My debut chapbook “This Spell of Song & Star” was published March 2023 through Bottlecap Press.
“This collection, from Washingtonian poet LE Francis, is a spellbook, a story, a journey from a coffee shop to the end of all things. These poems follow inspiration from flashpoint to synthesis. They describe creativity as a kind of fixer, a way to preserve a moment of time, while acting as a force of destruction & creation in the mind of the artist. This Spell of Song & Star seeks to tear down and rebuild the world outside of its pages.
The collection is written in three sections, phases focused on magic, music, and the passage of the seasons in the scenic pacific northwest; & at the heart of it all is a simple glance.”
Ebook ($3.50) & hard copies ($10 + shipping) can be purchased through Bottlecap at bottlecap.press/products/spell.
Signed/annotated copies are available through me directly at $20 (including US shipping). You can order a signed copy by emailing me at she@nocturnical.com with your name, address, & any specific requests. Payment can be sent through Paypal.
Contents
The chapbook version of some of these poems varies from the OG version.
- Ace of Wands / Rainier & Hudson
- The malevolent worship of a malign god
- So loved
- Imagine we’re watching a documentary & you argue
- Which planet sings soprano?
- Judgement
- Huntress
- Alembic
- A chemical wedding
- It’s the chickadees, Luce
- Calcination
- What a heart isn’t through a process of elimination
- Ace of Wands reversed / 36th & Francis
- Surrender
- I’ll write myself a love story because the universe will not
- It’s complicated
- Wizard wand battle
- Here at the end of all things
Author reviews
“‘Say it like a prayer,’ advises LE Francis, and she does. Every delicately constructed piece in her stunning debut is an endearing supplication. Her word-weaving is reminiscent of an earthier age, though her gaze never leaves the stars. This Spell of Star & Song will leave you breathless.”
— C.E. Hoffman, author of NO ACTUAL SIN
“You clever fucker!”
— Jay Rafferty, author of Holy Things & Strange Magic
“In This Spell of Song & Star, LE Francis has crafted a mesmerising collection that transports readers to celestial realms while grounding them in the beauty of earthly experiences. With poetic mastery, Francis weaves together vivid imagery, evoking both the ethereal and the visceral.”
— Alan Parry, author of Neon Ghosts. Read his full review on The Broken Spine.