July 31, 2009
DECODE Book Launch Party
I like these guys and carry their books, so I thought I’d re-post. They’re a local publisher of photography and the occasional art/story book. And I bet they know how to party.
July 24, 2009
The Open Edit
How our new manuscript exchange program was born…
Pilot Books has hosted two successful writers workshops so far, and the strengths and limitations of these sessions gave me an idea. (Actually, Knute gave me the idea unknowingly. Thanks, Knute!)
With live dialogue, people can read to each other, get encouragement, discuss writerly matters, etc. We spend lots of time doing exercises and creating new texts over the course of an hour or two.
But what about our major projects?
I mean the pages and pages we have at home, waiting to see the light of day. Writers need readers. Unpublished manuscripts need editors. The sort of work that can’t go down under a spotlight in ~1.5 hours.
To the point, you will now find a cork board at the far end of the upstairs reading room. This is where you can hang up your manuscripts for anonymous (nor not) readers/editors to take home and scribble on.
Could be valuable, no?
July 20, 2009
Three Days of Poetry – Tickets Sold Here
Life in Seattle has been pretty sweet this summer. Heat waves, sun storms, ice cream, frozen custard, and cupcakes everywhere… What more could I ask for?
How ’bout a giant* poetry and arts festival put on by one of my favorite local publishers? Got that, too.
“Wave Books, in association with the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, is hosting three days of poetry, August 14-16, featuring film screenings, a book arts presentation, art exhibitions, local bookstore discounts, and readings, both big and small, by Wave authors, taking place in the Henry Auditorium and the James Turrell Skyspace. The event is limited to 150 tickets, so be sure to reserve your spot as soon as you can!”
You can learn more and purchase 3-day passes right here. Or, you can come to me (Pilot Books) for Friday/Saturday passes. I just found out you can only get 1-day passes at Open Books (in Wallingford) and here at Pilot, so now it’s even more important for me to get the word out. Just take a look at the schedule. Every day is enormous.
*Relative to your average poetry festival, I guess.
July 13, 2009
Impromptu Poetry Reading
Fast and dirty, just like I like.
Tuesday, July 14, 7pm – (That’s tomorrow, folks.) Jared White and Farrah Field.
JARED WHITE grew up in Massachusetts and lives in Brooklyn. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Barrow Street, Borderlands, Cannibal, Coconut, Fulcrum, Horse Less Review,The Modern Review, Sorry 4 Snake, Verse, and Word For / Word. He has published essays in Harp & Altar, Poets Off Poetry at Coldfront, and Open Letters, and a chapbook entitled Yellowcake was included in the recent handsewn anthology Narwhal from Cannibal Books. From time to time, he blogs at jaredswhite.blogspot.com and plays the piano.
FARRAH FIELD is the author of Rising (Four Way Books, 2009), winner of the Levis Poetry Prize. Her poems have appeared in Chelsea, Harp & Altar, Harpur Palate, Margie, Massachusetts Review, Mississippi Review, Pool, and Typo. She was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming and raised in Nebraska, Colorado, Louisiana, Arkansas, Sicily, and Belgium. She lives in Brooklyn and blogs at adultish.blogspot.com.
July 10, 2009
New New Stuff This Week
Where have you been all my life since February?: The Bodyfeel Lexicon, by Jessica Bozek. (Switchback, 2009) Subtle, sparse, oh but sometimes thick and gooey poetry/not poetry.
Wry new memoir: All Screwed Up, by Steve Fellner. (Benu Press, 2009) Growing up in the Midwest can be a real trip when you’re poor, gay, and self-aware.
Newly published, and he’s still got it: The Brittle Age and Returning Upland, by Rene Char. Translated from the French by Gustaf Sobin. (Counterpath, 2009) Bilingual edition!
Low brow is the new high art: The Jook, by Gary Phillips and I-5, by Summer Brenner. (PM Press, 2009) Crime, suspense, sleeze! Who you callin’ book snob?
The newest of the new: What Do You Want?, by Marina Temkina. (Ugly Duckling, 2009) Still trying to figure this one out… In a good way.
July 9, 2009
Calling All Zinesters!
If you make nifty art or word-oriented zines, I want to hear from you. They can be free or sell-able, photocopied or lovingly hand illustrated in small batches. Tell your friends, your friends’ friends, and your imaginary friends to bring their zine stacks to Pilot Books where they’ll be snatched up by readerly types who love free and cheap stuff.
Send questions to pilot [at] pilotbooksseattle [dot] com.
Also, I want to plug the Hugo House & ZAPP 24 Hour Zine Challenge coming up July 18th and 19th. Those ZAPP kids are awesome so this event can’t be anything but. More info: www.hugohouse.org, zapp [at] hugohouse [dot] org, or (206) 322.7030.