One of our Propaganda Press authors, Julian Gallo, will be playing with Linda LaPorte at a benefit show in Brooklyn. Check out the show, support a cause, and support the artists!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
IT'S NOT ENOUGH OF ELVIS BY PAUL FERICANO [CHAPBOOK REVIEW]
It's Not Enough Of Elvis
By Paul Fericano
The Shave and a Haircut Poetry Series
Poor Souls Press/Scaramouche Books
PO Box 236
Millbrae CA 94030
25¢
This is a nicely-printed, nicely-trimmed, professional-looking, short, thin, quarter-page, saddle-stapled book of one single poem, laid out in an artsy fashion to cover the pages. It blows my mind that this is 25¢, as a huge amount of the printing must be coming out of Paul's (or another press owner's) pocket, since just the colored cover alone is 25¢, not to mention the two stamps it took to mail it. So he isn't making any money on it, which means it must be a labor of love (and made possible by a grant from the Charles J. Parrot Foundation, Chevy Chase, Maryland). You can tell that it is a labor of love by the delicate way it has been lovingly crafted from start to finish.
This consists of nice paper, nice printing, even a vellum sheet between the cover and inside pages; and big fat typeface that stretches the words out so this one single poem fills the space, and even then it's only printed on small chunks of the page, front side only. So, yeah, mostly a novelty and a very quick read.
The poem, itself, is quite vague. I can't entirely tell if it is even pro-Elvis or anti-Elvis, since I could easily read it with an angry tone or a sad tone and get two different emotional results. One thing is for certain, however: it is all about Elvis.
I would like to know what's not enough of Elvis? What is this random "it"? To what is this dummy-pronoun referring? I can't quite grasp its reference throughout the entire read, as the title line is used over and over. As I said, the poem's quite vague, fairly loose, experimental while still maintaining sense within the individual lines, themselves, although nothing is really pieced completely together for you. You are left to decide what is not enough of Elvis and whether or not this is a good thing or a bad thing and how it all affects the author.
After my favorite few lines,
By Paul Fericano
The Shave and a Haircut Poetry Series
Poor Souls Press/Scaramouche Books
PO Box 236
Millbrae CA 94030
25¢
This is a nicely-printed, nicely-trimmed, professional-looking, short, thin, quarter-page, saddle-stapled book of one single poem, laid out in an artsy fashion to cover the pages. It blows my mind that this is 25¢, as a huge amount of the printing must be coming out of Paul's (or another press owner's) pocket, since just the colored cover alone is 25¢, not to mention the two stamps it took to mail it. So he isn't making any money on it, which means it must be a labor of love (and made possible by a grant from the Charles J. Parrot Foundation, Chevy Chase, Maryland). You can tell that it is a labor of love by the delicate way it has been lovingly crafted from start to finish.
This consists of nice paper, nice printing, even a vellum sheet between the cover and inside pages; and big fat typeface that stretches the words out so this one single poem fills the space, and even then it's only printed on small chunks of the page, front side only. So, yeah, mostly a novelty and a very quick read.
The poem, itself, is quite vague. I can't entirely tell if it is even pro-Elvis or anti-Elvis, since I could easily read it with an angry tone or a sad tone and get two different emotional results. One thing is for certain, however: it is all about Elvis.
it's not enough of Elvis
it's just not enough
it's not enough of Elvis whiskey decanters
Elvis toilet paper
Elvis condoms
Elvis impersonators singing Elvis songs
to Elvis fans [...]
I would like to know what's not enough of Elvis? What is this random "it"? To what is this dummy-pronoun referring? I can't quite grasp its reference throughout the entire read, as the title line is used over and over. As I said, the poem's quite vague, fairly loose, experimental while still maintaining sense within the individual lines, themselves, although nothing is really pieced completely together for you. You are left to decide what is not enough of Elvis and whether or not this is a good thing or a bad thing and how it all affects the author.
After my favorite few lines,
[...]
we dig up the grave
and sell little envelopes of Elvis plots
we pulverize the casket
and market little vials of Elvis coffins
we auction off the corpse
and sell every last bone to the highest bidder [...]
Fericano begins listing Elvis parts being auctioned off to the world, which I think is the elusive reference to what's not enough: every last part of Elvis sold, bought, and gone, and still we can't get enough.
