Digital Read: HamLit

Last year I made a drastic change: I left the software industry and moved from Seattle to Bellingham, WA. Since then, I’ve reconnected with old acquaintances, forged new connections, and rediscovered my love for the written word. Bellingham has a strong literary community centered around a single hub: Village Books in the Fairhaven Historic District. The number of writing groups, open mic nights, author book readings and signings, local speakers, and other events packed into a single space is astounding. They even host The Chuckanut Radio Hour and sponsor the yearly Chuckanut Writers Conference. There are few days on the calendar when something isn't happening at Village Books.

One of the projects born from the Village Books community in Bellingham is a local literary journal entitled HamLit. I stumbled across them after hearing one of their editors read a short story of his own at a Village Books open mic night. HamLit explains their goal as the following: "We aim to be a vehicle that writers—specifically those who have not yet found their voice recognized in this self-named progressive corner of the world—can use to propel forward." Writers submit stories and poems related to a specific theme for each issue, and there's approximately two issues per year.

The latest issue's theme is focused around strange, scary, and spooky stories. As such, many of the pieces in this issue fall into the horror genre, and many are definitely weird—right up our alley here at Weird Lit. My favorite story of this issue was The Death’s-head Creeps by Joseph Andre Thomas. The story depicts the tale of a man living happily with his nine cats who form a complete baseball team of utility players. Life is good until a sinister entity begins to invade their happy home. The writing is concise, the mood is spooky, and I felt a genuine connection to the characters, both human and feline.

If you're looking for some spooky stories to curl up with this weekend, head over to HamLit and check out the latest issue. If horror isn't your thing, take a look at the back issues. There's a little something for everyone. And if you find yourself in Bellingham, stop by Village Books! Spend some time browsing the shelves and maybe even drop into a writing group.