WEDNESDAY, 7PM at The Book Cellar in Chicago…
Come check out the Pittsburgh Poets Jason Baldinger (author of The Lower 48) and Scott Silsbe (author of Unattended Fire) with special guests Parneshia Jones, Jacob S. Knabb, and Daniela Olszewska.
http://www.bookcellarinc.com/event/poetry-night-pittsburg-poets-scott-silsbe-and-jason-baldinger
THURSDAY, 7PM at Raven Book Store in Lawrence…
FRIDAY, 6PM at Inklings’ Books & Coffee Shoppe in Blue Springs…
So, 2014 was a year. A good one in that The Lower Forty-Eight by Jason Baldinger, Yield to the Willow by Don Wentworth, Imagination Motel by Chuck Kinder, &, most recently, the blue 2nd edition of A Film About Billy by Daniel McCloskey saw the light of print; & a devastating one in that we lost a luminary, Victor Navarro, on June 30.
On the slate for 2015 is a follow-up to Victor’s collection Short Works, which he asked demanded be released immediately the day before his death, but which will actually be released on June 30 of next year. Juggling as fast as I can here, Vic!
Gloom Hearts & Opioids, a new collection of poems by John Thomas Menesini, who will also be in town at the end of January to perform at at least two readings.
Hungry by Daniel Parme, a self-published novel which has recently been worked over by two editors & given a polish by the author.
The Apartment Building by Joe Musso, a bizarre novel about the inhabitants of, yes, an apartment building.
An untitled collection of poems by Stephanie Brea, whenever she’s done fiddling with it.
Aaand, in all likelihood, several other books from the back burner. Stay tuned & happy New Year!
The Lower Forty-Eight was reviewed in this week’s City Paper! & here’s a fun video of John Menesini performing at last month’s Karl Hendricks benefit.
THIS SATURDAY at 8…
Jason Baldinger
Stephanie Brea
Taylor Grieshober
& Bob Pajichwill share their words with you. The always off the hook Red Bob Junghanz will be corralling yinz and generally doing his best to host this event.
And then there’s amazing picture projections by “jORGONEson presents…films from the Orgone Archive”.
A $5 bill will get you in; the event is BYOB, although there may be some alcohol around; Stephanie Brea is making state-shaped cookies, and the audience will be picking the set list out of a bag filled with state puzzle pieces.
Click on the wallpaper for more.
Cover art by Jon Dowling.
Also, so you know it’s not just me saying it’s good, The Lower Forty-Eight has been awarded the coveted Jakiela Seal of Quality.
Jason Baldinger’s street-wise, Pittsburgh-hearted, big-river-throated poetry collection The Lower Forty-Eight is the book you’d get if Kerouac and Whitman loaded into a Pinto and hit the road with iced-down six-packs on the back seat and a bobble-head Neruda on the dash. These poems pick up hitchhikers and talk to strangers. These poems long for home as they roll away from it. These poems celebrate and weep and rage and dance through a landscape as huge and mortal as the voice that carries it. These poems and this poet are the perfect heart-wise companions for anyone looking for a beautiful ride.
—Lori Jakiela, author of The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious
Six Gallery Press 