Issue 13: Halloween by Continue The Voice

13 Issue

continue the voice Halloween 31/10/21

HALLOWEEN

A letter to our Readers

ell, the tattie holidays have come and gone and Halloween has arrived. Personally, I am not a big Halloween person but I have many friends who are. The best parts of Halloween for me growing up were Scottish traditions such as guising, Halloween parties, dooking for apples and trying to eat doughnuts from a string. My parents love to tell me about when people used to carve turnips instead of pumpkins and other old traditions. Over the years, I have found Halloween to have become one of the more ‘commercialised’ and often ‘Americanised’ holidays worldwide so this issue is about celebrating Halloween for what the holiday was and still is under all the capitalism. So please sit back, grab a blanket and maybe a pillow to cover your eyes for when it all gets too spooky for you. My favourite of this issue has to be ‘Pumpkin Eater’ by Kaci Skiles Laws. Kirsty Taylor She / Her

Front cover by Shannon Gardner Magazine Design by Daisy Melnyczuk

CONTENTS

Page 06–07 Page 08–11 Page 12–13 Page 14–15 Page 16–17 Page 18–19 Page 20–23 Page 24–25 Page 26–29 Page 30–31 Page 32–33 Page 34–35 Page 36–41 Page 42–45 Page 46–47 Page 48–49 Page 50–51

Pumpkin Eater Interview with an Author: Anna Cheung Poetry Corner 1 Shannon’s Illustrations The History of Halloween Poetry Corner 2 The Gallery: Bryony’s Oddities The Vegetarian Photos by Olga Rerbo Things We’re Loving Playlist Small Business Spotight: Society of Young Publishers Scotland Sustainable Art: Embroidery by Meg Restaurant Highlight: Apples for Jam Coorie Moments How do you celebrate Halloween? Coming Soon / Call for Submissions: Celebration

PUMPKIN My first Halloween alone, I am certain I might

Our cabin is discreet, tucked thirty minutes

die. I’ve heard of people sacrificing small animals

outside of town, off a notorious highway that

on altars, black cats are to be kept inside the

eats small animals, sometimes people, past the

whole month of October and days after to be

cemetery with the glowing tombstone. There

safe; animal shelters refuse to adopt them this

are horror stories in the hills east of here, less

time of year. Through the windows I see their

than ten miles, the killing table under the shade

eyes watching, knowing they may not be spared

of trees. Gypsies and meth heads roam the

of legends.

creeks and junkyards. Coyotes hunt calves and small prey. I can hear them howling at night,

This year, I am watching Hocus Pocus and carving

hungry.

a pumpkin, grabbing out seeds and guts while my husband, Bryant, works nights. Our dog, Iris,

Our driveway is long and full of petrified clams.

is six months old, chewing on the stem of our

Though the property is gated, there is no way

pumpkin as I scrape its insides clean. My skin is

to keep anything that wants in, out. Two horses,

itchy with welts, a reaction I don’t understand.

a mare and a gilding, Sugar and Little Man, live

Who is allergic to pumpkins of all things? Short

with us; they are the landlords owned by the

answer: the same girl who is certain she will die

landlord. Our deal is we exchange cheap rent

on Halloween.

for being their caretakers. At dusk I’d feed them their usual oats; Iris helps by sharing a bowl with

I get grand ideas for a face then remember what

Little Man. I hurry to get inside before dark.

it’s like trying to draw on a gourd. This year isn’t any different. Triangle eyes. Smaller triangle

At dark I am debating on whether or not I should

nose. Mouth with jagged teeth looking more

leave the porch light on, not wanting anyone to

clownish than sinister. Everything is prettier

think it is an open invitation. I don’t know what

when it glows and in the darkness even my stray

sort of trick-or-treaters it might attract. I leave it

marks can be a secret.

off, and draw the burgundy curtains across the double doors. I go back to my pumpkin as The Sanderson Sisters sing, ‘…now you’re mine...’ Iris goes back to her stem.

