for Inge Bruggeman
and on Betty Bright's Blog
7.09.2009
ED SANDERS : GLYPHS 1962-2009 OPENS FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE ARM
ED SANDERS : GLYPHS 1962-2009
A rare exhibition of nearly half a century of Ed Sandersʼs glyph-poems produced between 1962 and 2009 will be on display at The Arm in Williamsburg [Brooklyn, NY] from July 10 through July 31. An opening reception will be held on July 10th at 6PM.
Building on a long history of utilizing a highly visible language that continues into the present, Sandersʼs glyph-poems fuse image with text, and image as text. Political, personal, ephemeral, historical, uncanny, and humorous—the glyph-poems on display at The Arm appear in several different mediums, including original drawings, collages, mimeographed pages from Fuck You/ A Magazine of the Arts (1962-'65), plus a number featuring color images, and an artistʼs book. Over 200 Glyph-works will be featured in the show.
In addition, Glyphs 1962-2009 will feature new letterpress prints and a limited edition catalogue produced on location at The Arm.
Edward Sanders is a poet, historian and musician. He is at work, since 1998, on a 9-volume America, a History in Verse. The first five volumes, tracing the history of the 20th century, have been completed and published in a fully indexed CD format, over 2,000 pages in length, by Blake Route Press. Another recent writing project is Poems for New Orleans, a book and CD on the history of that great city, and its tribulations during and after hurricane Katrina. He has been granted a Guggenheim fellowship in poetry, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in verse, an American Book Award for his collected poems, and other awards for his writing. Other books in print include Tales of Beatnik Glory (4 volumes published in a single edition), 1968, a History in Verse; The Poetry and Life of Allen Ginsberg, The Family, a history of the Charles Manson murder group, and Chekhov, a biography in verse of Anton Chekhov.
Sanders was the founder of the satiric folk/rock group, The Fugs, which has released many albums and CDs during its 45 year history. The Fugs have recently completed a CD, Be Free, The Fugs Final CD (Part 2), featuring 14 new tunes. Be Free will be released in late summer. Two of Sanders' books, The Family and Tales of Beatnik Glory, are under option to be made into movies. His selected poems, 1986-2008, Letʼs Not Keep Fighting the Trojan War will be published by Coffee House Press in the fall of 2009. He lives in Woodstock, New York with his wife, the essayist and painter Miriam Sanders, and both are active in environmental and other social issues. Sanders will perform a section of America, the 17th Century, tracing the voyage of Henry Hudson up the Hudson River in 1609, at the Byrdcliffe Art Colony in Woodstock on August 8, as part of the 400th anniversary celebration of Hudsonʼs discoveries.
Opening reception for Glyphs 1962-2009 on Friday, July 10th from 6PM.
All inquiries may be addressed to:
Daniel Morris
The Arm
281 North 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
dan at thearmnyc dot com
7.08.2009
TWO CASES OF TYPE
Two cases of type available in Rhode Island. Drop me a line at kyle at cuneiformpress dot com if interested!
MATCHBOOK II
from Friedrich Kerksieck at Small Fires Press:
I'd like to tell you that Matchbook: Volume Two is available from Small Fires Press. I hope you're as excited about it as I am.
It features the work of Emily Kendal Frey, Zachary Schomburg, Garth Graeper, Susan Briante, Matt Hart, Fred Schmalz, Brenda Iijima, Kyle Schlesinger, David B. Goldstein, Cherie Weaver, Matvei Yankelevich, Hoa Nguyen, Philip Dacey, Megan Gannon, Miles Waggener, anna olivier, Ana Bozicevic, Paul Killebrew, Nate Pritts, BJ Love, Dale Smith, Farid Matuk, Mathias Svalina, and a scratch and sniff gallery of sensory abstractions in glorious letterpressed color.
Each issue is held within a different vintage matchbook cover with the same 58 pages of text within each. For a limited time you can buy three copies of the issue for only $13.00 if you want to share with friends, or just because. Or, you can buy one issue for six dollars, which is well worth it, let me tell you. Buy them online, visit here, or send me some moneys.
