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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Practicing What I Preach

63º ~ still beautiful, but darn it, those 90s are coming back, boooooo

So, yesterday, I got up in the pulpit a bit.  To back up those words, here's a picture of the four books I purchased in July/August.



I Stand Here Shredding Documents    Kristin Berkey-Abbot, Finishing Line Press, 2011
The End of the Folded Map   Matthew Nienow, Codhill Press, 2011
Fat Girl   Jessie Carty, Sibling Rivalry Press, 2011
Excuse me while I wring this long swim out of my hair   Sarah J. Sloat, dancing girl press, 2011

Yep, these are all chapbooks.  That's just pure coincidence.  I buy large and small, heck, I even buy broadsides when I get the chance.  And while I've fallen down a bit on my "What I'm Reading Posts," rest assured that I talk up the poets I like here and yonder on the campus.  If a book doesn't match my taste I simply don't write or talk about it because there is enough ill-will in the world and I do not choose to be a professional critic writing professional book reviews.

Of the four, I've read Nienow's already.  LOVED IT!  Wonderful poems of landscape in the 21st century and comments on the human condition.  I look forward to sitting down with the other three soon.

**Remember, if you buy the book directly from the publisher, they get a much better profit margin than if you buy from Amazon.  If you really want to buy from an online bookstore, try Better World Books, where much of the profit goes to aiding literacy efforts here and abroad and you can purchase carbon offsets for your shipping for a nickel.  (BWB doesn't always carry books from the smaller publishers.)

8 comments:

Karen J. Weyant said...

Hi Sandy --

I'm always curious -- what is considered small press? Presses not supported by Universities? Any press that is not Norton? I'm wondering only because I try to support small presses, but I do buy all kinds of poetry books!

Sandy Longhorn said...

Hey, Karen. "Small press" is probably too vague a term. I mean those presses that are run mostly on sweat and sheer will power, rather than on profits from bestsellers or endowments.

I guess we could also categorize presses by number of books they put out each year.

Interesting. I'll keep thinking.

Jeannine said...

Kudos! Those are some chapbooks I've been meaning to get ahold of...

Sandy Longhorn said...

Thanks, Jeannine.

Kathleen said...

I have two of these! Will gradually review them where I can, or in my blog! Plus many more! Yay for poetry books and chapbooks! And lit mags.

Sandy Longhorn said...

Yay for poetry!

SarahJane said...

Thanks for reading my chap. Your book is waiting for me at my mother's house in NJ...

Sandy Longhorn said...

Sarah, you are welcome! Somehow it makes me happy to know that my book is with your mother. :)