Memories Flow in Our Veins: Forty Years of Women’s Writing from CALYX is an elegant literary history of feminist nonprofit CALYX Press, revealed through a collection of poetry and prose from their rich archive of women’s literature. Featuring all-new introductory content by the CALYX Editorial Collective and vibrant contributions by thirty of their most renowned authors, this anthology explores the evolving realities and aspirations of women across cultures, generations, and perspectives. We follow young girls as they discover their womanhood, behold wives and mothers pushing beyond the boxes society has put them in, and witness as aging women reckon with the dynamic effects of time. This anthology pays tribute to CALYX Press, their contributions to literature, and their commitment to the future of women writers.
Since 1976, CALYX Press has been dedicated to publishing the work of women writers, cultivating emerging talents, and amplifying diverse voices and narratives. Their 4,000+ contributors include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the O. Henry Prize, the Pushcart Prize, the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, and the Oregon Book Award, among other accolades
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Reviews
“Touching, haunting, funny, and transformative: the stories collected in Memories Flow in Our Veins capture women’s–that is to say humans’ – experiences in their complexity, power, and beauty. The anthology illustrates why CALYX Press has been a leader in literary publishing for over thirty years.” — Karelia Stetz-Waters, Author of Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before
“By what sorcery or alchemy did CALYX distill 40 years of pioneering feminist literature into this slim, absorbing volume? It’s like an enchanting magic trick: here is the diversity of writers, voices, viewpoints, styles, and themes CALYX Journal has long been known for, including work by Ursula K. LeGuin, Alicia Ostriker, Jean Hegland, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Barbara Kingsolver, and Chistra Banerjee Divakaruni. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of feminist thought.” — Amanda Fortini, “The Feminist Reawakening,” Best American Political Writing 2008.
“If the best anthologies are a patchwork of pieces that each say something unique but are threaded together with careful cohesion, this collection from CALYX succeeds enormously. Poems, essays, and works of short fiction collected throughout 40 years of this feminist press feature distinct voices – some who’ve gone on to illustrious careers, others whose work makes readers want to search out their back catalogs – telling stories as varied as their tellers. This anthology strikes a strong balance between personal and political with early works from Barbara Kingsolver and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, tales about the body, and stories of the diaspora. No book could be a comprehensive universal representation of women’s voices, but this one is certainly a richly woven and deeply satisfying tapestry of women’s work.” — BUST Magazine.