Mr. Bear's Violet Hour

Mr. Bear reads excerpts from The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature, edited by Kelcey Ervick and Tom Hart. Discover delightful and informative essays on creating graphic narratives, poetry comics, and literary collage, along with exercises to jump-start your own creative practice! Plus, enjoy a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some Solidago worship.

Mr. Bear reads from Exodus Oktavia Brownlow's stunning book of essays, I'M AFRAID THAT I KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT MYSELF NOW, TO GO BACK TO WHO I KNEW BEFORE, AND OH LORD, WHO WILL I BE AFTER I'VE KNOWN ALL THAT I CAN? Also featuring the music of Awna Teixeira (plus a mini-interview with the artist!) and a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for a special end-of-summer elixir.

Mr. Bear reads from A.A. Milne's WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG, short poems and long pauses for your summer enjoyment. Also featuring a sweet song by the talented Dan Nielsen and a quick trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium!

Mr. Bear reads from Jan Stinchcomb's thrilling and haunting VERUSHKA. A mysterious lady, a hut in the woods, stuffed animals, a family curse…what's not to love? Featuring the music of Charming Disaster and a mini-interview with the delightful duo, plus a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some first aid kit tips and more!

Mr. Bear reads selections from an issue of Janus Literary, marvelously dark and unsettling work by Lyndsey Croal, Fiona McKay, Mathew Gostelow, DW McKinney, Ani Banerjee, and Jude Higgins. Also featuring Partycar's gloomily upbeat new album and a mini-interview with the one-man band, plus a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium will help drive away melancholy and sadness!

Mr. Bear reads the children's classic THE VELVETEEN RABBIT by Margery Williams. Also featuring a lagomorphic song by Sugar Whiskey, and Miss Mousie offers some tips on a sensitive subject.

Mr. Bear reads the dark and gorgeous story "Ribbons" by the award-winning queer writer and game designer Natalia Theodoridou. Featuring lush music by Katie Castagno (and a mini-interview!), plus Miss Mousie shares some passionate thoughts about yards this time of year.

Mr. Bear reads from Karina Lickorish Quinn's deliciously bizarre and creepy THE HOUSE OF SKIN, published by Stanchion Books. Also featuring a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some nettle love!

Mr. Bear reads from Chelsea Stickle's eerily unsettling chapbook EVERYTHING'S CHANGING, available from Thirty West Publishing House. Featuring music by Miwa Gemini to feed your dreams (plus a mini-interview!), a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some mushroom magic, and more!

Mr. Bear reads from THE ANCHORED WORLD, a dark and dazzling book of flash fairy tales and folklore by Jasmine Sawers. Featuring dreamy music by Turtle Grenade (plus a mini-interview!) and a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for a lunar infusion.

Mr. Bear reads from SKIN OVER MILK by Sara Siddiqui Chansarkar, a poignant glimpse into the lives of three young sisters growing up in India in the 1990s. Heartbreaking and heart-lifting, these stories will weave their spell around you, immersing you in sensory detail, family dynamics, and that fragile, wondrous space of childhood. Also featuring a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, a tasty cocoa blend, and oracles.

Mr. Bear shares magical musings from Rebecca Altman of Wonder Botanica and Kristin Stark of Poppy Petal Press to help you gently ramble along toward spring. Featuring the dreamy music of Gabrielle Griffis, along with a mini-interview. And Mr. Bear finally makes it back to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, where the two are reunited and talk eye care, time travel, and more.

In which Mr. Bear and Miss Mousie address their respective diaries. Warning: you may find this content rambling, boring, and/or meaningless.

Mr. Bear reads from Rebecca Hurst's THE FOX'S WEDDING, a gorgeous, dreamy book of poems from The Emma Press. Spellbinding and slightly sinister, each piece is a tiny potion distilling the essence of fairy tale magic and liminality. Featuring the passionate folk music (and mini-interview!) of Wattle & Daub, a husband and wife singer-songwriter duo. Plus, cool off with a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some ice cream!

