About Us
Olivia Thomes, Founder &
Editor-in-Chief
Olivia Thomes is a poet from Massachusetts. Through her work as a literature scholar and creative writer, she has come to believe that writers and readers find meaning through the medium of language. She previously served as the Managing Editor of Solstice Literary Magazine, Poetry Editor at Passenger's Journal, and has read/provided submission feedback for The Literary Review, The Other Stories Podcast, and The MOON Magazine.
Her publications include The American Journal of Poetry, Solstice Literary Magazine, Passenger's Journal, and Kissing Dynamite. With a love for all things horror and off-beat, Olivia often writes about taboo subjects, though her work also tackles subjects such as grief, femininity, and often times incorporates magical practices. She created Hare's Paw Literary Journal to encompass what every writer has to offer.
Olivia has taught writing at the college and grade school levels, managed educational projects and departments, and has served in animal welfare over the years. She also has experience leading service learning trips exploring the literary community of New Orleans, where she volunteered with the St. Bernard Project rebuilding homes affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Currently, Olivia is the Farmer & Operator of her own Farm, Micro-Bakery, and Apothecary: Hare's Paw Farm and runs the journal by herself - from design, publications, marketing, and submission management.
Olivia holds an MFA in Creative Writing with a focus in Poetry from Lesley University and BA in Humanities: Literature with minors in Writing, Communication, and Music History from Wheelock College.
The Hare
The Hare has been documented in many cultures. Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican cultures have tales of seeing the Hare in the dark part of the moon. In African folklore they are jokesters and in English mythology, Witches shapeshifted into the swift creature to steal milk from their neighbors, cause trouble, and trick hunters. The Algonquin tribe honored the Hare as having a role in the creation of the world. This is to say that the Hare has been around for ages and noted as purposeful around the world.
Unlike Rabbits, Hare’s live above ground in solidarity or in pairs, only gathering in groups during springtime to mate, and give birth to fully furred young with open eyes. They adapt soon after birth to the environment around them and carry on without their mother. Similarly to the Rabbit, they will stomp their back feet in a rhythmic beat to signal danger to others. All of this resonates with strength, adaptability, and fertility.
The Hare was once regarded as a creature sacred to the love gods Aphrodite and Eros because of its high libido. Live Hares were once a treasured gift to a loved one. In magic myth, the Faefolk work closely with Hares to care for the land, promising harsh punishment to anyone who interferes with or mistreats the Hare. In many folklores, the Hare is considered the witches' familiar, as opposed to the black cat in modern depictions. Associated with moon deities, the Hare is mysterious, often sighted staring up at the moon, and is generally more active at night, which signifies rebirth, resurrection, and sensuality.
It is said that if a Hare emerges in your life, the Divine is trying to tell you to move away from the shadows and embrace a new beginning or opportunity.
Hare’s Paw Literary Journal adopts the Hare as a familiar, a musical call to home, and an abundance of new and intricate work.