Requiescat in Pace Adrienne Rich, 1929-2012

The Los Angeles Times obituary of one of my poetry heroines can be read here. Her collection, The Dream of a Common Language, was one of the first books of poetry I ever bought.

You are summoned

to join me in writing a poem a day for National Poetry Month this April. Happily, during the first three weeks I'll be on spring break, so I can really make the most of the challenge.

The following have already agreed to join me:

1. Joanne Limburg, Cambridge, UK

2. Jennifer Clarvoe, US

3. Aisling Tempany, Cardiff

4. Daniel Luff, Bath

5. Claire Lerpinière, near Bath

6. Natalia Spencer, Bristol

7. Jennifer K. Dick, Mulhouse, France

8. Reiss McGuinness, Bath and Sheffield

9. Kit Fryatt, Dublin

10. Cat Conway, London

11. Barbara Marsh, Hackney

12. Marthe Reed, Lafayette, Louisiana

13. James "J.P." Pavett, Bath, Somerset and Ferndown, Dorset

14. Katy Wilson, Bath

15. Alex Clere, Bath and Tamworth

16. Isobel Armstrong, Southampton

17. Jenny Martin, Great Bookham, Surrey

18. Kathryn Simmonds, London

19. John Wheway, Bath

20. Kristina Close, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham

21. Tom Weir, Leeds

22. Kenny Campbell, St Andrews

23. Samantha Boarer, Bath and Newton Abbot

24. Matt Haw, Bath
25. Abigail Maskill, Halifax and Bath
26. Laura Hill, Borehamwood and Bath
27. Katherine Frost, Folkestone and Bath

28. Connie Voisine, Belfast, Ireland

29. Frank Dullaghan, Dubai, UAE

30. Dikra Ridha, Bath

31. Libby Walkup, Chicago

32. Jack Tinmouth, Whitchurch, Bristol

33. Simon McCormack, Bournemouth

34. Ginny Wiehardt, Brooklyn, NY

35. Éireann Lorsung, Nottinghamshire

36. Charlotte Owen, Bath

37. Emily Maycock, Newton St Loe

38. Laura Burns, Bristol

39. Mark Olival-Bartley, Munich, Germany

40. Simon Williams, South Devon, UK

41. Peter Daniels, London

42. Sarah Rudston, Bath

43. Zoe Howarth-Lowe, Bath

44. Rob A. Mackenzie, Edinburgh

45. Violet Echo Dahl, Bath and Oxford

46. Lindsey Holland

47. Graham Burchell, Dawlish

48. Sharon Larkin, Cheltenham

49. Bob Walton, Bristol

50. Diana Gittins, Exeter

51. Lucy Sixsmith, Bath

52. Lily Kerfoot, Dartmoor and Bath

53. Sarah Lariviere, Paris

54. Nathan Say, Las Vegas

55. Jason Mark Curley, London

Pamphlet (aka chapbook) publishing in the UK: an initial list of current publishers

The last few weeks I've been talking to my MA students about pamphlet publishing in the UK and realized I only had so much information to hand about the present state of affairs. Indeed, I'd thought so few pamphlet publishers were considering submissions I'd been thinking of approaching just US publishers with the one I'm currently working on.

NB: This list is still under compilation; I'm awaiting responses from several publishers yet before including them. However, if you think I've missed someone, please email me at carrie dot etter at gmail dot com to let me know.

Before submitting to any publisher, familiarize yourself with their list first by buying and reading at least a few of their works.

UK pamphlet presses considering unsolicited submissions:

Anything Anymore Anywhere publishes occasional pamphlets and will consider unsolicited submissions. 

Critical Documents, edited by Justin Katko, has published pamphlets by Frances Kruk, Marianne Morris, J.H. Prynne, and Tom Raworth, among others. They consider unsolicited submissions.

Egg Box Publishing, edited by Nathan Hamilton, has a small but quality output, with a new pamphlet series, F.U.N.E.X., begun with Waffles by Matthew Welton. If you haven't heard within a month, you should consider the submission rejected; even confirmation queries may be ignored. 