Mr. Bear reads from Jill Talbot's intoxicating A DISTANT TOWN, hot, thirsty stories with road trips, jukeboxes, barstools, gas stations, pay phones, and the unrelenting hold of the past. Featuring the music of Dan Nielsen, songs rich in story and feeling. Plus, cool off with a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium. Oracles abound.

Mr. Bear reads from THE FACT OF MEMORY, Aaron Angello's lyrical book with Rose Metal Press. A daily meditation on each individual word in Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 yielded 114 “ruminations and fabrications” exploring the creative act of remembering. Plus, Miss Mousie mermaids it up with some ideas for soothing sunburn.

Mr. Bear reads stories from Ursula Villarreal-Moura's dazzling MATH FOR THE SELF-CRIPPLING, a dreamy equation of a self plus family multiplied by memory and divided over time and relationships. Featuring the dark ruminations of chamber-folk band Teething Veils (plus a mini-interview!), and Miss Mousie talks baths, bears, berries, and more!

Mr. Bear reads the brilliant work of Gabrielle Griffis and Corey Farrenkopf, who both explore the intertwined lives of plants, animals, and humans in a strange and vivid light. Also featuring the lush music of Gabrielle Griffis, a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for a plant to remember, and a new oracle!

Mr. Bear reads from Mona Arshi's iridescent novel SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, a poetic and piercing look at the beauty and violence of childhood. Featuring music by (and a mini-interview with!) Tristan Allen, who harnesses the “storytelling power of sound and puppetry,” plus a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, where your favorite two-dimensional, hand-drawn rodent studying herbalism talks about the folklore and medicine of a humble flower, touching on tears, lyres, fritillaries, brownies, and more!

Mr. Bear celebrates the double new moon and May Day by reading from THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK. Also featuring a live mini-interview with Mrs. B, a special song by Marika, and a speedy trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium.

Mr. Bear reads the dazzling poetry of courtney marie: ghosts and dancing and gardens and revolution and despair and hope. Their book SONGS WE USED TO DANCE TO will haunt your heart. Featuring music by Sugar Whiskey, plus a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some full pink moon tea and spring fever ruminations.

Mr. Bear reads luminous work by Melissa Llanes Brownlee, stories rich in Hawaiian language and life with characters who will make your heart ache. Featuring music by the writer herself on ukulele (and a mini-interview)! Plus, a visit to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium yields a not-quite-coffee recipe and tales of blue flowers and golden knives.

Mr. Bear celebrates the spring equinox by reading from Poetry Forge founder Holly Wren Spaulding's gorgeous FAMILIARS and BETWEEN US, whose poems will bloom inside you, stirring your blood and taking root in your heart. Also featuring a sneak preview of AS WE ARE, the powerful new EP by Amy Correia, plus a mini-interview with the “unicorn of a songwriter and singer”! And find out what Miss Mousie is planting this full moon and how she makes her famous salad dressing.

Mr. Bear reads from AND IF THAT MOCKINGBIRD DON'T SING: PARENTING STORIES GONE SPECULATIVE, a riveting collection of flash edited by Hannah Grieco that lifts up the rocks of parenthood to expose the frightening, fascinating, and vulnerable mess squirming underneath. Featuring the croons and tunes of singer-songwriter Minka Hoist (and a mini-interview!), plus a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some heady advice.

Mr. Bear reads the deeply moving, visceral work of Star Su, stories of family and blood, of loss and memory and longing, stories that will burrow into the smallest, softest parts of you and take up residence. Featuring music by the Toronto-based band Lowfills with their “songs for weirdos and circus ghosts” (plus a mini-interview!). And a visit to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium will get your blood moving.

Join Mr. Bear for a hibernation trance meditation and learn some facts about groundhogs. Plus, Miss Mousie shares her Dreaming of Springtime Tea recipe. Celebrate the moon, marmots, mugwort, and more!

Mr. Bear reads from Cassie Thornton's radically compassionate THE HOLOGRAM, which draws inspiration from Greek solidarity clinics to imagine a plan for building a new model of care and support for a post-pandemic future. Art, activism, science fiction, healing, and more, The Hologram illuminates tools for reimagining our health and our world. Featuring the hypnotizing DIY electronics of Zetsumetsu (plus a mini-interview with them!), along with another trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, a shout-out, and an oracle for the Wolf Moon.

