At Purple Aardvark, we believe that there is talent and inspiration to be found all around.
We celebrate creativity and different voices and believe passionately in the work we produce.
Email submissions@purpleaardvarkpub.com to discuss collaborating on your next project.
NEW ANTHOLOGY! Shadow and Light
New Writing from Indiana
Hard things, like diamonds, have many facets. When we dare to write through them, they catch the light.
We asked writers with strong connections to Indiana for “good work about hard things.” The pieces in this collection illuminate the difficult moments of our lives in ways that make them more clear, more bearable, and even—at times—beautiful.
In these pages, first-time authors are published alongside award-winning writers well into their careers. Poets stand beside essayists, photographers beside storytellers. Many took creative risks, stepping into new genres or media to tell the truth as they’ve lived it.
The result is Shadow and Light, a collection that feels both intimate and expansive—rooted in Indiana soil, yet resonant far beyond state lines.
Here, My Voice
When words are lost, the spirit still speaks
After a traumatic brain injury robs her of words, Kelly Shea struggles to find a way to break through the pain, frustration, and isolation that become her daily afflictions. Through raw and evocative drawings she begins to express her pain, but it’s only after she dares to join a writing workshop that she finds language and her voice again. What begins as halting expression becomes a journey of healing and a powerful, insightful, and even joyful rediscovery of self. Here, My Voice is personal lyric poetry born from loss, resilience, and an indomitable spirit. With a voice sharpened by struggle and softened by healing, these poems are both confession and bridge, connecting Shea’s inner world to all those who struggle to find the words.
Poetry from the HeART
A Collection of Original Poems from the Athens Arts Poetry Collective
In the spring of 2023, five aspiring poets gathered for six weeks to exercise their creative talents and learn about poetic forms. Six weeks turned into a year of connections and bi-weekly meetings to discuss their poetry and life. The Athens Arts Poetry Collective was formed. This chapbook is the culmination of like-minded souls making the world a better place, one poem at a time.
The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana
What art can teach us about a life well lived.
THE ARTIST, Ladoga, Indiana is a memoir by Kelly O’Dell Stanley, where the brushstrokes of her father, Hoosier watercolorist Rob O’Dell, echo long after his passing in 2017. As Kelly moves into his restored turn-of-the-century building in a small Indiana town, she finds herself wandering the same roads he once traversed, enveloped by the vibrant landscapes he painted and the emotional landscapes of her own heart.Through vignettes of Rob’s life, interwoven with heartfelt stories from those he touched, Kelly embarks on a journey of grief and self-discovery, navigating the delicate dance between loss and reinvention.
This memoir is a love letter to creativity and an exploration of what it means to redefine oneself in the wake of change. Framed by the legacy of a remarkable artist, The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana invites readers to embrace their own extraordinary, ordinary lives, reminding us that art can be a bridge connecting hearts across time and space.
