www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 33 LIT Cats are unique creatures—black cats even more so, as they are steeped in myth and lore. To explore their psyche, or rather how humans perceive these elegant beasts, enter Black Cat Tales: An Anthology of Black Cats by Pacific Grove-based editors Francesca Maria and Mark S. Causey, who picked June’s Friday, the 13th to share their project with the world. “Black kittens are the last ones being picked up from the shelter,” Maria says. “And the shelter is particular about who they give black kittens to.” That’s because of the possibility of cat abuse in the wrong hands. The volume is a collection of short stories and poems devoted exclusively to black cats. “We were clear that the black cat has to be a protagonist of a story, not just a cat in the background,” Causey says. The project of gathering the material for the book took over a year, and the publishers are already planning volume two of the anthology. They received 500 submissions from all over the world, including Monterey County, and ended up picking 39 pieces for the book. The contributors are diverse when it comes to gender, ethnicity, nationality and life experience. The age of the writers spans from 17 to 80. Every writer has their own take on black cats, but in almost every case the cats are presented in a positive light. Poetry divides the short stories and adds another layer to the book, a “palate cleanser,” Maria observes. On the pages of the anthology we meet a great variety of black cats, from mischievous kittens (“The Vermin” by Mary A. Turzillo) and powerful protectors of their families (“Garbo” by Scott Urban) to guardians of different dimensions (“Jamoca’s Last Patrol” by Daniel Bulone) and gothic harbingers of doom (“Elegy for Pilate Hardesty” by L.S. Johnson). “‘Garbo’ was the first story we received,” Maria says. “We loved it,” Causey adds. “It set the pace for the whole anthology and is one of my favorites.” Maria and Causey are black cat lovers, being not only black cat owners, but also being the force behind a comic book Black Cat Chronicles they have been publishing since 2019. Both the comic and the anthology are published by their very own Black Cat Publishing company. “The process was fun,” Causey says of the book. “For us, it’s all about the joy of publishing.” Black Cat Tales: An Anthology of Black Cats by Francesca Maria and Mark S. Causey is available online. DANIEL DREIFUSS Dark to Light A Pacific Grove pair publishes a collection of stories and poems devoted to black cats. By Agata Popęda Mark S. Causey and Francesca Maria received over 500 submissions for an anthology about black cats, mostly positive—“seventy-five percent heartwarming,” Causey says. Quality feed & pet supplies • DIY dog & cat vaccines • Premium hay at great prices Low cost vaccination clinic for dogs & cats. Microchipping. Prescription flea/tick medication. Open every Saturday 1:30pm-4:30pm. 101 W. LAUREL DR, SALINAS • (831)443-6161 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm $5 OFF Any purchase of $25 or more $20 OFF Any purchase of $100 or more DIVERSIFY YOUR FLOCK! $10 OFF Any purchase of $50 or more CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. LIMIT 1 COUPON PER CUSTOMER. NOT VALID ON HAY, SHAVINGS, PETLOCK, ADVANTAGE/ADVANTIX, OR SERESTO COLLARS. MUST PRESENT ENTIRE PHYSICAL COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. COME GET YOUR CHICKS, DUCKLINGS, AND BABY TURKEYS! CORNISH CROSS: PULLET CHICKS: MALE DUCKLINGS: FEMALE DUCKLINGS: WHITE TURKEYS: BRONZE TURKEYS: $4.00 $7.00 $13.00 $20.00 $17.00 $23.00 FRESH. LOCAL. TASTY. Fisherman’s Wharf FRESHEST SEAFOOD with PANORAMIC VIEWS Open Daily at 11:30am • At the end of Fisherman’s Wharf #1 www.rockfishmonterey.com • 831.324.4375 Can You Solve the MYSterY Before tiMe runS out? Follow the rabbit. Rob the bank. Travel through time to save the world....and many more. A 60 minute adventure, 9 rooms to choose from each with a different theme. Great for birthdays or special events. Kid friendly. All locations surrounded by great local restaurants. 4 MONTEREY LOCATIONS 765 Wave St, Ste A2 • 599 Lighthouse Ave • 700 Cannery Row Ste DD and Oscar’s Playground 685 Cannery Row (Third Floor) 831.241.6616 BOOk TODAy! Escaperoom831.com oscar’s Playground Voted Monterey County’s Best new Business ’23
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