juls

@julsmac

🪏 Spec writer, poet, gardener. UBC MFA candidate. Work in or forthcoming: Prairie Fire, The Malahat Review, The /t3mz/ Review, CV2, HAD, & more. Poetry reader for PRISM International 💫 ➡️ julsmac.ca

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juls@julsmac· Oct 14

I made my first-ever pie yesterday, crust and all, with apples from the garden. and it was good!! I overworked the crust a bit but have notes for next time. like this friday for harvest party. 🍏

An apple pie sitting on a counter with four vent lines in the top and a slightly wonky crust.

juls@julsmac· Oct 11

some pics from recently. if you look carefully you can see the ghost of a man my friend used an app to delete in the background of our selfie I hadn’t seen Vanja in like 3 years so it was nice to catch up with a friend I’ve had since grade 5!!

A small copper tabby cat and a large black cat sit in the sun on a coir mat in front of a sliding door.

Two friends smiling for a selfie in a brick-lined narrow alleyway.

Mallards in a pond under a grey sky, some of them with their butts in the air as they dive for whatever it is Mallards eat.

Gnarly old oak trees lining a leaf strewn path through a cemetery.

juls@julsmac· Oct 5

pics from the last few days of garden visits

countless peach-rusty orange chrysanthemum blossoms with yellow button middles under a backdrop of more flowers and greenery.

Rose bushes in early fall, leaves just starting to turn red, blossoms just starting to fail. A blurry background of dark green coniferous trees under a grey sky.

Apples on a tree pruned meticulously to stay against the white wall it stands beside. More are visible in the background stretching into the distance.

Purple clover flowers, close up. On one is a large yellow and black bumblebee.

juls@julsmac· Oct 3

climbed a chain link fence today for the first time in forever, and the bounty was worth it. (there was no stealing involved - just a branch of the garden’s apple tree that sits over a fence) seeing apple pie as something to add to this weekend’s plans :)

A large box and a tote bag completely full with green, slightly red apples, sitting on a gravel path.

juls@julsmac· Sep 29

then got distracted by a garage sale raising funds for a family of refugees, spent $20 on goodies (including a painting of Cascade from a viewpoint I know all too well) and got some coffee and fresh-baked bread for stopping by then cleaned up the garden plot and got some ice cream

A wood-framed painting featuring a snow-covered mountain (Cascade, Banff, Alberta) seen from the highway. Dark pine trees frame the highway and the sky is a cold blue.

A garden bed surrounded by wood chips. Bushy marigolds sprout many orange blossoms, and a tall cosmos plant with white flowers sprouts within. There are nasturtium with a few remaining yellow flowers, fluffy yarrow leaves, dark red swiss chard, dark purple kale, and tall, purple lemon bee balm flowers, all under a grey sky.

juls@julsmac· Sep 29

checked out "island farm stands" today to discover that 2 blocks over, a house runs an adorable IRL stardew valley lil farm stand so we got farm fresh eggs ($9 is a steal for happy backyard chickens + closer than the grocer!!) and strawberry rhubarb jam 🍓 also learned that snails love the azalea

A carton of a dozen eggs of varying shades of brown and sizes. A jar of dark red jam sits beside them on the counter.

Leaves in the midst of turning from green to red, among old stems of flowers. Under a stem is a snail shell with a repeating circular pattern in dark brown and beige.

juls@julsmac· Sep 27

im so good at cutting apples now there were free bike tuneups at the orchard and i got good news: 🥰 my bike is too shitty to be worth fixing 🥰 it’s also apparently heavy, which makes me feel a lot less like a weakling… so eventually I’ll try and get a new second-hander that’s lighter!

A table full of tin foil plates of apples of all shapes, colours, and sizes - red, green, gold, and brown - and chopped up slices. A few people stand in the background admiring and tasting.

A two-lane bike and walking paved path surrounded by greenery and fallen leaves under a blue sky.

juls@julsmac· Sep 27

The cosmos and bergamot are a little late but here nonetheless!

