Bonné de Blas Is Caught In The Act!

Cleveland poet Bonné de Blas is caught in The Act... The Act of Dwelling, that is!  NightBallet Press is extremely pleased to announce today's (August 31st) publication of The Act of Dwelling, Bonné's debut chapbook of poetry!

The Act of Dwelling is a twenty-four page chap of evocative and richly textured poetry, illustrated with photos from her art book "Shaman's Scroll".   Bonné will be reading from her new chap at *NightBallet Press Presents A Fistful of Poets, Thursday September 13, 2012, 6:30pm at Jammy Buggars, 15625 Detroit, Lakewood, Ohio— a not-to-be-missed event!

The Act of Dwelling by Bonné de Blas features a taupe textured cardstock cover with a deep plum cardstock insert and thick, creamy 25% cotton paper. But the very best part is what's inside!

If you are unfamiliar with de Blas's work, you are in for a real treat.  She wields vocabulary and imagery in her poems like she constructs her art books:  with a deliberate and complex beauty.  The poems beg to be taken into the mouth, savored on the tongue, and spoken with reverence.  Yes, they are that tasty.

You can order copies of The Act of Dwelling right here on this website.  Be among the first to get your copy!

*A Fistful of Poets will feature five fantastic poets:  Bonné de Blas with her excellent poetry from The Act of Dwelling,  John Dorsey with his brand-new chapbook of provocative poems and short stories, White Girl Problems, Alex Gildzen, freshly arrived from New Mexico, with his very soon-to-be-published and exciting NBP chap Passd Ports, Kathy "Lady" Smith with her much-anticipated new NBP chap that sparkles and snaps, Firecracker Mandalas, and Kara Johnston, with her sensitive and sensual poetry from Map Wrapping Paper Cradle Dangler.  Kara's chap was published by NBP earlier this year, but this is the first time ever that NBP (and Clevelanders) will get to hear her read! All of these chaps will be published by September 13, 2012, and will be available for sale both on this site and at the Fistful event the night of September 13th.  One night, five poets, good friends and excellent poetry in a venue that features delicious food, a multitude of draft beers, and a groovy ambiance.  Let the magic begin! 

John Dorsey has White Girl Problems!

Celebrated poet John Dorsey has White Girl Problems... that's right, his 25th chapbook is officially published TODAY!

NightBallet Press is extremely pleased to present White Girl Problems, a 36 page chap of poetry and short stories by the one and only John Dorsey, featuring a stunning cover photo by Chandra Alderman, and a great bio photo by Casey Rearick (who has a talent for capturing delightful and insightful pix of fellow poets and local scenes).

(This is the first NBP cover by Ohioan Chandra Alderman, who contributed several timely pieces to Buzzkill: Apocalypse. You can look forward to more of her beautiful photos in and on upcoming NBP books!)

White Girl Problems features a mix of provocative poetry and short fiction, with stories told the way only John Dorsey can tell them.  You won't want to miss out on his tribute poems to Scott Wannberg and Kell Robertson.  And I promise: you'll not be able to put this book down until you finish the stories about Felix Pepperdine's exploits.  This book rocks with a blend of sex, wistfulness, humor, irony, and tender beauty. 

James Borsenik read White Girl Problems last night and said "Far-fucking-out... he's the real thing!"

You can order White Girl Problems right here on this website, or you can order through Amazon.  And of course, you can always attend one of John's readings and get the book directly from the poet's hand!  Get your copy today!

Order here!

1 copy $5.00 USD 2 copies $10.00 USD 3 copies $15.00 USD 4 copies $20.00 USD 5 copies $25.00 USD Outside U.S.- ea. copy $10.00 USD

Buttons, Blurbs, Bookstores, and More!

These tango poems are jazz, sweet, slinky.They wrap their legs around you and then leap out, leaving your heart beating. They pull you in as only tango does, all passion and juice, cold and hot, smooth and spicy...your head left slightly off-center, off the main beat, not knowing whether to breathe or not. Lifshin is dancer and poet and if anyone could embrace tango in words, it is she. Any poem quoted from this book will make you stand up, quiver slightly and be ready to fall off into the ecstatic abyss of eroticism:

"Tango Before the Light Goes Blood/streaks tourmaline sky./put on your ruby skirt,/transparent as rose gauze/fishnet scissors under./When stars glaze the/tango floor....."

This little book will leave a tart, sweet/sour taste and you will crave more and more.

--Alice Pero

As far as KNIFE EDGE & ABSINTHE (ha - who was it that said "absinthe makes the heart grow fonder" - lol) - goes, it is a beautiful book. I read it one sitting on the subway. The poems in this book are just wonderful - reinforcing why Lifshin is my favorite poet in the world! You would think, with all the work I've read and reviewed of hers, that nothing could surprise me, but these poems did - they make me want to write poetry, they also make me want to take TANGO lessons (I'm serious!)

--Cindy Hochman

These are some of the things people are saying about Knife Edge & Absinthe- The Tango Poems by the legendary Lyn Lifshin!  NightBallet Press is pleased to offer the book for sale on Amazon, and you may also order directly from this NBP website- I've updated the PayPal button to include options for ordering multiple copies and for overseas orders.  Please note- for (bookstore) orders of more than 5 copies, please contact the publisher at nightballetpress@gmail.com.  Order your copy today!

News, news, news, and it's all good!  Prospero's Books in Kansas City wants to stock copies of George Wallace's two NightBallet Press chaps, sleeping beauty's revenge and the hard stuff, and we're going to make that happen!  George recently sold out of all his NBP chaps- congratulations, George!  (Not to worry; NBP will be printing more of them for him very soon.)

Other bookstores carrying NightBallet Press titles include Mac's Backs Books on Coventry in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Visible Voice in the Tremont neighborhood, Cleveland, Ohio... and of course, the virtual online bookstore Amazon!

New chaps coming out this month/early September will include de Blas's stunning debut collection The Act of Dwelling, Russell Salamon's long-awaited-and sensually-charged Black Rainbow: All the Colors Are Still There, Alex Gildzen's witty, wistful, whimsical wordage in Passd Ports, Kathy Smith's totally toothsome tome Firecracker Mandalas, and John Dorsey's provocative blend of poems and stories in White Girl Problems.

With NBP's editor finally getting caught up with things, you can expect an average of two-to-three new chaps a month.   Upcoming publications include titles by Jean Brandt, Jacob Oet, Christopher Franke, Joey Nicoletti, James (J. E.) Stanley, Kevin Eberhardt, Chansonette Buck, John Burroughs, and sooooo many more exciting poets!

Copies of Buzzkill: Apocalypse - An End of the World Anthology are still available- get your copy before this limited edition anthology is sold out (and before December, 2012, "TEOTWAWKI", lol).   NBP received a splendid review of this anthology by J. E. Stanley, which will be posted on this website in the coming week- thank you so much, J. E.!

That's the top o' the morning to ye, and all the news for now.  As always, stay tuned!  NBP is currently in the process of printing... and an announcement will be made shortly!