EATER Around nine my pumpkin is on the porch

‘Do you see anyone?’ He asks, and I look out

glowing, gutted and goofy, full of tea lights,

again, fully clothed this time. I don’t see anyone,

waiting to greet Bryant. I take a bubble bath,

just my pumpkin. It has moved again and the

like the protagonist does in every horror movie,

top is gone now. It’s like Dr. Seuss’s book,

and light a spicy candle. Iris sleeps next to the

Wacky Wednesday, two more things are wacky.

claw footed tub. I hear a noise like shuffling. The

‘Someone is definitely messing with me!’ I flip

wind. I hear it again as a new thought creeps in.

the porch light on hoping to deter the prankster.

Afraid there might be a fire, I jump up, dripping

Killer. ‘Probably just kids.’ Bryant reassures me.

water along the carpeted floors to the double

I remember the shotgun but don’t feel much

doors and peek out. There is fire.

better. I keep checking and rechecking. I sit on the bed listening while Iris never bats an ear. My

Still inside the pumpkin the flames dance

theory is she is still too young; really, she is just

playfully and my pumpkin looks right at me.

used to familiar noises.

I move away and let the curtains fall where my face has been. ‘The wind can’t do that!’ I

I hear the noise again, shuffling. With the phone

exclaim to Bryant on the phone. ‘Call the cops?’

pressing into my cheek I can see the

I ask for clarification in disbelief as if he’s daring

intruder clearly as it takes a big bite out of my

me. ‘You don’t believe me,’ I accuse.

pumpkin and stands there chewing. The accomplice comes from the darkness and into the light. Gangly and curious the landlords stand, Sugar and Little Man, devouring what is left of Halloween.

By Kaci Skiles Laws. Kaci is a closet cat-lady and creative writer who reads and writes voraciously in the quiet moments between motherhood and managing Crohn’s Disease. She grew up on a small farm in a Texas town alongside many furry friends, two sisters, and a brother. She has known tragic loss too well, and her writing is a reflection of the shadows lurking in her psyche. Her work can be viewed at: https://kaciskileslawswriter. wordpress.com/

INTERview with aN AUthor

his month for Halloween, we spoke to poet and writer of Gothic horror, Anna Cheung, about her debut poetry anthology, ‘Where Decay Sleeps’ – a captivating blend of traditional Gothic imagery, modern technology and Chinese folklore.

Tell us about ‘Where Decay Sleeps’.

creators who brought these monsters to

What is it about? What are the key

life on the pages of a book or on screen.

‘Where Decay Sleeps’ is a Gothic poetry

Do you have a favourite poem in

themes?

collection which explores the darker

the collection, and why?

aspects of life by navigating key themes such as mental health, love, birth,

I would say ‘Artificial Werewolf’. From a

metamorphosis and desire. The poems

writer’s perspective, I felt that the form

blend together traditional Gothic imagery,

and content of the poem synchronised

modern technology and Chinese folklore

well together to convey a complete

and are laid out over the seven stages

story – like two halves of the same moon

of decay: pallor mortis, algor mortis,

coming together. I remember coming up

rigor mortis, livor mortis, putrefaction,

with the idea of the form much later after

decomposition and skeletonisation. I

the poem was written so when I finally

wanted to examine the insidious nature of

edited the poem and saw the end result,

deterioration and how it creeps up on us

it was like ‘voila!’.

to permeate different areas of our lives.

What do you hope readers will take What inspired you to write it? I grew up with a fascination for horror and the dark side and loved to read and watch movies about monsters, whether they were about vampires, zombies, werewolves or mythological beasts. I guess the collection is a reflection of my love for these stories and a tribute to the

away from the anthology?

I hope to take readers on a journey where each section of the collection beckons them into different worlds to evoke sensations of fear, intrigue, fascination and suspense, leaving them satisfyingly haunted with an indelible imprint on their minds!

What would you like to continue the voice on?

