Photos by Ileah Lutz of Propel the Moon Photography

I love many things about fantasy films—the dazzling costumes, otherworldly beauty, and pristine nature. Tall trees and mountains that disappear above ocean mist. There’s a stark contrast between fairy-tale forests and the dusty arroyos and grassy plains of my eastern New Mexico hometown. However, one state further west looks the very picture of fantasy fiction. When I think of Oregon and its verdigris trails of moss, it overtakes every stone and rooted path in my mind. Just the very thought of its rainy days gives me a sense of melancholic longing. Then recently, I received an invitation to meet with creatures who dance in moonbeams and run with wolves. It was a chance to join a heavenly host of adventurers whose odyssey began in the pages of tomes.

Novel Escapes is an event-production company in Portland that creates bookish escapes for curious daydreamers and draws vivacious readers to their productions like a moth to a flame. This fall, I will be an honored guest.

Anastasia P. founded Novel Escapes in 2024 to create high-quality, whimsical events that reflected her love for books as well as her community. She partnered with author A.B. Daniels-Annachi, who shared her passion for literature and offered his experience with publishing and organizing. The team also includes newcomers Ashley B. and Bri H., who create community engagement opportunities like Discord role-playing and social media activations.

The beckoning light that Novel Escapes cultivates is reflected in the faces of the people who attend each event. “I really think that there’s something about making space for diverse voices, for hiring a diverse cast,” Daniels-Annachi says when discussing what makes their work so special. Safe spaces are defined as environments that protect against harassment, discrimination, criticism, and other emotional harm. It is this very promise of comfort and security that draws in guests from all walks of life. Like delicate threads woven together, each storytelling guest becomes part of a rich tapestry and binds their unique experiences. When somebody attends one of the events, “they’re going to see that we’re really putting effort into making sure everyone feels represented,” Anastasia emphasizes. As a plus-size woman myself, I was delighted to see a variety of body sizes, skin colors, and talents included in their cast of goddesses and gods for their Pomegranates and Styx event last winter.

Because there truly is immense wonder in the rain-soaked forests of Oregon, there are animal familiars who contribute to the delicate fibers that Novel Escapes creates. Saaya and Echo are two wolfdogs known as Of Wolf and Shadow on Instagram. Their handler and photographer Jade found an opportunity to introduce fantasy lovers to wolfdogs and the challenges their wolf ancestors currently face. Anastasia recalls Jade saying, “I see so many people who would take a photo with a wolf or read a story about a wolf but have no clue about any of the environmental stuff or know that wolves need saving.” Through each photo, the subjects and curious observers become just a little more informed about the conservation of wolf territory and the forest sentinels themselves.

It’s safe to say I accepted Anastasia and Daniels-Annachi’s invitation and was honored to experience their work firsthand through our collaboration last spring for Black Fae Day, a celebration of Black fantasy enthusiasts and culture. The craft of bringing fantasy to this mundane life sometimes requires balancing advocacy with respite. And no doubt, much sacrifice is required. But as delicate as the result may be, the experience Novel Escapes creates leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of all their patrons.

If you’d like to experience the magic for yourself, their next seasonal event is Faerie Revelry—A Bookish Retreat. Experience a cozy weekend getaway with role-playing, meals prepared by an award-winning chef, book talks with vending fantasy authors, and the wilderness of Brasada Ranch, August 22 to 24. Visit their website for more information: novelescapesllc.com/faerie-revelry.

Visit Jasmine La Fleur online at blackfaeday.com. You can hear more about Novel Escapes and other magical guests on her podcast, Faebies and Friends, available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeart, and Spotify.

Photograph by Aurie Singletary of Clique Creative

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that adjusting to life after the pandemic—or as I like to call it, the Great Pause—was challenging.

For some, the healing balm came in the form of a hashtag, #blackfaeday. In May 2021, I called for Black fantasy enthusiasts all over social media to don fantasy garb and celebrate themselves for a day of positivity and merriment.