There, that was quite the analysis of one poem, cutely packaged and well-put-together into something that I'm sure Elvis lovers will find quite pleasing. The poem is enjoyable, the price is certainly right, and the author is very pleasant. You can't go wrong for a quarter, and you can easily stick this book inside a card as a great novelty gift for an Elvis lover.
[Review by leah angstman]
FUNDRAISER FOR HANDLEBAR
Filmmaker Michael McCallum, friend of the co-op, fresh back from his win of Best Film at the Muskegon Film Festival for Fairview St., is promoting the release of his next upcoming film, Handlebar, with a fundraiser. Please go to the fundraiser and support his filmmaking if you are in the area.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
REBEL PICTURES FUNDRAISER IN MICHIGAN
Beth Sanford, owner of Rubie's Paradise Salon is throwing a fundraiser to support Rebel Pictures, a film company run by one of my best friends in Lansing, Michigan, Michael McCallum! A scene from his latest film, Fairview St., was shot in the salon.Details of the event:
A hair/runway show promoting Rubie's Paradise Salon, The Headroom Salon, and Lockworx. Michael will also be there showing trailers for upcoming feature films from Rebel Pictures.
$2 at the door, and all the proceeds go to Rebel Pictures!
June 6th
7 p.m.
The Small Planet, 16800 Chandler Road, East Lansing, MI.
Please come out and support these local businesses and Lansing independent film!
AN INVENTORY OF LOST THINGS BY KARLA HUSTON REVIEWED BY CHARLES P. RIES
AN INVENTORY OF LOST THINGS
By: Karla Huston
32 Pages / 23 Poems
Price: $8
Centennial Press
P.O. Box 170322
Milwaukee, WI 53217
www.centennialpress.com
ISBN: 0-9797994-1-4
Review By: Charles P. Ries
Word Count: 426
Women have a distinct view of the erotic and love’s secrets. In reading Karla Huston’s new book of poetry, An Inventory of Lost Things, I enter into the ebb and flow of feminine romantic imagination. While not all of twenty-three poems of this collection focus on the heart’s yearning, a good number do and comprise the central theme of this eloquently written book of poetry.
Huston approaches her topic from a number of angles. In [the] final stanza of her poem[,] “The One on The Left[,]” she says,
And again these lines taken from the closing of her poem, “Your Marie”:
Her book of poetry would easily fall into the category of great chic lit. Huston poems are thoughtfully narrative and carefully designed. There is no spare air in these poems. Each is complete from beginning to end.
I am reminded, as I read this collection, of the seminal book on women’s sexual fantasies, My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday. Our two genders reflect so differently on the erotic and on romance. Huston is masterful at understanding the sensual wonder world of the woman. As in this section from her poem “Rewind” demonstrates,
And again from this section of her poem, “The Plastic Surgeon’s Wife”:
This is a wonderful exploration of the feminine mind, by a writer uniquely suited to explore this undulating landscape of passion, yearning, and lost things.
__________________________________________________________
Charles P. Ries lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His narrative poems, short stories, interviews and poetry reviews have appeared in over two hundred print and electronic publications. He has received four Pushcart Prize nominations for his writing. He is the author of THE FATHERS WE FIND, a novel based on memory, and five books of poetry. Most recently he was awarded the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association “Jade Ring” Award for humorous poetry. He is the poetry editor for Word Riot. He is on the board of the Woodland Pattern Bookstore and a member of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission. But most of all he is a founding member of the Lake Shore Surf Club, the oldest fresh water surfing club on the Great Lakes. You may find additional samples of his work here.
By: Karla Huston
32 Pages / 23 Poems
Price: $8
Centennial Press
P.O. Box 170322
Milwaukee, WI 53217
www.centennialpress.com
ISBN: 0-9797994-1-4
Review By: Charles P. Ries
Word Count: 426
Women have a distinct view of the erotic and love’s secrets. In reading Karla Huston’s new book of poetry, An Inventory of Lost Things, I enter into the ebb and flow of feminine romantic imagination. While not all of twenty-three poems of this collection focus on the heart’s yearning, a good number do and comprise the central theme of this eloquently written book of poetry.