Friedrich Kerksieck
1447 Poplar Ave. Apt. 1
Memphis, TN 38104
1447 Poplar Ave. Apt. 1
Memphis, TN 38104
7.07.2009
TEXTFORM
Jeremy James Thompson has organized a promising new series at the Center for Book Arts in NYC called TEXTFORM, featuring readings and performances by writers whose methods of production, presentation, and distribution are a vital component of their work.
UPCOMING READING:
Wednesday, July 22, 6:30 pm
WITH READINGS BY:
Ari Banias
James Hoff
Patrick Lovelace
Lee Norton
Danny Snelson
KC Trommer
TROUBADOUR BOOKS
Last Thursday I left for a long weekend with friends in Vermont. On the way up I decided to take a slight detour into Western Massachusetts to check out Troubadour Books in North Hatfield. The photograph above is poached from Maud Newton's blog. I opened the screen door, stepped inside, and was delighted to see (by complete coincidence) Karen Randall of Propolis Press engaged in conversation with the proprietor, Bob Willig. Karen made quick introductions and promptly directed me to the poetry section conveniently located between the cash register and the coffee table (complete with real coffee). You can see a short video featuring the poetry section by Clayton Barns on YouTube. There were too many books to sustain shelf reading from A to Z, so I jumped around a lot while pausing from time to time to eavesdrop on Bob's hilarious conversation with his assistant. The poetry section was extensive, specializing in American small press editions of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Large piles of new arrivals crammed the floor in front of the shelves, and there were several stacks of oversized (mostly 2nd and 3rd generation New York School) side-stapled mimeo magazines and books floating around. Many of the books were flagged with swatches that listed the online price vs. the store rate. If bookstores want to compete with online sales, incentives like this are a necessity. There were a handful of expensive fine press editions geared towards serious collectors, but most items were trade editions, often inscribed and/or signed by the authors. These in particular offered a pretty clear sense of whose libraries made up the bulk of the poetry collection, and occasionally offered a glimpse into significant relationships among poets, particularly those who currently, or at one time, lived in Western Massachusetts. My only gripe was that many of the books were well-used by former owners, and could benefit from better storage conditions in the store itself (i.e. don't stack books on the floor or in front of open windows). Few were what I would consider mint, although I should mention that I found a copy of Sagetrieb devoted to Robert Creeley with some severe water damage to the tail and lower spine, and asked the owner if he could let it go for anything less than $15. He said that $15 was "ridiculous" for a book in that condition and offered it to me for $5 instead. Karen and her friend left about an hour after I arrived, and on her way out she kindly directed me to the books about books section (usually my second stop). After another 45 minutes of browsing I gathered my stack, made a few difficult last minute cuts, and made my way to the register.
I had a great conversation with Bob, who told me a bit about the store's history, the collections he was currently processing, and other aspects of book culture in Western Massachusetts. When it came time to ring everything up, he generously gave me a substantial discount and even threw in a freebie. I picked up: Jim Nisbet's Small Apartment with photographs by Shelly Vogel (Thumbscrew Press, 1992); Curtis Faville's Ready with cover art by Hugh Kepets (Adventures in Poetry, 1975); Lewis Warsh's Today with cover art by Alan Saret (Adventures in Poetry, 1974); Lewis Warsh's Moving Through Air with cover art by Donna Dennis (Angel Hair, 1968); Raphael Rubinstein's The Basement of Cafe Rilke with cover art by Rudy Burkhardt (Hard Press, 1996); Frank Kuenstler's The Seafarer, B.Q.E., and Other Poems (Cairn Editions, 1996); Manroot No. 10 (the Jack Spicer issue) with cover by Robert Berner; Sagetrieb Vol. 1 No. 3 (the Robert Creeley issue); and Far From the Rappahannock: Poets of the New York School, an exhibition catalogue by James Jaffe Rare Books in conjunction with Locus Solus Rare Books.
Troubadour is located at: 336 West Street / North Hatfield, MA 01066 / (413) 247-3028. I thought Bob told me that they have a website, but I haven't been able to locate it using google. They're on AbeBooks, but I would strongly suggest logging off and hitting the road for a classic bookstore experience. Karen tells me that other bookish people and places in Western Massachusetts include:
7.01.2009
TODAY'S MAIL
From Small Fires Press:Some Bridges Migrate by Scott Pierce
I, NE: Iterations of the Junco, a collaboration between John Chavez, Megan Gannon, Rachel May, and Joshua Ware. Illustrations by Meaghan Perry.
