about
my name is dani, but i write under my pen name, strega clare manning. strega, is italian for ‘witch,’ clare is part of my mother’s name, and manning is my grandmother’s maiden name. in this way, i honor myself and the women who paved this path for me. when i was in college, my thesis advisor told me that my poems have a buzzing, stinging energy—hence, stinging sentences.
i believe in art that resonates deeply within us, so much so that it can hurt as much as it uplifts. after years of keeping journals, getting published (and rejected) and formal academic writing - i am here. not only sharing my poems, but personal stories and musings about what it feels like to write and be a person at the same time.
my work is largely informed by family ties, the fragility of relationships, queerness, and living with mental illness. heavily inspired by poets such as sylvia plath, mary oliver, sierra demulder, rose styron, and kelly forsythe - my words attempt to make a home inside of your ribcage. below is some of my work in the wild:
"Affirmed" Bi Women Quarterly's Fall Bi+Joy Issue
"Vacation" Fifth Wheel Press' Anthology 'Come Sail Away'
"Yearning in Aquamarine" Fifth Wheel Press' Anthology 'Come Sail Away'
"In Theory" Voicemail Poems Winter 2023 Issue
"Blue Honey" Smitten: 'This Is What Love Looks Like' Anthology *
* the poem itself is unavailable online, but i highly recommend purchasing the hard-copy anthology! note that it is published under my maiden name, dani bowes.
thank you for stopping by and taking an interest in my work. it’s great to have you here.
for all inquiries, correspondence, and other, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at stregaclaremanning@gmail.com. you can also keep up with all my latest news by following my instagram.
xo,
strega clare