A tall bright green cosmos plant with white, delicate flowers. Behind and surrounding are orange marigold blooms, and in front, a single light purple bergamot blossom, all under a grey sky.

juls@julsmac· Sep 26

IMPORTANT update, breaking news Big Al flipped himself over

juls@julsmac· Sep 26

update: my eyes hurt from reading policy i don't doubt that it's very much by design that this stuff is dense as hell and refers to itself and other policies in never-ending spirals so here's Big Al and Greta as they are on the couch w/ me right now for for better vibes

Big Al, a black cat with white paws and pink bean toes, sleeps awkwardly sideways on a grey couch, facing away from the camera.

Greta, a copper tabby cat, sleeps with her head tucked down on a red throw blanket over Juls' legs.

juls@julsmac· Sep 24

terry and i are back home from our 14 year celebration on pender island, which was only 2 nights but still plenty of time to catch a couple sunsets, listen to the birds, and shut our brains off for a bit!

A periwinkle sky in sunset. A wind streaked pink cloud sits against a darkening blue sky. Dark islands and pine trees are silhouetted against the gold light of a sun just set, and the water between them mirrors the sky.

The setting sun peeks out from a hill on an island across the water, shooting a ray of reflecting gold light across calm waves. Grasses and pine trees are dark in the foreground.

A rocky, cliffy coast with dry grass and pine trees sits over deep blue water. Other islands sit on the horizon under a blue sky.

A great blue heron stands in detritus on a still ocean. A gull is in flight above. The sky and the sea are separated by a soft blue line of far away coast.

juls@julsmac· Sep 22

sharing from my readings tonight for the Islamic Gardens class. this chapter on geometry and materials was fascinating, and this section in particular, a good reminder. (from The Art of the Islamic Garden by Emma Clark)

Text reading: It will be noticed that the terms 'artist' and
'craftsman' are used interchangeably since, in the traditional Islamic world, they were one and the same thing - the root meaning of the word 'art' being skill.
The division between so-called 'fine art' and craft is an entirely modern one and very misleading, implying that there is no craft involved in making art and no art involved in making craft. A gardener has always been both an artist and a craftsman - as all traditional artists/craftsman were: making something beautiful and meaningful with great skill and knowledge, love and humility, acquired over years of learning and experience. The skill can never be dispensed with and can only be acquired through dedication, practice and love.

juls@julsmac· Sep 20

the great horned owl won the staring contest (again) the poor thing keeps coming around just 120% surrounded by crows that can caw for hours before getting tired!

juls@julsmac· Sep 19

been feeling literally sick to my stomach for a week now about the precipice i’m at in my life and with my work. hanging out w/ luka the garden cat, taking the scenic route to the bus, and watching birds w/ terry have been vital in letting my mind be at peace for a few sweet moments.

An orange cat with green eyes sits in shady grass under a butter yellow lawn chair.

juls@julsmac· Sep 17

today's vibe is trying not to be depressed abt the cute raccoon terry saw climbing a tree on his way to work, in the foreground of a smokey sky, on a day when there's a layer of ash on the car

A Garry Oak tree against a smokey sky. A cute raccoon pokes his head out from where the trunk branches.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

And some from around where we were. The house in the first pic was our neighbour, and I loved its balconies. The last pic was a balcony in Selianitika, the town we were beside. All in all it was too good of a trip and it took me a couple weeks after returning to realise I'd fallen in love.

A yellow house with a sloped roof in the morning sun, at the end of a gravel road lined with white wildflowers and olive trees. The house has three balconies spreading the whole width of the building, some lined with plant pots.

The sun rises over the Gulf of Corinth on a clear day, deep orange and casting the foreground of cypress trees, and a man (Terry) sitting with his back to the camera on a balcony.

Under a blue sky, a pool sits with umbrellas and lounge chairs laid out, framed by cypress, palm, and a tangerine tree. A man (Terry) in a bright blue pool wipes water from his face after surfacing.

A balcony partially shaded with an awning seems to be sprouting plants from every crevice; succulents, vines, and flowers burst through the white railing and trail out.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

Monemvasia was a proper tangle. The rocks were so smooth I'm shocked I didn't wipe out. Lots of friendly cats! The water was perfect. Definitely imagined briefly what life would look like there with Terry selling leather goods (we're allowed a little delusion, as a treat).

Below a staircase surrounded by yellow and tan buildings, a black and white lounging cat looks up at a sparrow, mid-flight under a blue sky above.

A stone staircase disappears into darkness between buildings and overgrown greenery sporting blue flowers.