Matchbook 2, featuring poems by Matt Hart, Brenda Iijima, Phil Cordelli, Matvei Yankelvich, Hoa Nguyen, Nate Pritts, Dale Smith and many more. More info @ http://smallfirespress.com/
Parenthesis 16:
Features articles by or about Robert Bringhurst, Crispin Elsted, Jan Tschichold, Jerry Kelly, Harmann Zapf, and many more. More information @ http://www.fpba.com/
Dzine:
a student publication produced at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES under the direction of Terry Cuddy.
6.30.2009
6.29.2009
TWO NEW BOOKS BY TOM RAWORTH
THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE WHO PUT ON ANY CLOTHES (starring it)
A prose work in 23 sections, mislaid for 35 years and then found in an attic
price £4.50 including P&P
Cheques to ‘Equipage’
c/o Rod Mengham, Jesus College, Cambridge, CB5 8BL
EARN YOUR MILK: COLLECTED PROSE
Includes Letters from Yaddo, The Vein, Letter to Martin Stannard, and A Serial Biography
6.28.2009
ADA BOOKS
Visiting my folks in Rhode Island this month, I went up to the attic to sort through some boxes I put in storage some years ago. Among other treasures, I found three or four boxes of paperbacks from college and decided to try selling them to a used bookstore. Since my girlfriend is crazy about the espresso at White Electric in Providence, we decided to try the bookstore next door. The owner was on his way out, but generously lingered a few minutes to rifle through the boxes we brought while I took a look at the shelves. Ada primarily focuses on literature, ranging from esoteric contemporary fiction to the classics. For a small shop, their selection of poetry, graphic novels, and independent periodicals is quite impressive. Most of the books are used paperbacks in fine condition and reasonably priced, while the most alluring titles are new books from small presses such as Ugly Duckling. The owner took a few titles off my hands, but not everything, so at the owner's suggestion, we took the remainder to Books Through Bars, an organization that donates books to prisoners: http://www.booksthroughbars.org/ Next time you're passing through Providence, ignore the Barnes and Noble in the hideous mall that now obscures the city and check out Ada instead: http://www.ada-books.com/6.24.2009
NAKED LUNCH@50
My Mimeo Mimeo co-editor Jed Birmingham will be speaking on Burroughs' relationship to the little magazine on Friday July 3 in Paris. Details at: http://nakedlunch.org/
6.23.2009
ALPHABET
Alphabet
An exhibition of hand-drawn lettering & experimental typography
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
in the Domy Books, Austin Project Space
913 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702
7-9pm, FREE ADMISSION
Exhibition runs June 24–August 9, 2009
THE PRINTERS' BALL
(posted for Fred Sasaki)
The Printers’ Ball
Friday, July 31, 2009
5pm to 11pm
1104 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL
The Printers' Ball, founded by Poetry magazine with Chicago literary organizations, is an annual celebration of print culture, featuring thousands of free magazines, books, and broadsides; live readings and music; letterpress, offset, and paper-making demonstrations; and much more. This year’s Printers’ Ball is hosted by Columbia College Chicago and the Center for Book & Paper Arts in the historic Ludington Building, former home to the American Book Company. As always, there is no fee to attend or participate in the Printers' Ball!
To participate in the Printers’ Ball, you must donate one to three-hundred (1-300) back issues, current issues, old books, new books, and/or broadsides to the Printers’ Ball (ephemera and/or promotional materials are welcome!). Delivery details will be sent next week, after registration is complete. The deadline to register is Wednesday, June 24!