The theme of issue 13 is, of course, Halloween! How do you celebrate the spooky season?

Women, particularly women of colour, are still very underrepresented in the horror/

I used to get dressed up and paint the

Gothic genre and it would be good to

town blood red with friends! It’s a more

see more opportunities for women to be

sober affair now that I’m older so it’s more

encouraged and recognised in this genre.

like guising around the neighbourhood for

I’d also like to see more poetry written in

sweets with my kid. However, Halloween

this genre too!

is a little bit different this year due to the launch of the collection. The event was spooky themed, so it was the perfect occasion to celebrate Halloween with friends, family and readers!

Interview by Beth Ralston

You can find Anna on Twitter (@annasmcheung) and you can buy her anthology ‘Where Decay Sleeps’ from Haunt Publishing.

Photo of Anna Cheung

Poetry Corner I, Lovecraft

I read that accursed book Everyone should take a look Necronomicon Passed down from father to son Catch the singing bird in glue Pages of lies that turn out to be true I’m floating now tied to the mast of the White Ship My sanity muscle is starting to give me jip Flying over the dead and Nameless City So much knowledge lost in time, what a eldritch pity The Crawling Chaos is spreading across all the dreams I left behind And all the ghouls at play draw the Yellow Sign Up up beyond the moon so far away from home Azathoth dreams in nuclear chaos and he’s not alone Dancing ultimate gods play their accursed flutes, can I dance too? Sorry, kid, your only flesh and you haven’t got a clue I went down deep then, past the warning stone reading ‘R’leyh don’t wake Cthulhu!’ Got yanked out of my body then by some Yithian hoodoo Crash landed in a alternative timeline Watching DelToro’s Mountains of Madness and that suits me just fine Everyone knows Innsmouth mother’s make better lovers But if you want a Deep One hook up with their brothers 12

. . . Nyarlathotep’s my lawyer in the trial of the human race Apparently I dogeared Miskatonic’s copy to mark my place I stand up now it’s my turn to speak And then just like in the Dreamlands, my hands become my feet The only choice then, love the ultimate horror, that multiverse of dimensions Love it, baby, or go insane again from all the blank intentions I wake then and close mad Alhazred’s tome Gaze starry-eyed at the skies and know I’m not alone

By Paul Lepper. Paul Lepper aka Pablo Rouge is 32 years old. He has written more than 100 pieces of poetry, a sample of which can be found online via his Facebook page. He was born and raised in South East London. He now resides in the North West with his partner of 5 years. As well as poetry he has also done some work on the stage through voluntary groups and community services. You can also find him on YouTube.

Nosferat You made yourself Irresistible – knowing you'd entrance. Under your spell called love, I went willingly to my killing time.

By Michele Mekel. Living in Happy Valley, Michele Mekel wears many hats of her choosing: writer and editor; educator and bioethicist; poetess and creatrix; cat herder and chief can-opener; witch and woman; and, above all, human. Her work has appeared in various academic and creative publications, including being featured on Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac. She is also a co-principal investigator for the Viral Imaginations: COVID-19 project (viralimaginations.psu. edu). Michele can be found on Instagram @ShaktiEnergy.

SHANNON’S ILLUSTRATIONS Artwork by our very own illustrator, Shannon Gardner.

Siren Song 14

Man Spider By Shannon Gardner. Shannon’s interest in the macabre began while studying nature and the paranormal. The ethereal mood of her work reaches the extreme and addresses the taboo. Through her process she explores natural and organic techniques used to imitate nature and discover Earth’s imperfect beauty. Her use of stippling and cross hatching imitate the aesthetic of change through time. Watercolor, line and dot work assists the viewer to observe the Asian aesthetic Wabi Sabi, appreciation of imperfections.

