Tiffany Renee Harmon is a poet and mystery enthusiast originally from Cincinnati, OH. She has an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University. Her first novel Suburban Secrets debuted in July 2020, and her second novel Crooked was published by World Castle Publishing in 2023. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of the poetry journal Ephemeral Elegies. In her spare time, she loves spending time in nature, knitting, and doing crossword puzzles. She lives with her husband in a forest nestled in the Ozark mountains.
Welcome to day 137(?) of quarantine! While the need to social distance has made it seem like time is now irrelevant (seriously, I’m thinking about buying day-of-the-week underwear to help me keep track), I’m excited to announce that I’ve found homes for two poems:
This has been a strange year for us all! But I’ve honestly been enjoying the extra quiet time at home to explore different creative avenues. Becoming a publisher this year with Ephemeral Elegies has been an exciting new challenge, and I’ve been continuing my charity knitting projects with Warm Up Ohio. I’ve also been doing a lot of editing for Suburban Secrets, my debut novel coming out this summer.
The world may seem kind of stuck right now – but that doesn’t have to mean we remain creatively immobile. What are some passion projects you’re excited to be working on? Please, feel free to share in the comment section. I think that we should all be celebrating any sort of victory or milestone these days, and I’d love to know how to cheer for you!
April is National Poetry Month! This time of year, I love hearing about new and emerging poets who are using this month to hone their craft and take new chances with their work. So, as we go throughout the month, I just wanted to send a quick reminder that Ephemeral Elegies is open to submissions! In this time of uncertainty, I’m sure lots of people are processing what’s going on with the world by exploring the creative process of writing confessional poetry. We still have a few openings for our May issue, and we’re already looking forward to the summer!
I hope everyone reading this is doing well! Here in Ohio, everyone is pretty much quarantined until further notice (well, at least the next two weeks). Anyway, it’s been a while since I blogged and I wanted to share a few updates of what I’ve been doing:
Ephemeral Elegies
Ephemeral Elegies, an online poetry journal I run, is still doing well. We’re currently accepting submissions for our May and June issues. I’ve been really enjoying interacting with and supporting some great emerging poets. Check it out if you have some extra time (and/or submit some of your own work!)
Warm Up Ohio
I also run the local branch of Warm Up America: Warm Up Ohio. Although Spring is bringing warmer weather, I knit and crochet all year long so that I have enough to donate each winter. Since we’re a really small chapter, the focus has been less on squares and more on clothing. Hats and Scarves are simple and fun projects – and they are great donations for the many amazing Homeless Shelters in Greater Cincinnati and beyond.
Suburban Secrets
Surprise! Here is the cover reveal for my first novel Suburban Secrets – coming out later this year! It’s a work of romantic suspense that I began in grad school and finished last year. I’m still in editing mode, but I’m getting really excited about this project and can’t wait to share more with all of you when the details are all finalized.
So, those are my big projects for this Quarantine time. Please, let’s all do our part to stay in and help Flatten the Curve!
What are you doing with your extra quarantine time? Let me know in the comment section!
An unseasonably warm February has put me right in the mood for spring. I’m so glad we got to skip winter almost entirely. This year is really starting to feel like a year of change and growth already, and the seasons seem to agree.
The Ampersand Project, the publisher that accepted my first painting, decided to make it a featured post instead of just using it to illustrate a story or essay. They really liked the story behind it, and (while obviously biased) I do too! Anyway, I just wanted to share.
And to wrap up this brief update, I just wanted to share that Ephemeral Elegies is going well – we’re currently scheduling our May issue, so feel free to send over any confessional poetry you have sitting around!
The first month of 2020 seemed to last forever. Cincinnati has had a very mild winter so far, which I greatly appreciate, but there’s something about not seeing the sun that really makes the days seem to all blend together. Still, January (and the beginning of February) have produced some exciting things already!
“The Vanishing Act” is now available in the February Aurora Issue of Down in the Dirt Magazine. This issue can be viewed digitally or a physical copy can be purchased as well.
“Dancing in the Dark” is now available from Writing in a Woman’s Voice as well.
And my first painting is soon to appear on The Ampersand Project‘s website! (More details coming soon).
Lastly, Ephemeral Elegies has celebrated its first official month! In January, we published 9 poems by some amazing people. I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback and volume of submissions. It’s looking like 2020 is going to be a very good year!
It’s been a new decade for a whole week now, and this has already been a great one! I’m trying to embrace the things that make me happy, even if they’re not things that other people support or understand. For me, that’s coming in two forms: Painting and Poetry.
