Marion Agnew

  The allure of a clean slate: the first vanilla ice cream  of the year, peepers sharing their froggy angst,  fireflies’ did-you-see-it no-there-over-there winks,  the sharp head-clearing scent of  fresh-washed pines, a dog’s fur  coarse beneath your fingers. Back indoors, how can I  breathe, with the old everythings crowding every room? Toss it all into the air, atomize it with the sheer force  of your joy, send it higher and higher until you no longer see it  though it will still exist In someone else’s fresh start ________ I found this in the Notes folder on my phone. Can you tell that I've been removing many of my things, old things, broken things, WHYYYY? things from the house this spring and summer? Can you tell that my refrain while doing so has been, "Get real, Marion!" It's worked pretty well, actually. Yes, I'm also trying, a little, to move on from MAKING UP THE GODS to do serious work on my new novel and a nonfiction project that's more amorphous a

My debut novel, Making Up the Gods, is coming in October, 2023 from Latitude 46 Publishing.  And I'm especially excited to show you the cover! The cover was adapted by a collage created by Thunder Bay artist Erin Stewart.  Here's a description of the novel: Simone, a retired widow, would live a quiet and isolated life, if not for the lingering ghosts of her family. One day, Simone is visited at her home by a man named Martin claiming to be her cousin. When Martin asks if Simone is willing to sell her cottage by the lake, a proposition made sweeter by the prospect of a condo in Florida, Simone, though pleased at the thought of a cousin, also questions his intentions. From what part of her past has Martin emerged, and why now? The burden of making a decision is all the more difficult because Simone has agreed to take care of a friend's nine-year-old boy, Chen, for a short time while his mother enjoys a much-needed vacation. Simone finds her match in Chen, a curious boy grievi

On Instagram (and sometimes to Facebook), I post about books I enjoy. Usually on Sundays, sometimes other days, and about once a week, give or take. But because not everyone is on social media, I also post some here.  And note that these musings are less reviews than appreciations. I post about a book because something about it strikes me--perhaps the writing, though the storylines may be problematic; perhaps the plotting, though the book itself didn't inspire much reflection; perhaps the novelty (often for books in translation), even though I'm sure I'm only partly understanding the author's intent and their world, however grateful I am for the glimpse.  Which is good for me to remember about all books I read: I may be only partly understanding the intent. And I sometimes miss what isn't written, so I appreciate others who point that out. But as I've said before, I do try to read with a generosity of spirit.  And here are some recent books.  Shelterbelts Jonath