Huston approaches her topic from a number of angles. In [the] final stanza of her poem[,] “The One on The Left[,]” she says,
But you can’t take your mind off the boy,
barely twenty, going on the rest of his life –
going off for an afternoon at the shore. God knows
what they’ll do on the blanket
when it’s floated behind the vine-covered fence.
And again these lines taken from the closing of her poem, “Your Marie”:
You should know her hair was chestnut,
a flag of copper stars glittering
against the curve of her neck
and the strand that kissed her cheek
I knew you’d kissed when she left you
for the last time while her hips rolled
when she walked away
and her breast swayed in dreams
even now the ones you prayed into.
Her book of poetry would easily fall into the category of great chic lit. Huston poems are thoughtfully narrative and carefully designed. There is no spare air in these poems. Each is complete from beginning to end.
I am reminded, as I read this collection, of the seminal book on women’s sexual fantasies, My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday. Our two genders reflect so differently on the erotic and on romance. Huston is masterful at understanding the sensual wonder world of the woman. As in this section from her poem “Rewind” demonstrates,
If she could, she’d take the first
bus out of happyland, find her own
little place and read sweaty novels
for the rest of her life. He’s weary
of the honey-I’m-homes
and the honey-dos and the honeyed
hams.
And again from this section of her poem, “The Plastic Surgeon’s Wife”:
When they make love, she fears
how he’d like to improve her –
a little lift there, a little tighter there,
fill her breasts with vanilla,
admire the suction in her soul –
his reservoir, never full.
This is a wonderful exploration of the feminine mind, by a writer uniquely suited to explore this undulating landscape of passion, yearning, and lost things.
__________________________________________________________
Charles P. Ries lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His narrative poems, short stories, interviews and poetry reviews have appeared in over two hundred print and electronic publications. He has received four Pushcart Prize nominations for his writing. He is the author of THE FATHERS WE FIND, a novel based on memory, and five books of poetry. Most recently he was awarded the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association “Jade Ring” Award for humorous poetry. He is the poetry editor for Word Riot. He is on the board of the Woodland Pattern Bookstore and a member of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission. But most of all he is a founding member of the Lake Shore Surf Club, the oldest fresh water surfing club on the Great Lakes. You may find additional samples of his work here.
FAIRVIEW ST. AT THE MUSKEGON FILM FESTIVAL
A friend of the co-op, Michael McCallum, will have his first feature film, FAIRVIEW ST., in its first major film festival! The film will close the Muskegon Film Festival on May 31st, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at the Harbor Theater (1937 Lakeshore Drive, Muskegon, MI 49441). Hope to see you all there!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR STEVE ALMOND
Five Questions for Steve Almond
Interview conducted by Andrew Ucci
Interview conducted by Andrew Ucci
AU: I admire your narrative voice. How did you go about developing that?
SA: I really just try to tell the truth about the stuff that matters to me most deeply. I'm not trying to "find" a voice so much as to tell the right stories. It's those stories that create a voice.
AU: The author must find an audience for his work. When you write, do you try to engage an intended audience, or do you instead let the audience find you and your work?
SA: I think authors of literary fiction really need to find their stories, the characters they care about. That's what matters. The audience comes later, if at all. But you can't worry about who's going to read your work while you're writing it. That pulls you out of the art, and into commerce. When I'm writing to make money, for a publication, obviously I have to think about their needs. But when it's my own stuff, I'm loyal to my characters, first and last.
AU: Do you find young or new writers getting hung up on the same things in their development? Or is it rather more of a case by case basis?
SA: Less experienced writers tend to make the same set of mistakes: they withhold information from the reader and overwrite and cast about in search of a plot and fall into summary -- all problems that arise from insecurity.
AU: Is art, for many, a coping mechanism?
SA: "A coping mechanism" makes it sound a bit diagnostic. I'd say it like this: certain people feel the need to get the stuff inside them out into the world, and art provides the most imaginative and beautiful way. It doesn't make the artist happy all the time (consider Van Gogh), but helps them deal with unbearable feelings.
AU: When you begin a new story, where do you begin?
SA: That's really a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it's an idea, or a line of dialogue, or an image. But the good stories always revolve around the stuff that I'm obsessed with. That's how it works for me -- I have to care passionately, I find, or the reader wouldn't give a damn.
