Jessica Barksdale Inclan

   External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window         External link opens in new tab or window


   External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window         External link opens in new tab or window

Menu
  • External link opens in new tab or window
  • External link opens in new tab or window



   External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window        External link opens in new tab or window         External link opens in new tab or window

Column


 

External link opens in new tab or window

Column

Through the tapestry of these diverse stories, readers are invited to witness the transformative power of adversity. Whether it's a chilling encounter with the unknown or the poignant exploration of human connections, each story reveals the profound growth that can emerge from facing the unexpected. Jessica Barksdale Inclán masterfully weaves themes that resonate deeply with the human experience. This collection urges us to embrace the challenges that come our way and discover the hidden truths that lie within and to explore the complexities of difficult conversations often swept under the rug. Characters are forced to confront their vulnerabilities and issues head-on. In the process, they grapple with fears, doubts, and regrets, ultimately reconciling with the truths they uncover.



"Instant dreams drawing you in from their first (fresh, crisp) sentences, Jessica Barksdale Inclán's stories hold you: smart, wry, funny, tender, shocking. They sideswipe and seduce; their sparkling range startles and provokes. You may recognize many of their people and predicaments, warm and pulsingly real, wildly imagined yet utterly grounded. Shot through with wise compassion, Trick of the Porch Light casts a reverberant spell."

Joan Frank, author of Juniper Street and Late Work



Column


 

External link opens in new tab or window

Column

In Let’s End This Now, Jessica Barksdale presents poems that look at the underside of things, the dark parts we might want to avoid but can’t, at least not in this collection. Whether the poems are about motherhood, family, love, work, grief, and joy, we are brought into elements of each topic we had not yet considered. Full of voice, humor, and honesty, these poems yank us into deeper awareness.



"Let’s End This Now is a courageous, haunted, bracingly honest book. In these stylistically spare and emotionally unsparing poems, a woman confronts the hard truths of her own life. She will not look away from her complicated experiences as a sister and daughter, a wife and mother, and states things, often against herself, that others would not say. The result is an unremitting, utterly trustworthy, and unforgettable testament."


Edward Hirsch, judge, author of The Heart of American Poetry




Column


 

External link opens in new tab or window

Column

Mary Jo Johnson has a secret.

In the summer of 1949, twelve-year-old Mary Jo is changed forever. Not understanding why, she suddenly has the attention of one of her parents’ friends, Roger Bradfield, who notices things about Mary Jo no one else ever has. In Roger’s gaze, she is special, wonderful, perfect.

But for a twelve-year-old girl, “consent” is a foreign concept, especially when it comes to a much older and powerful man. When Mary Jo becomes pregnant, her parents protect Roger, not to mention their status in the town, and—they hope—Mary Jo’s future. Mary Jo is sent away to live with her grandmother for a time as they spin a story that will blanket all their lives with a lie.

That summer reaches into the decades as Mary Jo moves forward into her own life. Mary Jo gets married, has more children, and obtains the country club membership, nice house, and upper-middle-class trappings promised by her upbringing. But the lie never goes away, affecting not only her but generations to come. At the end, will the truth come out, or will Mary Jo take her trauma to the grave?



"What the Moon Did is a masterful telling of a family’s hidden tragedy and the unhealed wounds that long ripple throughout their lives. Inclán reveals each character's journey with clear-eyed wisdom and empathy, weaving a powerfully real and intimate drama that haunted me after I finished the last page."


Lynn Sheene, author of The Last Time I Saw Paris




Other books by Jessica Barksdale Inclán:

 


 


 


    

Copyright © 2024 Jessica Barksdale Inclán

Site by External link opens in new tab or windowAlamoWeb Solutions

• Books
• Ebooks
• Audio Books

• Short Stories

• Poems

• News
• Workshops

• Classes


close lightbox