hortus animarum: a new herbal for the queer heart

hortus animarum is an exploration of humankind's intense yet non-romantic relationships and the language (or lack thereof) we have to describe them. With the queerplatonic term "zucchini" as a jumping-off point, other botanical specimens are invoked to depict the flavour and texture of relationship dynamics marked by fruitfulness, nurturance, sacrifice, death & decay, and more besides. Each prose poem exists simultaneously as a love letter to the flower, fruit, or succulent for which it is named, and also as a stretch of the linguistic imagination, an attempt to grasp the fullness of human love and mutual witness.

hortus animarum is a perfect read for anyone who wants to...

• brave their first foray into poetry
• ponder their connection to the natural world
• explore & build vocabulary to (re)define their own human intimacies
• enjoy the cadence & rhythm of lyrical words (it's got great mouthfeel!)
• invite more gentleness into their literary life

hortus animarum is a 30-page chapbook and includes 18th Century botanical illustrations in black & white.

Praise for the Project

hortus animarum started its life as the co-winner of Frog Hollow Press' annual Chapbook Contest in 2021. Out of nearly 80 entries, this queer little botanical manuscript was chosen for publication in 2022.

Since then, hortus animarum has also been nominated for an Elgin Award, and many poets and poetry-lovers have extolled its virtues! Here's a selection of kind words:

"Reading these poems aloud with my friend was like filling our mouths with the finest wildflower wine!" —C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death's Daughter and Bone Swans

"A dreamlike collection that entirely pulls off the solace it promises. I don't think I've ever read a poetry collection that was entirely prose poems, but it works so well as the garden it aims to be." —Lynne Sargent, Rhysling & Aurora Award nominee, author of A Refuge of Tales

"Botanical joy
your fresh growth entwining me
as I lose my heart.

I fell in love with this chapbook from the table of contents. It is tender and heartbreaking, passionate and particular. A pure delight." —Mary Soon Lee, Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, author of How to Navigate Our Universe

"Sienna's collection will captivate you in folds of mesmerizing language that is, on the surface, strikingly simple. Look for long enough, though, and the depths reveal themselves to be swirling with emotion and wisdom." —Marisca Pichette, Bram Stoker-nominated author of rivers in your skin, sirens in your hair