Friday night during AWP: Bloof + Saturnalia

I'm pleased to be co-hosting this one, with Saturnalia Books publisher Henry Israeli. We asked Rebecca Loudon to join us, so she's bringing her violin and some poems too. The Jewelbox Theater is a gorgeously restored 1927 screening room attached to an underground speakeasy, in Belltown. (Read about its history—from Jimmy Stewart to contemporary burlesque—here.) It's an easy walk from the conference. Hope to see you there (or somewhere).

FB event page

*Please note: Rendezvous is a multispace venue. We are in the Jewelbox Theater, not the Grotto, not the Red Velvet Lounge. All share the same address, and other events are happening simultaneously.*

Saturday night, March 1, at AWP in Seattle

Facebook Event Page

Poetry performances by Tyler Brewington, Jackie Clark, Shanna Compton, Mel Coyle, Bruce Covey, Ben Fama, Hailey Higdon, Megan Kaminski, Jiyoon Lee, Joseph Mains, Pattie McCarthy, Amanda Montei, Amber Nelson, Jenn Marie Nunes, Alexis Pope, Dawn Sueoka, Jennifer Tamayo, Ellen Welcker, Joseph P Wood, and Wendy Xu + Nick Sturm. Hosted by Shanna Compton, Bruce Covey & Amber Nelson. 

The Pine Box is a lofty, renovated former funeral parlor, with an incredible beer selection on 33 taps, making it one of Seattle's top bars. Dinner menu also available. 

Meet the Press: Nin Andrews interviewed me for the Best American Poetry blog

Nin Andrews conducts an ongoing series of small press publisher/editor interviews for the Best American Poetry blog and she kindly invited me to participate.

She and I talked about how I came to be an editor and poet, how Bloof Books came to be, and what I really love about working with poets, making books together. I also chose a couple of poems from Bloof poets Jennifer L. Knox and Elisabeth Workman.

Read the interview here.

Check the archives here, for other interviews in the series, including Matthew Zapruder of Wave, Janet Holmes of Ahsahta, Gabriel Fried of Persea, Ed Ochester of the Pitt Poetry Series, and others. (I'm not through reading them all yet.)

On her blog (where she often posts great single-panel comix!), Nin also posted this drawing of me. I like it better than the photo.

Recently appearing

"Rethinking Monster Island" at Map Literary. 

Women Poets Wearing Sweatpants

Oh, and there was this, the other day. (Peek at the archive, too. My favorite poetry meme, with so many new-to-me women poets. All fierce!)

Broadside from the Center for Book Arts reading

I did a reading at the Center for Book Arts with Harmony Holiday on December 6. This gorgeous broadside was designed and printed by Ana Paula Cordeira. Hand-set Grotesque type, monoprint on Bertini paper. Signed in metallic gold. Edition of 100. I have gifted my copies, but I think they will eventually be for sale here.

Broadside from Columbia College

In November, I spent a week in Illinois, doing readings at Columbia College in Chicago (with Nick Twemlow), Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal (with Peter Davis), and the Dollhouse Series in Chicago (with David Trinidad, Sarah Meltzer Allen, and Srikanth Reddy). This broadside was designed by Clifton Meador and letterpress printed by April Sheriden. The tab moves the poem! They also did a great broadside with one of Nick Twemlow's poems. I'm not sure if these are for sale, but you can read more about the printing and book arts program at Columbia College here. 

600 chapbooks & counting

This first year doing the chapbook series for Bloof Books has been a lot of fun. I've edited, designed, printed, trimmed & sewn more than six hundred chapbooks! 

The last two in this year's series are Kirsten Kaschock's Windowboxing (shown above) and Pattie McCarthy's scenes from the lives of my parents. 

I feel so lucky to get to work with all these terrific poets, and despite my many paper cuts, I'm looking foward to the 2014 series.

Announcing the Bloof Books 2014 Chapbook Series

Alberto Seveso, "Dropping" (via Colossal)

List here.

I'm really looking forward to working on these handmade chapbooks with these amazing poets.

Currently, Upcoming & Forthcoming

I've been very busy, too busy really. I'm working on that. One of the things that tends to drop off my list is updating here. (I do try to keep up a little better at the Bloof blog, but Facebook is generally handiest.)

This poor old site could use a complete overhaul. I'll get to that.

In the meantime, here are some updates…

• I recently did an interview with Tony Trigilio, for Radio Free Albion. Listen here.

• I wrote a review of Dara Wier's You Good Thing, for Coldfront. Read it here.

• I wrote a long poem, an homage to James Schuyler. It will appear in the next issue of Court Green. (January) I also have work forthcoming in the next issue of Map Literary.

• Publishers Weekly recently reviewed Brink: "[T]his third volume is all sorts of breakthrough: in two restrained sequences and two sets of wild, outré, funny stand-alone lyrics, Compton does as much as anyone yet to represent the way her youngish people live now, the alterable, friable, quizzical, digital, comical voice of a plugged-in, sexed-out, and reluctantly but unmistakably political cohort."

• I have several events on the calendar, including a panel next Saturday, September 28, at the Conversations & Connections writing conference in Philadelphia. Our topic is how to deal with obstacles to your writing practice, and the other panelists are Catie Rosemurgy, Michael Loughran & Sarah Blake (moderator). The conference is offered by Barrelhouse Magazine.

• In November, I have three readings in and around Chicago:
• Wednesday, November 13 at Columbia College with Nick Twemlow
• Thursday, November 14 at Illinois State University with Peter Davis (Bloomington-Normal)
• Saturday, November 16 at the Dollhouse Series with David Trinidad, Gregory Sherl & Srikanth Reddy 

• I will be reading at the Center for Book Arts in New York City on December 6 for the Center Broadside Reading Series

• Oh, and this poem at Ink Node.

Reading for the HOWL Festival tomorrow in NYC

I am very excited to be reading as part of the St. Mark's Poetry Project reading during the 10th annual HOWL Festival tomorrow, June 1. Find us on the North Stage (Beatification Station) at Tompkins Square Park, Avenue B & E. 9th Street. Reading starts at 1:00 PM. Details here. Full festival schedule here.

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