Diadelos Muertos 15

THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN Halloween is a holiday that is founded in tradition and religion but, like many, has become confused from its original origins into something that is synonymous with sweets, costumes, trick or treating and being scared. Halloween can be traced back to the Celtish tradition of Samhein (pronounced sow-in) – which was their equivalent new year celebration on November 1st. It marked the end of summer, and the beginning of the dark, cold days of winter that they associated with human death (because surviving winter at that point of history was an achievement in itself). They believed that the night before the new year (31st October), the bridge or veil between the world of the living became blurred and, therefore, ghosts came back to the world of the living. According to the Celts, this meant that the Druids could more easily make predictions about the future. To celebrate that, and protect themselves, giant bonfires were built to burn sacrifices like crops and animals to the Celtic gods and deities. They would also wear costumes and tell each other’s fortunes. They would then light their hearths or fires in their homes from the sacred bonfire to help protect them spiritually throughout the winter. These lanterns that people would use to light their fires eventually became the turnip lanterns that children would carve and carry – and the Americanisation of the holiday meant that pumpkins are now used primarily for this purpose. When the Romans invaded, they built upon or combined the tradition of Samhein with their own celebrations – firstly, a day called Feralia, where the Romans celebrated the passing of their dead. Secondly, a day to celebrate Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. Her symbol was an apple, which is probably why Halloween eventually became synonymous with dooking or bobbing for apples as part of its traditions. But Celts also viewed apples as sacred, so it also could have come about that way too. In Scotland, Halloween traditionally was all about the supernatural, witches, fire and spirits – which is clear from the Celtic traditions. Robert Burns’ poem, ‘Halloween’, is a great indicator of the traditions in Scotland. Children in Scotland didn’t go trick or treating, they went ‘guising’ which likely comes from the word disguise. To stop children from being taken by these spirits, they would be disguised as one of them. Children would then go from house to house and receive a gift to ward off evil. And in Burns’ own time, people would try to predict the future through traditions such as burning nuts in a fire for whether or not a courting couple would last or be a good match, peeling apples in one go for the first letter of the name of the man you’ll marry, or even pulling plants out of the earth for the height and and figure of your future partner. 16

Photo by Sonya Pix on Unsplash

When Christianity rose as the popular religion in 609AD, the Pope at the time created the religious holiday of All Martyrs Day. A later Pope changed its name to All Saints Day and moved it to the 1st of November – it was also known as All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English ‘Alholowmesse’ meaning All Saints’ Day). Eventually, when Celtic traditions had become overtaken by Christianity in 1000AD, the Catholic Church created a new holiday called All Souls Day to commemorate the dead (possibly in an attempt to replace the Celtic traditions as a sanctioned holiday within the Church) which involved many similar traditions as Samhein including bonfires, dressing up and parades. The day before All Saints Day, which was also the traditional night of Samhein in the Celtic religion, began to be called All Hallows Eve, and eventually evolved into Halloween. When the settlers in America arrived, they brought some of these traditions with them, and they started to take a different evolution throughout US history – merging with the traditional native celebrations too, and slowly became more secular and recognisable to what Halloween has become today. They would have ‘play parties’ to celebrate the harvest, and people would sing, dance and tell fortunes, as well as telling ghost stories and mischief-making. As the number of people emigrating to America increased, including the Irish and Scottish, they each brought their own traditions, including guising, which became the basis for American trick or treating. In the late 1800s, there was a change in emphasis on Halloween to be more about community than pranks, ghosts or witchcraft because vandalism on Halloween started to plague American towns and so they revived the trick or treating tradition – in hopes that the sweets would be a cost-effective way of stopping kids from playing those tricks and vandalism acts on the towns – and it is from this that Halloween became the recognisable commercial phenomenon in America today seen in movies such as Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus and even It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Words by Grace Balfour-Harle

. . .

