Mercredi prochain, je participerai à une réflexion collective sur les écrivaines de la précarité. Je présenterai à cette occasion ma recherche sur l’œuvre d’Hélène Bessette, et en particulier les idées formelles qui se cristallisent dans son roman poétique Ida ou le délire. Merci à Alexis Buffet et Victoria Pleuchot pour l’invitation. Le programme complet.
"I fondle the accidental." published in Pamenar Press Magazine
No, “fondle” does not mean “frôle.” And yet, “fondle” is the word “frôle” sends me. Perhaps it is the pipe of the f’s. Or the o’s scoping out over time in notes, blanches ou rondes. But I think it is more the difference of touch. The way, in my woman’s life, “fondle” came up in events otherwise called “accident” or “accidental”:
“You touched my breast!” “It was an accident!” “You practically fondled it!” “I just brushed up against you!”
The difference of a word’s touch. In scenarios organizing themselves for someone’s narrative salvation and another’s oblivion.
This poem is one in a collection I’m either terming The Entrancelations or Les Déformaductions, wherein I extract lines from the novels of Hélène Bessette and play with their sonic double edge as pressed against the text of me. Yes, it is personal. No, it is not an official translation.
Je trahis l’officiel.
Trêve de poësie.
It is also, perhaps, a reclaiming. Pour “L’héroïne. De mauvaise humeur.”
I have one just out in Pamenar Press Magazine. It arrives in a very westernized pantoum form (that lunges forward and pirouettes back) and allows me to card across the strophes different linguistic fibers. Fanny-Foo Foo is my creation. Perhaps to become recurring. Who, like many a Bessettian woman, changes form and denomination. But all the time. And most certainly her relationship to “l’accident.” And thusly “l’intentionnel.” Yes, thusly.
Thank you very much to Ghazal Mosadeq, for accepting it into the Internet pages of her wonderful cross-cultural and multilingual space.
Carrie Chappell with Ida ou le délire by Hélène Bessette in November 2025.
" 'Dans ces beiges très confortables.' " published in Up the Staircase Quarterly
Thank you to Editor April Michelle Bratten of Up the Staircase Quarterly for selecting my poem —" 'Dans ces beiges très confortables.,' " written after Hélène Bessette's Ida ou le délire — to appear in Issue 71. I first drafted this poem in November 2018.
Thank you to Bessette for the spectacular portent of her work, for calling our beige bluff, and for the "Mi-ombre. Mi-lumière." of Ida.
I hope you’ll have a look at all of Issue 71, which is now home to work from Rita Mookerjee, Maddie Barone, Rayne Alarcio, James King, Ophelia Wen, Mk Smith Despres, Vikki C., Lizzy Ke Polishan, and Michelle Li, a cover drawing from Lauren Rinaldi and watercolors by Julie Epp.
A correction for the graphic: *Virginie Poitrasson
French Women Writers in Translation, Hosted by Ivy Writers Paris and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore
Amanda Murphy and I were delighted to participate in French Poetry in Translation, a joint translation event hosted by Ivy Writers Paris and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore, and share our co-translation of Cassandra at point-blank range by Sandra Moussempès (Diálogos 2025). We joined Virginie Poitrasson and Michelle Noteboom along with Stéphanie Chaillou and Laura Mullen who presented respectively The Unlikeness of Things (Litmus Press 2025) and something happens (Diálogos 2025).
Below are a few photos from the event.
Amanda Murphy, Sandra Moussempès, and Carrie Chappell after their “braided reading” of Cassandra at point blank-range, Cassandre à bout portant, with Ivy Writers Paris and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore.
Virginie Poitrasson and Michelle Noteboom about to read from The Unlikeness of Things, Le pas-comme-si des choses, with Ivy Writers Paris and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore.
Stéphanie Chaillou and Laura Mullen in tandem from something happens, quelque chose se passe, with Ivy Writers Paris and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore.
Best of the Net Nomination — "Girl à feuilles caduques"
I’m touched that Stone Circle Review and Editor Lee Potts have nominated my erotic ecosonnet, "Girl à feuilles caduques,” for Best of the Net. Sending warm wishes to all nominees.
"Au tombeau d'Hélène Bessette" on YouTube
“Au tombeau d’Hélène Bessette” is a poem I wrote at her grave, on September 22, 2025. Here it is recorded and self-translated. The text can be found here, on my Substack.
something happens at point-blank range: a special Diálogos event
Poetry and hybrid writing from contemporary French women writers!
Amanda Murphy and I will be presenting our co-translation of Cassandra at point-blank range by Sandra Moussempès alongside Laura Mullen who will be releasing her translation of something happens by Stéphanie Chaillou. Both are new releases from Lavender Ink / Diálogos.
Join us for an online reading and discussion. 2pm CST and 21h Paris-time. Hope to see you out in the out there.
