• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

ART Clarity Haynes POETRY Gaughran-Perez, Hibbard, Kahn, Ronan PRINTED MATTER Micah Ballard, Lauren Russell URBAN FOLK Schwervon Exits NYC • Wading BOOG CITY through Art, Commerce, Music, and Dance A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FROM A GROUP OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS BASED IN AND AROUND NEW YORK CITY’S EAST VILLAGE ISSUE 70 FREE Futurepoem books is So Bright Founder Dan Machlin On His NYC Press Turning 10 INTERVIEW BY manuscripts. Each year we invite three different I think my distinguished peer writers, artists, curators, editors to DAV I D A . impulse to begin help read the submissions and, with me or another permanent editor, select two books for publication KIRSCHENBAUM publishing was born the following year. aised a few blocks from Penn Station in the former out of a sense that This year, for the first time, we shifted our guest International Ladies Garment Workers Union there needed to be editorial panel to L.A. and a previous guest editor Houses, Futurepoem books executive editor, poet R a fresh approach and close friend, poet/translator Jen Hofer, led Dan Machlin, founded the press 10 years ago. I caught up it. Though some would say that geographical with him recently to discuss where Futurepoem’s been and to publishing innovative work location is somewhat irrelevant in this digital era, where it’s headed as it enters its second decade. I think proximity still has a great deal of relevance and an outlet for a in people’s perceptions of the press. I think we How’d you first become interested in poetry; new generation of succeeded in attracting a lot of submissions involved in the small press world; know you wanted editorial leadership. from west coast and other writers who we have to start a press? … I wondered never heard from before, and I believe we also Wow, that is an epic question, so forgive me if I give a slightly shifted the perception of Futurepoem as a slightly epic answer. if there was a more exploratory New York City-centric press. We felt this was an I’ve always been interested in poetry for as long as I incredible success and hope to try to host the open can remember. I probably had a romantic notion of myself approach to call in different cities in the future—maybe even in a as a kind of tortured Keatsean poet or a Dylan Thomas-like publishing and a non-U.S. city, though we aren’t sure quite yet. poet high on the musicality of language when I first began Serena Jost photo more communal In terms of funding the press, it is partially funded to write poems and poetic prose. by the generous support from The New York State a whim. I had been working at a grueling full- one that would I began to think more seriously about myself as a writer as Council on the Arts and The Council of Literary time job and started up a conversation with a allow a more open a student at Wesleyan University, though I interestingly gravitated Magazines and Presses, but our grants don’t nearly graphic designer friend at work about how we system of possibilities. toward non-fiction prose writing courses as the teachers like essayist cover the expenses of printing two to three books per both loved books and should work on a book Annie Dillard and literary biographer Phyllis Rose were much more year and none of these grants cover basic operating project together some time. We settled on a intriguing to me as writers than the poetic faculty at the time. expenses. I think I’ve probably personally kicked in a healthy tithe name, Futurepoem; a first author, Kalleberg, whose work I greatly After Wesleyan, in New York I become aware of the of my salary, especially in the early years, but more recently we’ve admired; and the design, to be done by Anthony Monahan, who downtown avant-garde poetry scene. I met people like Joel been trying to move the press toward a self-sufficient model. Our went on to design the first nine Futurepoem books. Kuszai (Meow Press/Factory School) and others who told me recent successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the current open call I think if I had fully considered the challenges and financial about The Ear Inn reading series and about The Poetry Project has really energized everyone at the press, and we are hoping to commitment of sustaining a small press, I might have thought twice. at St. Mark’s Church. move toward a subscription model like those used by other presses, I think my impulse to begin publishing was born out of a sense For me my initiation into the small press world had a lot to do including Ugly Duckling Presse, to create a more consistent funding that