Outlying Districts by Anselm Hollo (1987)

 Outlying Districts

Anselm Hollo

Smithereens Press

Bolinas, CA

(c) 1987

Yes, this copy has a coffee stain on the front. I knew that before I got it. But it's hand-painted by Hollo's wife, Jane Dalrymple-Hollo. And the seller said that this copy was signed and inscribed to "Allan and Cinda" - and my brain stopped me right there and said "The only Allan and Cinda you know of are the Kornblums; Toothpaste Press and Coffee House Press. You know? You met him!" 

Yes, I had. I have been incredibly inspired by Allan's letterpress work with and on Toothpaste Press. 

Smithereens Press appears to have been Hollo's imprint. It's a staple-bound mimeo. (late in the game for mimeos but that's what it looks like). Single page poems. 

Each book printed was painted differently. Making each book (250 printed, 10 were signed by poet and artist) unique. 

Happy New Year. 

20 Poems by Lauri Otonkoski (1999)

 20 Poems

Lauri Otonkoski

duration press 

(c)1999

Number  12 in their series. Translated from the Finnish by Anselm Hollo. Some interesting design features in this one. 

so the ants made it to the cat food by Anselm Hollo (2001)

 so the ants made it to the cat food

Anselm Hollo

Samizdat Editions

Lake Forest, IL

(c) 2001

I admit that I came late to the awareness of what Samizdat meant during the Soviet half century of iron fisted rule over Eastern Europe and Russia (wondering if a similar discreet publishing effort is underway now with the Putin Soviet hard-on happening there now)

Husband/wife team in Lake Forest. IL did a series of chapbooks at the beginning of the century. This is the first I am writing about since it's by the "official" anti-laureate, Anselm Hollo. So US anti-establishment poet recognized by a US tiny press with a name that has murky 1960s-1980s Soviet underground connections comes to my attention via a repurposing gift from someone in Iowa. 

And this isn't the only press globally using this name, Samizdat Editions, by the way. 

I not only enjoy the poetry in this small collection but the footnotes are also worth reading as well.