Event access info:
Zoom link: https://nolapoetry.zoom.us/j/89632893351
Meeting ID: 896 3289 3351
In the Woods Called Karen on YouTube
"In the Woods Called Karen" is a poem I wrote between Paris and the mountains of Aigues-Vives, over a few months, moving "white-haired commas" here and there. It was originally recorded for and published in Voicemail Poems back in November 2019. Integral to its composition was the 1970s footage of Dalton at her Colorado home. The stills appearing on this video’s cover come from that 1970s documentary which paired Dalton’s recording of "Blues Jumped The Rabbit" with her preparing something in her kitchen, strumming her guitar, and running through the mountains. The documentary was purportedly filmed for French television by Greek filmmaker, radio producer, and poet Roviros Manthoulis. I’m resurrecting the text here in a sort of personal research project into what I’m doing in my poetics by visiting all of these mis-visited women artists.
Three New Poems in Westerly Magazine
On May 1, 2025, Issue 69.2 of Westerly Magazine released from the University of Western Australia. I am proud to have three new poems — all entitled “Motherhood Poem” and decidedly challenging the sweetness expected of any woman writing through the birthing and parenting experience — in its pages. I encourage you all to check out this gorgeous issue and to follow the work of this uniquely curious and invested editorial team. You can purchase a hard copy or PDF version of the journal here.
« Poème du stérilet » released for the last day of Women's History Month
On this last day of Women’s History Month, I wanted to share the release of a new poem via Spiritual Material: Musings from Second-Hand, Parisian Wardrobe. I’ve made a video to accompany it, English subtitles included. Thank you for watching!
Panelist on Translating Poetry at the New Orleans Poetry Festival — April 2025
This April, I am thrilled to be returning to New Orleans as a panelist on Translating Poetry: Between Authenticity and Creativity at the New Orleans Poetry Festival. Lisa Pasold will be hosting Frédéric Forte, Amanda Murphy, Michelle Noteboom, Virginie Poitrasson, and myself as we discuss “how [our] individual [approaches to translation] confront bilingualism, intermedial translation, and the question of authenticity.”
Amanda and I will follow this panel with a presentation of our co-translation of Cassandra at point-blank range at the Lavender Ink / Diálogos reading. Hope to see you on Saturday, April 12th at Café Istanbul.
Guest Poet at Nicolette Daskalakis's Launch for Tell Me I'm Not on Fire
On Friday, January 31, 2025, I’ll be reading a few poems to open the launch event for Nicolette Daskalakis’ Tell Me I’m Not on Fire. I hope you’ll come out to celebrate Nicolette’s newest collection. We’ll see you at 19h at Galerie Echomusée (21 rue Cave, 75018).
"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Thong" on YouTube
This past August, I wrote and recorded “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Thong” for Spiritual Material: Musings from My Second-Hand, Parisian Wardrobe.
Part II: Interview on Translation Experiments with Hélène Bessette's Garance Rose
It was a pleasure to be invited back to Elliot KB’s This Is Not a Poem for a second discussion on my translation experiments with Hélène Bessette’s Garance Rose. In this talk, we dive deeper into the world of what she calls her “administrative novel.” You can hear our conversation here.
"Robe bleue," for Hélène Bessette, on YouTube
"Robe bleue” is an essay I wrote for Hélène Bessette in June 2023. A recording of the text is now live on YouTube. Piano accompaniment by Baptiste de Chabaneix. The original text can be read at Spiritual Material: Musings from My Second-Hand, Parisian Wardrobe.
Interview on Translating Hélène Bessette on This Is Not a Poem
I was delighted to discuss my personal translation of Hélène Bessette’s Garance Rose on Elliott KB’s This Is Not a Poem, a podcast dedicated to translation and hosted by Worldradio.fr. Thank you for having me, Elliott. You can hear my talk here. And I hope you’ll give all of Elliott’s episodes a listen - they’re doing beautiful work for this still undersung art form!
"Ogresse" Published in Quarterly West, 111
I have an ekphrastic, persona prose poem in the newest Quarterly West. I first drafted it last summer at the Musée de la Vie romantique while staring at Françoise Pétrovitch’s "L’Ogresse," a statue installed in the courtyard during her show « Aimer. Rompre ». At that time, I was in the inspired company of my Oxbridge creative writing students— Ellie, Tyler, Claire, Julia, Kate, Logan, Mahika, Charlie, Lucinda, and Ava. Thank you to them for their intention and care of our collective writing space. And thank you, of course, to Francoise Pétrovitch, for your oeuvre, which continues to intrigue and play in my mind. I am grateful to Brandon Young, Erin O’Luanaigh, Jasmine Khaliq, and the entire QW editorial team for including and being so attentive to my work.
“L’Ogresse” by Françoise Pétrovitch
"Lipsticks" on YouTube
“Lipsticks,” the sestina I wrote and published in Spiritual Material: Musings from My Second-Hand, Parisian Wardrobe, is now online on my YouTube station.
Featured Artist at Paris Lit Up Open Mic, March 21st
I’m looking forward to joining Paris Lit Up on March 21st to share some Spiritual Material poems. Hope to see you there. Open Mic sign-up starts at 20h and performances will begin around 20h45.
SPECIAL GUEST AT SPOKENWORD PARIS—MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26th
I’m looking forward to being the special guest at Spoken Word Paris on Monday, February 26th. I’ll be reading some brand-new work. Hope to see you at La Cave Café.