Rebecca Moon Ruark is at rebeccamoonruark.com

To Dream of Curlews and Stars: A review of Marjorie Maddox’s Small Earthly Space Poet Jason Irwin reviews poet Marjorie Maddox’s new poetry collection with artwork by Karen Elias. It’s called Small Earthly Space. “Together,” Irwin writes, Maddox’s …

In his review of #poet Marjorie Maddox's latest collection, which includes stunning #collage #art from Karen Elias, Jason Irwin says, "Together, they depict a world not only fraught with imminent disaster, but one of beauty and hope." #bookrecs #Reviews

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Wow--I love it. What a great find!

“…the holy and the ordinary rubbing shoulders…” Essay and images by Justin Hamm The third offering in a series of guest posts here at Rust Belt Girl, poet and photographer Justin Hamm presents an essay about speaking in tongues with accompanying original folk art.

Writer and reader friends, I'm happy to share the latest in a series of guest posts at Rust Belt Girl. Thank you, #poet and #photographer Justin Hamm, for your vision, #art, and for being such a strong literary voice for the American Midwest.

rustbeltgirl.com/2025/07/01/t...

Publishers Marketplace deal announcement for an anthology of essays on dance by dancers co-edited by Rebecca Moon Ruark and Ree Wells-Lewis titled BODY OF WORK, as part of the Connective Tissue series, a health humanities series from West Virginia University Press, to be published 2027.

Good deal earlier this week! @reneeknicholson.bsky.social #dance #essay #anthology #health-humanities

“Taking the Cow Path to Culture”: an Essay by Christina Fisanick Christina Fisanick is a champion for Appalachian writing–and Appalachian voices, young and old. “Taking the Cow Path to Culture” appears in her book, Pulling the Thread: Untanglin…

New post--the second in a series of guest spots at Rust Belt Girl: Thank you to all my guest contributors and followers!

"Taking the Cow Path to Culture": an Essay by Christina Fisanick
rustbeltgirl.com/2025/05/28/t...

A campus novel, but make it weird...

Happy to have a review up at Belt Magazine today. You're going to want to check out Meduri's debut novel. Just read my review first.😆 #campus #novel #debut #fiction #Ohio

Really a fine piece of investigative reporting here. It's been a very long time since I fell prey to this mag's ways. But I remember loving Edgarian's debut novel when it came out. Sad for someone to know what it means to be a new writer and then treat younger generations of the same like this...

We can't wait to read your debut novels! ✨

Our submission period opens tonight Friday 1/10/25 at midnight PT (technically Sat 1/11/25 @ 12:01 am PT) and stays open until Sunday 1/12/25 @ 11:59 pm PT.

See full guidelines, FAQ, and how to submit your work at the link!

tinhouse.com/book-submiss...

My interview with author William Heath William Heath, a poet and novelist from Youngstown, Ohio, has contributed extensively to the literature of the Rust Belt and far beyond through four poetry books, three novels, and works on America…

Poetry lovers, fiction lovers, etc., I interviewed Youngstown Oh native, poet, novelist, and retired prof William Heath. I love finding out what--and where--makes a writer tick. Hopefully you will, too...

rustbeltgirl.com/2025/01/09/m...

Happy New Year, Leila! 🥂

No, but loving this idea though. I did get actual coal (a piece of a charcoal briquet, I believe) one year. No one laughed.

Yay, Laura. It's been crickets out here for ages. Now, they come!

If you're waiting for a personal invitation, this is it.
oleada.io/publication/...

May Day is a Rust Belt Holiday May Day isn’t just an estimably American holiday, it’s a particularly Rust Belt holiday, forged in the cauldron of Chicago’s streets and factories, born from the experience of workers in the mills and...

“May Day isn’t just an estimably American holiday, it’s a particularly #RustBelt holiday, forged in the cauldron of Chicago’s streets and factories, born from the experience of workers in the mills and plants of Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.” - Belt EIC Ed Simon

beltmag.com/may-day-is-a...

