And Its Heart So Savage

Further to the theme of "had to have it," it's high time to take my favourite special event ensemble over to Gracey's Fashion for Giants for the latest episode of Literary Stylings - check out the book-inspired looks!

mythical critter-print maxi dress: La Casita de Wendy, ModCloth
red leather obi belt: Elizabeth Kelly London, etsy, worn here (3rd outfit)

My sister taught me to read when I was 3, and ever since the nights of Nancy Drew and dwindling flashlight batteries I've had to be reading in order to fall asleep. Nowadays, together with a hand-me-down e-reader pre-loaded with extremely terrible vampire novels, there are usually several books stashed between my pillows (and woe betide anyone who tries to turn off my little light or ease the pages from my sleepy clutches).

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An exceptional read this fall was Savage Love by highly esteemed Canadian author and my friend Douglas Glover. In contrast to the aforementioned extremely terrible yet effectively soporific vampire novels, the stories in Savage Love more easily encourage a deliciously unsettling insomnia as they tend to stick to the ribs, or in many cases between them, being keen-edged with interpersonal horror, levity, and relentless skewering.

Savage Love is enjoying sustained attention; it has been widely reviewed and recommended. Among its stories, I have a soft spot for The Ice Age, and the opening of Uncle Boris Up in a Tree is a gem. My personal favourite is The Sun Lord & The Royal Child for its painfully accurate send-up of our shared home region's local culture, ancient history, and geography.

vintage clip-on sea monster earrings with jewelled dingle-dangles: Netty Vintage
stupendous olive green ankle boots: Fluevog Surrealist Pizza, worn here
all the wrist business: detailed here as well
antique amber ring: a gift from my mother, close-up here
giant red carnelian ring (seen below): El Disco Super Centre (Progreso, Mexico), closer look here

Douglas Glover is also the publisher and editor of the online magazine Numéro Cinq, where earlier this year he published a series of my tobacco-farming poems. It was doubly an honour that he liked them well enough to include an excerpt of his own memoir alongside. *** EDITED TO ADD: I've created a "Writings and Such" page via a tab up top to collect and make available my published works and celebrate recent developments. Thank you so much for reading!***
Today's post title comes from this song:


I'm excited to catch up with other unique voices at some forthcoming gatherings, including Shoe Shine hosted by Bella of The Citizen Rosebud. See you there!