Hampton author releases debut poetry collection

Hampton resident Bethany Jarmul has released her debut full-length poetry collection, “Lightning Is a Mother,” with ELJ Editions.

The collection, which explores themes of identity, spirituality, motherhood and nature, became a passion project for Jarmul.

“In the beginning, I didn’t set out to write a book. I was writing poems about whatever interested me. But I soon discovered that many of my poems were along specific themes,” Jarmul said. “I had written many about my childhood, growing up in West Virginia and about wrestling with my identity as a mother.

“I was also exploring religious and spiritual themes and writing many poems about nature and the ecological effects that humans have had on our world, particularly here in Appalachia. Slowly, a book began to form which weaves these themes together to create a whole that is greater than its parts.”

In the collection, Appalachia serves as a kind of Eden, a paradise spoiled by humanity, Jarmul said. Eve, the first mother, becomes a starting point for the speaker’s exploration of what it means to be a mother, an earth-dweller and a self, she added.

Jarmul also is the author of two chapbooks, including “Take Me Home,” a mini-memoir published in 2024 through Belle Point Press.

Her work has appeared in more than 100 literary magazines, including “Rattle,” “Brevity” and “Salamander.” She also has pieces anthologized in “Best Spiritual Literature” and “Best Small Fictions.”

Her writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

One excerpt from the book links the spiritual and earthly realms: “Open the midnight sky like a medicine cabinet/ inside you’ll find God sitting on a stool, elbows on knees/ chin resting on hands, glowing in the gleam of a moon-shaped/ night light, listening to a toddler whose weary parents/ have sent him to bed.”

Jarmul hopes this book will open new doors for poetry readers and people unfamiliar with the genre.

“It’s a dream come true to publish this book,” Jarmul said. “I hope that these poems connect with both poetry lovers and those who are new to poetry.”

“Lightning Is a Mother” is available at elj-editions.com and on Amazon.