Today is the first episode of 2023! Hear about Tolkien, who was born on this day in Literary History, then Kat chats with two authors: Marion Lougheed (who's also the EIC at Off Topic Publishing) and Jennifer Mariani. We cover:

• Off Topic Publishing—how Marion got started with it
• Monthly poetry boxes
• Marion's editing processes
• What Marion likes about writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
• How poetry can help refine your prose
• Pros and cons of being a writer and editor and publisher
• Getting feedback on submissions
• Writing retreat in Banff, Alberta, Canada in 2023
• Jennifer's chapbook, All Forgotten Now
• Jennifer reads us her favourite poem, Song of Home
• How Jennifer writes her incredible lines
• How Jennifer became involved with Off Topic Publishing
• What Jennifer's working on next
• Writing about extremely personal, difficult topics
• Advice to writers in dealing with challenges, acceptance, and burnout

Marion: Twitter: @MarionLougheed & @OffTopicPub. Facebook: @Marion Lougheed's Writing Page & @Off Topic Publishing. IG: @themerryonion & @offtopicpub

Jennifer: Twitter: @zimballerina IG: @zimballerina

Kat: Twitter @kfoxx_writes @_badasswriters @FoxxEditorial & @moodpitchers. IG @kathleenfoxxwrites @badasswriters_podcast @FoxxEditorial & @moodpitchers. Websites: www.kathleenfoxx.com www.foxxeditorial.com & www.moodpitch.org

Guest inquiries: please fill out this form. Please note interview bookings are now full until September 2023.

To submit a question to be answered on the podcast, please fill out this form.

To recommend a book, or to give a shoutout to someone, record a short voice memo and email it to badasswriters@kathleenfoxx.com, and I'll air it on the pod! More details here.

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Music: Bathtime Funk by All Good Folks (uppbeats.io), Head Up by Sixteen Wheelers, The Great Unknown by Hampus Naeselius, and Allegro Sotto Le Stelle by Trevor Kowalski.