From the Editor & GIVEAWAY: Rona Wang's Cranesong
It’s here! Welcome to Half Mystic Press’ debut short story collection: Rona Wang’s Cranesong, an overwhelmingly bright thing that explores the trauma that clutters our bones, the echoes that infuse our language, every dawn that insists on spinning into existence despite it all. At the same time, this book lingers inside wild wind, consumes the cartography of longing, interrogates all the colors piano music can hold. These stories pinwheel from realm to realm—some fantastical, some deeply modern, & some settling in between. Yet there is an ancestral lineage that braids them together. The characters in Cranesong don't exist in the same world, but if they did, perhaps they'd recognise each other.
We’re so excited to be hosting a giveaway for three paperback copies of Cranesong. Try your luck right here!
Thank you so much to every blogger & journal editor who hosted Rona on the Cranesong blog tour. A few of our favourite quotes from reviews, interviews, & guest posts over the past two weeks…
A guest post in Night Music Journal: "With ‘Style,’ I wanted to tell an honest story, one starring a deeply flawed girl scrambling to survive. A girl who shoplifts from Sephora. Who lies about herself on dating apps. Who is so entrenched in her own insecurities that she turns to find comfort in a subculture that exalts heteronormativity, colorism, and commodification, all because—at least in her mind—it is everything she is not.”
Hannah’s review for Ink & Myths: “But between all that, Rona Wang weaves in hopeful intervals: small acts of kindness, friendship and love. So many moments of not giving in, of being brave despite it all. Of the possibility that if there isn’t yet a place you belong in, you have, inside yourself, the ability to create a whole world that’s meant to hold you. With her words, Rona manages to clear out a space filled will light, even among all the darkness, and I think that’s incredibly powerful.”
A guest post in L’Éphémère Review: “In high school, I had gravitated towards smooth quiet—the motion of mathematics, earbuds instead of conversation—and college was supposed to be wildness, brilliant gold, the quickness of names exchanged in a single breath. Yet somehow I was still the same, tethered to the past, while it seemed everyone else around me was becoming themselves.”
Sakshi Jolly’s review & giveaway for Luncorde: “Rona Wang laces themes that would cause one discomfort with her lyrical prose and presents it in a way that is palatable, as well as enjoyable to read. The overall darkness of the collection leaves you with a slight ache, that's almost pleasant and a feeling of having found a little piece of home within her words.”
A guest post for the Half Mystic blog: “I don’t know if I have ever plucked a story that wasn’t about math. Some write about the moon, its tidal churning; some write about music, our tender piano hearts. I write about math because it is the truest song I know. Translation: I’m not certain I could believe in tomorrow’s sunrise if it weren’t for axial tilt, the calculus of momentum.”
An interview with Kate Wilson for the Half Mystic blog: “Many of the truths within this book are about the impossible debt of love and the tremendous gift of lineage. I hope they resonate with readers, but more importantly, I’d like for Cranesong to give readers the space to interrogate and celebrate their own heritages.”
Sarah Perchikoff’s review for Bookish Rantings: “The whole book feels like poetry but if you have an aversion to poetry for whatever reason, I think you’ll still love it. It reads like poetry because the words she writes with are so beautiful. Yes, they are stories, but the way Rona puts the words together makes these stories feel like more. Like art. Like a painting that stops you in your tracks.”
An interview with & review by Shari & McKenzie for Colour Me Read: “Cranesong is a collection that deserves a spot on every shelf. Rona’s lyrical writing, marked with sharp notes and gentle touches, is the perfect voice for stories that mark us deeply.”
If your interest is piqued, don't forget to enter Half Mystic’s giveaway for three paperback copies of Cranesong! We would be so excited to send this stunning collection to your doorstep. & if you don’t want to wait, you can of course purchase Cranesong for $15 (paperback) or $7 (PDF) today. To everyone who has already preordered the book: thank you! Your copy will be shipped to your doorstep by next week (& might or might not include a little surprise enclosed!).