Tam Lin Inspired Poem by Ian Hunter

JANET REMEMBERS HALLOWEEN
BY IAN HUNTER

My skin looks normal
but it wasn’t always so
Once, it looked as if
I had dipped my face in the sun
Eyebrows burned away

You said look for the white horse
and I did, but was too scared to move
towards those fabulous creatures
Until something pulled me forward
Perhaps our unborn child
drawn to you

I dragged you down
and held you fast
Through all your transformations
The roar of the beast
The roar of the fire
Tugging against the Faerie Queen
Until there was nothing left,
but you
No more changes
yet I was left changed forever

I never tell you, Tam Lin,
when we lie together
how I long
for the feel of your claw and teeth
your bites and scratches

The reflection of the rippling river
is kind to my ruined body
but I do wonder
when I look at the sorrows of my skin
If it was worth it
If you were worth it


Ian Hunter lives in Scotland, and is a member of the British Fantasy Society (and poetry editor for their magazine “Dark Horizons”), as well as being a member of the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle and the Ghost Story Society. He is author of three children’s novels – “The Dark Knight’s Blade”, “Lipstick Lass” and “The Magic Mousehole”, and the guide to the alternative Glasgow they didn’t want you to know about “Fantastic Glasgow”. His poems and stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Canada.

His website is http://www.ian-hunter.co.uk/, and he is a founding member of the Scottish writer’s collective Read Raw, http://www.readrawltd.co.uk/

Review of Frieda Warrington's Elfland - (Reviewed by Chrissa Sandlin)

Frieda Warrington's Elfland draws the reader into an English landscape full of ancient mysticism, hidden magic, the Aetherials, who appear human but whose blood comes from Elfland. Rosie Fox, who is just beginning to respond to her Aetherial heritage in the beginning of the book, draws the reader into the corners to peer in wonder at the creatures revealed. It is this heavy and slantwise view of the Elfland of the Aetherials that first catches the attention. As Rosie shifts in age and perception, however, the secrets become less marvelous as they are revealed.

It's the beginning of the second introductory piece in which I found the heart of Elfland. Rosie Fox is rejecting fantasy--in this case the fantasy of unconditional love--but within this rejection is also that of the fairyland that has proved a cheat for the characters who have lost it or never knew it. While Rosie and her younger brother Lucas grow into their heritage without understanding it, the author takes some of the wonder that would normally have been given to the Aetherial world and gives it generously back to the human one.

In fact, it is Rosie's fascination with love that sets the tone for the tale. Is love the final revelation of who you are? The reward for bravely accepting yourself, despite your heritage, your fears, or your desire to fit in? Is it, in fact, sanity in the abode of madness? As I was trying to puzzle out what I could take from a story that was well-told but left me empty--one that took my expectations and shook them out, one that seemed to be laughing behind its hand at my looking for a fairy story in this day and age, it seemed that love and its betrayals were the only path through the narrative.

Although the prose is a delight, the multiple beginnings didn't serve to ground me in the narrative so much as to make me look for were they belonged within the larger story. Readers should be prepared for a story limned from Gothic tales by way of Peyton Place. There is wonder to be found here, but it is found in sharing a good cappuccino and gossiping about familial escapades rather than in the shimmering forests and arching bridges of Elfland. Between the chained angels, family secrets, and dark otherworlds overwriting the human one, Elfland itself embodied the idea of multiple worlds (or in this case narratives) existing and intertwining. As the story came to a sudden stop, I found myself in the sympathy with the characters: dazed and bereft.

Alice in Natural Light: An Interview with Photographer Matthew Nicholson

Hi Matthew! Please tell us a little about yourself and your studio, Dim Horizon Studio.
To begin with an overly simplified, down and dirty description of myself, lets begin by saying, I’m a driven creative soul with a background in a whole slew of geeky pursuits. I’ve always had a passion for the surreal and creative expression. Dim Horizon Studio began as a humble dream and a method for me to help illustrate to the world my perception of the world around me. Ultimately, this passion has blossomed into is a creative photography firm based out of Woodstock Georgia with a wide range of clients where the specialization is in truly serving the client in all creative aspects.

How did you get into photography, and how long have you been a photographer?
I began shooting roughly 7 years ago while struggling through a rather obnoxious college & work schedule. It’s truly amazing what sleep depravation (at the time, I was sleeping roughly 4 hours a night) and a passionate spirit will do for a creative pursuits.

I really love your Steampunk and the Fairy tale prints. Can you tell us a little about these photos and what inspired you to shoot them?
Steampunk has truly had an explosion of attention over the past couple of years and I’d expect the fairy tale theme to do much the same with the upcoming focus on Alice in Wonderland (even if that theme in particular is quite common within the novice photography model circuit). As for my images, I was quite lucky to interface with a local Steampunk troupe that is truly a powerhouse of talented individuals. After speaking with them and illustrating my abilities with natural light we set out to capture their rich characters in unique environments. My biggest goal when planning and executing all of my Steampunk shoots is to really bring out the characters that the models typically have extensive background information on. A picture really should be worth a 1000 words and when given such elaborate costuming and talent, it’s easy to turn it into a small novel.

The same can be said for my Alice inspired shoot; again, I was quite lucky to catch a local fashion student with an eye for the surreal and unique. With only a little direction on wardrobe the rest as they say is history. I utilize my post processing techniques to breathe an extra level of life into my photographs as well as bring that to that surreal beauty that can only be conceptualized by the mind and imagination.

How would you describe your style?
My style has always been difficult to describe in my own mind. I’d have to say its a little dash of candid photography with creative flair and an attention to natural light with all its glorious uses.

Which photographers do you admire and how have they influenced your work?
I think it would be impossible to actually list all the photographers I admire. In most case though, I find that my work is always influenced by images that capture you in both an emotional sense as well as an intellectual sense.


What advice would you give a person wanting to be a professional photographer?
My greatest advice to anyone starting on the road to become a professional photographer would be to always be true to yourself above all else and always accept free advice. There will be a million and one people in the industry that will tell you how you do things wrong, take it with a grain of salt because so long as you remain true to your passions and goals, the industry will one day catch up to you.

Thank you so much for stopping in and for sharing your creative and captivating "Alice in Wonderland" photographs!








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