Black and White by Gilbert Sorrentino (1964)

 Black and White

Gilbert Sorrentino

Corinth Books/Totem Press

New York, NY

(c)1964

Cover art by Morton Leaks

Sorrentino did not the receive the attention he deserved. Great poetry here. Of the time and in the time. 

The Dial by Chris Nealon (2012)

 

The Dial

Chris Nealon

The Song Cave

(c) 2012

Part of a series. This is #55 of 100 printed. Signed by Nealon. Covers all the same pattern (must have been a thing for the series. Staple bound, unpaginated. Single poem. 

The Teacher's Mind Travels.... Also by B B Riefner (not yet published)

 Was at a poetry reading yesterday in Maryland and a gentleman read some poems by his 95 year old former teacher and he read : 

                                    Big bear paws

                                    Which hold the fist

                                     But could also hold

                                     The breasts of Time

                                     So easily

                                    She would gladly feed us. 

(my italics)

what? WHAT? What the absolute BLEEP is that supposed to mean? The breasts of time? I can't. It isn't. I won't. 

       

The Little Box Theater by Henry Crawford (2022)

 The Little Box Theater 

Henry Crawford

printF

(c)2022

I think Mr. Crawford and I both dabble in computerized language that anticipated the emerging AI "threat" to all things human. He has a method. I need a key code. I do not have it. Shrug.

Lizzie Red Bird and other unclaimed poems of resistance by Tom Pescatore (2021)

 

Lizzie Red Bird and other unclaimed poems of resistance

Tom Pescatore

Alien Buddha Press

(c) 2021

This press has been popping up frequently of late. As has Kelsey Books out in Utah. Good it see new publishers sprouting up as older ones fade and wither as is the nature of all things. Pescatore is a street/rebel poet who has spent time living in the elements. Off the grid. On the border between civilization and "the wilds". His work is true. And worth a read. 

Little Wars by W. Luther Jett (2021)

 Little Wars

W. Luther Jett

Kelsey Books

American Fork, UT

(c)2021

Full disclosure : I used to run a poetry series at a local library and Luther Jett was one of our featured poets in 2020/21 and he read most of the poems that are in this collection, thanking me afterwards for providing the space where he could read them aloud in front of an audience as he was formulating the idea that became this collection. 

So - I am a little biased in favor of it. All the same, this is a wonderful collection of poems produced well by Kelsey Books, an enterprise that was been doing great work of late. 

Little Spells by Emma Trelles (2008)

 Little Spells

Emma Trelles

Goss185-Casa Menendez

Bloomington, IN

(c)2008

It's a chapbook pretending to be bigger since it has a spine - too thin for text. The writing is good though. That's something. 

Waking on Water by Julie A. Selman (1992)

 Waking on Water : poems from the harbor

Julie A Selman

One Woman's Press

Juneau, Alaska

(c) 1992

I know nothing about this poet or this press, but it's an interesting piece notwithstanding. This particular copy does not contain "slate sand found on the shore of Gastineau Channel". But it is one of 500 copies printed on recycled paper. Remember this is 1992 - 

The poet and publisher are showing a depth of ecological awareness. It's a work tied to and defined by Juneau and its waterways. Glad to have found it. Definitely will be keeping it. 

Teeth by Hale Chatfield (1967)

 Teeth

Hale Chatfield

New/Books

Trumansburg, NY

(c) 1967

36 pages. There's a spine with actual lettering on it. Cover and title page by Walter Wanger. Good writing, nice presentation. 

Konglomerati volume III number 1 (1976)

 Konglomerati (volume III Number 1)

Konglomerati Press

Gulfport, FL

(c) 1976

Konglomerati was a magazine of visual poetry, irregularly printed, out of Gulfport, Florida. It billed itself as "visual poetry" but what that most seemed to mean is that it was poems presented on mixed media and their definition of mixed media was "scrap paper". 