Blue sky and blue sea, seen over red rooftops, a red balcony, framed by a dark wooden window.

The ocean and coastline beside a curving cliff holding a walkway and a windowed building with a terracotta roof.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

Terry and I hiked up to the top of Mystras, beside Sparti. It was so hot, but there were kittens, and all the climbing felt good.

Byzantine-era ruins taken from outside a courtyard. A tangle of open archways, red-tiled rooftops, and small arched windows of a church.

Stone ruins with arched and windowed openings on a cliffside, overgrown by plants, under a blue sky.

An open, arched walkway beside a church, made of red brick and stone, with white pillars. Pink bougainvillea trails on the side under a blue sky.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

Delphi was my favourite. I had an emotional moment in that museum with the piece of writing from George Seferis. I hadn't been able to put into words how I'd been feeling all trip, and seeing my own thoughts translated for me reminded me why I think writing is magic.

Looking down at the ruins of the Temple of Apollo; 5 half-pillars and one finished, on stone. Behind it cypress trees and a looming rocky mountainside beside the valley.

A bronze statue, "The Charioteer," stands alone in a room in the Delphi museum, of a man holding now-loose reins.

A photo of text: At noon, in the museum, I looked again at the Charioteer. He did not live long in the eyes of the ancients, so we are told. An earthquake buried the statue one hundred years after it was erected - this perpetual dialogue, in Delphi, between the wrath of the earth and sacred serenity. I stayed near him a long time. As in older times, as always, this motionless movement stops your breath; you do not know; you are lost. Then you try to hold on to the details; the almond-shaped eyes with the sharp, transparent look, the strong jaw, the shadows around the lips, the ankle or the toenails; the robe which is and is not a column. You look at its seams, the crisscrossed ribbons that hold it together; the reigns in his right hand that stay there, tangled, while the horses have sunk into the chasm of time. Then the analysis bothers you; you have the impression that you are listening to a language not spoken any more. What do these details, which are not artistry, mean? How do they disappear like that within the whole? What was behind this living presence? A different idea, different loves, a different devotion. We have worked like ants and like bees on these relics. How close have we come to the soul that created them? I mean this grace at its peak, this power, this modesty and the things that these bodies symbolize. This vital breath that makes the inanimate copper transcend the rules of logic and slip into another time, as it stands there in the cold hall of the museum.

George Seferis. Delphi, 1961, trans. by C. Capri-Karka.

A section from the top of a ruined temple depicting men holding shields, and an attacking lion.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

Olympia. We got there early enough to have the stadium to ourselves, and even raced it. Idk that woman with the umbrella but she was far too much of a look to crop out.

The dusty, dirt and stone stadium at Olympia under a hazy blue sky with a lush green background of cypress trees and hills.

A calico cat sits on a shiny-polished floor outside the Olympia museum. Behind it stands several partial pillars and the giant torso of a sculpture.

An elderly woman in sunglasses and a white sunhat, holding a red umbrella, stands in front of the ruins of the Philippeion, of which only three full columns remain standing, under a blue sky.

A statue of "Athena Nike," a goddess draped in fabric which billows out behind her. The face is missing, leaving just the back of the head, and the arms are cut off.

juls@julsmac· Aug 31

Very late, since these are from May/June, but here! A series of photos to sum-up our trip to Greece. First is Athens.

The Carytids, sculptures of women serving as pillars on the Erechteion in Athens, Greece, pictured under a blue and cloudy sky, with a foreground of pine needles.

Billowing cumulus clouds framed by rectangular openings in the ruins of a temple wall. A magpie flies up towards one of the natural windows, casting a shadow below it on the marble.

The sculpted head of a man with curly hair and beard, and a wistful expression.

A side shot of columns of the Parthenon under a blue sky with few clouds.

juls@julsmac· Apr 23

pics from today’s garden walk! 🌸

A fountain ends in a white trellised alcove, shaded by cherry trees full of pink blossoms. Inside is a statue of a bird and orange tulips.

A stone courtyard walled by tall hedges is broken up by square tulip beds of pink, white, and yellow. The center is a fountain shaped like a cross, also bordered in tulips. A building on the right sports green and white striped awnings.

Hanging cherry blossoms in the midst of unfurling leaves under a blue sky.

