the breath of grief is holy
interview with author louise mather
“she waited for the snow to harbour bewitched by somnolentia she ripped ivy bark with her thumbs unleashed apple bark"
this week, we welcome Louise Mather to spotlight her delicate yet impactful writing and as editor in chief of one of our favourite poetry journals, acropolis journal.
author of the dredging of rituals (2021) each poem emerging from her own experiences with menstruation and undiagnosed endometriosis. yet, each word is a threaded bridge in which despair is bound with hope. is a door who invites readers to explore their own glittering wounds and offers remedy in which trails into the mythic and natural world for our grief to sprawl out and lay upon the decaying and breathing forest floor.
below, please enjoy a Q&A we had the thrill of receiving from Louise.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative practice, why do you make art?
I've written poetry since I was young and always found it a useful tool for expression. I used to write by hand in a little blue notebook my grandmother had bought me but now most are typed notes as ideas arise. I love different styles but there's something I find beautiful in the surreal; the spinning of words until they feel transformed. I also like dark, raw and gritty poems and pushing the boundaries with pieces and experimenting with hybrids. I currently adore working with inks, it's a very tranquil and intrinsic process, almost transcendental in allowing them to slowly drip and scatter, finding their natural form on a canvas.
What inspired the pieces featured in our Ancient issue?Â
Ancient is such an interesting theme to explore and I loved the way this issue was put together with such beautiful poetry and artwork. For myself these pieces explore origins, connections, the feeling of what is left and how that came to be. I am very fascinated by theories of time and this is often present in my poems along with the juxtaposition of hope and grief. "Parasites" focuses on the destruction of love and "Decidual Cast" explores fertility and menstruation. Decidual Cast is the term for blood shedding in one piece, almost triangular and the shape of the womb. It felt such a beautiful term that it begged to be used as a title for a poem.
What do you do when you need to recharge your creative batteries?Â
Walking, being immersed in nature, galleries, museums and random old books often help to provide a connection back to writing. I find sometimes I prefer non-verbal art making and asemic pieces and enjoy experimental forms when I'm finding it harder to write, these often lead to new poems but I love the experience of raw and transient art, the alchemy of rituals, exploring archaic remnants and the instinctual pull of primal magic.
What have you got coming up - any projects or publications we should look out for?Â
I'm thrilled to be publishing Acropolis Journal Issue Ten, it's a special double issue to mark the occasion and I just have so much love for all the support I've had since starting this journal, it's such a privilege to get sent wonderful art and writing and be able to share these.
On a personal note I have a few upcoming publications I'm really excited about! I'm available for commissions and editing/feedback work and have a few ideas in the works for future projects.
Where can people find you? (Socials, links etc)
Website: https://louisematheruk.wixsite.com/louisemather
Twitter/X: @lm2020uk
Insta: @louise.mather.uk
click here to add the dredging of rituals to your library.
OVERTURE BY MAGIC Louise Mather We carry death to the lake to where the sun sheds a mirage of dreams and time holding palms we listen with unguarded tears not heedless finality stories found once again from the village pilgrims cast adrift Louise Mather is a writer from Northern England and editor of Acropolis Journal. A finalist in the Streetcake Poetry Prize and Pushcart nominated, her work is published in The North, Broken Sleep Books, Acumen, Lucy Writers Platform and Dust Poetry Magazine. Her debut pamphlet ‘The Dredging of Rituals’ was published in 2021.
as a finale of our feature of Louise, here is an otherworldly poetry video gathering the essence of her recent published work. thank you Louise for your reflective time and potent art for us all to drink in.
to see more of Louise’s work and other phenomenal artists, please explore our Ancient issue available via your local Amazon.
and finally
the leaves bleed like paint on a canvas. lessened, the light glowers over the distant hill. you furnish a language with loss, break open words that fall in passionate embrace. ancestors whisper on your eyelashes across snowdrifts. you coil yourself into the wilt of yarrow, the immensity of chasms. folk tales that dazzle with quiet, spirit walks, the sleeping land.Â
our third print issue HINTERLAND is now open for submissions receiving your words and art until November 13th. we are especially happy to receive writing about loss, love, sex, nature and the liminal but with the singular imagery that the winged moon seeks to publish.
guidelines for this journey can be found here along with a link to our submissions form.
we look forward to reading your work of dream vision, misty eyes and carved hearts.
and of course if you liked this interview and Louise’s work we would love to hear from you in the comments and your shares.
Beautifu!