VellumVellum, the exquisite debut collection from Matt Donovan, meditates on beauty, art, and the violence that is sometimes inherent in both. Here, he juxtaposes religious iconography with stories from history, biography, and personal narrative. In the poignant Saint Catherine in an O, a knife bears unlikely dualityan object stirring with danger and grace. A man plays slide guitar with his pocketknife, accompanying the words of his songs one about light,

A place of beauty

is staying over for the weekend

vive en un edifi cio de un barrio popular de Nápoles

As nourishing as it is delicious

dangerous love

he sees Vivienne Moore’s hidden wild side and knows she’s his perfect match

Don’t miss the brand-new festive saga from the No

Craving something creamy

Six hours later the woman is dead

the stories dip in and out of history and range from virgin wilderness to a bar in New Orleans

Maribel Verdu

And as the witches face worsening conditions