I found Taisia Kitaiskaia in the Hall of Fame for amazing names, but also in my friend Sara’s instagram feed. Literary Witches – what an amazing title and concept. The book is a beautiful little hardcover with a subtitle of “A celebration of magical women writers”. That’s like all of my favorite things in one title.
Each woman is featured in the book with a small drawing, a magical portrait, a small fairy tale and a short bio. They’re just beautiful – the artwork alone would make this a great book, but the playfulness and warmth that the author feels for each woman is palpable.
Some of those listed are Forugh Farrokhzad, Audre Lorde, Virginia woolf, Marabai. Some of the stories you’ve heard, and some you’ve need to hear for a long, long, time.
The OTHER book is “Ask Baba Yaga”. Amazon was all, “Bitch, you know you need this book” and I was all, “Duh.” If I’m honest, I’ll get anything that appeals to my witchiness, and I love the fierceness of Baba Yaga. It’s like Ann Landers, sucking the marrow out of a bone before shaking it at you and telling you to stop asking questions that have already been answered before she tells you to beat it so she can take a nap and her house ejects you and wanders off on chicken feet. I’ve posted some of my favorites here, but honestly the whole book is a treasure.
xo!
Lis