Hello Friends,

I decided to celebrate, dive into gratitude, and relax this weekend rather than write an essay. And read a bit of a book about Mexicans in the 1920s fleeing the Cristero War as research from the novel I’m just starting.

I want to celebrate that we here on Be a Cactus are now a group of over 500 subscribers, a thing I am very grateful for! So—I’m having a book giveaway for U.S. subscribers. (I once gave away a book that went to Europe, and I paid $38 for the shipping. Yikes!)

I’d like to send out two copies each of Acts of Contrition and Keep Sweet along with fabric bookmarks that I handmade. Read the descriptions below, and if you are interested, click the link to message me, indicating which book you would prefer. If there are more than two people who are interested for either, I’ll put names in a hat and draw.

Keep Sweet (Crossover Novel)

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Acts of Contrition (Feminist Literary Short Fiction)

The women in Acts of Contrition face society’s devaluation, from parents, from elders, from all who assume authority over them. They battle oppressions as simple as gender stereotyping, as complex as prerequisites to friendship or love. Some can look back and laugh, some find luck in their escape from harm, some engineer their own good fortune, all the while riding a wave of dark humor. What all the characters come to understand is that silence places them at greater risk than speaking out. They progress toward freedom through the telling of their stories.

Gratitude

It’s great seeing books of poetry coming from friends I’ve met through various literary organizations and writers support groups. I truly loved Here to Be Remade by Lavina Blossom (Bamboo Dart Press), who is also an artist. Just arrived is Anna Gasaway’s My Mother’s Husbands from Finishing Line Press.

I’m also grateful for lifelong friends. One sent me a ‘blind date with a book’ surprise this week. The wrapping was so beautiful, I waited a day to open it. Part of my relaxing this weekend will be doing literary word searches. (I think I’ll start with Margaret Atwood.) Thanks, Kathy!

A deeper dive into The Little Magazine for those interested:

The Little Magazine That Defied American Censorship

Margaret Anderson’s Little Review fought to bring the great works of modernist literature to the United States.

Writers

Writers, did you read this? If not, you should.

Thank you for reading, for being here, and for subscribing!

Jo Scott-Coe Jo’s Substack

Mary Camarillo Life With Riley

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit victoriawaddle.substack.com