History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

The Moon in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| April 2, 2026

The Moon tarot card represents the subconscious, illusions, intuition, and emotions. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a poem. The haiku, titled “Counting Mermaids at Twilight” (one of the few not titled by its first line), touches on the illusory nature of this card and the perception […]

The Star in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| March 19, 2026

The Star tarot card represents hope, healing, and renewal. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a poem. The haiku, titled “The stars fall like rain” after the first line, is a necessarily brief reflection that touches on the hope aspect of the Star, while also having literal […]

This Book Has Ghosts in It out today!

| March 10, 2026

My latest collection, This Book Has Ghosts in It, is out today! Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are ghosts of ideas, creatures of death, and creepy plants and places, in addition to the more traditional forms of ghosts. Short stories, tiny stories, and poetry keep you wondering […]

This Book Has Ghosts in It Cover Reveal

| February 12, 2026

My next collection, filled with spooky stories and poetry, will be called This Book Has Ghosts in It, and it’s available for pre-order in ebook now! Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are ghosts of ideas, creatures of death, and creepy plants and places, in addition to the […]

My 2025 Awards Eligibility

| December 30, 2025

I’ve had quite a few stories and poems out this year, so here’s a recap of things I’ve published that are eligible for awards consideration! Short Stories “One Person’s Nightmare,” Rescuing Curiosity (2,500 words, contemporary fantasy) “It Can’t Be Sunday Everywhere at Once,” Rescuing Curiosity (3,200 words, sci-fi) “Last Dam Standing,” Analog July/August 2025 (3,000 words, sci-fi/climate change) […]

Temperance in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| December 11, 2025

The Temperance tarot card represents patience, balance, moderation, and harmony. However, it also has an association with art and blending opposites. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a poem. The haiku, named after the first line, “art that walks careful,” touches on the dangers of hewing to […]

Have You Checked Out Chimerical Remembrance?

| October 28, 2025

My collection, Chimerical Remembrance: Tales of Contemporary Fantasy, has been out for just over a month now! Within its pages, you’ll find microfiction, flash fiction, short stories, and poetry, with a mix of moods and themes. There are supernatural creatures, unusual places, and a variety of professions, all in settings that look a lot like the […]

Poetry in The Sidewalk Diverges

| October 14, 2025

The Sidewalk Diverges includes 19 poems, which means that poetry pieces are more than half the pieces in this collection. While they all include aspects of contemporary fantasy, their themes and subjects range wildly. Some, like “Agent 355” and “City of Sounds” were inspired by things I saw and heard in Seattle, just going about […]

Chimerical Remembrance Out Today!

| September 23, 2025

My latest collection, Chimerical Remembrance: Tales of Contemporary Fantasy, is out today in ebook format! The world is a strange place, and the stories and poetry within Chimerical Remembrance amplify that strangeness. From selkies and werewolves to witches and ghosts, exploring unusual places, botany, candy making, and more, you’ll find both joy and sorrow in solemn […]

Joyful Science Fiction

| August 26, 2025

I’ve published several collections of science fiction stories and poetry, ranging in topics and moods. Droplets from the Universe is where I collected the most joyful, humorous, and often hopeful stories of possible futures. This collection has a heavy concentration of poetry, and those poems include spacefaring people reminiscing about life on Earth, as well as […]