The Animal at SPD

Leslie Scalapino & Kiki Smith's collaboration, The Animal is in the World Like Water in Water, is now available from our friends at Small Press Distribution! Pick it up here...

Chris Dunsmore, stopping place (edition of 85, 2012)

John Thorp, Stitch and hem and line and flight (edition of 50, 2013)

I was pleased and honored to receive these two incredible books from Chris Dunsmore and John Thorp, both of whom are poets currently living in Salt Lake City and both are (or were?) in the joint book arts / poetry MFA program at U. of Utah. These books are really something to behold in person. They make me want to return to the drawing board and simply start over. There's something about SLC that inspires these really sophisticated and minimalist approaches to design that are way more pleasing than most of the maximalist approaches of contemporary presses: deeply tactile, super intentional design ideas (that perfectly compliment the text). Someone is doing something right out there...If there's interest, I might be able to convince them to send some out...

Yes...

this is the cover, the actual bound-on-the-book-cover, of David Brazil's The Ordinary. I share it with you now to convey the news that Brazil and fellow Compline author Sara Larsen will be heading east, a week from today, to celebrate freedom in NYC. Both are reading at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn (600 Vanderbilt Ave.) on Friday, July 5th at 7pm. If you're in the area, you don't want to miss this...

Coming Soon!

I should have copies of the next two Compline long-players, David Brazil's The Ordinary and Jackqueline Frost's The Antidote, in hand in about two weeks time (maybe even by the end of next week, if all goes well!). I'll package and mail preorders the moment the books arrive (promise!) to ensure that preorders land first! Once the preorders are officially in the world, on doorsteps and in homes, we'll begin the official "launch" with a reading at the Green Arcade on Saturday, July 20th, featuring Brazil and Frost, live and direct (with copies of the new Compline projects, including the Scalapino/Smith, on hand!). The books will land at Small Press Distribution shortly thereafter (though you'll get them from me faster!).

Leslie Scalapino & Kiki Smith | The Animal is in the World Like Water in Water

Originally published by Granary Books in 2010 (in an edition of 45 very expensive copies), Compline is pleased to announce the trade edition publication of The Animal is in the World Like Water in Water.

Leslie Scalapino wrote of the collaboration, in her short essay “The Division Between Fact and Experience” (included as an afterward in the Compline edition of the book), “The Animal is in the World Like Water in Water is a collaboration of drawings by Kiki Smith and poetry by Leslie Scalapino (myself)…. Kiki Smith sent me color Xeroxes of a completed sequence, forty-three drawings, which she’d titled, Women Being Eaten by Animals. I wrote the poem using the sense of an unalterable past occurrence: One female, apparently the same girl, is repeatedly, in very similar images as variations, bitten and clawed by a leopard-like, lion-like animal. Both person and animal have abstracted features, giving the impression of innocence or opaqueness. As in a dream of similar actions or a dream of a single, timeless action, the girl flecked with blood while being unaltered by the animal’s touch, there is no representation of motion except stillness of the figures floating in space of page. Neither the girl nor the animal articulate expression, as if phenomena of feeling(s) do not exist...

'The word' in its outside/space refers to and makes a sense of the undoing of social tyranny as undoing of any hierarchy in individuals’ feelings and perception as well as in people’s values (public indistinguishable from private). Without hierarchy, past-reality-future is apparently free paradise of childhood and of birds. This outside space of the word/or that is my words abuts the other visible space of ‘Women being eaten by animals’ (that original title of the visual images denied, however, by the fact that the female figure appears to be almost a child). The visual scene itself is denied by 'not experiencing.' The viewer (while reading beside seeing the images, but also if only seeing the visual images?), has the experience of body and mind being separated as if that is caused by the outside world. This experience of the viewer arises from their sense, in seeing, that one is separated from the scene of the girl and the animal alone together as if making love (and a sense of separation arises from the girl and animal not mimicking expressions of experiencing sensations). The disconnect/that’s itself the dialogue between ‘not being experienced (by the senses)’—and separation or union of mind/eye and body/sight—has to be first enacted by Smith’s visual images, in order for the language to broach this (subject) matter at all. Is dialogue possible without language?”

Leslie Scalapino (July 25, 1944 - May 28, 2010) is the author of thirty books of poetry, prose, inter-genre fiction, plays, and essays. She taught writing for nearly 25 years at various institutions around the country and was the publisher of O Books, which she founded in 1986. Her most recent books are The Dihedrons Gazelle-Dihedrals Zoom (The Post-Apollo Press, 2010), Flow-Winged Crocodile & A Pair/Actions Are Erased/Appear (Chax Press, 2010), Floats Horse-Floats or Horse-Flows (Starcherone Books, 2010), How Phenomena Appear to Unfold (Litmus Press, 2011) and The Animal is in the World Like Water in Water (Compline, 2013).

