Sands

I read on Facebook about this contest in honor of Sandra Simonds' book, Warsaw Bikini. I don't remember the exact rules, but the winner(s) receive a copy of the book, and it involves some other stuff. I may be disqualified, anyway, as I'm publishing a chapbook for Sandra very soon. But I don't own a copy of her book . . . and wouldn't turn one down. Is what I'm sayin'.

Back to the contest. The "entry" is a poem (or short prose piece) playing on a line or title or poem of Sandra's. I went with one of her recently published poems La Petite Zine. It's in the style of, not inspired by, Sandra. Just so we're clear. *ahem*


"This Storm is a State (its Beauty, Eternal)"
-- after Sands

Ferns in the gutter were just be-
ginning to brown---a Death
befriended,

as round bodies bloated and gathered
for easy rolling to a greater un-
safety.

The rain
swoons itself down as
a blushing, never-was virgin.

Oh, come, minty-fresh, cherished de-
struction and
spin us toward the tornadic dark-
scape of your mangled
appropriations.

Say put it in.
Say do it inside me.

Grey Book's Summer SPECTACULAR!

Now that I have your attention . . . just a quick update.

Yes, things have been quiet since finishing Kristine and Jay's chapbooks in the Spring. In true goal-oriented fashion (i.e., setting myself up for failure), I'm giving myself an August-ish deadline to have my press-centric website completed in the run-up to getting out the next chapbook (by Sandra Simonds) and issue #2 of Momoware.

Beyond that, there are hints of subsequent chapbooks (to be published in conjunction with Sandra's imprint, possibly), and another book/writers conference in St. Augustine (in November).

Keep cool. I know I won't. (Until I get my car's air-conditioner fixed tomorrow, that is.)

Momoware, Spring 2009 Issue Copies (Finally) Out!

I've officially finished getting the copies out for the Spring 2009 issue of Momoware (Number 1). This means I only have to get Jay the balance of his copies of Solid Waste, and I'll be "off" for several months.

Bzzzzzzzzt! (Not.)

It's time to upgrade our web presence, which means a "real" site. Also, there are a couple projects simmering. Saying nothing of my OWN scribblings!

More soon-ish.

New Titles, More Coming

Just because we haven't posted doesn't mean we're not busy. We've been busy. Relatively.

Last month, in the span of a week, we put the final touches on Fantome's lyric book for Velvet on the Air, as well as our first-ever chapbook title, Fledgling Starlet by Kristine Snodgrass. We're very excited and proud.

Coming up this month is the debut issue of our new journal, Momoware, as well as another chapbook . . . this time by Jay Snodgrass. I want to have all the production done by the end of March, when we'll be preparing for our trip to the Gulf Coast Creative Writing Teachers (and I forget the rest) Conference in Fairhope, Alabama.

After that . . . well. We have some irons in the proverbial fire. A big priority will be finalizing the real website and streamlining the point-of-sale process to make it easier (er, possible) to purchase chapbook/journal copies on-line.

Until then, if you're intersted in purchasing a title, drop me a line.

Identity Crisis

I've had misgivings about putting a bunch of personal blather on here. I mean, is this my blog, or the press's? I guess the problem is that, currently, this is the only website for the press. I'm thinking that, once there's a more "formal" site for the press, I'll keep this separate (but linked) . . . and be more free to personalize.

Back to the press. We have a lot going on. In the next couple months, we have four titles coming out. The tentative schedule is:
-- Fantome's Velvet on the Air lyric book (this week?)
-- Kristine Snodgrass chapbook (late February)
-- Momoware #1 (late February/early March)
-- Jay Snodgrass chapbook (March)

This Tuesday (in two days), Kristine is reading at The Warehouse in Tallahassee with Bloof! poet Sandra Simonds.

And now back to me. I'll be reading next week (Wednesday, February 18) at the Firehouse gallery in Bainbridge, Georgia. This is an offshoot of Jay's Firehouse journal there. Oh, and I'm scared. Further down the road (early April) is the Gulf Coast Creative Writing Teachers Conference in Fairhope, Alabama. Reportedly, I'll be on Jay's DIY/chapbook panel, and I may be reading, too. And I'm not even a creative writing teacher.

_____________ New Year!

We had some much-needed time away over New Years. From home, from Tallahassee, from the day-to-day hassles that seemed to be dragging us down. Now the only thing that has me feeling empty is I have nothing to staple. But we're working to remedy that!

Beyond the oft-cited Fantome lyric book, I've solicited two (married) poets for chapbooks, which should come together very quickly. Also in the works is, of course, the debut issue of the new "journal," which is going to be titled Momoware. Did I tell you that already?

We're also in the early stages of putting together a reading here in Tallahassee which, in addition to poetry, will feature live music. Probably not a stretch to figure out ONE band that could appear on the bill. More details as that comes together.

Grey Book Press Infinite Playlist

Christmas is in a week, and I'm trying my best to put off doing anything responsible, like wrapping gifts or figuring out for whom we have left to buy. As I'm finishing the last bits of my lunch here at work (Lipton Cup-a-Soup, veggie jerky ["wild" flavor], cheddar cheese-crackers, and a Sprite . . . and, I confess, a chunk of chocolate-covered peanut brittle), I'm thinking about music. I have bills to pay (most important), a chapbook of Fantome lyrics to proof (while listening to the CD), and poems to read for the journal (oh, wait, most of you aren't sending me anything so scratch THAT), but I'm doing this. All because it's an excuse to randomly post a list. Of music.

Some of you might remember I did mix CDs for my blog (Kamikaze Lunchbreak). Well, I started one for the poetry journal I'm gonna do . . . last Spring, when I came up with the title. By the time Issue #1 of it goes to press, I'll have done a half-dozen mix CDs. For me.

For you, I have the Grey Book Press "staff" buyers' guide! It's a listing of what's in "high rotation" . . . y'know, from a pre-MP3 world where "albums" and full-length CDs still matter. I guess this is more my list, because the long-arm stapler sits on a shelf above the desktop and mostly listens to the sounds of me playing Eve Online.

In no particular order (although six is an unusual number):
-- Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City
-- Forget Cassettes, Salt
-- Fields, Everything Last Winter
-- The Dresden Dolls, Yes, Virginia
-- The Cinematics, A Strange Education
-- I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Fear is on Our Side