Jonah and Austin Barnett launching Countershade Press, debuting ‘Menagerie’

Rachel Benton

Earlier this year, during the Arts & Pride Month conversation series, I had the honor of chatting with Jonah Barnett, a radiant creative and beloved presence in Thurston County. 

 During our conversation, Barnett briefly touched on their and their husband Austin Barnett’s queer speculative fiction publishing company, Countershade Press. Just a few months later, the Barnetts are ready to launch that company alongside its flagship book, a collection of stories by 12 local authors titled “Menagerie: A Cluster of Loss.”  

Countershade Press invites you to join them at Browsers Bookshop on Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. for a special one night only theatrical soundscape performance of one of the stories featured in “Menagerie,” Cecilia Meade's short story "The Woods." Click on the JOLT News events calendar to learn more.  

Artwork featured in “Menagerie” is currently on display at Browser’s upstairs gallery. This book and event are for people ages 12 and up. 

Directed by Austin Barnett and adapted for soundscape by Jonah Barnett, “The Woods” performance will feature local actors Alice Rosewater, Basil James, Deane Shellman, Christine Goode, and Meg Rosenberg. After the performance, there will be a post-performance question and answer session with editor Jonah Barnett and author Cecilia Meade. 

Book and publishing company launches don’t usually offer this much artistically rich content, but Countershade Press is anything but ordinary. To learn more, I had the opportunity to chat with Jonah Barnett once again. Enjoy our discussion.  

 Our conversation 

Benton: When I heard that you were going to do a soundscape performance at your event, I got really excited not only because I love books, but also because I think it is really good for people to hear stories spoken out loud to them. Why do you feel like events like these that carry a certain reader’s theater dynamic are important?  

Barnett: “(As a society), we are transitioning to more audio-focused storytelling methods with podcasts and all. While the written word, with its thoughtful use of language, was meant to be read, it was also meant to be spoken out loud. It’s the other half of the experience that we don’t honor as much. Austin and I both have performance, theater, film backgrounds; it felt natural for us to do this. Also, I think that [audio-focused storytelling] is more accessible and gives people more ways to ingest the story.”  

Benton: Will there be any audiobooks in Countershade’s future? 

Barnett: “I have been trying to do an audiobook of ‘Moss Covered Claws’ for a while, but it is very slow going. There is another project that we are currently working on that will be an audio-focused drama. Think along the lines of an old-timey radio play. This will likely be released via podcast." 

Benton: Why does now feel like the right time to launch Countershade? Why is reading, regardless of the format, so important to today’s world? 

Barnett: “Today, reading is really important because literacy is down, and that is a heartbreaking, huge bummer because reading rocks. Reading creates well-rounded people and encourages critical thinking and introspection. It makes you realize you are not the center of this universe. ... You share this universe with so many other beings, humans and nonhuman. It was always a dream of mine to have a small press, but it feels really important at this time in our history to make sure queer voices are heard and amplified when there is so much work trying to bury them under the rubble.

“On the other side of that, it’s queer speculative fiction. Speculative fiction lives in the realm of possibilities of, ‘What if. … What if it was different.’ That kind of thinking is needed now more than ever in our world. It is so hard with all these fires that we are seeing not to feel like everything is ending, but speculative fiction can open minds, start conversations, and inspire action.  

“The name Countershade Press is inspired by countershading, a type of coloration that animals have. It’s a biological phenomenon that occurs when an animal evolves to have a dark top and a light bottom, as in an orca whale. (This idea expresses what we want to do.) There is a lot of really good 'feel good stuff' out there, but we want to strike a balance that also discusses how messy life can be.” 

 Benton: Is there anything else you would like to share with JOLT Readers?  

Barnett: “We will be having other events, including a soiree on Oct. 8 at the Olympia Timberland Library called ‘Welcome to the Void.’ We also have another book coming out soon, a novella written in verse by poet Basil James. At some point, we will do a film screening of 'In the Wintertime' with a filmmaker from Rhode Island. Stay tuned for more details!” 

Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.