Jessica Lee McMillan
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jessicaleemcmillan.com
Jessica Lee McMillan
@jessicaleemcmillan.com
500 followers 510 following 690 posts
Poet, teacher, music nerd | Chapbook: 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 A 𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐞 I𝐧 T𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭 U𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 T𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 via Pinhole Poetry, Spring 2026 | Poems in CV2, The Malahat Review, QWERTY, ROOM, Crab Creek Review, The New Quarterly.
| BLM 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🍉🌻 | www.jessicaleemcmillan.com
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Post you from a different era.
Woman with black hair (chopped short on one side, pompadour bangs, waring white shirt, black tie, red lipstick.
November 8, 2025 at 4:09 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Wesley Snipes as Blade. In this photo, he is crouched and bearing fanged teeth with eyes looking up.
October 27, 2025 at 5:51 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Black and white photo of a young Vincent Price, smoking with shadow of bat behind. Quotation reads: “A man who limits his interests, limits his life”.
October 24, 2025 at 5:48 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness.
Black and white photo of Paul Rubens (left) as Pee Wee Herman (in grey mod suit and bowtie) and Cassandra Peterson (right) as Elvira (in black gown with black, beehive wig).
October 21, 2025 at 1:43 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
#HappyThanksgiving🇨🇦
Black and white photo of The Ramones standing in front of wooden fence with sign “Gobble Gobble Hey” and “Happy Thanksgiving” on banner below.
October 12, 2025 at 4:34 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Had me laughing out loud.

“Reasons to seek revenge on parallel universes” by Jamie Anderson in Room 48.2
Reasons to seek revenge on parallel universes JAMIE ANDERSON I am always hungry I am always eating. I spilled a can of wood stain on my laptop, but it still works and I get high off mahogany every time I write an email. I unlace my blue paisley blouse, want to be bold, want to be enveloped. Something in me is scrambled. There's a world where l'm an athlete- a soccer player, maybe, or a ping pong champion. That person probably uses a keyboard protector. On the bus today, I watched a man eat a tub of butter pecan Häagen-Dazs without a spoon, tongue-fucking the container, sprawled over a seat-and-a-half. I wanted to throw up. I wanted some ice cream.
October 11, 2025 at 4:29 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
My new writing book c/o Dragonscales Journals. It’s resting atop Bride of Frankenstein (a nice closeup of Elsa Lancaster). www.facebook.com/dragonscales...
Cover of poster for Creature from the Black Lagoon on notebook. The cover has text sprawled above and stills below. Central image is green, aquatic creature holding woman in 50s bathing suit.
October 10, 2025 at 5:14 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Black and white photograph of nun in habit towering behind Indigenous children at desks in a Catholic-run residential school.
October 1, 2025 at 12:30 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Such a joy to have this re-release thanks to #Audiopile (Vancouver) and thanks to my hubs.
Silver Technics turntable playing on the left, Hank Mobley’s Roll Call LP cover on the right. Design is pink and black with a photo of Mobley.
October 1, 2025 at 12:03 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
“Angels” by Don Domanski from The Cape Breton Book of the Dead (1975).
ANGELS balanced like gulls above the relapse of sea and rock their heads slowly turn a complete twist toward land they carry burning swords and pen-names like Michael and Israfel but know themselves as larvae twirling in a man's ear or a rat gnawing away at a wall dead Heaven's moil they now drift spore-like toward anyone's mind their silence thumping loudly on the boulders drowning the water's edge the Big Dipper rising to bare its incisors over the sea.
September 19, 2025 at 3:04 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Happy to see good things from Gorillaz this week including “Happy Dictator” (feat Sparks!!!!!!!!) and imagery from this performance.
youtu.be/MG_npaLydKg
Members of Gorillaz on screen (characters: Murdoch, Noodle, 2-D & Russell) raising Palestinian flag against rising sun background with musicians playing on stage below.
September 18, 2025 at 5:04 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
The Dominion Building 😍
Had a good view from Harbour Centre on an August staycation adventure. This is a nice companion via Harbour Publishing (although one craves more depth than breadth).
Book on wooden desk with sky background and modern, glass building behind heritage building (The Marine Building) with the Canadian flag in the bottom right foreground. Book title is Exploring Vancouver: 10 tours of the city and it’s buildings, by Harold Kalman and Robin Ward
September 14, 2025 at 5:55 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Oh my goodness. Gorgeous! I have her leaf on my wall from Puddles of Sky Press.
www.puddlesofskypress.com/chapoems--po...
Postcard on wooden table of dry, linden (?) leaf with letraset letters.
September 12, 2025 at 3:04 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
I’m reading with honourees for Muriel’s Journey Poetry prize for Word Vancouver’s free, online event Sept 14 from 6:00-7:30. Thanks @moritherapy.bsky.social for running this contest—as well as Kyle Hawke— and thanks @wordvancouver.bsky.social! Register here: www.wordvancouver.ca/online/murie...
Event poster with “Muriel’s Journey Poetry” in white lettering on light blue background with event details, QR code, Vancouver logo on top left and picture of handwriting in circle (middle) with reader under oversized tent/book on bottom right. https://www.wordvancouver.ca/online/muriels-journey-poetry
September 9, 2025 at 2:52 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
SAPP Vol. 03 Launch Party

Sat, Sept 13, 6-9p,m
Wildfires Literary Lounge @wildfiresbookshop.bsky.social
New Westminster

Contributors will read & we'll have art and merch for sale as well!

