up and waggled their thorns once again.

My drowned hydrangea resurrected itself with blue-purple comeuppance.

Then Patty brought a spreading hosta. Rita brought sunflowers and marigolds, and my new neighbour, Dennis, gave me two tomato plants. And Jill and her daughters brought some blazing red coleus which they planted in pots near my lavender and basil. So my favourite flowers are my generoushearted friends and neighbours who manage this work and wonder for me, just when it looked like I'd need to resign myself to cattail grass and nettles.’

– Kate Falvey ‘I love basil. Like me, it thrives in morning sunshine and loves summer best.

Its lush green leaves smell a little sweet and a little savoury. It reminds me of decadent pasta dishes and many beloved family members who taught me how to cook in their warm kitchens. I also adore the delicate white flowers.’ – Dana Kinsey ‘My favourite flower or plant would be queen of the night.’ – Ceth Isle ‘My favourite flowers are lilies.’ – Jessie Belle van Loon

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Featured Artists ‘Beauty of Nature’, (made on glass 20/30, oil paint, 2022. Used herbarium)

by Sergey Dobrunov. Sergey was born in Lugansk, Ukraine, where he studied at an art school. In 2014, with the outbreak of hostilities, he left for the city of Gdansk, where he was engaged in the manufacture of paintings from amber. And he began to draw. Now he is studying at the magistracy of the Institute of Culture and Arts in Poltava, Ukraine. His specialty is glass painting. He uses oil paints and ink to create his paintings.He has participated in exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad. He wants to pass on knowledge and understanding of the world to descendants through his art. He wants to show the beauty that is in our world. He often looks for inspiration in nature and gardening. You can find his work here: https://sites.google.com/view/dobrynovsergei/

21 Detail of ‘The garden of Freyja’, 21х30 cm, oil on cardboard, 2020, by Victoria Valuk. Victoria is an artist from Europe, she lives and works in Belarus. She took part in more than 70 exhibitions in different countries, was awarded and featured. Victoria Valuk has been running a global solo art-tour-show ‘Artifact’ since February 2021, which has already toured the Caribbean sea and the islands of Saint-Martin, Barbados, Trinidad, and countries like Poland, United Arab Emirates, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Uzbekistan. Her artworks were shown in the news in the press and on TV. She also has a personal exhibition: ‘Opera’ in Belarus. You can check out more of her work here: https://artvaluk.wordpress.com/collections/

25 Acorn Faerie by Jessie Belle van Loon. Jessie is an emerging artist from Melbourne, Australia with work across various fields from illustration to traditional painting. She has exhibited at Oak Hill Gallery, Tatunka Art Studio, and Cardinia Art Society, and was awarded the up and coming Young Achiever Award from Cardinia Arts Society in 2019, along with a 2nd place People's Choice Award in the Pixara Fantasy Digital Art Competition. In addition to her latest work for book illustrations, she specialises in high flow acrylic mediums, and in her spare time likes to jump on the pottery wheel. At only 15 years of age, Jessie shows an impressive amount of drive, having completed multiple professional courses during the global pandemic, and is currently working towards her Bachelor in Creative Arts specialising in Animation and Design.

29 &33 Páskanátt by Theresa K. Jakobsen (they/them). Theresa is a German creative, who after spending the pandemic on the remote Faroe Islands re-entered the colourful streets of Berlin city. The challenges of living in another country were a propulsion to their creativity. Theresa creates mixed media art and writes multilingual pieces that circle around the theme of human relationships in a digital age. Their works were recently published in ‘Variety Pack Mag’, ‘Alien Buddha Zine’ and ‘The Gamut Mag’.

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OPE N CALL F O R SU B MISSI ON S: C OORIE Would you like to be part of our Winter issue on the theme of ‘Coorie’? We are looking for art and writing of all kinds to be a part of the issue and would love to hear from you! Here are some questions to get you started:

Coorie is a Scots word meaning ‘to stoop, bend, cringe, crouch for protection’ and ‘to snuggle, nestle’. It has been appropriated and positioned as a ‘lifestyle trend’, similar to the Scandinavian concept of ‘hygge,’ which involves ideas such as cosiness.

What does coorie mean to you?

How do you like to coorie in?

What are your favourite Coorie Moments?

Have ‘Coorie’ and ‘Hygge’ been ruined by capitalism?

Who feels coorie to you?

Head to www.continuethevoice.com for all the details or email continuethevoice@gmail.com with your work/proposal and a short (100 words max) readyto-print bio. The deadline for submission is November 16th 2022 at midnight (BST).

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Continue the Voice Presents:

ISSUE 18 - COORIE

Our first issue since our second anniversary will feature one of our readers favourite themes: Coorie.

Our feature Coorie Moments has been a favourite of readers and our team alike since beginning this zine in 2020. Coorie is a Scots word meaning ‘to stoop, bend, cringe, crouch for protection,’ and ‘to snuggle, nestle’. It has been appropriated and positioned as a ‘lifestyle trend,’ similar to the Scandinavian concept of hygge, which involves ideas such as cosiness.

And as such you can expect lots of comforting, cosy, and heart-warming art pieces; exactly what we need to get us through a long winter! You can find this issue on continuethevoice.com/zine or on Issuu on the 21st of December 2022.

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The Team at

Continue The Voice

Editor In Chief: Kirsty Taylor Head Editor: Grace Balfour-Harle Editor: Beth Ralston

Graphic Designer: Kasey Lee Illustrators: Shannon Gardner, Thomas Connolly- Brown Social Media Coordinator: Hannah Matheson

Published quarterly by Continue The Voice

Copyright © 2021 Continue The Voice. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Artists and writers accredited maintain copyright to their own work so they should not be reproduced without written permission from them also. The views expressed in Continue The Voice are not necessarily those of the contributors, editors or publishers. All information contained in this magazine is for information and information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Continue The Voice does not accept any responsibilities for errors or inaccuracies in such information.

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Share your thoughts, send us your stories, read our blog or buy us a coffee!

@continuethevoice @ContinueVoice @continuethevoice continuethevoice.com continuethevoice@gmail.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ctvzine

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