above/ground press
Ontario, Canada
(c)2025
Found this in an art gallery/working space (like a beehive for artists) in Burlington, VT when I was there in April 2026. This is an oddly sized book in the sense that the cover is shorter than the pages of text. Like a person laying in a bed that is too short for their legs. I am sure it was on purpose.
This is the second item I have from above/ground press.
The author has been quite busy. 10 books + !!!
Fevers and Clocks
Kristina Marie Darling
March Street Press
(c)2006
The books of poetry published by March Street Press during the mid-aughts were formulaic and while they managed (barely) to put text on the spines of their books. Like on this one, tiny print though it is. 21 pages. It's a chapbook by page standards, but text on the spine so it's....what?
Short fiction. Good writing.
Robert Sargent
The Argonne House Press
Washington, DC
(c)2002
Another in the series that this imprint put out in the early years of this century. The poet was well known in the DC area. He was the author of 8 collections of poetry. He was actively involved with the Washington Writers Publishing House and the Bunny and Crocodile Press.
Staple bound. 46 pages. Author photo by Karren Alenier
Ryan Skrabalak
Tree Jumps Rainbow #13
(c) 2025
'Made for the occasion of a poetry reading at the Poetry Project (Kingston, NY), November 2025, with Nazareth Hassan.' Straight from the note in the back of this tiny little something with text and images by author. I picked this up at the Vermont Book Arts exhibition in Burlington, VT in April 2026. The author/artist is an associate of Monument which is a small press located in Kingston, NY. Met Rich and Sally in Burlington. Nice folks. Dedicated. What more can one ask?
Tifani Greenwood
Trimmvirate Press
(c)2002
The press does not exist as it had in 2002. It might have come into existence just to publish this book. The poet might also have made this book as a way to dovetail into the art world. In either case, it's a bit of an Art Book that I am happy to have found along the way.
Ken Denberg
University of South Carolina-Aiken
Aiken, South Carolina
(c)1993
Winner of The Devil's Millhopper Press poetry chapbook contest of 1993. Cover art by Walter Boppert. Staple bound chapbook. Good poetry.
Soraya Hammer
self - produced
(c)2026
In April 2026 I ventured north to New England to take in the first ever Vermont Art Book Fair which took place in Burlington, Vermont on April 10 & 11. It was an amazing array of book artists and print makers and student made work (like this one).
Collage small formatted staple bound effort. I made her sign this copy. I believe she's a student at the University of Vermont. I hope she continues to produce art.
Gregory Espy
I know nothing of this man. I did a google search and according to AI (as though that is a reliable source) this man had enough of an electronic footprint that what AI spewed was nothing but gushy accolades. So, I looked for his books on Amazon and, ah, he used the same cover image for another book, Hidden Behind My Mask, which was published in 2019. The exact statue face.
This chapbook has zero publication history and do not list a publisher.
It's not my mystery to uncover. Also, I am not impressed with his poetry.
Edith Kamkar
Catalyst Books
Redwood City, CA
(c)2001
Woodcuts by Barbara Leventhal-Stern
Handsome book with wonderful illustrations throughout. Love the feel of the cover, but the paper stock the poems are printed on feel like Xerox stock. Alas. Then again, this was a 200 copy run of the second printing of the book. That's something to note.
Amy Allen
Rootstock Publishing
Montpelier, VT
(c)2024
Was recently in New England and visited a friend in Rutland, Vermont who took me to Phoenix Books where I saw this chapbook. It's regional. 28 pages. The poet lives and works in state. The poems are grounded and stable as the state itself. The cover art is by Lindsey Taylor.
Janet Adkins
Village Graphics
(c)1993
Illustrations by author. This chapbook is a stand alone publishing of a 1985 presentation of the same piece that was included in PULPSMITH magazine where it had won the Madeline Sadine award for best poem by a woman.
This staple bound chapbook has a wonderfully textured cover and had an inscription as well as being signed twice by the author (who doubled as the illustrator as mentioned).
The book cover is a wrap around image
