It is Black History Month in the US and Canada. I try to recognize PoC authors in every newsletter due to the nature of the World Eco-fiction Spotlight, which goes around the world representing PoC/Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and culturally diverse voices in fiction. But this month I’ll focus on Black voices in literature, along with other less represented authors. I mean, we need to do this more than ever, am I right? Sometimes it takes a persistent voice, rather than a loud roar, to motivate change for the better. Roars are good too, though.

Black authors at Dragonfly

You’ll find many Black-authored fiction titles in the database, but here’s a partial list of interviews:

• Aya de León: Side Chick Nation

• Suyi Davis Okungbowa: Lost Ark Dreaming
  

  

• Sheree Renée Thomas: Africa Risen

• Helon Habila: Oil on Water

• Tlotlo Tsamaase: “Eclipse Our Sins” and more

• Tory Stephens: Metamorphosis

• Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes: Paradise on Fire

• Yaba Badoe: Wolf Light

• Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki: The Year’s Best African Fiction and Africa Risen

• Zelda Knight: Africa Risen

• Oonya Kempadoo: Naniki

World spotlight

As promised, in 2025 I will focus on Appalachia, and this month I talk with Nichole Amber Moss about their poetry and newsletter, Entangled Webs.

Appalachia is what is known as a sacrifice zone, an area where the external costs of the capitalist system are exported in order for economic prosperity to occur for a few. Capitalism requires the extraction of resources and the disposal of pollution in order to extract value. This burden falls hardest on communities of color, immigrant communities, and communities impacted by homophobia, ableism, and poverty. And the continued exploitation and poisoning of people, land, and wildlife is supported by narratives of disposability. -Nichole Amber Moss

Sidenotes

• Some areas of Appalachia have just flooded again, including Hazard, KY (one of the places near where my Mamaw and Papaw lived). I recently watched the documentary Freedom Hill. It’s about Princeville, NC, the first chartered town in America incorporated by freed formerly enslaved Africans in America. Princeville sits on a flood plain along the Tar River and is prone to floods. The film covers environmental racism and racialized topography.

• I’d also recommend subscribing to Appodlachia, “No Elegy Needed”. The host is covering flooding in Appalachia and trying to break down stereotypes.

Book of the month

I’ve been wanting to re-read Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower but instead just read Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaption, by Damian Duffy and John Jennings. I’d highly recommend this graphic novel. The writing is a strong adaption of Butler’s story, and the illustrations capture the dystopian reality well.

Other news

• I forgot to announce it last month, but I finally created a new playlist of “Nature, climate, and environmental songs”. Click here for part 1 (very long!) and here for the new part 2.

• I recently updated Dragonfly’s list of ecologically oriented games. While some games lean toward environmental lessons and strategize ways to reconstruct ecological systems, others beautifully immerse the player into an explorative world where nature and wilderness are key to survival.

• I run a small micro-press, Dragonfly Publishing. The press was born from my previous Moon Willow Press, where for a dozen or so years I published other authors. Under the Dragonfly imprint, I mostly publish my own occasional novel, a small (not distributed) series of children’s books about the outdoors, one anthology, and some short stories.

  

  
  Thanks to Rae Mariz and a friend of theirs, Brianna, who recently helped me put a small store at the site. I’m trying to move away from Amazon completely, though Ingram Spark distributes there automatically. I’ve removed my ebooks from Amazon and am starting to offer them on the publisher site. You can also fill out a book order form to directly order print books. The store is a work in progress and at this time only offers epub formats for two books.

Resources

• In case you’ve missed these exciting resources, including newest books at Dragonfly.eco, check ‘em out!

  • LinkTree: Find out more about me.

  • Dragonfly Publishing: My own micro-press.

  • Rewilding Our Stories: A Discord community where you can find resources, reading, and writing fun in fiction that relates strongly to nature and environment.

  • I finally created a new playlist of “Nature, climate, and environmental songs”. Click here for part 1 (very long!) and here for the new part 2.

  • Book recommendations: a growing list of recs.

  • Eco/climate genres: They’re all over the place, and here’s an expanding compendium.

  • Inspiring and informative author quotes from Dragonfly’s interviews.

  • List of ecologically focused games.

  • List of eco/climate films and documentaries.

  • Eco-fiction links and resources.

  • Book database: Database of over 1,100 book posts at Dragonfly.eco.

  • Turning the Tide: The Youngest Generation: Fiction aimed toward children, teens, and young adults.

  • Indie Corner: The occasional highlight of authors who publish independently.

  • Artists & Climate Change. This site is no longer being updated but still has a wealth of info. I was a core writer for their team, and I’m both honored and grateful. Look for my “Wild Authors” series there.

Copyright 2025 Mary Woodbury