FREE event with non-alcoholic bevvies & snacks. We can't wait to see you there!
SAPP Launch Party poster with textured black background, balloons and magazine cover with freckled woman—eyes closed—and hair swept up with carp. Info: SAPP Vol. 03 launch party Sat, Sept 13 6-9pm Wildfires Literary Lounge 712 A 12th St, New Westminster
September 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Cedar Cove by Douglas Walbourne-Gough
from Crow Gulch (2019, icehouse poetry)
Cedar Cove, Revisited for John Steffler No straight lines to square yourself. Even horizon reads harsh - grey seas butt shore and sky. Bearings taken from the hunched back of Guernsey Island. Here, hands were rough-hewn, akin to volcanic coast. Digits of crag crammed close, clamped on spades and hatchets, mended nets. Clung to what little food this shallow soil allowed. Nails worn blunt and broken, bulged knuckles gnarled from the brutal fusion of Earth's work. Land this old knows better than to beg, knows you'll come back hungry — questions circling your skull like a flock of gulls. Accept this rock, its odd love.
September 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Congratulations Aidan Chafe @allegorically.bsky.social on @onlypoemsmag.bsky.social Poet of the Year! This suite of poems hug and they cut. They give side-eye. They hold my hand and break my heart. I recommend reading the teriffic interview (link at the bottom).

www.onlypoems.net/poets/aidan-...
Trephination by Aidan Chafe My head is sad again today. I took it for a walk outside, but the rain wouldn’t stop laughing. I confuse Prozac for sunlight. You never stopped collecting lightbulbs. Never found a viable solution to the mind-body problem. I found oxygen in the trenches of a page. Poetry as airway management. Poetry as life support. Staring skyward from this pillory, I want to believe in these wings made of pills. Doctors used to drill holes in our skulls to save us from storms. Father, imagine it was that easy to exorcise depression through an eyelet.
September 5, 2025 at 5:52 AM
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Tantramar River No. 2 Covered Bridge (Wheaton)
by Rob Winger newpoetry.ca
12. Tantramar River No. 2 Covered Bridge (Wheaton) Rob Winger The summer stream, an easy silt arm, follows the High Marsh Road past cattle and grass into peaked, earthbound shade, the crossing’s Howe truss plan topped with a real roof’s shingles so I have to snap my handlebar’s warning bell into the stillness settled there. There are nests, inside, in the rafters. There are rectangles cut from the wooden sides, offering banquet-camera views of the salt marsh, each a finely framed improvement on looking. Were there no dusted trucks roaring over gravel towards this century-old span above the river trout, were there no bank books awaiting balance or oil-barrel dividends or tilted, late-inning rally caps, were there no papers or spines or singing bowls to ring with the ways in which we hold out hope, we could lock open our kickstands and ascend into our first apartments, here, held up by a solo truss, by our only constant.
September 1, 2025 at 4:48 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
OMG, that is so awesome! Halloween has always been my favourite. I even had a Halloween-themed baby shower, LOL. I’ve got a countdown app and this wooden sign from Spirit Halloween. Would be perfect for an anniversary. I’ll follow the BS countdown too!
Black, orange and purple Hocus Pocus theme wooden sign with scrolling numbers leading to “Days until I put spell on you"
August 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
I’m beat but have to take meds that are keeping me up, so something joyful and fun tonight.

www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1045992-mu...
Much Ado About Nothing Movie poster with large cast of characters surrounding title in red, all clad in white, with blue sky and some clouds in the background.
August 29, 2025 at 5:17 AM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Discuss The Beat’s 3rd album tomorrow!
○ August 24th 1pm PST/4pm EST via Zoom
○ Link & details at the end of article

Newcomers welcome! We’re an inclusive, international group of friendly but discerning nerds.

Details medium.com/the-riff/spe...

#TheBeat #TheEnglishBeat #MusicSky #IndieRock #Music
The Beat’s Special Beat Service album with members & session musicians dressed up as dignitaries and security detail descending stairs from British Airways jet.
August 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
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August 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
Please add me🎃🖤🎃
August 17, 2025 at 12:25 AM
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It's our last Open Mic of the summer! Come hang out with us at @wildfiresbookshop.bsky.social

Wednesday, August 27th, 7-9pm. Bring a poem to read, have snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, make friends, win merch & meet our awesome volunteers

#openmic #newwestminster #sapp #keeptheartsalive #community
Event poster with large, yellow capital letters :Poetry Open Mic and an onld-fashioned metal microphone on the right. It's our last Open Mic of the summer! Come hang out with us at @wildfiresliterarylounge on Wednesday, August 27th from 7-9pm. Bring a poem to read, make some new friends, win some merch, and meet our awesome volunteers! Bring 1 poem to read for a max of 2-3minutes/poet. All poems must adhere to our mission statement (on the main page of our website). Snacks and non-alcoholic bevvies provided. #openmic #newwestminster #sapp #keeptheartsalive #community
August 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
jessicaleemcmillan.com
“Gender Is Another Word for Horror Story"
by Grace Taylor in Funicular Issue 14 @funfunfunicular.bsky.social
"GENDER IS ANOTHER WORD FOR HORROR STORY" GRACE TAYLOR After Billy-Ray Belcourt's "GRIEF AFTER GRIEF AFTER GRIEF AFTER GRIEF” [1] I remember the first time my pants got caught in my bike chain. I collided with gravel like sandpaper. Like a cheese grater. Like a Band-Aid. Like a hacksaw. Like a punch to the face. Like a gentle hug. Like a hangman's noose. [2] My first girlfriend's eyes held me like a deer looking down the barrel of a gun.  [3] My last boyfriend's eyes held me like a butcher envisioning his cuts. [4] It is like honey on my tongue, not in its sweetness, but in the way it sticks and suffocates. [5] God came to me to tell me to kill myself by the mouth of a man who has never known me. [6] To call yourself by any name is to have possibility. To be called by one name is to have certainty. [7] Jump into a lake through inch-thick ice, break every bone in your fish body. Breathe.
August 13, 2025 at 7:52 PM