My interview with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury Let's begin with a sample paragraph from Amy Jo's stunning literary (also mystery) family saga: Spring was breaking through in lilac buds and daffodil shoots, but winter held on. Tufts of dirty snow c...

I interviewed Amy Jo Burns about her second novel, out last year, called MERCURY. Like mystery, literary, family drama? Amy Jo's got you covered. We talked craft and process, writing about motherhood and female friendship, and even what's hot in kids' books:

rustbeltgirl.com/2024/04/19/m...

Oh, please let WordPress have a renaissance!

Fantastic! I can't wait to watch. Congrats on this important work, my friend!

Such a gorgeous book!

Rust Belt Girl reading and writing the Rust Belt with Rebecca Moon Ruark

A fellow writer and reader, who often tunes into my blog about writing about place said this about me:

"You are my tour guide to the region I've lived in all my life."

Tbh, that one compliment makes 7 years of blogging so worth it! I'd love to see more Bluesky friends there:

rustbeltgirl.com

Barrelhouse Conference Conversations and Connections — Barrelhouse Conversations and Connections is a one-day conference organized by Barrelhouse in person at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA on September 23, 2023.

Writers! The @barrelhouse.bsky.social conference is coming back to DC and American University on April 13, 2024! Registration is open and still just $75. Lots more details coming soon. www.barrelhousemag.com/conference/

I totally get this. (Also I used to dance so I pay an inordinate amount of attention to movement.) I have a guy friend who has the most graceful, swingy walk--it is captivating.

Anybody here in the #writingcommunity, #reading community, etc., in the Baltimore area? I'm the featured reader at this series and would love to see your face!

ecpoetryandprose.org/event/salon-...

#ocamocha, #q&a, #booktalk, #reading

Welcome to the 2023 Rust Belt Girl round-up… Cue the fireworks: Just under the wire, I present to you my Rust Belt Girl superlatives for 2023... Enjoy, and keep the writing and reading mojo going all year long!

My wrap-up for 2023 at the blog, Rust Belt Girl, where I hype the lit of my native place (and beyond). Author interviews, book reviews, guest essays--it was a great and collaborative year. Thank you, all! #WritingCommunity, #readingcommunity

rustbeltgirl.com/2023/12/31/w...

Ha, exactly!

And Chrissie Hynde of course, and The Waitresses--that was news to me.

Thanks for reading!

My interview with David Giffels, author of The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio David Giffels is the author of The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio, coauthored by Jade Dellinger and published by University of Akron Press in 2023. ...this is a story of five spuds from an indust...

New wave fans, I interviewed David Giffels, author of THE BEGINNING WAS THE END: DEVO IN OHIO. We chatted about the band's early days and Rust Belt influences--and more. Hope you'll check it out and share! #WritingCommunity, #NEWWAVE, #authorinterview

rustbeltgirl.com/2023/12/19/m...

Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Emma Riva of Petrichor reviews WAYS OF PITTSBURGH Rust Belt Girl readers, don't miss the latest from Petrichor--Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's art scene magazine. Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emma Riva is doing an incredible job covering the scene. Ways o...

Emma Riva was kind enough to let me repost a fantastic book review of hers at Rust Belt Girl. Emma is founder and EIC of Petrichor, Pittsburgh's art scene mag. Check it out, #WritingCommunity, #artists, #readingcommunity, #art, #pleinair

rustbeltgirl.com/2023/12/01/e...

OK, I'm going to have to reply here: it's Richmond, VA. I went to VCU. The Village had the world's best and biggest black bean burrito I still dream about.

Photo of the entrance to the Village Cafe

Oh, @shemaiahng is writer Shemaiah Gonzalez's handle over at the other place. You'll def want to follow her Substack. She's turning her popular Undaunted Joy series into a book of essays (which is wonderful, btw). A little joy for your Sunday! Thanks for reading...