Poetry Corner

At the Crossroad

the driver warns ‘they get stronger as we sleep’ a wagon of nightmares lumbers forward ‘try to look away let them pass’ tentacles, teeth, wet darkness glimpsed through the slats – night terrors rounding the corner into someone else’s dream (Previously published by Tigershark Publishing in October 2019)

By Judy DeCroce. Judy lives and works with her husband poet/artist Antoni Ooto in rural upstate New York. Widely published internationally in both print, online journals, and anthologies, she is a poet, flash fiction writer, and educator who is a regular contributor to The BeZINE, The Front Porch Review, North of Oxford, The Poet Magazine, Amethyst Review, and Continue the Voice. Judy is proud of being invited, for a second year, to participate in the Waco Wordfest Oct. 2021. As a professional storyteller, she enjoys performing and teaching that genre.

. . .

Nurse Hatchet The Florence Nightingale costume red splattered with face paint blood from Halloween makeup tubes arranged on the bathroom sink. Mom transforms the clear skin of her lovely daughter into the ghastly green complexion of the dreaded Nurse Hatchet. The pre-teen soft voice altered by the concealed electronic box issues Darth Vader’s whispering rasp bringing unease to each household adult cautiously filling her request and quickly closing the door. As she turns to leave, fellow ghosts and goblins open a wide path for the nurse’s departure, Hatchet feeling her power to frighten all neighbors on this night. While checking her stash of goodies, finding herself alone past the last corner into the dark cul-de-sac of unlit houses,

By Carl Palmer. Carl ‘Papa’ Palmer of Old Mill Road in Ridgeway, Virginia, lives in University Place, Washington. He is retired from the military and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enjoying life as ‘Papa’ to his grand descendants and being a Franciscan Hospice volunteer. Papas Motto: Long Weekends Forever!

she hears a low moan and looks back. Her knees lose strength, frozen with fear, too frightened to scream, as the tall masked monk approaches and calls out her name in Daddy’s laughing voice. 19

THE GALLERY :

BRYONY’S ODDITIES My artwork, for the most part, revolves around the theme of dark fantasy with a sprinkle of cuteness. In every piece I create, each character has its own story to tell, although I rarely share this as I like the viewer to come up with their own tales for the things that I draw. I primarily work in watercolour, but love to experiment with a range of other mediums as not all ideas fit onto a piece of paper. My art is constantly growing and developing and it is a joy to be on this amazing journey of spookiness and fascination!

By Bryony of Bryony’s Oddities. Bryony is a 22-year-old illustrator and experimenter from West Yorkshire with a passion for fantasy, folklore and all things spooky. She lives to breathe life into her creations and dreams for the day that it can be how she makes a living! You can find Bryony on Instagram and TikTok, and you can find her work on Etsy.

THE VEGETARIAN ‘How can you not eat meat?’ Paulina’s older brother didn’t give up, although he knew he wouldn’t change anything. ‘That’s right! It’s delicious!’ as he bit the chicken. Next she was preparing dinner. The whole house smelled of roasted meat. ‘Wow, you’ve converted!’ An hour later she served him dinner. ‘Delicious! It’s insane! You have a talent,’ he complimented. She looked at him with pity. ‘And where is Józek?’ He noticed the absence of stepfather. ‘He isn’t with us. But you liked him very much.’ The brother got pale and threw up.

By Christopher T. Dabrowski. Christopher T. Dabrowski is a Polish writer and screenwriter. His books have been published in Poland, the USA, Spain and Germany. His stories were published in many countries: USA, England, Australia, Canada, Poland, Russia, Germany, India, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Brasil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Hungary, Mexico, Albania and Nigeria.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Photos by Olga Rerbo

Widely promoted by pop culture, Halloween is not an ordinary holiday for Russia or Israel as it is in the UK so for the first time I caught its atmosphere. It was very entertaining to observe houses and their pumpkins.

By Olga Rerbo. Olga is 29-years-old, and lived in Belarus for most of her life, but eventually moved to Israel. She has always been passionate about the art of photography. In the last six years she has been delving deeper into this domain. She mostly uses a digital camera but recently she has started shooting on film as it adds a unique mood into images.

Things We’re

Loving!

