Worms / 5

ISSUE 5

 

In this issue, we explore New Narrative alongside writers working today that incorporate some of it’s themes. Our cover star Saidiya Hartman talks with Rhea Dillon about the limits and processes of creating stories from the archive, while Camille Roy and Dodie Bellamy give us insight into New Narrative from their experiences involved in the movement. Savannah Knoop tells us about their life playing the character of J.T Leroy, while Calla Henkel delves into ideas of using other people’s narratives as our own. There’s lots of gleaning, lots of stealing and lots of hard truths coming from the human body. We have poetry and fiction and all of the usual bits, as well as an experimental cut up piece demonstrating the appropriation method that Kathy Acker (via William Burroughs) used in so much of her work. Many more worms to be found in these pages.

 

Featuring: CALLA HENKEL, JENNY ZHANG, CAMILLE ROY, DODIE BELLAMY, ESTELLE HOY, SAIDIYA HARTMAN, RHEA DILLON, SAVANNAH KNOOP, TOP STORIES, MADELYNE BECKLES, LAUREN FOURNIER, JOANNA WALSH, LYNNE TILLMAN.

 

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Worms is a biannual literary style magazine that celebrates female and non-binary writer culture.

 

‘If you’re reading this, you are a worm. We’re all worms, and in the end, we’re going to be eaten by them. As a (book)worm, you will fertilize your mind with glorious words…’

 

Founded in 2019 by Clem Macleod during her degree at Central Saint Martins, Worms began with a mad, spiralling obsession with the late Kathy Acker. With a little bit of digging, Worms #1 (The Inaugural Issue) brought the female writers exploring identity politics to the topsoil - Chris Kraus, Natasha Stagg, Stephanie LaCava and Fiona Alison Duncan among them. 

 

‘The magazine centers on the themes these writers focus on — style, art, philosophy/theory, gender, politics/capitalism, contemporary culture, and social commentary.’