Draft:The Brash and Plum
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 4 weeks or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 1,008 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
| Submission declined on 1 July 2025 by Qcne (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of books). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
This draft has been resubmitted and is currently awaiting re-review. |  |
 Book cover art titled Reclusivity | |
| Author | Ashlan Chidester |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ashlan Chidester |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction, hybrid poetry |
| Publisher | MC Inc Publishing (Anacortes, Washington) |
Publication date | June 20, 2025 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 76 |
| ISBN | 9798218692766 |
The Brash and Plum is a 2025 hybrid work of poetry and fiction by American author Ashlan Chidester, published by MC Inc Publishing in Anacortes, Washington.[1] Blending experimental verse with conceptual storytelling. It was featured in an editorial by Andrea Chavez on *Vocal.Media* about the future of experimental literature,[2] and included in *Cultural Daily*’s curated list of notable Christmas poems.[3]
Synopsis
[edit]The Brash and Plum is structured in two parts: a collection of poems followed by short fiction. The volume explores themes of isolation, identity, surrealism, and psychological transformation through experimental and genre-crossing prose.
Among its most discussed entries are the poem Slapping Krampus[4] , a folkloric and satirical piece originally published in 2021 as an audiobook[5]; the speculative Time Travel Theory told narratively in Dupliter; and Horror at Tombstone, an audiobook [6]horror story that blends Western imagery with psychological dread. The gothic poem umbra nosferatu[7] includes the line, "the sprites of bright lights lovingly play you around".[8]
The Dupliter theory, a speculative model of temporal anchoring and time travel, is detailed and publicly archived by the author on the Open Science Framework.[9]
A promotional trailer for The Brash and Plum was released on YouTube in 2025.[10]
Table of contents
[edit]Part I: Poems
[edit]- reclusivity – p. 5
- Slapping Krampus – p. 6
- to tell if – p. 7
- wyrm setae – p. 8
- nor red love – p. 9
- umbra nosferatu – p. 10
- my surrogate, I – p. 11
- Beer is – p. 12
Part II: Fiction
[edit]- Horror at Tombstone – p. 13
- Dupliter – p. 14
Publication
[edit]The Brash and Plum was released in hardcover on May 19, 2025, by MC Inc Publishing, with ISBN 9798218692766 and LCCN 2025910513.
The cover art, titled Reclusivity, was originally drawn by the author as a child and digitally remastered for the 2025 edition.[11]
Reception
[edit]The Brash and Plum was nominated in 2025 for the Nebula Award for Best Novel by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA),[12] and for the Bram Stoker Award by the Horror Writers Association.[13]
The book has received some attention in independent literary commentary. In *Cultural Daily*, Slapping Krampus was selected for a 2025 feature on notable Christmas poems.[3] In *Vocal.Media*, reviewer Andrea Chavez included the work in a feature titled "What Counts as a Novel Anymore?" and described it as “part of a literary wave that reminds readers that literature is still wild.”[2] A 2025 poetry critique on Absolute Write about the book's anti-poetry.[14]
Horror at Tombstone was later adapted into a podcast and added to IMDb.[15] A podcast episode on the BBC’s *In Our Time* drew comparisons between the Dupliter theory and speculative cosmology, referenced by a listener review on Podchaser.[16]
Author
[edit]This individual is an American author whose published work encompasses fiction, poetry, and speculative theory. They developed the "Dupliter" concept, a speculative theory focused on temporal anchoring, and penned the holiday-themed poem "Slapping Krampus," which achieved semifinalist status in the 2025 National Amateur Poetry Competition.[1][17]
Cover variants
[edit]-
Special edition cover of The Brash and Plum
"Reclusivity Fractal Spiral," a digital fractal artwork by Ashlan, serves as the variant cover art for his book and has gained attention across many Reddit communities, particularly within r/FractalPorn.[18]
External links
[edit]- LocalWiki-Anacortes, WA Ashlan Chidester
- Official Trailer on Internet Archive
- Horror at Tombstone on IMDb
Authority control
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ ISBN 979-8-218-69276-6. https://www.worldcat.org/title/1383475632
- ^ a b Chavez, Andrea (July 2025). "What Counts as a Novel Anymore?". Vocal.Media. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
- ^ a b "Best Poems to Read for Christmas 2025". June 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ *Slapping Krampus Poem* — audiobook listing, Prince Edward County Public Library catalog, 2024 edition by Ashlan Chidester, accessed August 6 2025.
- ^ “Slapping Krampus Poem by Ashlan Chidester,” audiobook listing at Barnes & Noble Audiobooks, published October 2024, accessed 6 August 2025.
- ^ “Horror at Tombstone by Ashlan Chidester,” (San Francisco Public Library), ISBN 9798865598495, accessed 6 August 2025.
- ^ “Ashlan Chidester – Biography,” IMDb mini‑bio noting *Umbra Nosferatu*, accessed 6 August 2025.
- ^ “Umbra Nosferatu Poem,” Libro.fm audiobook catalog, narrated and authored by Ashlan Chidester, ISBN 9798347975556, accessed 6 August 2025.
- ^ Chidester, Ashlan. *The Dupliter*. Open Science Framework. https://osf.io/6fguc/. Accessed 6 August 2025.
- ^ "The Brash and Plum - Book Trailer". YouTube. 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ Chidester, Ashlan (2025-06-20). "Reclusivity (Cover Artwork)". MC Inc Publishing. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15769753. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ "2025 Nebula Award Finalists". SFWA. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "2025 Bram Stoker Award Final Ballot". Horror Writers Association. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ TabithaV, “I am trying to understand anti‑poetry. Help,” Absolute Write Water Cooler*, July 2025, accessed August 6, 2025, https://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php?threads/i-am-trying-to-understand-anti-poetry-help.363420/
- ^ "Horror at Tombstone". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Review of 'Jupiter' episode on Podchaser". Podchaser. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
- ^ "Congratulations Semifinalist: Slapping Krampus Poem". June 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ "Reclusivity Fractal Spiral [1152x768] © by Ashlan Chidester," multiple Reddit threads, including r/FractalPorn, r/Watercolor, r/Machinists, r/Screaming, and others, July–August 2025, accessed August 6, 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/FractalPorn/comments/1c8m10v/reclusivity_fractal_spiral_1152x768_by_ashlan/