I tend to watch a wide range of TV as I like to watch things that require more thought but after a long day at work I love to watch ‘The Real Housewives’ or ‘Made in Chelsea’. I recently watched the newest season of ‘Sex Education’ and loved every single second of it. I have also started ‘Bad Sport’ which is a very interesting documentary series. I am a big fan of anything to do with travel or architecture/ design so have been loving ‘The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals’. As for the trash TV for after work I recently enjoyed ‘The Crew’ on Netflix, ‘The Circle USA’ and ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’.

This month our head editor, Kirsty, is taking you through her favourites at the moment. As an educator, entertainment is a very important part of my life as it helps me to unwind and turn off, and I got to enjoy lots of reading during the Tattie holidays and also maybe a little Netflix bingeing!

By Kirsty Taylor

Wat ch

I tend to switch between being very into music and very into podcasts and at the moment I cannot get enough of podcasts. Some of my newer favourites are ‘Match Made in Manhattan’, ‘Okay Sis’, ‘Today in Focus’ by the Guardian and ‘The Graham Norton Podcast’. Also, my aux cord broke in my car so I have been reliving my childhood/teens year by listening to CDs I got for Christmas and would play on repeat in my room. Particular golden oldies are the ‘Take Me Home’ album by One Direction, ‘Bring It On’ by Alistair Griffin and ‘Me and Mrs Jones’ by Andy Abraham.

I was very fortunate to have lots of downtime in the Tattie holidays to read so I got through some excellent books during that time. I read ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ in one sitting when I was on a ‘staycation’ in a cosy wagon on a rainy day, and I cannot recommend it enough. I also read ‘How To Be Both’ by Ali Smith which was written with Smith’s usual wit but my brain struggled to keep up with it at points so I suggest reading it when you are not too worn down. I have been reading ‘The Emotional Entrepreneur’ by Scout Sobel over and over again as it has so many nuggets of wisdom. I also do need to do a little self plug as my very own first ever book came out recently and I have spent endless hours reading/editing it! So if you enjoy some witty (or at least trying to be) poetry then check out ‘Turbulent Twenties’ here.

Listen

PLAYLIST

Listen on Spotify

Me and Mrs Jones Andy Abraham Bring It On Alistair Griffin Little Things One Direction Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) Taylor Swift The Lakes Taylor Swift

. . . Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong Caledonia Dougie MacLean Life’s A Bitch Nina Nesbitt Bookstore Girl Charlie Burg Autumn Carla Bruni

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Society of Young Publishers Scotland This month we’re spotlighting an organisation that is near and dear to all our Editors’ hearts – the Society of Young Publishers Scotland. Publishing is the art of making literature.

provides support for those not covered by

Books, magazines, literary journals, zines are

the other regional branches). Each branch

all forms of publishing (including audio books

is manned by a committee of volunteers,

and ebooks!). The Society of Young Publishers

which is how our Editors got involved.

is a not-for-profit organisation that supports

The Scottish branch runs monthly events,

publishers in the first ten years of their career.

Twitter chats, Instagram takeovers, a

It has branches up and down the country –

book club, a mentorship scheme, shadow

including London, South West, North, Ireland,

panels for a literary award and even puts

Oxford and Scotland – so there is a branch for

on an annual conference!

everyone (there is even a UK-wide branch that 34

The pandemic almost put a halt to that a year

SYP

and a half ago – the committee had to get

experience too. They give opportunities for

inventive in the way they provided support

young publishers (young in career, never

and engagement with their members by

in age!) to take part in shadow panels for

embracing the digital, as we all did. And in

literary awards, which is when you are part

actuality, it allowed more people to come to

of a panel who judges a literary award but

events as they weren’t limited by location,

separate from the actual judging panel. They

which had been an issue in the past. Scotland

also run an annual conference committee –

is a big place, and travel to either Glasgow

who doesn’t want to help run a conference

or Edinburgh isn’t always possible in one

that is part of the Scottish publishing scene’s

evening, especially if travelling by public

annual calendar? Finally, they have a core

transport. So being online has opened up

committee of volunteers who run the events

SYP to those who were unable to access it

and everything else they do on a monthly

before for many reasons.

basis – and they need new people to be part

Scotland

also

allows

for

practical

of this committee every year. Publishing is a very competitive industry – and the role that SYP Scotland would like to play

SYP is what you make of it – the more you

is one of help and access. Putting on events

put in by coming along to events, joining

often allows access to speakers and issues

Twitter chats and applying for lots of their

in publishing that those trying to get into

opportunities, the more you will get out of it

publishing may not know about otherwise.

