Spotted Doe by Rina Drescher (2016)

Spotted Doe
Rina Drescher
Blah Blah Blah press
Rochester, NY
(c)2016

I applaud the effort here. It's an artist book. It's a second printing of it. I want to like it more than I can though. It's xerox page printing, cheap cheap cheap. The cover material is interesting but the contents are not. Blah Blah Blah is right.

Six Dutch Hearts by Mac Hammond (1977)

Six Dutch Hearts
Mac Hammonds
The Bellevue Press
Binghamton, NY
(c)1977

A slender chapbook by chapbook standards. Signed by the poet inside back. Handsome little thing. Hand-sewn. Six poems about dogs.

A Ranch Bordering the Salty River by Stephen Page (2016)

A Ranch Bordering the Salty River
Stephen Page
Finishing Line Press
Georgetown, KY
(c)2016

The author sent me this book from Argentina. I told him that I would mention it. I just did.

Fuzz in Japan by Emma M. Maguire (1913)

Fuzz in Japan
Emma M. Maguire
published jointly by F.A.Owen Publishing Co. (Dansville, NY) and Hall & McCreary (Chicago, IL)
(c)1913

Yes, I did write 1913. This 32 page "instructor literature series - no. 290" booklet was part of an educational series with illustrations that came at the at the beginning of the last century. Apparently Fuzz is a young girl. The booklet is in remarkable condition considering its age, and the wear usually heaped on books of this nature.

The Seeing Glass by Katie Louchheim (1979)

The Seeing Glass
Katie Louchheim
Monomoy Press
Washington, DC
(c)1979

Monomoy Press was a DC - based Press which was distributed by Dryad Press. This copy was inscribed and signed by the poet. Ms. Louchheim led a colorful life, her obit was tucked into the copy of the book I found as well. She lived in Washington and New York throughout her life. She worked at the State Department as well as holding several Democratic party positions, rising to Vice Chairperson of the Democratic Party from 1956-1960.

This handsome collection is one of her volumes of poetry. She was known for her DC salons where art and politics mingled.

Around Celebes by Alain-Pierre Pillet (1990)

Around Celebes
Alain-Pierre Pillet
Hourglass
Paris France
(c)1990

Alain Pillet is not well known in the United States. He died in 2009. What I found about his life (and death) were Google-translated. This book is fairly rare. It was published by Peter Wood who also co-translated the contents. The illustrator of this book is Rik Lina. Lina is an amazing artist.

Pillet was considered a Bretonist within Surrealist circles. This work reflects that observation. It's a fantastic little collection. So glad to have it.

Carvings on a Prayer Tree by Jim Peterson (1994)

Carvings on a Prayer Tree
Jim Peterson
Holocene
Wofford College
Spartanburg, SC
(c)1994

Don't know much about the press, which seems to be a literary wing of the Wofford College English Dept., or rather WAS in 1994. The work seems to be a direct descendent of the "I-did-this - and - I - did - that" type of New York School poetics which becomes quite tiresome after awhile. In this case, before a while. Primarily, I am acknowledging the existence of.....

Here at the Door by Janine Pommy Vega (1978)

Here at the Door
Janine Pommey Vega
Zonepress
Brooklyn, NY
(c)1978

Like so many chapbooks, this one came as part of a much larger lot and was not written about or acknowledged - until now. It came from a lot I got from a poet in New York state. I only dug it out now because Janine's companion, Andy Clausen, had posted himself reading a poem by Vegas a few years ago on a Facebook group and that piece appearing on the page recently and me thinking 'wait, I have a book by her!' Which I did, this one!

The cover image was provided by Martin Carey. Zonepress is a bit of a mystery but many small presses are/were. Ms. Vega was associated with the Beats. This tiny sliver of nothing is primarily about Death stopping by, on her fingertips, for a round of inspiration.

There by Francesco Clemente and Robert Creeley (1994)

There
Robert Creeley and Francesco Clemente
Gasgosian Gallery
NYC, NY
(c)1994

Very handsome gallery produced item for an exhibition by Mr. Clemente's show entitled "Purgatorio". One of only 1000 printed. Color images of some of Clemente's painting with a corresponding poem provided by Robert Creeley. Beautiful work, beautifully done.

Book of Ten by Harriet Zinnes (1981)

Book of Ten
Harriet Zinnes
The Bellevue Press
Binghamton, NY

I have mentioned several times that Bellevue Press has been an overlooked small press of high quality books and here's another example of that. Hand-sewn binding of letterpressed pages lovingly made by Stuart McCarty who deserves notice for his fine work with Bellevue Press. He was a printer extraordinaire.

The Burden of Time by Bradford Stark (1976)

The Burden of Time
Bradford Stark
The Bellevue Press
Binghamton, NY
(c)1976

Like so many books by Bellevue Press, this is an exquisite example of a hand-stitched chapbook on hand-made paper. Just a thing of beauty and quality missing from so many small press books. The poetry is terrific as well.

Gingko Leaves and Cellograss by Laura M. White (1978)

Gingko Leaves and Cellograss
Laura M. White
The Bellevue Press
Binghamton, NY
(c) 1978

Hand sewn chapbook. I am a bit confused as to why the publisher single-sided the poems. A lot of empty pages. The book isn't thick to begin with. The poems are okay. The cover image is good. Nothing remarkable. Perhaps the publisher should have stayed with bringing Ms. White out on broadsides.

The Women Who Drink at the Sea by Cecile Goding (1992)

The Women Who Drink at the Sea
Cecile Goding
State Street Press
Brockport, NY
(c)1992

Handsome chapbook of fine poetry. The poet-turned-playwright has lived in the Iowa City area for years. This is her earliest book. It's a gem.