This is not a chapbook but a small collection of individual pieces of paper with poems on them in a uniquely folded paper folder which I have to say is the most intriguing element to the whole presentation. 

color in the cheeks by bitsy sanders (2013)

 color in the cheeks

bitsy sanders

self published

(c) 2013

Full disclosure : I briefly attended York College of Pennsylvania where Ms. Sanders graduated from. That said, I did know the difference between a "chapbook" of less than 40 pages and a book of 68 pages, which is what this book has. It has a spine with no writing on it - but why? If a book is thick enough to have a spine, then have the title and author's name on the spine for goodness sake. How is a person supposed to KNOW what that bit of color on the spine IS ? 

This is not a chapbook. This is also not a completed thought. This is a shotgun wedding without a preacher. This is a signed copy of a book that the signee parted with - this is an example of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". 

a tree was wasted to make this - hopefully another was planted to replace it. 

on friendship and dreaming by Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey (1994)

 on friendship and dreaming 

Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey

Hershey Studios

Cannon Beach, OR

(c)1994

2nd edition.

Handmade book, part of a series produced by this lady. Each book fancy cursive handwriting. I am acknowledging it but it does not resonate with my creative palette. 

Where Are We Now? by Peter Waterhouse (1999)

 Where Are We Now?

Peter Waterhouse

Duration Press

(c) 1999

translated by Rosemarie Waldrop

Part of the Duration translation series, this is #10 of that series. 

Portrait of the Alcoholic with Shattered Pelvis by Kaveh Akbar (2006)

 Portrait of the Alcoholic with Shattered Pelvis

Kaveh Akbar

Monster House Press 

(Phamplet Series) 003

Bloomington, IN

(c) 2016

This single poem booklet appeared the year before Akbar's book Portrait of the Alcoholic (2017). Appears signed on front cover. Staple bought, interesting find. 

Jokey Poems Up to Ten by Carmen Jimenez Smith

 Jokey Poems Up to Ten

Carmen Gimenez Smith

Dusie 

( ?)

I am acknowledging the existence of this booklet. That is the extent of my comments. What Dusie does sometimes is beyond my comprehension

3 chapbooks by Nancy kuhl

 

In the Arbor 

Kent State University Press

Kent, OH

(c)1997

26 pages, staple-bound chapbook. 

Little Winter Theatre

Ugly Duckling Presse

Brooklyn, NY

(c) 2011 

Non-standard sized hand sewn chapbook. One of 500 printed. 

The Nocturnal Factory

Ugly Duckling Presse

Brooklyn, NY

(c)2008

27 pages. Velum flyleaf page. 

all three present different aspects of the author's work and all three are rare as her other books are all perfect bound books. 

Not technically a chapbook - Romanian book of Diane Wakoski's work

 Norii magelanici

Diane Wakoski 

Editura Univers

Socialist Republic of Romania 

(c)1981

While this is NOT technically a chapbook due to its page count, I am mentioning it here because it's a rare (for being in the USA) and handsome oddly sized book - not published in English. There is no writing on the spine so I will be storing it with chapbooks so it doesn't get lost. 

Embroideries by Denise Levertov (1969)

 Embroideries

Denise Levertov

Black Sparrow Press

(c) 1969

Back in the beginning of Black Sparrow, books were hand-sewn chapbooks. This one is signed. Beautiful artifact of a time gone by. 

Terrorism is What Whale by Michael Sikkema & Elizabeth Workman (2014)

 Terrorism is What Whale

Michael Sikkema & Elizabeth Workman

Grey Book Press

(c)2014

A chapbook like this is a broader story than what is contained in the 39 pages of staple-bound beauty that as an object it is. It's a story of the publisher who runs the press and the two poets who collaborated on the melding of the work. It's about the cover designer, Erik Brandt, as well as Scott Sweeney, the publisher. It's an entire package. And at the very least an acknowledgment of their collective accomplishment. Which I just did. 

The Sky The

 The Sky The

Michael Sikkema

serif of nottingham editions

Hamilton, Ontario CANADA

(c)2012

It's interesting to "look back" at someone's work whom you are just now getting to know and they have moved to having novels being published. Interesting little press. Interesting little collection and I especially like the poem "how to explain your politics at a party" since it still feels unfortunately relevant today.