Little Oracles

In the first half of this duology on cool poetry stuff, we're going straight to the source: I'm talking about poets I love and why I love them. So if you're looking for some new poets to read, or you're new to the genre and want a little nudge this way or that, or you're old hat and you just wanna chill for 20 minutes with another poetry nerd: rest here, weary traveler. (P...

It's the middle of the night, but you're not alone: you've got a Creative Chat with the folks behind the incredible Thin Places Radio podcast, Kristen O'Neal and Kaitlin Bruder! Kristen, Kaitlin, and I talk about the creative process behind audiofiction, the appeal of liminal spaces and thin places, asynchronous collaborative storytelling, and, of course, CRYPTIDS and UNEXPLAIN...

Minisode! Minisode! Two weird 'n' wonderful books: Weasels in the Attic, a novel by Hiroko Oyamada, and Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, a short story collection by Kim Fu. A NOTE ON CONTENT & SPOILERS I highly encourage you to look into content warnings for every book I discuss before you pick it up; we want reading to be safe for everyone. <3 I refuse to spoil plot, bu...

It's springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and so I'm feeling fun, flirty, saucy, and even a little bit spicy: the perfect conditions for some HOT TAKES about creative practice, and the ways we keep ourselves from engaging in it. Grab your popcorn! Plus, we’re gonna get into the April ABC reading theme and our book club picks for the month of April. FUN! FLIRTY! And, as always, tak...

We're kicking off the Little Oracles Creative Chats series with writer, artist, designer, entrepreneur, and space-curation creator Lindsay Stewart. Lindsay and I talk about the bitter and the sweet of the creative life: everything from getting through creative slumps, to reframing the ways we talk about who we are and what we do, to how to make a warm and welcoming home (with a little dose of...

A minisode+! We're reviewing February's ABC picks, themed Grief Is a Ghost: Heartbreak, Hope, and Spiritual Salvage: Ghost Lover by Lisa Taddeo, Heartbroke by Chelsea Bieker, and The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride. Plus a special announcement about what's coming up on the Little Oracles pod. ✨ A NOTE ON CONTENT & SPOILERS I highly encourage you to look into content warnings...

I've been a bit off-balance lately, so I'm turning to words for some comfort. Join my lil lexical quilting bee in this meditative episode about reframing pathways to compassion, communication, and empathy, perfect for word-nerds and the etymologically curious. Plus! Announcing our March ABC reading theme and book club picks. And, as always, take care, keep creating, and stay divine! IG:...

It's a speed-dating minisode! I'm sharing my thoughts on Stones by Kevin Young, How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn, Devotion by Patti Smith, and Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong. A NOTE ON CONTENT & SPOILERS I highly encourage you to look into content warnings for every book I discuss before you pick it up; we want reading to be safe for everyone. <3 I refuse to spoil plo...

You read that right: I'm deep-sixing routines. Instead, I'm choosing chaos. (I mean kind of.)   Let's talk about reinventing routine-based creativity; John Keats and ~aesthetics~; and things that are inspiring me lately. It's a fun one! Follow along on Instagram @littleoracles (and shoot me a DM if you want to join our creative cohort on Discord), check out the blog at www.litt...

It's a minisode! A meta minisode, too: we're talking about short stories. I'm sharing my thoughts on Daddy by Emma Cline, Antarctica by Claire Keegan, and Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver. A NOTE ON CONTENT & SPOILERS I highly encourage you to look into content warnings for every book I discuss before you pick it up; we want reading to be safe for everyone. &l...

It's a minisode! Two short book reflections: sharing my thoughts on One’s Company by Ashley Hutson, the core book for January’s book club, and The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón, which we'll read for the ABC later this year, but if you read it already or you want some extra context beforehand, here ya go. <3 A NOTE ON CONTENT & SPOILERS I highly encourage you to look into content warni...

Sometimes I just need to loaf around. In this episode, we're talking about how relieving the pressure to create, produce, and "do" can have an inverse effect: it gives us the time, the latitude, and the headspace to be *more* creative.  We unpack the word lazy (and get into the Seven Deadly Sins!), roll out a new, lazy cadence for the ABC and announce Feburary's book club picks...

My most memorable reads of 2022 ~ EXPOSED!! ~ I started thinking about the emergent relationships among the books I read last year, and uncovered some beautiful synergies: listen as I triangulate trios of books around loose categories (for my mental health) to bring you a Delightful Dozen books that I'd wholeheartedly recommend to friends ( and enemies ), and that I'll surely pick up aga...

Get the inside scoop on the origins and evolution of Little Oracles, and join us for the launch of the Little Oracles Asynchronous Book Club (ABC for short) , a monthly, themed CYO reading list, curated by yours truly, Allison Arth.  Our January theme is Immortal Beloveds, and the list features books by authors I love that I have yet to read, plus books cherished by people I love IRL and online. R...

Hi, everybody, and welcome to the Little Oracles podcast, a podcast about what lights the creative fire in all of us. Whether it's through reading and writing, watching and listening, making, playing, or practicing, we’re digging into what inspires us to aspire, make a mess, and find joy as career and casual creatives. I'm Allison Arth, I’m a lifetime creative both professionally and per...