Omigosh! Jack McGuane's new chap has been published UNFINISHED!

NightBallet Press is astonished to discover the latest chapbook we've published is...UNFINISHED!

 

 

That's right, NBP has just published Lakewood, Ohio poet Jack McGuane's chapbook Unfinished.  But don't worry; you won't miss a thing, because although the first poem in the book is titled "Unfinished Poems", all the poems are finished!

Unfinished is 28 pages long and contains 18 poems that explore an 86-year-old's philosophical questions and topics from the smell of elephants to the predictability of a potluck, from rebirth to relevance to "arriving in Cleveland from the east coast".

Featuring a stunning photo taken by Cleveland photographer Michael Spear, the cover is an ivory cardstock with a royal purple cardstock insert.  The text is printed on a thick, creamy white paper.  With additional photos taken by Ohioan Shelly Brewster, the chap is both visually pleasing and intellectually stimulating. 

Jack McGuane, a treasure among the Ohio poets, has been a resident of Lakewood, Ohio since 1974, when he moved there from New York's Long Island.  He served for three years as poetry editor of Whiskey Island Magazine, won the Haiku Death Match (sponsored by Cleveland Heights Arts), and was named Poet Laureate of Lakewood 2006-2007 by a board of judges and by proclamation of the Mayor.  His poems have appeared in various journals and anthologies, and his collection of poems Chickenhawk was the first-ever chapbook to be published by NightBallet Press.

Unfinished is available on Amazon-  or get your copy, here, now!

We Are Killing the Fatted Calf for Mike Finley!

The Prodigal Son returns, and we are killing the metaphorical fatted calf in celebration of his first reading in the Cleveland area in 30 years!  Originally from Amherst, Ohio and now living in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mike Finley, award-winning writer, poet, and videographer, will be visiting northeast Ohio...and on Sunday, August 18, 2013, will present a very special reading of his poetry right here in Cleveland!

poster by John Burroughs of Crisis Chronicles Press

And when we say "award-winning", we ain't kiddin'.  Mike Finley is one of only two Lorain County poets, and one of only three Cleveland-area poets, who's won the prestigious Pushcart Prize in poetry!  He's also written for the Rolling Stone, and in the Rock and Roll city of Cleveland, that's no small thing to note!

John Burroughs of Crisis Chronicles Press will be the host for Finley's reading in the basement party room at the Old Angle Tavern in the historic West Side Market area of Cleveland.  NightBallet Press editor/publisher Dianne Borsenik will be there to aid and abet.  All are welcome, it's free to get in, there's a full menu available if you're hungry, and yes, there will be an open mic as well!  From all accounts, Finley is an excellent and entertaining speaker, so you will not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime event!



In honor of the occasion of his return to this area, NightBallet Press is pleased as punch to present Finley's brand new chap of poetry, For the Young Poets of Cleveland.  For the Young Poets of Cleveland is a short-but-sweet, limited-edition collection especially assembled for this weekend's reading:

For the Young Poets of Cleveland is a twenty-paged chapbook containing eleven of Finley's delightful poems, with illustrating photographs by Chandra Alderman, Chansonette Buck, Lady Smith, Steve Brightman, and the editor.  The cover shot of downtown Cleveand at dusk is by John Burroughs, and is printed on a textured white cardstock.  At only $5, it's a steal...and if you order a copy of For the Young Poets of Cleveland right now, NBP will send it to you free of postage costs.Please join us this weekend for this very special reading by a very special person, and meet the one and only Mike Finley in person!  The party begins at 5pm.  And if you smile at Finley reeeeeallllly niiiiiiiiice, he might sign your copy of  For the Young Poets of Cleveland.  ;)

Brightman Has Balls, and NightBallet Can Prove It!

Steve Brightman has balls, and NightBallet Press can prove it!  BASEballs, that is! (Whatever did you think we meant?)

 

 

NightBallet Press is honored and absolutely delighted to present Brightman's newest chapbook, In Brilliant Explosions Alone!  In Brilliant Explosions Alone is a special treat, blending his love of poetry with his passion for baseball.  In Brightman's own words,

"This chap is a breakdown of the 2008 season of former Cleveland Indians pitcher Jeremy Sowers.  Each poem represents, in chronological order, one of the games in which he pitched.  It is, however, not merely a baseball chapbook.  It is a chapbook about individual struggle with expectation, the desire for success in the field in which you show talent, and about how others perceive you in that struggle.  It is, perhaps, best summed up by the epigraph which I use (from the Gaslight Anthem song "Biloxi Parish"): All of our heroes are failures or ghosts, burned up in brilliant explosions alone..."

In Brilliant Explosions Alone boasts a cover photo taken by Steve Brightman himself, and is printed on a brilliant white textured cardstock, with a bright red-and-black cardstock insert.  The 32 pages of poetry are printed on a bright white cotton paper, and include a Statistics Chart from the 2008 season.

Brightman, an accomplished poet, skillfully interweaves baseball references with soulful reflection and childlike excitement.  With the Cleveland Indians giving us another roller-coaster ride this season, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of In Brilliant Explosions Alone!  It's sure to appeal to poetry lovers and sports lovers alike!

Available TODAY Friday August 9, 2013, a single copy is only $5 plus $3 shipping and handling.  Order through PayPal right here on this website.