– and not just in skills to put on your CV. You

By running a mentorship scheme, it connects

will meet some of the most passionate and

members to a professional currently working

forward-thinking people in the publishing

in the industry and

industry – and to be part of that is incredibly

it can also help build

the publishing industry’s network, not just

exciting.

by connecting people with their speakers at events, but with those attending the events!

Follow SYP Scotland on Twitter, Instagram,

Peers are a great network resource, beyond

Facebook, and join via the website.

the professional network, but personal too!

Words by Grace Balfour-Harle

SUSTAINABLE ART : EMBROIDERY BY MEG

his month we spoke to Margaret of Embroidery by Meg about her designs, how she stays sustainable and where she sees her business in the future.

What inspired you to start your business?

at school. However, my love for embroidery began during my course in Textile Design where

Sewing and crafting have always been a big

I got to really experiment with different types

part of my life. Growing up, I would forever be

of embroidery techniques. Then, shortly after

making some kind of new dress for my dolls

completing my course, Embroidery by Meg

and questionable hair accessories to “show off”

began during lockdown last year. Having more

time to work on my business during Covid-19

really let me figure out what products I wanted

Embroidery by Meg or where do you see

to feature and designs I wanted to create.

your business in a few years?

Your embroidery pieces are so intricate

I would love to start taking part in markets and

and detailed, it’s amazing!. Do you have

craft fairs so I can interact with customers and

a favourite piece that you have made or

other creators as Covid-19 has sadly prevented

a favourite design? Thank you! I would say my favourite designs are the ones that incorporate snakes, as I find that they make for the most unique pieces. I love planning how the snakes’ bodies will intertwine with the flowers and deciding what colours to pair together. How do you ensure that your creations are sustainable? A lot of the fabric I use are remnants and offcuts sourced from UK based textile manufacturers that would otherwise be thrown out. I studied sustainability in my final year of university and learnt about the hazardous consequences of textile products ending up in landfills. So, by using remnants and offcuts to create attractive, bright pieces for the home, I like to think I’m

you

have

any

future

plans

for

me from doing this so far with my business. I also currently have a full-time job so I would love it if one day I could grow my small business to the point where I can just do it all the time! Your

designs

are

very

unique.

particularly love the one with the snake in the sunflowers. Where do you draw inspiration from for your pieces? Thank you! At university, I studied the textiles in historical portraits and spent a lot of time in museums in awe at how artists managed to capture the beautifully crafted textiles worn by courtiers. A lot of Elizabeth I’s portraits incorporate intertwining snakes, roses and other flowers and these serve as one of the main inspirations for my pieces as well as other historical floral still life paintings.

inspiring others to do the same and increase the longevity of fabrics, so they are less likely to end up in the bin.

Is there anything you want to continue

many people would stop if they knew more

the voice on right now?

about it’s consequences. Teaching people how to sew and properly care for textiles to increase

There are many topics within the realm of

their clothes’ lifespan would be a major step

sustainability that I feel passionate about but I

forward in preventing this in my opinion.

would say the main issue I would like to bring light to is the culture of unnecessary clothing

The theme for this issue is Halloween.

consumption. For many, it has become the

How do you celebrate Halloween?

norm to order masses of clothing from fast fashion companies with the intention only

I grew up in a very small village where we

wearing the items once or even not at all.

carved turnips instead of pumpkins and trick-

Once more, there are social media influencers

or-treating wasn’t really a tradition so I would

presenting this habit as acceptable online and

love to do that for the first time this year– there

encouraging their followers to do the same. I

isn’t an age limit for that right?

think more needs to be done to make it known how damaging this trend really is as I think

You can find Meg’s work on Etsy and Instagram.