SA: I really just try to tell the truth about the stuff that matters to me most deeply. I'm not trying to "find" a voice so much as to tell the right stories. It's those stories that create a voice.
AU: The author must find an audience for his work. When you write, do you try to engage an intended audience, or do you instead let the audience find you and your work?
SA: I think authors of literary fiction really need to find their stories, the characters they care about. That's what matters. The audience comes later, if at all. But you can't worry about who's going to read your work while you're writing it. That pulls you out of the art, and into commerce. When I'm writing to make money, for a publication, obviously I have to think about their needs. But when it's my own stuff, I'm loyal to my characters, first and last.
AU: Do you find young or new writers getting hung up on the same things in their development? Or is it rather more of a case by case basis?
SA: Less experienced writers tend to make the same set of mistakes: they withhold information from the reader and overwrite and cast about in search of a plot and fall into summary -- all problems that arise from insecurity.
AU: Is art, for many, a coping mechanism?
SA: "A coping mechanism" makes it sound a bit diagnostic. I'd say it like this: certain people feel the need to get the stuff inside them out into the world, and art provides the most imaginative and beautiful way. It doesn't make the artist happy all the time (consider Van Gogh), but helps them deal with unbearable feelings.
AU: When you begin a new story, where do you begin?
SA: That's really a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it's an idea, or a line of dialogue, or an image. But the good stories always revolve around the stuff that I'm obsessed with. That's how it works for me -- I have to care passionately, I find, or the reader wouldn't give a damn.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
BRUCE DETHLEFSEN'S BREATHER REVIEWED BY CHARLES P. RIES
BREATHERBy Bruce Dethlefsen
83 pages / 59 poems / $15
Fire Weed Press
Send Check or Order To:
Bruce Dethlefsen, 422 Lawrence St, Westfield, WI 53964
Review by Charles P. RiesWord Count = 308
Bruce Dethlefsen doesn’t write many books of poetry. It’s been six years since he came out with his second book, Something Near the Dance Floor by Marsh River Editions. And one doesn’t see much of his poetry in and around the small press, but my-oh-my, when he decides to show us his good stuff, he comes out swinging. In this, his third and largest collection of poetry, Dethlefsen does most everything right. He is a master of drawing word pictures that are at once narrative stories, melodies, and free association free-for-alls.
The book is broken into five sections that broadly define the thematic mood of Dethlefsen’s mind: migrant, knots, poet warrior, secrets, and autopsy. There is great kindness here, and a mind with a very wide reach.
Here are two poems from Breather:
Playing the Field
you hover
you say I’m not your first flower
your first lover
you lower yourself
how hoverly
how loverly
then leave
oh bee
my honey boy
oh baby mine
come back to me
And
When Somebody Calls after Ten P.M.
when somebody calls after ten p.m.
and you live in wisconsin
and you’re snug in your bed
then all’s I can tell you
somebody better be missing
somebody better had a baby
or somebody better be dead.
In Breather, Dethlefsen flows from the concrete to ethereal. He orbits around the collective unconscious like a Jungian astronaut - his interior radar big enough to find meaning in both the great moments and the small nuances of life. This is the blessing of the mature poet – one who has lived hundreds of lives and can bring this diversity of experience to us as a numinous pool of images to soak in. Breather is an exceptional collection of poetry.
_____________________________________________
Charles P. Ries lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His narrative poems, short stories, interviews and poetry reviews have appeared in over two hundred print and electronic publications. He has received four Pushcart Prize nominations for his writing. He is the author of THE FATHERS WE FIND, a novel based on memory, and five books of poetry. Most recently he was awarded the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association “Jade Ring” Award for humorous poetry. He is the poetry editor for Word Riot. He is on the board of the Woodland Pattern Bookstore and a member of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission. But most of all he is a founding member of the Lake Shore Surf Club, the oldest fresh water surfing club on the Great Lakes. You may find additional samples of his work here.
Monday, April 13, 2009
KEVIN COLDEN AT ROCKETSHIP
This Friday, Fantagraphics and Rocketship present Miss Lasko-Gross signing her brand-new graphic novel A Mess of Everything and Kevin Colden signing copies of his 2009 Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Fishtown at the Rocketship store in Brooklyn.ROCKETSHIP
Friday, April 17, 2009
8:00 p.m.