Erbacce Press, edited by Alan Corkish and Andrew Taylor, considers unsolicited submissions providing they follow the press's published guidelines. They operate as a non-profit cooperative and have published chapbooks by Anne Blonstein, Jo Langton, and Duane Locke, among many others.

Flarestack Poets, edited by Meredith Andrea and Jacqui Rowe, publishes a range of styles. They hold a pamphlet competition annually and select two winners for publication, and, as funding permits, they occasionally publish other pamphlets. Authors include Claire Crowther, Selima Hill and Alasdair Paterson.

Happenstance Press, edited by Helena Nelson, has reading windows (via post) in July and December. They offer wonderfully precise and clear guidelines here and have published pamphlets by Lorna Dowell, David Hale, Eleanor Livingstone, Rob A. Mackenzie, and Matt Merritt, among many others.

Indigo Dreams regularly publishes poetry and will bring out its first pamphlet later this year. They consider unsolicited submissions, with full details on their website.

Lapwing Publications, edited by Dennis and Rene Greig, occasionally publishes pamphlets and will consider unsolicited submissions.

Like This Press, edited by Nikolai Duffy, is a new press seeking submissions. They have published pamphlets by Iain Britton, Ian Seed and JT Welsch, as well as a "book-in-a-box" by David R. Morgan. I hope they will add some female authors to their list before long. 

Mariscat Press, edited by Hamish Whyte, publishes 3-4 pamphlets a year and will consider unsolicited submissions (see their Links page for details). They have published pamphlets by Edwin Morgan and Gael Turnbull, among others.

Miel Books, edited by Éireann Lorsung, has just published their first three chapbooks; check their website for submission windows.

Nasty Little Press, edited by Luke Wright, publishes pamphlets and is particularly interested in poets who are experienced performers of their own work. They consider unsolicited submissions, but may or may not reply!

The Poetry Business/Smith Doorstop, edited by Peter and Ann Sansom, publishes four pamphlets a year through their annual competition, judged by an established poet, with a regular late November deadline. Authors include Paul Batchelor, John McAuliffe, Patrick McGuinness, Hilary Menos and Pascale Petit.

Rack Press, edited by Nicholas Murray, specializes in poetry pamphlets and publishes approximately four a year. Its authors include Katy Evans-Bush and Christopher Reid. As so much of the work they publish is invited or comes by recommendation, they have little opportunity to publish unsolicited work, but they will consider it.

Red Squirrel Press, edited by Sheila Wakefield, has recently increased its publication of poetry pamphlets and will consider unsolicited submissions. Its pamphlet authors include Claire Askew, Pippa Little, and Andrew McMillan.

The Rialto, edited by Michael Mackmin, occasionally publishes pamphlets and prefers to receive a covering letter stating interest in publishing a pamphlet with The Rialto, a brief "poetry CV" of publications, any competition success, etc., and six poems from the manuscript, as an initial approach. They have published pamphlets by Richard Lambert and Lorraine Mariner, among others.

Rufus Books, edited by Ágnes Cserháti, is based in Toronto, Canada, but also has a London address and publishes some UK authors, including Matthew Francis. While the press considers unsolicited submissions, their publishing schedule is full until 2016.

Seren Books publishes one pamphlet annually: the winner of the Purple Moose Prize. Details of the 2012 competition, deadline 30 June, are available here.

The Tall Lighthouse (I cannot bring myself to insert the incorrect hyphen!), now edited by Gareth Lewis, will open again to submissions in October 2012. They've especially distinguished themselves with their pamphlets by poets yet to bring out a full collection. Their pamphlet authors include Retta Bowen, Abi Curtis, Rhian Edwards, and Ben Wilkinson.

Templar Poetry, edited by Alex McMillen, publishes six pamphlets a year: three through their regular May competition and three through Iota Shots. Selected poems from the May competition entries appear in an annual anthology, which seems to me a good consolation prize. Their poets include Pat Borthwick, Matt Bryden, Siobhan Campbell, Hilary Menos, David Morley, and Katrina Naomi.

Veer Books publishes both pamphlets and full-length collections of experimental poetry. While most work is commissioned, some unsolicited submissions are accepted, and they will be considered. I'll post more details when their website's working again.

zimZalla, curated by Tom Jenks, produces "avant objects," and sometimes these are pamphlets. They will consider unsolicited submissions.