Interview by Hannah Matheson

Resturaunt Highlight:

Apples for Jam

I recently decided to go on a staycation to a wagon outside of Melrose to get away from the craziness that life can be sometimes. As I was there I very quickly fell in love with all the local shops, cafes and eateries within Melrose and the character the town has. One place I particularly fell in love with was Apples for Jam on the high street. I enjoyed a gorgeous oat milk latte and an insane brie and caramelised onion grilled sandwich. 42

As an avid cafe lover, Apples for Jam stood out to me for its simplicity in design. It is not a cafe that is trying to be flashy and score the most Instagram selfies. Instead it has a simplistic, somewhat Scandinavian interior design that is simple without being cold and instead feels exactly like a place you’d like to coorie into on a windy autumnal day. It also has the loveliest staff who make it feel even more homey, and it offers fresh and delicious ingredients. Not to mention the coffee was wonderfully smooth. If you ever find yourself in Melrose I highly recommend heading to Apples for Jam for breakfast and lunch every day! You can find Apples for Jam on Instagram or at 14 High Street, Melrose.

Words by Kirsty Taylor

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Coorie Moments As the world opens a little more, we want to remind you to appreciate the little things in life so we are including a monthly feature of Coorie moments written by our editorial team and illustrated by our team’s illustrator. For anyone who may not know, here is the definition of Coorie: a Scots word meaning ‘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.

Crunching through leaves on a crisp autumn day.

That first sip of a spiced latte or hot chocolate. 46

Curling up with your favourite scary movie.

Reading in front of the fire as the nights start to draw in

Carving pumpkins with friends

Overindulging in Halloween chocolate

Layers of knitted jumpers and fluffy socks

Warm winter veg stews and soups

Escaping the cold in warm pubs while nursing a hot cider

Guising! (or trick-or-treating for the non-Scots!) Words by Hannah Scott & Illustrations by Shannon Gardner

How do you celebrate Halloween? As an electric pagan and practicing witch, Halloween is a sacred time for me to reflect, connect with ancestors, engage in divination, and set intentions As Michele Mekel a kid I dressed up for Halloween every year; I was a witch more times than I can remember, a creepy doll, rodeo clown, dalmatian, baby, blue M&M, Lolly from Candyland, and a Who from Whoville one year. We always went door-to-door as a family or festivals at the church though we weren’t really religious. Festivals were my favorite because I was really good at the games which meant extra candy. As young adults my friends and I dressed up, went door to door with pillowcases for candy and played on a Ouija board, mostly to summon Kurt Cobain. As a mother my tradition is to take my son trick-or-treating with my sister and her kids. We watch Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown while we carve pumpkins. We buy giant bags of candy a month too early and fake cobwebs. This year, my sister and I will be The Sanderson Sisters, Sarah and Mary. Though my traditions have changed, the nostalgia of autumn and Halloween are in my bones to stay. Kaci Skiles Laws 48

When I taught, Halloween was costumes, a party and a limbo stick. Now, living in the country, I turn off the lights and let the wildlife celebrate

This year I will dress up as a covidivorous monster and fight the pandemic.

Judy Decroce

Christopher T. Dabrowski I celebrate Halloween snuggled up with my partner watching horror movies after carving a few pumpkins while drinking a festive latté or hot chocolate. Paul Lepper I came from a background where Halloween is merely something that you know from Hollywood movies. Although it serves as a reason to organise parties, it is not a holiday that one would celebrate, and it does not feel like something special. However, when I saw how people decorate houses while being in the UK, I fell in love with the aesthetics of this Autumn holiday. We are not celebrating Halloween, but we enjoy it happening. Olga Rerbo

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