Since then, Black Fae Day has been celebrated globally, online and in person, on the second Saturday of May each year.

Black Fae Day is all about connecting through playful experiences—and as it turns out, playing is good for you! I recently spoke about this subject with Dr. Niah W. Dickson Singletary, a.k.a. Phoenix Luxe. A self-proclaimed TheraFairy who cosplays, she has written on the mental and psychological benefits of creativity and play for Black adults. She shared her unique perspective as a fantasy nerd and mental health therapist.

“Organizations and holidays like Black Fae Day,” Luxe told me, “teach the world what Black people have always known: Radical joy and play are healing. Fantasy is limitless and allows for expression that doesn’t focus on revisiting trauma of our everyday lives.”

When I asked her what advice she’d give people who feel alienated and without community—and who want to experience more joy through play—she responded, “For every interest, there are people ready to welcome you … people that can show you all the ways joy is real … Sometimes it starts with something as simple as frolicking in a park among kin.”

And that we do. Black Fae Day is an intergenerational affair that inspires lasting smiles to heal weary hearts. Whole families participate, from grandparents to the youngest infant. Children cavort in miniature wings, capes, and face paint. Their parents wear festive costumes as well. Humble gatherings in homes and parks are the most magical and popular ways to celebrate, but if you’re ambitious like me, you might quite literally have a ball.

Since the inaugural jubilee, I’ve had the pleasure of hosting two Fairytale Galas and a global Faemily Reunion. People from all backgrounds and walks of life have collaborated to make each celebration more jovial than the last. Connections as deep and rich as mycelium forests have been created through the power of kindness and imagination. And yes: I too credit the unstoppable power of the playfulness in all of us. It’s an intimate and ancient feeling that can be experienced only by inviting others in.

This spring, I encourage every reader to slay feelings of bashfulness and invite someone new into your play circle. The overture can be as simple as sharing a welcoming smile or sending out an invitation for second breakfast. Remember that your playfulness is liberating—not only for yourself but for the people around you. Joy is the bridge that connects all hearts and minds.

When you’re ready to roll down hills and Swag Surf in castles, I’ll be waiting. To see what’s happening in your neck of the woods or to participate in this Black Fae Day, please follow the official Instagram @blackfaedayofficial for updates. Like last year’s, the next Faemily Reunion will include several event and community organizers from around the world.

Phoenix Luxe Recommends

To hear more about the incredible research mentioned here, reach out to Dr. Singletary via her Instagram handle: @blerdylove. Also, aside from Black Fae Day, Luxe loves communities like Carefree Black Girl (@carefreeblackgirlinc)

and Black Joy x Reckon (@blackjoyreckon). For further reading, she recommends Dr. Jearold Winston Holland’s Black Recreation: A Historical Perspective; Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication, edited by Dr. Sheena C. Howard; and Dr. Samuel T. Gladding’s Creative Arts in Counseling.

Jasmine La Fleur is a proud library worker and self proclaimed LiFAERian in Jacksonville, Florida. When she isn’t frolicking with local fairies she enjoys reviewing books on the Nymphs of Lore Podcast.

Follow Clique Creative on Instagram @clique_creative_atl.

I could feel the cool granite through my heavy layers of skirts as I sat on a fountain’s wide rim, its waters babbling behind me. The scent of old damp wood mingled with the smokiness of a patron’s aluminum-wrapped turkey leg. My mouth watered, but my belly was warm and full of frothy ale and some kind of Irish potato pizza that still lingers in my dreams. And while I’m usually a wallflower, soon I was dancing on tables and singing sea shanties with drunken pirates.

Later I found a mute mermaid who seemed to communicate telepathically through bubbles. I started categorizing strangers by who had wings, fangs, or fur and who didn’t. Each conversation with these beings felt sincere and bursting with curiosity. We made promises to return, hoping that next year’s festivities would bring us together once more. The universe heard my worries and answered my prayers—no malice but plenty of mischief, the good kind.

