once I thought nothing of walking seven miles in a day

Walking as Art

Welcome dear reader! Ink-Stained Compass is the weekly newsletter by poet and witch, Caitlin Gemmell. I’m so glad you are here. This newsletter will go behind the paywall next week. Paid subscribers get full access to the archive. Consider upgrading your subscription to have access to the full archive, to be part of the Ink-Stained Compass community and join the chat, have a bespoke poem written according to a prompt you give me, and receive occasional snail mail. If you enjoy this post, please consider hitting the 🩷 button, leaving a comment, or sharing. Thank you so much!

Announcement

Before I get into today’s post, I have a quick announcement. One of my poems was just published in the latest issue of Fairy Tale Magazine! You can read the issue for free right here. And while you’re at it,

Lynden Wade

also has a short story in that same issue, and it is absolutely delightful. Check it out if you get a chance.

This is a good time to remind you that my book of poetry, True North, is currently on sale for $5.99. Order a paperback copy here.

Once I Thought Nothing of Walking Seven Miles in a Day

Once upon a time, I tried on the identity of “walking artist.” At the time, I was technically a resident of New York state, though I was really living in a tiny village in the New Forest of England with my parents and a younger brother who was struggling. My older brother, who was also a resident of New York (the city of), gifted me a book to help keep me occupied. The book was Time by artist Andy Goldsworthy.