The Man Who Burned Money by Barbara Unger (1980)

The Man Who Burned Money
Barbara Unger
The Bellevue Press
(c)1980

With a drawing by Michael Tanzer. Handsome chapbook. A single poem. This copy signed by the artist. Near perfect blending of art and text. Very fine indeed.

who was Hunce Voelcker?

The Hart Crane Voyages
Hunce Voelcker
Brownstone Press
NYC, NY
(c)1969

This is a start of an investigation as much as anything. A few months ago, I saw and became interested in reading a book entitled The Hart Crane Voyages published in 1969 by Brownstone Press, NYC. I got the copy I did because it was signed - and it was, by a family member to another family member basically saying "remember our relative". The fact that it was sold suggests that the relative opted not to remember. Sad when that happens.

It turns out that this book is a "biography" of Hart Crane. Prose/poetry/sumptin'. With footnotes. Also illustrated as well. But the illustrations are absolutely terrible. Like bad kid drawings terrible. Dregs. Ugh. If ever a book needed a redo, this one is it. And the funny thing is that this book by Brownstone is a redo - an original version of this book was made by cowstone press (NYC). I wish I had a copy of that version because once I decided to research this 'Hunce Voelcker' person I came to find out that he published other books of poetry and prose and that his first chapbook was called joy rock statue ship and was published in 1968 by cowstone press. It was designed and illustrated by a Don Lewis.

joy rock statue ship
Hunce Voelcker
cowstone press
NYC, NY
(c)1968

from a strictly visual aesthetic, the chapbook by cowstone is superior. Every page of the chapbook has an image on it. Beautifully done. This Don Lewis person took great care in putting this chapbook together. It's really something to strive for. I am extremely happy to have it. My research suggests that Voelcker and Lewis collaborated on a few cowstone press books in 1968 - 1969.

Hunce Voelcker was born in Pennsylvania in 1940. He ended up in San Francisco and was part of the Jack Spicer group. There's an established poetry contest bearing his name. He died early, perhaps during the AIDS epidemic.

I will continue to research the man. I am also interested in knowing more about this Don Lewis cat, his work in this chapbook was stellar.

The Book of Truants & Projectorlight by Joshua Marie Wilkinson (2006)

The Book of Truants & Projectorlight
Joshua Marie Wilkinson
Octopus Books
Lincoln, NE
(c)2006

This is the 8th book in the packet from the Octopus - this one a book of prose poems, primarily. Good stuff. Acknowledgments and hat tipping through misty mornings. Now 10 years dated but still fresh as tomorrow.

The Tides by Genya Turovskaya (2006)

The Tides
Genya Turovskaya
Octopus Books
(c)2006

Another in the 8 pronged attack from Octopus Books. 31 pages of a splattering of ink on mostly empty pages. The book is good, but sparse. As I am reading through the 8 chapbooks, I am noting the sparseness. More empty space than words. Beautiful covers masking few words.

a blog as a zine, electronic?

I am currently reading the 2005 book The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture by Amy Spencer and I am reading about zines and while this book is a bit dated now, it got me thinking how blogs have taken over - generally, and quite successfully - for zines. But there is something lost in the electronica; the fact that one is holding something REAL. So, I am wondering if I should make a paper form of this chap*book blog. Who on earth would care to read it? How many? I mean, if I were out there and had this particular interest (the obsession that leads me to do this blog) wouldn't it excite me to see someone else bring out such a zine? Of course it would. But hasn't that ship already sailed?

I could never write about every single chapbook ever made - no one could. There are chapbooks that have been landfilled, destroyed by fire or neglect. Promised and never brought out. All manner of reasons and excuses. There isn't a single location in the United States where chapbooks are collected. The Library of Congress? um, no. I remember when I was at Robin's Bookstore in Philadelphia, and would spend time in the myriad shelves of the basement there which were filled with small run chapbooks by lesser (or un-) known Afro-American authors. Not collected at Temple University or anywhere else. Not written about or reviewed. Just there on those shelves. Well, that bookstore is going and the space where all those chapbooks were located has been converted into a restaurant. So what became of all those books?

When poet Lou McKee died in Philadelphia I had heard that he had an extensive collection of chapbooks - but that they were kept in a place where they were exposed to moisture and most were ruined. Losses upon losses. The fabulous book A Secret Location on the Lower East Side delves into a good deal of the parallel universe of Mimeo and chapbooks with incredible listings of Presses long gone but relevant. But even that book would have to be dwarfed by an honest full listing of every publisher from every region or state, and a listing of the folks actually published by those Presses. The numbers would be staggering. And we really only know about those who went on to achieve work of greater note. Some poets only published with small presses. Others were themselves established poets who were equally adapt at being publishers.

Should I even think about this further or just publish and move on?

The Berkeley Bead Game by Julia Vinograd (1971)

The Berkeley Bead Game
Julia Vinograd
Cody's Books
Berkeley, CA
(c)1971

Ms. Vinograd's entire life has been one of being a street poet and advocate for those society has chosen to ignore. This is her second collection. The pomes remind me of the work of Philadelphia-based poet Charlie O'Hay. A poet of the street. Who lived the street. In the case of Ms. Vinograd, it's been 50 years of labor. Great collection of grit, street, and human cast-aways.

The Continuing Misadventures of Andrew, the Headless Talking Bear by Jonah Winter (2006)

The Continuing Misadventures of Andrew, the Headless Talking Bear
Jonah Winter
Octopus Books
(c) 2006

Tiny gem. Great collection of work in a small package. Worth the read.