UK pamphlet presses not presently considering unsolicited submissions:

Arrowhead Press, edited by Joanna Boulter, occasionally publishes pamphlets, but is not taking unsolicited submissions presently.

Bad Press, edited by Marianne Morris, has published chapbooks by Emily Critchley, Amy De'Ath, and Kai Fierle-Hedrick, among others. I'm listing them as not taking unsolicited submissions till I know otherwise.

Barque Press, edited by Andrea Brady and Keston Sutherland, publishes books and pamphlets of poetry, but does not consider unsolicited submissions. They have published pamphlets by Allen Fisher, Peter Manson, Marianne Morris, Kristin Prevallet, J.H. Prynne, Elena Rivera, and John Wilkinson, among others.

Clutag Press, edited by Andrew McNeillie, appears to be a closed shop, if a quality one; it never considers unsolicited submissions. They also rarely publish women in either their pamphlet series or the magazine.

Crater Press, edited by R.T.A. Parker, publishes beautiful letterpress pamphlets by such poets as Ken Edwards, Peter Hughes, Tony Lopez, Tom Raworth, and John Wilkinson (there are a couple women in the mix, but I don't know their work). They do not consider unsolicited submissions.

Crystal Clear Creators, led by Jonathan Taylor, has just this month begun a pamphlet series. I list them as not taking unsolicited submissions till I learn otherwise.

Donut Press still publishes pamphlets, but sadly does not consider unsolicited submissions. Their pamphlet authors include W.S. Graham, A.B. Jackson, Tim Turnbull, and Ahren Warner.

Five Leaves, edited by Ross Bradshaw, doesn't take unsolicited submissions as they prefer to approach poets they know. Pamphlet authors include Adrian Buckner and Anna Woodford.

Gratton Street Irregulars, edited by Kelvin Corcoran and Ian Davidson, has published three chapbooks so far, with more in the making, including Simon Smith's translations of Catullus. They are not considering unsolicited manuscripts.

Hearing Eye will be detailed when their new website is up, but they tell me they can rarely consider unsolicited manuscripts.

Kettillonia, edited by James Robertson, publishes pamphlets by Scottish poets and does not consider unsolicited submissions. Their authors include Helena Nelson.

The Knives, Forks and Spoons Press, edited by Alec Newman, publishes a good range of styles and is not considering unsolicited submissions at the moment. Pamphlet authors include David Berridge, Michael Egan, John Hall, Dylan Harris, Anna McKerrow, Peter Philpott, Robert Sheppard, Marcus Slease, Nathan Thompson, Scott Thurston, and Steven Waling. (They do publish a few women besides McKerrow, by the way; I'm just not as familiar with them.)

Leafe Press, edited by Alan Baker, leans toward experimental poetry and published my pamphlet Yet in 2008; they also brought out Geraldine Monk's most recent full collection, Lobe Scarps & Finials (warmly recommended). Leafe is not considering unsolicited submissions at present.

Longbarrow Press, edited by Brian Lewis, published the splendid pamphlet, Words through a Hole Where Once There Was a Chimpanzee's Face by Kelvin Corcoran. Besides him, they have also published pamphlets by Mark Goodwin and Lee Harwood, but no women yet. They are not considering unsolicited submissions presently.

Mulfran Press, edited by Leona Carpenter, publishes books and pamphlets. Its authors include Peter Daniels, Maureen Jivani, and Lesley Saunders. They are presently not considering unsolicited submissions.

Nine Arches Press, edited by Jane Commane and Matt Nunn, occasionally publishes poetry pamphlets, but has stopped for the moment to focus on full-length collections. Pamphlet authors include Claire Crowther, Luke Kennard, David Morley, and Tony Williams.

Oystercatcher Press, edited by Peter Hughes, is broad in its tastes while leaning toward the experimental. Authors include Kelvin Corcoran, Allen Fisher, Michael Haslam, Rachel Lehrman, Peter Riley, Sophie Robinson, Carol Watts and yours truly. It generally doesn't consider unsolicited submissions.