A pond reflects the trees above it; a draping green willow, a blooming cherry, and multiple other red, orange, and green foliage in the background under a blue sky.

juls@julsmac· Apr 23

she’s definitely not keen to fly a float plane, no siree #CRPfireflies

A screenshot of a word document:

“You don’t want to do that, do you?”
“What, fly? No,” Mari lied, “I have no interest in that.”

juls@julsmac· Apr 17

bonus: some creatures from the catch and release aquarium in ucluelet!

A large orange hermit crab standing in the sand in an aquarium. Behind him are rocks.

A white nudibranch with orange tips and two orange “bunny ears” in an aquarium.

A Grunt Sculpin, a small fish slightly bigger than a golf ball. It is camouflaged to look like a barnacle and has a pale, ridged body with a pointy snout. Its fins are bright orange and striped and prop it up atop the rocky sand of an aquarium tank.

juls@julsmac· Apr 17

out in tofino with an old friend 🩵

A harbour at sunset. In the background, a blue sky darkens gold. Mountains in the foreground are going hazy lavender in the light. The water between small islands is calm. Closer to camera, a white boat sits at a dock.

Two pale individuals with brown curly hair stand in front of a railing, smiling for the camera. Behind them is a large lake and faraway hilled horizon.

A huge lake bordered by hills. The sun glistens on top of the water under a blue sky.

A light brown cow pokes its dark brown nose between slats of wood. Its eyes are big and curious, looking at the camera.

juls@julsmac· Apr 11

This isn’t exactly my “craft book shelf” as you can tell, but it’s within reach. My workshops at school have been some of the best, but what that comes down to is just having good critique partners AND reading and editing a ton of work. It keeps me sharp. PubTips has also been super valuable!

A black bookshelf corner. Books like Stephen King’s On Writing, The Elements of Style, and Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us are stacked atop each other beside a series of zines and poetry books.

juls@julsmac· Apr 7

I don’t have art for the book I subbed for RevPit, but I do for the first book I wrote and queried; it’s an adult fantasy patiently awaiting a rewrite. 💫 The first artist doesn’t seem to be here but they were baosoup from twt, and the campfire scene is by @rookdaw.bsky.social 🔥 #RevPitWaiting

A shoulders-up portrait woman with tawny skin, brown eyes, and long black-brown hair. She has a single sparkling dangly-star earring. A slate blue cloak sits around her shoulders and is pinned with a silver clasp.

A portrait of a man with light skin and freckles, messy medium-length sandy-blonde hair, and hazel eyes. He wears a single gold earring, and a brown collared shirt.

A man with dark brown skin, scattered stubble, long blue-black hair tied half up, and dark eyes with a notable sparkle. He wears a single gold earring and a white collared top.

Three individuals beside a campfire in evening light, in the woods. A woman in a blue cloak and a man in a brown collared shirt and white slacks, holding a sword, sit on a log. Behind and between them, another man in a white long-sleeved shirt and black slacks leans over, looking at the sword; the man holding it appears somewhat flustered.

juls@julsmac· Apr 5

The water I put out for the birds has turned into a drinking hole for one of the local outdoor cats, Smokey. 🤦 He came by earlier too. I tried holding Big Al up to see if he saw, but he was completely oblivious… and apparently remains that way.

A large black cat, brownish in the sun, sleeps on a coir mat just inside a sliding glass door. Outside on a stone patio are a smattering of plant pots and greenery, through which a grey cat sits and stares inside.

juls@julsmac· Apr 5

A slightly messy writing cave right now, but the semester’s just ended!! My fav is definitely making a cup / pot of earl grey and getting cozy to write. The secretary desk is actually more of a homework/letter/journaling station; I type my drafts. #RevPitWaiting

A room in golden hour sun. A bookcase full of books has lush green plants atop it. A desk sits with a laptop and a second monitor, bordered by speakers. A brown leather IKEA chair sits in front. Books and journals are scattered about.

A dark wood secretary desk with the front folded down. Some papers rest on the desk and a pen. Cubbies inside the desk hold miscellaneous stationary and ink bottles. A small glass lamp sits beside, along with a brown teapot.

juls@julsmac· Apr 3

featuring a certain side character 🍂 #RevPitWaiting