there needed to be a fresh approach to publishing innovative with my initiation into the avant-garde writing world. I think I got my base. Plain and simple publishing experimental literature rarely pays work and an outlet for a first true initiation into the possibilities of contemporary writing for itself and our wonderful distributor, Small Press Distribution, takes new generation of editorial through a workshop with Bernadette Mayer at The Poetry Project Futurepoem books a healthy cut of every book sale that we make. leadership. I think I also felt where I was introduced to the notion of writing experiments and The First Decade* That’s why we definitely will need subscribers and individual that when I looked around seriously read Gertrude donors if we are going to survive as a press and continue to at the time, a lot of presses Stein and the Oulipo writers champion great new writers. like Raymond Queneau for The Malady of the Century Jon Leon appeared to be closed Sherwood Forest Camille Roy circuits of a set group of the first time. Bernadette Is there a certain kind of manuscript you would say Late in the Antenna Fields Alan Gilbert writers. I wondered if there and her radical approach is a Futurepoem book? The Source Noah Eli Gordon was a more exploratory to writing caused me to I really don’t think there is one kind of manuscript that we are Delinquent Mina Pam Dick approach to publishing dispose of all previous looking for, probably because different people each year are Poems of the Black Object Ronaldo V. Wilson and a more communal one notions that I had of what it doing the looking. Traffic & Weather Marcella Durand that would allow a more meant to be a poet and a Quite simply we are looking for the work that is most Your Country is Great Ara Shirinyan open system of possibilities. writer and really ingrained successful at fulfilling its unique vision as a book out of the work Threads Jill Magi I didn’t know it when I first an exploratory approach we receive that particular year. That said, there is a through line, Murmur Laura Mullen began the project, but this into my poetics. a trajectory of the Futurepoem series as a whole that is in the Shortly after, I joined Mad Science in Imperial City Shanxing Wang quickly led to my decision an M.A. writing program The External Combustion Engine Michael Ives to adopt the open call, Please see KIRSCHENBAUM page 3 at City College to study Ghosts by Albert Ayler Ghosts by Albert Ayler Merry Fortune rotating editorial panel, with Ann Lauterbach and, The Escape Jo Ann Wasserman and other signature aspects concurrently, began a Under the Sun Rachel Levitsky of the Futurepoem series part-time job working for Some Mantic Daemons Garrett Kalleberg today. Steve Dalachinsky James Sherry to manage *from most to least recent Soho the avant-garde press Roof How does Future- creature dream minus the dreamer Books and direct The Segue poem operate? Who And Forthcoming Foundation, a performance does the editing and Anarch Frances Richards rehearsal space and arts production work? The Crisis of Infinite Worlds Dana Ward non-profit on the Lower East How do you go The Story of My Accident is Ours Rachel Levitsky at 126th Carmeela enters the bodega Side. So as Ann helped about selecting your Swarms of Bees in High Court Tonya Foster, (w/Belladonna) asks what her name is me develop a more critical manuscript readers? Troy Michigan Wendy Walters 2 men approach her w/a 40 in their hands understanding of why and How does the pro- Deadfalls and Snares Samantha Giles speaking dots - she joins them how I was writing, my work cess of selecting @#$%&*#@$ como se llama ?????? with Roof educated me in the manuscripts ?????como me llama ???? the practicalities of publishing experimental writing and taught me occur? How do you afford to run the press? how critical a small press like Roof can be in championing the work We now operate as a non-profit with an amazing board the mass become empty of important avant-garde writers. of directors who are helping to take the press to the next level. the emptiness mass We also have some fantastic people involved at a permanent both become finger prints Why did you decide to start a press? editorial level. Chris Martin edits our new blog, Futurepost, ))))))))((((((((a language all their own I probably got my feet wet as an editor through The which solicits responses to our books from the poetry community. a pretext for signing Transcendental Friend, an online litzine started by fellow City There’s Jennifer Tamayo, our incredible managing editor, and sounding singing speaking writing creating College graduate Garrett Kalleberg.

Load more

  7

Copy Link