Kiki Smith was born in Nuremberg, Germany, and grew up in New Jersey. She has exhibited her work since the 1980s, when she was a member of COLAB, an influential artists’ collective in New York City. Her work is represented in museums throughout Europe and the United States. A major retrospective of her prints, “Prints, Books and Things,” took place at the Museum of Modern Art, 2003. The Walker Art Museum organized a major survey retrospective of her oeuvre in 2006. Smith lives and works in New York City.

To purchase a copy, CLICK HERE!

Coming Soon (Finally!)

New Albion Books

I'm always super impressed by Brian Teare's ability to make his Albion Books look so sophisticated and handsome with so little material in the shop to work with. Here he's printing on furniture, and the texture is totally incredible. This do-si-do book object features two chapbooks in two signatures by two different authors, Elementary Rituals by Rachel Moritz and Dirge by Juliet Patterson, and while I know very little about either author, I've come to implicitly trust Teare's curation (the sign, to me, of a successful press), so I'll be reading this one carefully over the next few days. This is the first in Albion's fifth series of books, followed soon by chapbooks by Frank Sherlock, Jean Valentine, and CAConrad, all of which should arrive by the end of the year. I'll keep you posted, but, for now, go here.

Burns' Night Heard || Robert Grenier

I was super pleased to find one of these in the flesh at Jeff Maser's shop the other day (there are a few left if you're interested...). Published by Tansy Press in April of 1982 (printed by John Moritz? w/ the help of Lee Chapman?), the back blurb reads: Robert Grenier wrote of this piece as "...a sort of visitation by 'Burns' /the spirit of the work so heard through poems read aloud in the Scots on the night of his birth etc. -started me off happily reading R.B. beyond anthologies for the first time. Much more to be said there, but as you like it, space this out."

SUPPORT CJ MARTIN & HIS FAMILY!

My very good friend and comrade, CJ Martin, who is also one of my favorite poets in the world, just experienced an incomprehensibly tragic loss. His father Tommy (left) and grandmother Ann were victims of a tornado in Texas on May 15th, and his mother, Betsy Davis (right) was just released from ICU. Betsy's injuries are serious, and to make a tragic situation worse, she does not have medical insurance.

There are currently three ways to support Chris and his family:

1. I plan to donate 100% of the proceeds from Chris's mind-shattering Compline full-length, Two Books, to Betsy's recovery fund. If you haven't engaged with this crucial book, buy it now and support Chris while you're at it. If you already have a copy, and you know how important it is, please consider purchasing a copy for a friend or colleague to support Betsy. Make it happen here.

2. You may also choose to donate to an online fundraising effort in Betsy's name here.

3. Finally, the poet Ash Smith is producing a limited edition chapbook of brand new work from a wide variety of poets that should be available soon. When it's ready, I'll certainly promote it here.

Please take a moment to support this family!

Promises, Promises

Myung Mi Kim feature at Jacket2

A crucial Myung Mi Kim feature just went live at Jacket2 thanks to C.J. Martin. It features writing by Susan Gevirtz, Divya Victor, Julia Bloch, and others. Check it out here. I should mention, too, that a festschrift I co-edited with Andrew Rippeon on Myung's work, featuring TONS of great material, is also available online here. Finally, if you still haven't purchased the Nightboat reissue of Dura or Omindawn's Penury, please prioritize that now for your own good...

Vital Forms Events

Thursday, April 18th:

Thom Donovan and Brent Cunningham
Woolsey Heights
doors 7pm/reading 8pm
1628 woolsey st apt c / berkeley


Friday, April 19th:
Eleni Stecopoulos
Beth Murray
Thom Donovan
Bhanu Kapil
7:00-9:30 pm talks & performances
general admission $10; low income $5
@ Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, downtown Berkeley


Saturday, April 20th:

Constellation Work on Healing through/from/ in Crisis, facilitated by Beth Murray
Palmistry: A Short Workshop on the Healing Image, facilitated by Bhanu Kapil and Melissa Buzzeo
2:00-5:00 pm workshops integrating writing with movement/somatic work
general admission $10; low income $5
@ Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, downtown Berkeley


Pavlos Stavropoulos
Margit Galanter
david wolach
Melissa Buzzeo
7:00-9:30 pm talks & performances
general admission $10; low income $5
@ Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, downtown Berkeley

The 3rd Annual Leslie Scalapino Memorial Lecture in Innovative Poetics

Hearts Desire #3

The Leslie Scalapino Award for Innovative Women Playwrights

Find the original call at The Relationship

2013 CALL FOR ENTRIES:

In memory of Leslie Scalapino, her extraordinary body of work, and her commitment to the community of experimental writing and performance.