I’ve always loved painting, but it’s a point of insecurity for me. I like abstracts, and I know that these are not super popular kinds of paintings. Still, I’m getting too old to avoid things I love just because they’re unpopular. So, I’ve set up a small gallery here as well as on ArtPal.
Regarding poetry, I’ve already been hugely encouraged by the volume of poets who want to join in the experience of Ephemeral Elegies (still open to submissions!) There are so many amazing poets who want to share, and it makes me want to share too. I’m feeling really confident that this is going to be a creatively productive year. This is the year that I’m going to take myself seriously as a writer and artist. I’m going to take risks and really work on removing the plague of self-doubt.
Thanks for reading and coming on this journey with me.
I can’t believe the year is almost over. It’s been a huge year of growth and discovery for me, and while that process is never-ending, I’m so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and the people I’ve met on my journey this year.
In terms of the writing life, there have been a few milestones:
I finished my novella Suburban Secrets (stay tuned for more information about this project in 2020!)
So, what’s in store for 2020? I hope to be a lot more consistent when it comes to writing and submitting. I’m also going to be putting a lot of energy into Ephemeral Elegies and poetry in general. When I was younger, I wrote to escape into a different world and explore new ideas and emotions. I feel like I’ve lost a lot of that. While I loved college and my MFA experience, writing became a performance for others. My main writing goal for 2020 is to go back to writing the subjects, styles, and forms that make me feel most alive. And for now, that means poetry.
I have some exciting news for 2020! In January, I’m launching a new poetry journal Ephemeral Elegies to support new and emerging poets. We are open to submissions, and you can learn more about submissions guidelines here.
Ephemeral Elegies aims to be the home for poems about emotional experiences. Inspired by confessional poets such as Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, we invite submissions about personal experiences and reflections. Confessional poetry can be a great catharsis for a poet, and we want to support you on your journey of self-discovery, growth, and healing.
I hope you’ll consider submitting to Ephemeral Elegies or exploring it post-launch to support and discover some new poets!
Merry (Almost) Christmas! It occurred to me today that I had a story come out in October and I completely forgot to post a link. “The Aftermath of Giving Up” is a story I wrote a long time ago as an undergrad. It actually won an award in UC’s English department and was the story that got me into grad school, which was validating at the time, but it has taken 6 years to actually find it a publisher (which was substantially less validating). While it is dark, it’s also a huge departure from my usual style – it’s slower, domestic realism. I’m so grateful for The Scarlet Leaf Review for giving this story a home.
Halloween is nearly upon us! I can’t believe that this time next week, my apartment will be decorated for Christmas (don’t judge me!) Anyway, Halloween isn’t until Thursday so you definitely still have time to squeeze in another horror novel. Here are my top 7 suggestions for what you should read next!
Me + Snapchat filter = looking like an aging Wednesday Addams
1.The Shining by Stephen King – This is one I read pretty much every Halloween. I’m a huge fan of both the book and movie (I even have an Overlook Hotel keychain!) This is some great horror that truly balances plot and character development. It’s atmospheric – the hotel almost seems like its own character. Overall, it’s just a really fun read!
2.We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver – This is a heavy one filled with realistic horrors. There’s some amazing psychology to unpack in this book that really questions the nature vs. nurture argument for what happens when children do unbelievably evil things.
3.Dracula by Bram Stoker – This is another one I tend to read every year. While not the first vampire novel, it is for sure one of the most famous of the vampire classics. I like the epistolary style and the gothic vibes. There’s a reason this one inspired so many retellings.
4.House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty – Elizabeth Bathory, one of history’s most prolific female serial killers, is at the heart of this novel. I thought this was a fun exploration of both history and a modern mystery. It’s fast-paced and super creepy!
5.The Ruins by Scott B. Smith – While killer plants in the Mexican jungle seems like a cheesy plot, I actually loved this book. It’s fascinating and delves into more psychological aspects of the characters than I was expecting. I couldn’t put this one down!
6.The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey – I actually HATE zombies (they just typically bore me) but I adored this book. It was such a unique addition to the super tired and overdone zombie subgenre. I’m really glad I gave it a chance.
7.Help for the Haunted by John Searles – This is more mystery than horror but it has enough paranormal stuff that I feel comfortable including it on the list. It definitely has spooky moments but the driving force really is the mystery of the protagonist’s parents deaths.
What’s your favorite horror novel? Be sure to let me know in the comments section – and while you’re there, tell me what costume you’ll be rocking this year!
Tiffany Renee Harmon 