Lauren Wilson
spinner of Yarns & autodidact folklorist and classicist
Greetings Dear visitor,
Greetings Dear Visitor.
You've discovered my pamphlet of pandemonium. Above you'll find my email for business inquiries and a link to my LinkTree, which contains my various social media profiles.
"Although only breath, words which I command are immortal.” - Sappho
As you can probably guess, reading was foundational in my love for the written word. I love stories, I was reading three levels above my peers when I reached first grade and my insatiable love for knowledge hasn't waivered any in my adulthood. I discovered writing at a young age and have been reaping the cathartic and healing benefits of it since then. I've attended several writing workshops at Wor-Wic Community College and Salisbury University to help hone my craft.My work has appeared in Wor-Wic Community College’s Echoes and Visions, where I later became an editor. I've also submitted to Salisbury University’s The Scarab and did several workshops both with the magazine and with individual professors; notably Dr. Susan McCarty and Dr. John Nieves. I've written opinion pieces for both Yatta-Tachi, my local newspaper, DelmarvaNOW, and I've received many edits and shared many a session with published poet Molly Likovich. Molly is a talented poet and author, and I'm incredibly lucky to consider her a friend. Check out her website, and sign up for her newsletter!
Molly's WebsiteBelow are the publication dates and the title of the piece, scanned pages of these works are available in my portfolio. The entirety of my articles published are also in my portfolio however, I have provided the links to those that I don't have copies of.Echoes & Visions
2008: One poem - “Charcoal and Paper.”
2009: Two poems - “Labyrinth” (pg 18), “Paper Faces” (pg 31); and one short story Black Irish (pgs 8-12)
2010: Introduction, 3 poems - “Painted Gypsy” (pg 18), “five months and summer” (pg16), and “Victorian Fragments” (pg 24); and a dramatic monologue Jessie (pg 17)The Scarab
Spring 2013: one poem “Eighth Avenue” (pg 57)DelmarvaNOW articles
We Are all Human
Christmas GratitudeWhat it's like to live with AnxietyWhat it's like to live with DepressionMy First Published ArticleI've performed in spoken word poetry showcases at the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council, Fenix Youth Project's This Is Us: Open Mic, and Pemberton Poetry Night, co-wrote the spoken word poem How to Say a Million with Molly Likovich, (which has reached over 1K views on YouTube), and appeared as a guest in the documentary, The Hidden History of Edgar Allan Poe; which you can find on Molly’s YouTube channel.Yatta-Tachi
I was honored to submit a few articles when this website was starting to gain popularity. Below is the full catalog of my submissions:
Anime and Mental Health#AnimentalHealth Character Study: Mikasa AckermanFirst Impressions - KonosubaFirst Impressions -BBK/BRNK (Bubuki Buranki)Myriad of Colors Phantom World Ep.1 & 2 ReviewErased episodes 1-3 Reviews:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
"The consequence of a single story is this: it robs people of their dignity. It makes recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different, rather than how we are similar." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Photo © Aaron Burden
Before you go, I thought I would tell you a little bit about what I write and where my inspiration comes from and what my main focus of my craft is.I focus mostly on short stories, intertwining well known
or obscure myths and folklore; and depending on my mood or the
current world situation we’re in, these can range from
debaucherous comedy to horrific existential dread. My former
professors and mentors have told me I have an impressive range.While short stories are my primary focus, I have 3 projects that can be considered novellas and novels. One is a (ancient) historical novella about the early life of one of the most notorious women in the Hebrew Bible: Jezebel. The other two are based on folklore; one is based on folklore regarding elves from all over the world, and the other is also based on folklore, but the best way I can describe it is a multiverse where all of the folk creatures we grew up hearing about are real.
"The wastepaper basket is your friend, it is a gift given to you by God." - Margaret Atwood
Photo © Debby Hudson
I heard Margaret Atwood say this on an ad for her master class, and at the time I had no idea what she meant. I think I do now:
Perfection is subjective, what's perfect to you is unacceptable to someone else. That's how preference works. The wastepaper basket reminds us that it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to crumble up that piece of paper, toss it, and get a fresh one. The wastepaper basket is also forgiving, it doesn't delete your work; it's there until you empty it which gives you ample time to go back and grab what you thought was a flaming pile of garbage. I've always believed that hearing stories and poetry from other people's perspectives makes us human, it makes us grow and change. Stories can teach us to be better humans or at least start on the path to doing so. So I guess I owe my wastepaper basket an apology, and I also owe myself one for saying how awful I am at this. Imposter syndrome is an insidious thing, but I'm learning to be gentle with myself.I hope you are too.
I hope you know that your story, however you tell it, matters too.
Background courtesy of Jez Timms on Unsplash