The Leslie Scalapino Award recognizes the importance of exploratory approaches and an innovative spirit in writing for performance. It wishes to encourage women writers who are taking risks with the playwriting form by offering the opportunity to gain wider exposure through readings and productions. The award will also seek to increase public awareness for this vibrant contemporary field.

We are looking for a full-length work for live performance by a woman writer with an inquiring approach to language and content.


THE PRIZE:

The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, print publication of winning play by Litmus Press, and a staged reading of the piece this October at the The New Ohio Theatre in New York, by Fiona Templeton's company The Relationship.

Judges: Caroline Bergvall, E. Tracy Grinnell, Fiona Templeton.

In subsequent years, the prize will also include the opportunity for a full production by The Relationship or another theatre company.

The Leslie Scalapino Award for Innovative Women Playwrights is funded in part by the Leslie Scalapino–O Books Fund and is administered by The Relationship. Publication of award-winning works will be in collaboration with Litmus Press. For more information about Leslie Scalapino, please visit her website: www.lesliescalapino.com.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Potential applicants will find a familiarity with the works of Leslie Scalapino a useful reference – we are not looking for imitators or conventional playwrighting, but writing that is challenging, poetic and innovative.

Initial applications should consist of a cover letter*, a 10-page excerpt, and a 150 word (maximum) summary of the full piece. We will request full scripts from a shortlist of selected candidates.

The Award for Innovative Women Playwrights intends to support new writing by female-identified people, inclusive of transwomen.

The prize is open to international submissions in English.

Only one performance text / script may be submitted. The work should not have been previously produced, as the intention is to support new works.

*The play must be accompanied by a letter containing the writer's name, address, email address, and a short biography (one paragraph).


TIMELINE:

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 30th 2013 11:59 pm

Shortlist announced: July 30th

Deadline for full scripts from shortlisted candidates: August 15th 11:59 pm

Announcement of winning work and reading details: September 30th, 2013

Reading and announcement of round 2: October 2013, details tbc

Ready to submit? Click Here

Paul Klinger's Alligator Suite || Rubble Paper, Paper Rubble

The Heidelberg at work...

Stephen Novotny is currently printing CJ Martin's new chapbook, titled 2012, on the Heidelberg at Compline HQ for his new press, Supersuperette. Here's a little video loop of the press at work...

Vital Forms: Healing and the Arts of Crisis

Sarah Rosenthal's Next Big Thing

 

Sarah Rosenthal asked if I'd host her "Next Big Thing" contribution here, and, of course, I'm delighted to see (and share) it. A new book by Sarah Rosenthal, especially a book called Lizard (!), sounds awesome!

Here's Sarah:

What is the title of the book?

Lizard.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was teaching a class on the letter as literary form and in my reader I included an untitled poem by Sesshu Foster that begins with a gesture toward epistolarity and then veers into a captivating portrait of a (male) character named Lizard, which is at the same time an extravagant celebration of language. Half the students were enthralled with the poem and the other half railed against its slippery indeterminacy. The ruckus seemed vibrant, necessary. I wrote a response of sorts (a letter?) to Foster’s poem, about a female Lizard who, like Foster’s character, blends features of the human and the reptile. I continued to accrue poems featuring Lizard and after several months I realized it would be a book.

I don’t recall when in this process the notion of hybridity impacted my consciousness thanks to Bhanu Kapil, Donna Haraway, and others, but I’m glad for the impact.

I also strongly associate the germination of the project with the fact of my father’s sharp decline and death that same semester. It was a tumultuous time for me and out of that chaos Lizard was born.

 

What genre does your book fall under?

Poetry.

 

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

If Kathy Acker were alive and an actress, she might be a good candidate for Lizard.

 

What’s the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Lizard transgresses the lines between imagination and documentation, between I and you and she, seeking moments of freedom from the repressive aspects of human consciousness and institutions.

 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The work in Lizard blends aspects of femaleness with scientific information about lizards. It also reflects my ongoing interest in the artistic process, poetry, and language.

 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It’s currently under consideration by a few publishers.

Thanks to Jennifer Firestone for tagging me in this Next Big Thing game. In turn I'd like to tag Justin Chin, Erin Wilson, Rodrigo Toscano, and Mary Ellen Hannibal.

Nico Peck's "Imagination as Activist Tool"

Nico Peck finally posted her pretty brilliant and very funny contribution to the "Ecopoetics of the City" panel at her new online interface, "Queer City." Check it out here, and while you're at it, pick up Peck's The Pyrrhaiad, recently printed by Trafficker. Also, there's this awesome interview with Lauren Shufran for the Peck completest...