About the Author

Hailey Spencer is, in the words of her wife, Elizabeth, “an absolute cloud of a girl.” Her work runs in obsessive circles around fairy tales, grief, and healing. Her debut poetry collection, Stories for When the Wolves Arrive, was published through First Matter Press in 2022, followed by her chapbook Out of Love in Spring, published through Finishing Line Press a month later. Since the summer of 2023, she has served as an editor and board member at First Matter Press. For more on Hailey and her work, visit her on Instagram @outofloveinspring or on her website haileyspencerwrites.com

Reviews

“Spencer’s work is an ethereal meditation on loneliness, grief, and the relentless swirl of life. The ‘choose a pathway’ format adds nuance to the dreamy feel of the prose. Phrases landed within my consciousness and left ripples.”

—Beth Cato, two-time Rhysling Award winner and author of A Thousand Recipes for Revenge

“Glass Labyrinth is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Not only the format, but also the poetry it contains. I recognized myself in these verses, and my characters, and also a twin sister who never actually existed. It is evocative, magical, and beautiful but wholly accessible even to people who are brand new to reading poetry. It is a book that I will definitely get lost (and rediscovered) in again and again.”

—Rhonda Parrish, author and anthology editor

“In this, her phenomenal third collection of poems, Spencer's indelible voice serves as a guide on a journey that invites us readers along the way to excavate the intricacies of memory. She weaves her verse with seductive, stringent image and flavor; each reading yields discoveries, unveiling the unconscious modes by which we access our creative capacity for healing.”

—Sonya Wohletz, author of One Row After/Bir Sıra Sonra

“To read Glass Labyrinth is to enter the surreal world of dreams and memory. Its warp and weft might not serve as a carpet except perhaps, of the flying sort, but would serve well as fiber art for your dysfunctional family room. Falling into this rabbit hole reveals a world of fireflies, ants, snails, and bathing in a bathtub full of dandelions. At the bottom is the landing place of rocks and soil and rot where tomatoes and orchids grow fitfully while lightning bugs flash on and off. It also contains perhaps the best definition of a poem ever written. It's a fun romp to read it straight through. I urge you to take every alternate path to experience the richness of this adventure tale disguised as a book of poetry”

—Emily Moon, author of It’s Just You and Me, Miss Moon

“This collection surprised me in the best way. It explores identity, memory, personal growth, and the way we hold on to things we can’t quite explain, unanswered questions, versions of ourselves, feelings we haven’t figured out how to let go of.”

—Kaitlyn Marquart, author of Amber Luna: My Bright Light

“Glass Labyrinth embodies the nuanced and questioning life of its writer. Each poem is something enticingly new, each page another adventure into a world of hopes and dreams. Spencer explores experience and possibility with every word, turning a life of chaotic multitudes into a quaint and curious collection. Her poetry reflects powerful simplicities as though they were moonlight on water —a fun and unforgettable read.”

—Caidan Walker, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky Lizard Journal

“Spencer's book encapsulates the mess of decision making when you don't know exactly where life will lead you. Reading these poems felt like living a whole lifetime, and somehow, I came out the other side feeling a little more healed than when I began.”

—Sarah, Founder of Sad Girl Diaries—An Online Literary Magazine

Author photo by Amy Deyerle-Smith