We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

About We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

A lonely man in Los Angeles, Avery Vale, finds comfort in the presence of a mysterious cat. Yet, this being may be more than what it seems. The story unfolds through silence, routine, the downslide of companionship, and the grips of possession.

“No soul survives the quiet for long. The mind will invent gods, ghosts, or madness before it admits loneliness. The walls start to rattle. The lights buzz like broken neon above a strip club. You tell yourself it’s just the building settling. But the truth is simpler. It’s silence. And silence always wants something.”

2026 Chapbook Project: Spring Cohort.

The beginning of our newly instated Chapbook Corp is going monochrome. 4 authors (2 of whom are debutants in their respective genres) published at the same time for one massive chapbook cohort. Original artwork was hand-selected by our editor-in-chief for both the Fall and Spring cohorts. This project is what 10 years of chapbook publishing looks like. This is Thirty West.

44 pgs with a 5.5” x 8.5” trim size

Jacket Artwork by Oliva’s Ink Illustrations

Mallory Smart is a Chicago-based writer who loves keeping it weird. She’s the author of I Keep My Visions to Myself and The Only Living Girl in Chicago, the host of the podcast Textual Healing, and Editor-in-Chief of Maudlin House, an indie press for restless, unapologetic voices. Her work shows up where you least expect it and lingers longer than it should.