Mr. Bear cordially invites you to feast on stories from THE PREDATORY ANIMAL BALL by Jennifer Fliss against a background symphony by Sugar Whiskey. Catering provided by Miss Mousie's Apothekarium; plus, take home an oracle to ring in the new year! RSVP not required.

Mr. Bear welcomes the winter solstice and closes out the year with a Nordic fairy tale, music by Sugar Whiskey, and a visit to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, where your favorite hand-drawn, two-dimensional rodent studying herbalism shares her "recipe" for cranberry sauce and more!

Mr. Bear reads from Clio Velentza's dark and shimmering debut novel THE PIANO ROOM and other beautifully unsettling work. Featuring the bewitching music of Cookie Tongue (and a mini-interview!) to hypnotize your ears. Plus a visit to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium for some bitter truths and a new oracle for the new moon.

Mr. Bear reads about the winter ways of animals from the 1922 account WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS by Enos A. Mills. Featuring the activities of chipmunks, beavers, deer, wolves, mountain lions, mice, and more, social commentary, and a musical exhortation to look at the moon. Plus, Miss Mousie's go-to warming broth, a Sweet Valley Oracle for the listener, and some shout-outs!

Mr. Bear reads from Beth Gilstrap's achingly beautiful DEADHEADING & OTHER STORIES. Also featuring (once again!) the enchanting music of Gabrielle Griffis and introducing a new Sweet Valley Oracle, plus a visit to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium complete with hawthorn berries.

Mr. Bear reads from Leah Angstman's thrilling historical novel OUT FRONT THE FOLLOWING SEA, an epic tale of a woman accused of witchcraft and her brutal fight for survival. Featuring music by the Wisconsin duo Spare Animals, complete with werewolves and vampires, oh my! Plus, Miss Mousie goes acorn hunting.

Mr. Bear reads the inspiring work of Micaela Arenas, a 15-year-old writer and activist. Whether a poem on borders, a speech on building bridges, or a book about the power of story and imagination, her writing conveys the infinite potential of words. Also featuring a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, where you'll get an earful on onion tricks, garlic oil, and ground ivy!

Mr. Bear reads the psychologically penetrating work of Mileva Anastasiadou, stories aching and redolent in their probe of the human condition. From a child struggling to be seen to a grown woman losing her words to a family playing games in an uncertain world, these pieces blend soma and psyche, fear and hope, love and grief. Plus, singer-songwriter Tammy Peacy will crack open your heart with her lyrics and mini-interview. And what do botanical perfume, goat beards, and Manhattans have in common? Take a trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium and find out!

Mr. Bear reads the riveting work of Cathy Ulrich—dark, poetic gems featuring murdered mermaids, girl detectives, astronauts, and more. Each tiny story is part of a glittering, infinite, kaleidoscopic whole that will make your heart spin. (You can buy her book GHOSTS OF YOU from Okay Donkey!) In the musical spotlight are the “alternative frantic angular indie punk solo bass compositions” of Puppet Midnight (along with a mini-interview!). Plus, Miss Mousie has the scoop on poop, or rather, not pooping.

Mr. Bear reads from Sudha Balagopal's poignant novella-in-flash from Ad Hoc Fiction, THINGS I CAN'T TELL AMMA. Interconnected pieces illustrate the challenges of navigating a new culture, managing relationships and expectations, finding love, and remaining true to one's self. Featuring found sound experiments, plus Miss Mousie talks about breath, sleep, the National Capital Puppetry Guild, linden, and more!

Mr. Bear reads the piercing, sensuous work of Monique Quintana, rich prose exploring identity, memory, the body, and more. Featuring the sultry music of and a mini-interview with Ksenia Mack of the Porch Party Mamas, as well as Dan Nielsen with Five Minutes, a podcast of philosophical pleasure and ponderance small enough to fit in your back pocket. Plus, Miss Mousie has some thoughts about popsicles and oxymels!