“These were my experiences at the Renaissance Faire. Historical re-enactment isn’t the event’s only dazzling feature. Faire is a land of enchantment as well. Years after my initial adventure I’ve discovered many magical vagabonds have found their homes at Renaissance festivals across the nation. Faire is a place where cultural alchemists spin their stories and magic into experiences finer than gold and acknowledge individuality.

Blank Canvas

Fairies often look like they don’t have a care in the world. There are so many illustrations of a fairy napping in a flower or having feasts with friends. The fae are beings who aren’t slaves to time and seem to understand the importance of the present moment. When the sting of summer’s heat fades away and the skies are periwinkle and gray, I know it’s time for Faire. I invite old and new friends to frolic with me and simulate that very carefree nature we’ve read about in storybooks. After invitations have been made, I petition the universe to hear my words: At Faire nothing can touch us. We’re ethereal, mysterious, alluring, and bold. Naysayers do not exist in this new found realm we’ll share together. While I can’t guarantee that the monsters that plague social media threads won’t show their ugly faces, I always have faith they’ll stay at home—at least this weekend.

Online, I’ve cut, pruned, and tailored my social media feeds in a way that allows me to portal into fairy tales beyond my wildest dreams. But prior to experiencing Faire for myself, I feared that I, a plus-size Black woman with iridescent wings sprouting from my back and ankle bells announcing my every move, would become a target for bullying. These types of unpleasantries, after all, have been part of my personal history since way back—in the 20th century—when I was a nerdy bookworm. Those troubles have sometimes lingered into adulthood—surprisingly, only when I’m dressed in fantasy garb. So the thought of going out into public without the safety of digital walls and the ability to unplug or block if things got dicey left me fearful that my lighthearted experiences in my digital realm, the Shade, wouldn’t translate in person. It’s with the utmost satisfaction that I canreport: They did.”

Muses and Kindred Spirits

Faire in Florida is everything you might imagine: The people are as attractive as the weather, and the energy is sunny and bright. My companion this year, Rayne (pictured at left), has a feline-like smirk that immediately alerts my senses. What mayhem is she about to stir up today? I follow her hooves—yes, hooves—down winding unpaved trails with no true destination in mind because she truly is some deity of adventure. If you’re lucky, you can find her swimming in the streams as a mermaid. You can tell by the sway of her hips as she walks, the gentle waters wave through her movements even when she’s walking on land. It’s no surprise that this goddess draws a crowd nearly everywhere she roams. Only a few feet ahead and we’re stopped for a picture, and another. Some newfound friends offer tiny gifts in exchange for our time.

Others delight us with an incredible talent that likely took years to perfect. Some were curious about me too! Though my tongue tripped over the simplest words as I excitedly shared my personal lore with goblins, orcs, and knights. I cherish each interaction because they resembled wishes so buried in my heart, they have never reached my lips. I wondered how a place like this even came to be. And where have these people been hiding all my life? I began to think back to all those introverts I’ve collected in my online communities. My spirit was crying out to them, wanting them to know what happiness I’ve found: a unique bliss that is tangible, yet its magic can be found only in the company of the people you find at Faire.

I’ll take a quote from Maria Tatar’s introduction to The Annotated African American Folktales. Like her journey to help write the volume, I hope sharing my experience at Faire will “make the journey somewhat less arduous and … not only sustain us but also arouse curiosity rather than awaken fear, promote change rather than foster complacency, and hold out the golden promise of hope.” A hope that there is a place where all manner of human and beast can continue to inspire the world with whimsy and brazen authenticity.

So if you see a coy fairy like me, frolicking timidly, come take my arm! Let’s venture forth together. Faire is in the air, and it’s time to play!

You can visit Jasmine La Fleur on Instagram @blackfaedayofficial and @faebiesandfriends.