Pighog Press focuses on pamphlets, but is not considering submissions presently. Its poets include James Brookes, Iain Sinclair, and Lorna Thorpe.

Red Ceilings Press, edited by Mark Cobley, appears to be a fairly new venture publishing a range of work but leans toward the experimental. At the moment they're not considering new submissions.

Roncadora Press, edited by Hugh Bryden, publishes a few pamphlets a year and does not consider unsolicited submissions.

Salt Publishing, poetry edited by Chris Hamilton-Emery and Roddy Lumsden, publishes occasional pamphlets, but does not consider unsolicited submissions for them. They have published pamphlets by Amy De'Ath and Rob A. Mackenzie.

Shoestring Press, edited by John Lucas, is not considering unsolicited submissions at the moment. Its pamphlet authors include Tim Liardet, though I still haven't found his work on the website....

Sidekick Books, edited by Kirsten Irving and Jon Stone, has published one pamphlet and intends to do more in the future; at present, they do not consider unsolicited submissions.

Soundswrite Press, edited by Karin Koller, has published one pamphlet and has another in the works, but does not consider unsolicited submissions.

Spanner, edited by Allen Fisher, is currently being reorganized, with a new website forthcoming this summer. It is not considering unsolicited submissions.

Sylph Editions occasionally publishes pamphlets, beautifully produced. Its authors include Alan Jenkins and Paul Muldoon, and they do not consider unsolicited submissions.

Tangerine Press, edited by Michael Curran, publish occasional pamphlets under their Sick Fly Publications imprint, but by invitation only.

White Leaf Press occasionally publishes pamphlets, but is not presently considering submissions.

Exponential

The Purdue student university paper, The Exponent, has an appreciative article in yesterday's issue about my visit. Already I have a number of responses--not reproof to the writer but my own clarifications. For example, I don't try to write a humorous poem every 6-7 years--that's how often I think I'm successful with one! And you'll understand better what I meant about moreish if you imagine a dash between that word and the one that follows.

I also didn't see anyone in my audience yawn, though one or two looked rather tired--I was teasing. (Let me tell you about the time my fellow featured reader yawned!)

And as for what I aspire to--that's a longer conversation, and right now I'm jetlagged and catching up with far too much work. But soon, soon.

Thanks to Josh Diamond, who gave my reading a thoughtful and intelligent introduction, Jeff Berglund, author of the article in The Exponent, Donald Platt, all the other students who attended my lunch, dinner and/or reading, and most of all Mary Leader, for a most welcoming and engaging visit to Purdue.

Mary Leader's Beyond the Fire (Shearsman, 2011), first selection

If a painting

Looks like nothing so much as a painting,

That is the ultimate realism. That is why

I would paint these geraniums blue-gray

And the fence behind them red.

*

Important as a cat's yawn, lovely and true.

from "Letter to Arkady Plotnitsky"

The rays long-pale slanting--

Late, conveying loss, nostalgia, and end to

Things (untranslatable). I well know it.

from "To Gaze Is to Think"

The ages have this as their provinces surely the

Way a mother holds a baby incorporated into a breathlessly long series

So I am after eschewing the cult of the individual

I am sorry in different hands

from "Linen Repeatedly Folded"

When Dad had his stroke and she was surrounded by His relatives, her enemies; she was mad at me. I am the one who says so. Looking back, I suspect My mind was attractive. Just in time I know this.

from "Mnemosyne"

A woman of the winds anticipates

Bartering old harmonies for sheep, sheep

For wool, wool for cloth, cloth for paraphrase,

Common language for a spell of godspeed....

*

Redundance

Is not possible but repetition

Is.

from "Death of a Gypsy"

Those were many beads glowing out of the dark.

No, those were the nights of childhood.

No, those were fiery craters.

last stanza of "Mimesis"

You can learn more about the book and find links for purchasing here on Shearsman's website.

Agora, Chicago

Enlarge any image by clicking on it.

You can learn more about this public sculpture by reading its entry on Chicago's tourism website.

Overheard in Chicago

Overheard in Chicago

Draft goes down in two days, maybe three, but silence, well, then 48 hours seems too long.