208 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
Friday, April 10, 2009
INBOUND #3 BOSTON COMICS ANTHOLOGY
Boston Comics are for LoversInbound #3, a Boston Comics Anthology
BOSTON, MA (April 6, 2009) – Ah, spring is in the air. To celebrate the season of romance, the hard-working comics artists of the Boston Comics Roundtable have released Inbound #3, a Boston Comics Anthology. The theme of this tri-yearly publication... love and relationships.
Yes, nobody knows perfectly-requited love and totally un-awkward dating like an indie comics artist. Pick up a copy of Inbound #3 and you'll have more than just an evening's entertainment; the book practically doubles as a 72-page how-to guide for all you Mister and Misses Lonelyhearts out there. All for the low price of $7.95.
It's their biggest issue ever! Included in this volume:
Yes, nobody knows perfectly-requited love and totally un-awkward dating like an indie comics artist. Pick up a copy of Inbound #3 and you'll have more than just an evening's entertainment; the book practically doubles as a 72-page how-to guide for all you Mister and Misses Lonelyhearts out there. All for the low price of $7.95.
It's their biggest issue ever! Included in this volume:
* Franklin Einspruch* "First Kiss" - Robert Sergel* "Puppy Love Eternal" - Aya Rothwell* "Fear" - Chris O'Neill* "Just an Old Fashioned Zombie Love Song" - Eric Boeker* "Wish Me Luck" - Donna Martinez and Joesph Peters* "Colossa" - Braden Lamb* "An Afternoon Session" - Hyun Supul* "A Winter's Prelude" - Roho* "The Prince" - Carl Tsui* "From Afar" - Dan Mazur* "A Gothic Romance" - James Mobius
Inbound #3 is on sale at your favorite stores. In the Boston area, check out Million Year Picnic, Hub Comics, New England Comics, Comicazi, Harvard Book Store, Comicopia, and more. You can also visit the BCR Online Store. They ship tenderly packaged comics anywhere in the world.
The Boston Comics Roundtable was created in 2006 to unite Boston-based comics creators in the spirit of camaraderie and professional development. It is an independent organization of comics creators in the Greater Boston area. The group meets weekly for workshopping, teaching, and social gathering. Meetings are open to the public.
Dude, I already bought mine, so what are you waiting for?
The Boston Comics Roundtable was created in 2006 to unite Boston-based comics creators in the spirit of camaraderie and professional development. It is an independent organization of comics creators in the Greater Boston area. The group meets weekly for workshopping, teaching, and social gathering. Meetings are open to the public.
Dude, I already bought mine, so what are you waiting for?
Friday, April 3, 2009
THE ANIMATION OF DOUG LITOS
A friend of the co-op (and Mike's brother!), Doug Litos, just launched a new website to show off his animation talents. He's in New York City, if you have animation jobs or connections for him, and he's super cool. So take a minute to check it out, inquire about his work, and let him know what you think.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
FAIRVIEW ST. ENCORE PERFORMANCE IN MICHIGAN THEATERS
I am pleased to announce that Celebration Cinema of Lansing, Michigan, has invited Michael McCallum (film director and friend of the co-op) back for an encore screening of his locally-filmed/directed "FAIRVIEW ST." The movie will play four times starting on Sunday, February 15th, with a 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. show, then again on Monday, February 16th, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. You may purchase advance tickets at www.celebrationcinema.com by selecting the "coming attractions" menu and scrolling down to the "FAIRVIEW ST." poster icon. If you saw it during its first release, then you know how incredible this film is. Don't miss out on the chance to see it again in Lansing on the big screen as it was meant to be seen, and bring a friend!
This film means a great deal to the co-op, as we are close friends with the director, who has put heart and soul into its production, and the bar has been set high for them to pack the theater. So please pass this message along to anyone you think might be interested, and spread the word about "FAIRVIEW ST." The trailer can be viewed at www.fairviewstreet.com. Support local art!
This film means a great deal to the co-op, as we are close friends with the director, who has put heart and soul into its production, and the bar has been set high for them to pack the theater. So please pass this message along to anyone you think might be interested, and spread the word about "FAIRVIEW ST." The trailer can be viewed at www.fairviewstreet.com. Support local art!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
