From the Editor: Melissa Atkinson Mercer's Knock

Songbirds, we're honoured to share that Half Mystic Press' debut release, Melissa Atkinson Mercer's Knock, is out now! You can purchase a physical or digital copy of the book right here.

A huge thank you to all of the bloggers who showcased Knock in their lovely spaces over these past few weeks. Excerpts from our favourite reviews...

Kanika Lawton for L’Éphémère Review: "It is difficult sitting down with Melissa Atkinson Mercer’s latest poetry collection, Knock (Half Mystic Press, 2018) and not feel the blood drain from beneath your skin. That is, without feeling the air leave your lungs with such great force you keel over. That is, without tingling hands and tongues too big for your mouth, unable to fully give voice to the sheer, indescribable impact of this shocking and beautifully-cultivated body of work."

Margaryta Golovchenko for The Coil: "Words can be simultaneously soft and biting, as Mercer’s Knock, the debut publication from Half Mystic Press, demonstrates. Here, one will find poems that are constantly aware of their voice and reach, enticing the reader rather than requisitioning them. It is a collection that never demands anything, neither time nor attention, willing to keep giving constantly until it has laid its poetic heart bare for examination and critical scrutiny."

Sneha Subramanian Kanta for Parentheses Journal: "The book is unflinching in its exploration of diverse pre-occupations, best discovered through a series of close reading than a hurried summarization. The poems burgeon in between the paradigms of spaces, to bewilder and redefine. There is a recurrent visibility these poems render to the consciousness which is whole in its longing. The expanse of Atkinson’s canvas maintains steady growth, with potent analogies in its multitude of nuance. The collection offers the reader a sense of collective memory while delving into myriad interiorities of the mind."

Beverly for Word Drift: "The collection has an air of simmering tension around it, creeping notes of something haunting yet wildly mesmerising.  The pages are home to an abundance of imagery, sometimes confusing and requiring second reading but mostly rich and evocative. The words sing from the page, loudly, firmly. They sing of suffering and healing and truth. Each word carefully selected and arranged, imploring you to listen, just listen. Reading was simultaneously like trying to stay afloat, gulping down mouthfuls of water, and then: a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief. Here I am, this is who I am and what I have to say, the voices in the book whisper, like a bird breaking free of its chains, shaking its wings and finding flight, soaring into the sky."

Amber for YA Indulgences: "Knock is a beautiful haunting story told in poetry. I believe it may be best with repeated readings as I know I will most certainly be doing. I’ll be following along Melissa’s future poetic works as well."

Lilli for Utopia State of Mind: "This collection is rich with imagery and phrases that are borderline eerie. But they have this mysterious quality about it, like a wise sage, where the wisdom of the words have yet to fully leave the room. It’s almost as if the collection rings an ominous gong and leaves you to your reflections as it echoes. There’s this desire to be heard, to be acknowledged. It’s almost like staring into the abyss, up to the stars, and waiting for them to remember us. Knock has this primordial imagery in it, a beauty in the circle of life, and in its destruction and savage curiosity."

Also, don't miss interviews with Melissa at L’Éphémère Review & on the Half Mystic blog, as well as guest posts by Melissa on Books for a Delicate Eternity, Word Drift, & once more on the HM blog.

Congratulations to Chloe Yeung, Vicki Garrett, & Courtney Whisenant, the winners of the Knock giveaway generously hosted by Books for a Delicate Eternity, Clairefy, Of Wonderland, & YA Indulgences! We'll be in touch soon to get your addresses to mail Knock to your doorstep.

Finally, a huge thank you especially to those who preordered the book; we couldn't be more honoured to share this tender swerving thing with you, this story of illness & bodies, of tongues & becoming.

If you haven't yet ordered your copy of Knock, you can remedy that right here. Endless love to every one of you who helped to bring this book to fruition. We hope this book helps you listen to those knocks in the distance, that perhaps it inspires you to answer the door. xx