Now, for the first time ever, doors are open to publishers outside of Chicago. Even if you are unable to attend in person, we will add your materials to the mix of print. More than 1,500 people attend the Printers’ Ball, and over 150 literary organizations will showcase the various ways they bring print to life. If you would like to participate, reply YES! to this email and provide:
• The name of your publication or organization and the corresponding URL
• A 20- to 50-word mission statement
• Contact person (full name and e-mail)
Fred Sasaki
fsasaki@poetryfoundation.org
Associate Editor, Poetry
444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1850
Chicago, IL 60611-4034
312.787.7070 Ext. 8005
312.787.6650 Fax
http://www.poetrymagazine.org
6.22.2009
6.20.2009
CHAPBOOKS AND THE ACADEMY
A poet-scholar friend sent me his bio note the other day and I noticed that he claimed to be "the author of 2 books [of poetry] and 6 chapbooks." Speaking as a publisher and scholar, I have a pretty clear sense of what distinguishes a chapbook from a book historically, and in terms of its formal structure (no need to rehash and compare definitions here). These are the kinds of details and nuances print historians and bibliophiles love to quibble about, but one question that hasn't been throughly explored (so far as I know) is why some poets treat the chapbook as an inferior stepping stone towards a book proper?
I suspect that this often has something to do with the academy. I've seen advertisements for jobs teaching creative writing that specified "candidate must have two books published by a nationally recognized press." I guess this suggests that poets like da levy need not apply. I would also imagine that "books" means a perfect bound collection of poems in excess of 60 pages complete with blurbs, ISBN, bar code, and available on Amazon. In this instance, is it fair to assume that a book designed to resemble other commercial products (like cereal boxes) have academic credibility, while books produced by artists and/or artisans do not carry the same authority? And what does "nationally recognized" mean anyways? As one who has spent a lot of time contemplating the concept of the book, it is difficult to accept the word at face value. When asked by an established elder have you written a book? I overheard one colleague of mine say, with a bit of shame, no, I only have four chapbooks.
Is the chapbook considered inferior to the book? Is it somehow considered dishonest (stuffing one’s resume) to not distinguish between a chapbook and a perfect bound book? Is the sheer bulk of a perfect bound book enough to convince an English Department that someone is a serious poet worthy of the attention of a "nationally recognized publisher?" I pointed out to my friend that if he wants to get technical, he is actually the author of:
a) one paperback trade edition codex
b) one book-length pdf that can be downloaded from a literary website (a pdf is not a book)
c) a single poem printed and bound accordion style in boards
d) another single poem distributed as a handbill or pamphlet.
f) and four sewn or stapled chapbooks
Ted Greenwald, among many other poets who don't have institutional affiliation, do not make a distinction between a chapbook and a book in their bio notes. According to Charles Bernstein's bio note on his EPC page, he is the author of "40 books, ranging from large-scale collections of poetry and essays to pamphlets, libretti, translations, and collaborations." Having had many discussion with Charles about the nature of the book, it makes sense that he would offer the total number of publications while making a distinction between books of creative and critical writing, as well as scale and scope.
NEW YORK'S BEST POETRY BOOKSTORE CLOSES
Hermitage, New York's best poetry bookstore, is scheduled to close at the end of June. As sad as this is in some respects, proprietor Jon Beacham will continue to host film screenings, print books, and make art. Book selling will take a back seat to other activities. This comes as no surprise, as the store was always more than a place to buy things; it was an experiment in living, an attitude, an occasion to talk about poetry in a particular place. That said, I should also mention that the books were always beautifully curated, in excellent condition, and at very reasonable prices. If you want to make a last minute jaunt up the Hudson, call ahead. Jon tells me that foot traffic is still welcome and that the prices are "friendly." Also, if you haven't picked up any of the ephemera printed on Jon's letterpress, send a modest check up to the shop and you'll receive a "mystery packet" through the post. You can't go wrong.
Details at: www.hermitagebeacon.com
6.19.2009
REVEALING THE MYSTERIES
Michael Myers, Rob Rusk & Holbrook Teter
Spirit Photography: A Fireside Book of Gurus
San Francisco: Zephyrus Image, 1973; Letterpress with found zinc cuts.
6.18.2009
6.17.2009
THE SOPHISTICATED CHAPBOOK: A WORKSHOP WITH AARON COHICK
For those of you in the Bay Area, don't miss this opportunity to take a workshop with Aaron Cohick at the Center for Book Arts on July 24. "Learn how to design and construct structurally sophisticated chapbooks efficiently and cheaply. We will cover a series of simple binding techniques as well as how to "upgrade" them to make more complex books. There will be discussion centered on relating form, function, and content, and other design issues, as well as the practical nuts and bolts of chapbook publishing."
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