Mr. Bear offers a guided meditation for the new moon set to theremin and steel tongue drum. Miss Mousie talks about agrimony, apricots, a sleep charm, and pounded frogs?!? Plus, a call for music submissions.

Mr. Bear reads from Couri Johnson's I'LL TELL YOU A LOVE STORY, a glittering web of fairytales that will ensnare your heart in their strange and disturbing worlds marked with secrets, loss, grief, heartbreak, and occasional pinpricks of hope. Featuring the electrifying music of and a mini-interview with Katie Benoit, along with a quick stop at Miss Mousie's Apothekarium!

Mr. Bear reads stirring and evocative work by María Alejandra Barrios that explores what is passed from generation to generation—stories of family and spirits, of history and memory, language and silence. Featuring the luminous music of and a mini-interview with Juliana Lachance, plus some sweet lilac talk at Miss Mousie's Apothekarium!

Mr. Bear reads from SPINNING TO MARS, a collection of micros by Meg Pokrass: listen to dark, strange, grief-soaked, hope-rinsed morsels of prose against a backdrop of music by Sugar Whiskey. Also featuring a writing prompt from Tommy Dean and info on his upcoming newsletter Flash Perspectives. Plus, Miss Mousie takes a deep dive into wood betony—evil spirits and languid nervous headaches, beware!

Mr. Bear interviews the fabulous fiber sculptor Jodi Colella and talks textiles, deconstructing stuffed animals (!?!?), FiberLab, the importance of play, and much more! Featuring the magical music of and a mini-interview with Gabrielle Griffis (plus a tiny sample of her writing!) and oneiric musings from Miss Mousie.

Mr. Bear reads from THE BEST OF BREVITY, a dazzling collection by Rose Metal Press of flash essays culled from twenty years of publications at the renowned online journal Brevity. Featuring songs from the gorgeous album Citizen Alien by Leaf Rapids, a mini-interview with lead singer and thereminist Keri Latimer, and a mouthwatering recipe and essays by Chris Galvin exploring how food can capture the heart of a place. Plus, another trip to Miss Mousie’s Apothekarium, where your favorite two-dimensional, hand-drawn rodent studying herbalism shares her love of dandelions!

Mr. Bear reads from DEATH, DESIRE, AND OTHER DESTINATIONS, Tara Isabel Zambrano’s luminous collection of flash published by Okay Donkey Press. Strange, lyrical, and piercing, these stories hover at thresholds of life, death, lust, grief, love, and sorrow. Featuring groovy music by People in Cars, a mini-interview with Bob Records, and a tasty writing prompt and recipe from Alina Stefanescu. Plus, Miss Mousie has a case of spring fever!

Mr. Bear interviews Cass and Fagner Gastaldon of PuppetSoup, a Wales-based theatre company that creates puppetry for everyone and offers fantastic courses. What is (or isn't) a puppet? Can puppets die? What do they smell like? Learn how to animate a piece of paper, discover the world of teatro lambe lambe, join a group field trip to Miss Mousie's Apothekarium, and more! Featuring the eerily beautiful music of Cindy "Sawprano" Webster, who plays the musical saw and experiments with found sound.

Mr. Bear reads Megan Pillow’s disquieting story “Water in the Blood,” a fresh take on horror where postpartum realities, gender roles, and relationship inequalities grow even more sinister with hints of the supernatural. Featuring otherworldly music by and a mini-interview with Flutter and an original writing prompt by K.B. Carle. Also featuring the nascent project Submerged: An Archive of Caregivers Underwater (you can support this work at Patreon) and another trip to Miss Mousie’s Apothekarium. Grab your life jacket and come along for the ride!

Mr. Bear reads from LAKEWOOD, the stunning novel by Megan Giddings exploring class, race, memory, trauma, and what we're willing to do for those we love. Featuring beautiful music by and a mini-interview with Annie SewDev, an original writing prompt from Kathy Fish, and introducing Miss Mousie's Apothekarium!

Episode Notes Mr. Bear is headed to the moon!