Gathering Stars, by Sophia Ballard

Poetry, chapbook, 20 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Gathering Stars explores feminist and individualistic themes throughout a series of free verse poems.  This chapbook includes forms such as the golden shovel poem and the ars poetica.  However, even within these forms, the poetry seeks to emphasize the “free” in free verse. These poems are, in and of themselves, an expression of individuality.

As the title suggests, stars are the primary thematic imagery. However, this collection also draws inspiration from the European and North American witch hunts to explore feminist themes and the importance of individuality. Each poem in this collection both stands on its own and weaves into the larger narrative presented.

Sophia Ballard is a recent graduate of the creative writing and the literary & cultural studies program at Eastern Illinois University. Now, she works as an ESL instructor in Southern Illinois while writing plays, poetry, and short stories. She has previously published an essay in The Showbear Family Circus, a short story in the Grande Dame Literary Journal, and a poem in the Twisted Vine Literary Journal. In 2023, she won the Creative Works Award for their poetry, Gathering Stars: A Chapbook, by Eastern Illinois University. Her other interests include playing the piano and the violin, reading, and traveling.