Tag Archives: horse

HORSE SHOW is an Editor’s Choice @ The Historical Novel Society!

Bonnie DeMoss over at the Historical Novel Society wrote a lovely review of HORSE SHOW, naming it an Editor’s Choice title!

DeMoss writes: “I was so impressed by “Two on a Horse,” set on the Steeplechase ride at Coney Island in the early 20th century. Although the horses were made of wood, they were part of a harrowing ride, and Bowers describes the personal stories of the riders in vivid detail. From the first lady to attempt to ride the Steeplechase astride to a sexual assault occurring during the ride itself, the story has a strong impact, and the reader can see and feel the violence of the ride as well as the trauma of the riders. Equally fine is “Of Course, Of Course,” which on the surface is about a young newlywed couple who discover a horse abandoned on their new property. However, underneath lurks a saga of a wife awakening to her own abandonment, abuse, and neglect in 1960s California. These perfectly crafted tales create a tragic picture that will have an emotional impact on the reader. Highly recommended.”

Click here to read the rest of the review over at the Historical Novel Society!

Then, click here to order your very own copy of HORSE SHOW!

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Happy New Year, HORSE SHOW!

HORSE SHOW is galloping into 2025 by appearing on a slew (a Seattle Slew?) of “best of” and “year end round-up” lists!

Thank you to everyone who added my curious little book to your Goodreads in 2024, shouted it out via social media, reviewed it on Amazon, or otherwise shone your spotlight in its general direction. When you’re published by a small-but-mighty press like SFWP, word of mouth is priceless!

A Victorian New Year’s greeting card.

First up, the Jackson Center for Creative Writing at my alma mater Hollins University named HORSE SHOW its “Winter TBR” title on Instagram, writing:

“In her striking debut collection, Jess Bowers ’03 leads us into a museum of the forgotten and the extraordinary: the world of horses in American history. Through thirteen vivid and unrelenting tales, Bowers unpacks the intricate bond between humans and their equine companions, a relationship marked by care, exploitation, and awe. From the mare who defies scientific reason to the television palomino whose charm holds a strange power, HORSE SHOW is an exploration of obsolescence, grief, and nostalgia. Bowers’s prose is arresting, her humor sharp, her imagery unforgettable.”

>blushes fiercely<

Next, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), included HORSE SHOW in its “Fiction of 2024” round-up, alongside my pressmates Tara Campbell and K.E. Semmel. Check out CLMP’s whole reading list here!

Also, Wendy J. Fox’s July 2024 list of “15 Small Press Books You Should Be Reading This Summer,” including HORSE SHOW, was just named one of Electric Literature’s “Most Popular Articles of 2024,” which is so cool.

More exciting HORSE SHOW adventures are already on the books for 2025, including AWP in Los Angeles (!!!) and a virtual February reading at Goucher College, another beloved alma mater.

Watch this space!

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New Interviews at JMWW & Horse Nation!

The Horse Show publicity wagon keeps on clip-clopping along, with new interviews at JMWW and Horse Nation this month, and spurs that jingle-jangle-jingle…

First up, fellow fictioneer, SFWP pressmate, and translator K.E. Semmel and I weighed in on the recent Literary Discourse (tm.) about book promotion in the 21st century at JMWW. It turns out that many writers signed at Big 5 and indie presses alike are feeling considerable pressure to hire outside publicists to get the word out about their titles, sometimes even when their publisher already has a dedicated marketing team!

K.E. Semmel and I both have professional backgrounds in public relations and debuted small press books this year. (FYI, his trippy novel THE BOOK OF LOSMAN is out 10/1/24, and available for preorder now!) So, we felt uniquely positioned to say some useful things about what it’s like to sell a book sans marketing budget in 2024. Read our conversation, “On Book Promotion (When You Don’t Have The Money To Hire a Publicist)” right here!

Meanwhile, over at Horse Nation, I had an absolute blast chatting with fellow fiction writer-who-rides Siân Griffiths about HORSE SHOW for their “Barn Aisle Chats” series, because it meant getting to really geek out about the transition from horses to automobiles, writing what you know (when what you know is horses), and our own beloved animals. You can read our conversation here, then go buy Siân’s debut novel, Borrowed Horses!

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HORSE SHOW @ Art On The Saddle, 6/8/24!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be returning to Columbia, MO this June for another reading, this time with a real live horse in attendance!

This one’s at a much earlier hour, and for a most excellent cause: I’m joining the program for Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center‘s first-ever Art On The Saddle Fundraiser at Ozark Mountain Biscuit Company‘s outdoor “Bullpen” on 6/8/24!

The party starts at 4 PM. And when we say party, we mean it! There will be food, craft beer from Logboat Brewing Company, live music by Mr. Fun, a real live therapy horse on-site for cuddles and photos (who will it be?!), and an auction of nine saddles repurposed into one-of-a-kind works of art by local Columbia artists! Check out my favorite below–Lisa Bartlett used found objects to transform an English saddle into a whimsical moth that’ll look incredible on someone’s wall!

Lisa Bartlett’s “Moth,” one of nine objets d’art on offer!

I’m not sure when exactly I’ll be reading, but it’ll be something “family friendly” from HORSE SHOW. I’ll also have copies on hand for sale and signing, with all proceeds going to CCTRC!

Cedar Creek was founded in 1988 and provides comprehensive equine-assisted therapy to more than 150 individuals per year. All classes include instructors that are certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH). Cedar Creek is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and does not receive any United Way, state or federal funding, but instead relies on the generosity of the community to help children, adults, and veterans with special needs experience the benefits of horsemanship.

Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center is my favorite place on the entire planet, my new cat’s name is literally “Ozark Mountain Biscuit Company” (Oz for short), and it’s cicada summer in Missouri, so if you’re local, I can’t think of any reason why you shouldn’t come have a beer in the sun for my very favorite cause: connecting humans who need horses with horses who need humans!

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New Interview @ Speaking of Marvels and Review @ Automachination!

With just three days until my debut HORSE SHOW officially bursts out of the starting gate, I’m happy to share this interview I did for Speaking of Marvels. This delightful blog features “interviews with authors of chapbooks, novellas, and books of assorted lengths” run by poet, fiction writer, and generally excellent human being William Woolfitt.

The concept behind Speaking of Marvels is novel (at least to me!) with each interviewee leaving behind a question for the writers to come, like a guestbook signature. This makes for surprising and varied conversations that go places other interviews might not. Check out my contribution to the Speaking of Marvels palimpsest right here.

Behold! Su Zi’s gorgeous block printed logo for The Red Mare chapbook series.

In other news, Zoeglossia fellow and founder/creator of the Red Mare chapbook series Su Zi kindly read HORSE SHOW and wrote a review for Automachination!

We cannot stand next to a horse and be blithe to their extermination; however, so many of us have not, and might not ever stand next to a horse, we might not ever feel their subtle vibration next to our own physical selves, we might not get a sense of some ancient memory. Thus, in our obliviousness to the extinction of horses, to their barbaric treatment, we are missing both their ancestral place in our collaborative relationship, and the symbolic nature of our brutality now. If we can be so cruel towards horses, then there’s no surprise at our cruelty towards each other.

I’m grateful to receive such a thoughtful and insightful review from a fellow writer/equestrian! After you’re done reading, make sure to check out Will and Su’s incredible eco-conscious work!

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