Thank you to net galley for the ARC

There were a few pieces in this collection that I enjoyed however, I found it really hard to connect with a lot of them.

I didn't necessarily like everything but I loved how widely original it was. There was so much variety and such distinct voices. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this collection.

I appreciate getting to read a wide range of works by queer and female artists, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me. There were a few works that grabbed my attention, but most of them didn't. I feel it's mostly because I struggle with committing to a story when I know it will be over soon. (Most works are 1-2 pages long, only a handful a little longer.)

I tried something new and it didn't work for me and that's okay. I do hope others find joy in this work, as there are plenty of artists represented that deserve to have their voices heard.

I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

This anthology collects a variety of prose, poetry and art from women and LGBT+ authors, poets and artists. While not every piece features here was to my liking, there were still quite a few I enjoyed.
My absolute favorites were "metamorphosis(i try to remember)" by Katherine Zhao (a poem masterfully connecting food and language in a way that made me hungry and sad) and "prose poem for being the only trans person in your office" by nat raum (a poem about how this emails finds you). I also quite enjoyed "pomegranate seeds & the heart of men" by Shilo Niziolek (a lesbian romance with greek mythology), "Sts. Anthony, pray for us" by Rezyl Grace (a haunting story about a hike), "Mary Webster's last laugh" by Eva Korošec (a poem about a witch hunt, very lyrical and like a song), "Jump" by Luis Lopez-Maldonado (a poem about having ancestors that have been colonialized and gender), "how to not know the pseudo-lovers I tossed out like facial tissue in order to try and replace my last lover" by Val West (a poem about grief and past relationships), "all ellbows" by Emilce Ferreria (a short text about being a woman working in construction), "Hypothetically speaking" by Leanne Moden (a poem about walking home at night and being followed, haunting and claustrophobic), "Lycantrophy" by Brooke White (a story about the difference between the prince and the werewolf and how to relates to abuse in relationships), "Fat Girl's Dinner Party" by Kali Meister (a poem about being a fat girl at a dinner party and various serial killers) and "Siren Song" by Venus Fultz (a short story about a trans girl escaping from the curse that has led her brothers to ruin, short, but sweet).
All in all this anthology touches on a lot of themes that deal with the experiences of women, LGBT+ people and seems to have a good inclusion of BIPOC artists as well, which made for an overall very interesting reading experience to me and I have definitely found some artists whose work I want to check out.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

A well rounded and lovingly curated anthology of poetry, prose, short stories, and art by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors. The collection was well paced and fun to read. Definitely a collection worth picking up for those interested in the genre.

This is a delightful short book and I was excited to see it in the LGBTQ section of this website. Poetry, prose, and art from women and LGBTQ authors. Each piece is personal and pushes the idea of what art is, and some of the pieces were particularly moving.

Yeah it was pretty good! It features the stories, poetry and art of queer people and cishet women. The wide variety of styles and subjects offered in this anthology kept this very interesting.

This is a fast, short but poignant read of collected works by biopic and queer authors. It encompasses the entire lgbtqia umbrella and has many points of views and voices inlaced. I found the short stories a fascinating insight to the human condition.

Firstly I would like to extend my gratitude to Netgalley, Querencia Press and Emily Perkovich for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up "Not Ghosts, But Spirits IV: art from the women's & lgbtqiap+ communities" expecting a photography book (as that's how it was tagged), but what I got was a delightful selection of poetry, short stories and visual art. While not all the pieces resonated with me, I appreciated the diverse perspectives and was surprised at how moved I was at some of the pieces. In fact, I ended up following many of the artists whose work I enjoyed, and I was thrilled to discover that the curator had given a platform to so many smaller (under 1000 followers) artists.

What I am most grateful for was the way this collection challenged my perception of what it means to be an artist. Seeing the different art forms and subject matters on display helped me realize that there is no one "right" way to create art. It was inspiring to see how each artist had carved out their own path and made a career out of their passion. I loved looking up the artists and learning more about their processes and experiences.

Overall, I would give "Not Ghosts, But Spirits IV" 3.75 stars. It's a wonderful collection that celebrates diversity, creativity, and self-expression, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it.

I love story collections like this because it introduces me to so many writers and a lot of these writers were really talented. Like all story/poetry collections there are some I like more than others but I love a large majority of these.

This was such a powerful collection of poetry, artwork, and prose from such a diverse group of people. I really loved reading this and found myself learning so much about the experiences of the authors and artists incorporated into this book.

HUGE fan of this anthology.

I love so many of the poets featured in this collection. Many of them are very active public readers and frequent publishers, and it was nice seeing so many familiar names.

The pieces in this collection vary in tone and topic but the throughline of the unknown and the supernatural and the spirit of living and dying is throughout. It’s gorgeous.

Some truly stunning pieces, lots and lots of really successful works, and some Instagram poetry. But collectively, really fantastic.