Minerva and The Whir is Jo D’arc’s debut pamphlet containing a short story and a selection of poetry.
The story follows Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, poetry and music as she wakes and wanders the earth, seeking to understand, feeling both enamoured with and disgusted by humanity. The story flirts with ancient mythology, fantasy, magic and spirituality wrapped in a dystopian veil. Commenting on identity politics and class issues, the 5,000-word tale highlights the inequality and hypocrisy of society, questioning the cult of consumption and greed that often fuels our current world view.
The story and the additional six poems, Minerva Wakes, She Dances, Clay Mounds, Or Rather, A Rainbow Trickles, As We Turn, and Only Flow explore the impact of technological development and globalisation on humanity, considering where these could lead in light of our fragile reality when faced with extremes of the fanciful.