Right Here, Right Now

an updated story in progress

First things first, we want to acknowledge that things are incredibly challenging in the United States (and far beyond our borders) right now. There are not enough words to describe what we are all experiencing and feeling, both individually and collectively in this moment but The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is one of our go-to places for imaginary words that articulate the real estate of our griefs. Like this one: 

craxis, n. the unease of knowing how quickly your circumstances could change on you—that no matter how carefully you shape your life into what you want it to be, the whole thing could be overturned in an instant, with little more than a single word, a single step, a phone call out of the blue, and by the end of next week you might already be looking back on this morning as if it were a million years ago, a poignant last hurrah of normal life.

Part of the responsibility we feel as a small press is, of course, to share words—your words—through our books and literary journals. Since our inception in 2021, we have published five books and five issues of kerning | a space for words, our literary journal. Most recently, we published a chapbook What Blooms in the Dark by Molly Bolton, the winner of the The Poets Corner chapbook contest, and have been partnering with The Poets Corner to create a monthly open mic for writers called “Draft” here in Midcoast Maine that is still going strong. When we turn around to gaze behind us, this feels like an amazing accomplishment, and we are so proud of all of it. 

When we began this publishing adventure, the three of us were living under the same roof and the pandemic had hampered much of our work and opportunities as individuals. Today the landscape for each of us looks very different and we’ve realized we need to make some adjustments to create space for what might come next.

Maya continues to teach and work with writers to support their writing practice. She has also taken the helm of the Belfast Poetry Festival in her capacity as the Poet Laureate, and is excited to be welcoming Ellen Bass to Belfast this coming October as the festival’s keynote speaker.

Liz continues to make art with paint and pastels, work with design clients on their books and websites, and has added the job of Strategy & Design Director at The Poets Corner. She also serves on the board at Millay House Rockland, a nonprofit organization that champions poets, as well as creators and practitioners of all the arts in Midcoast Maine, and beyond.

Amy continues to make art with fabric and paper, and serves as the Program Director at Waterfall Arts, a nonprofit community arts center in Belfast, which houses four public access studios (glassblowing, ceramics, printmaking, and a dark room) plus a year-round art gallery and a calendar of robust arts and outreach programming.

Phew. . . 

All of this is to say we are still committed to making art and making space for words and images. We are ever more deeply involved in our community and committed to building coalitions of artists and writers. We are doing more of that work in person right now and have put a pause on our publishing operations to give us some breathing room, but our books and literary magazines are still for sale on our website, and we will continue to support them as they find their way into your hands and homes. (They make great gifts!)

We remain part of the Maine literary community by hosting the open mic for writers on the second Monday of every month at Hey Sailor in downtown Searsport. We maintain our membership at Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance and support other authors and literary events throughout the state (and online) as often as possible. 

We use our public library cards, we support our local bookstores, and each of us has stacks of books on our bedside tables (and the floor and on the kitchen counter and on the seats of our cars). We don’t know what the future holds for the publishing arm of Toad Hall Editions, but we remain passionately devoted to literature and the arts and we continue to support and build our community. 

We are eternally grateful for the support you have given us, the donations, the purchases, the submissions, the cheerleading, all of it is fuel for our fires. We hope you will continue to follow our adventures here and in all of the other places we are showing up, individually and collectively. 

Liz, Maya & Amy