Honey in the Vein

Think of her like a female John the Baptist or Siddhartha Gautama. Mary of Egypt was a mystic who sought liberation in the wilderness, away from society. Though revered as one of the Desert Mothers by the early Church, few people today know her story. The traditional version holds that she was a reformed-prostitute-turned-saint, but Honey in the Vein (Bric-a-Brac Press, 2023) presents a twist on the original, filling holes in the tale with daring possibilities. Told in spare, elegant verse, the story sparkles fresh on the page. This Mary is no penitent; she’s clever, raw, and wry, challenging lovers to “pay her light bill,” while never losing touch with the smells, textures, and tastes of fourth-century Egypt and the major touchstones of the classic story. Retranslated for our times, this Mary is saint turned flesh-and-blood woman.