Loss and Foundering by John Burroughs - Reviews!

NightBallet Press is pleased to report that John Burroughs and I just returned from an exciting reading tour in the Midwest. Everywhere we went, John read from his new NBP book, Loss and Foundering, which is gathering some very nice reviews. Here are some of the reviews, with many thanks to the reviewers and readers, and some photos of John reading his work.

"This is truly a fabulous book. From the succinct haiku to the longer poems of anguish and wonderment, this is a book from a poet who has plunged the depth. There is joy to Burroughs also. A joy in the recognition of existence, a joy to be found in the revelation of honesty in the face of sorrow. To say the least, this book kicked my ass and will be a book that I go back to again and again."
--John Greiner

"Heartbreaking and humorous by turns. Excellent wordplay. I enjoyed each poem, but I found several that demanded to be read aloud. So I did, and reveled in the sound of the words. I will read -- and speak -- these poems again and again."
-- Susan Lime

"Burroughs is a skilled explorer of language. This book, as his others continues to appreciate and push our crazy language as he explores grief, politics, and staying afloat through it all. Several of the poems are pure and heartbreaking. All of the poems are surprising and so worth our attention."
--S Stephanie

You can get  your very own copy of Loss and Foundering, and read all about its publication, HERE.

GASCONADE by Jeanette Powers!

NightBallet Press is incredibly honored and proud to announce the imminent publication of a new book of poems:
Gasconade, by Jeanette Powers!

 

 

Gasconade is a delightful romp through the little moments that matter, the big stories that define a life, and the special people one never forgets. Powers artfully tells tales and repeats conversations, letting the reader in on secrets, epiphanies, and hilarities, sometimes thrilling, sometimes gruesome, always fascinating.

Gasconade features a beautiful front cover art piece, "Opossom Gorget 11.9.16 Collage" by Bree, and contains sixteen poems on thirty-two pages. The cover is a thick, textured ivory card stock and the textured card stock insert is a pale robin's egg blue. The poems are printed on creamy ivory paper. The initial print run is seventy copies.

                                       

Jeanette Powers, is a lover of writing, rivers, and solitude, with a conviction about irreverence and an impish delight in disobedience. Her books of poetry range from wild surrealism to feminist rage, but Gasconade is the first to explore storytelling  about her country to city life. She is the author of six books of poetry, most recently Perfectly Good Muses (Spartan Press, 2017).  She's been published a bit here and there, performed a bit once and again, and focuses much of her time community building with the generative performance venue Uptown Arts Bar and the residency program at Osage Arts Community. And yes, her eyes really are that blue.

Gasconade will be released on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at the FountainVerse Poetry Reading, Overland Park, Kansas, at the InterBurban ArtHouse, 6 to 8 pm. Loss and Foundering, the powerful new book of poetry by John Burroughs, will be available at this event as well, with Powers, Burroughs, Jason Preu, and Dianne Borsenik feature reading from their books.

Gasconade is available for mail order beginning TODAY, Thursday, April 11 (although, as NightBallet Press is going on the road over the next week,  no copies will be mailed before April 18). At $5 plus $3 shipping/handling, it's a real steal! You don't have to be a member of PayPal to order; just have a credit or debit card handy. (USA customers only; for outside the US, please email the editor at nightballetpress@gmail.com for postage costs.) (Pre)order your copy today!

LOSS AND FOUNDERING by John Burroughs

Today is a very special day in the NightBallet universe: Today, we get to celebrate National Poetry Month with a Release, a Reading and a Reception!

We are ecstatic to announce the publication and release of a new collection of poems by John Burroughs, Loss and Foundering!

 

Loss and Foundering contains poems written by John Burroughs during the past nine turbulent years of his life. Confessional and raw, these poems reveal a heart both broken and healing through the power of love.

Diane Kendig, author of Prison Terms (Main Street Rag, 2018), writes:

"And while the poet is experiencing all these losses and his 'bark founders,' ... his poetry boat stays afloat ... to the fantastic music of puns, echo puns, rhyme and chime and rhythm."

Alex Gildzen, author of The Arrow That Is Hollywood Pierces the Soul That Is Me (2011) and Son of Hollywood (2018), writes:

"John Burroughs finds himself in a 'city of lost places.' that means he discovers himself living there but it also means that in that living he finds himself. by allowing us to follow him we recognize our losses & learn their light."

Loss and Foundering contains 36 pages of 24 poems. Front cover artwork is a collage, "Ohm 10.26.17" by Bree, enhanced with raindrops by Dianne Borsenik with Photo Lab PRO.The cover card stock is a linen-textured, pale dove gray, and the card stock insert is a deep royal blue. The poems are printed on a crisp white paper.

To buy Loss and Foundering, you may use the Buy Now button to order directly from the press, or you contact John Burroughs through his website for a signed copy. The cost is $10 plus $3 shipping, U.S. customers only. For outside the U.S., please contact the editor at nightballetpress@gmail.com for shipping charges.
 

                                  

John Burroughs is a dynamic, nationally-touring poet and performer from the Cleveland area, and is the author of a dozen-plus books, including Beat Attitude and The Eater of the Absurd, both from NightBallet Press. In various past lives, he served as playwright-in-residence for the Ministry of Theatre at Marion Correctional Institution, his blog was ranked #1 on MySpace, he won the first poetry slam he competed in, and he cofounded the infamous Lix & Kix Poetry Extravaganza reading series and the almost-annual Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest. He is probably most proud of his work since 2008 as the founding editor of Crisis Chronicles Press. Learn more at Crisis Chronicles.

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                          THE RECEPTION, THE READING, THE RELEASE
                

                            

Loss and Foundering makes its debut at the Appletree Books Reading and Reception this evening (Friday, April 6, 2018) at 6 pm, with John Burroughs present to sign his books.

Appletree Books
12419 Cedar Rd.
Cleveland Heights, OH

The Reception celebrates National Poetry Month, and honors NightBallet Press for decorating Appletree's two front windows with eleven NBP titles (all by Ohioan or former Ohioan poets). The theme of the window dressing is "Poetry Is SO Succulent!" and will remain in place during the entire month of April.

The Reading highlights NightBallet Press poets, and we are OVER THE MOON to feature three fantastic poets, Rikki Santer, Steve Abbott, and Chuck Salmons. Huge thanks to these poets for graciously consenting to make the trek from Columbus, Ohio, to Cleveland for the event. They will be reading and signing their books between 6 pm and 8 pm, and we invite you to join us - the event is free and open to the public!
 
Books featured in the windows include Toledo-area poets Jonie McIntire and Kerry Trautman, Columbus-area poets Pat Hurley, Steve Abbott, Rikki Santer, and Chuck Salmons, former Clevelanders Alex Gildzen and M. J. Arcangelini, and Cleveland poets Christine Howey, Margie Shaheed, and John Burroughs. Cover art by former Clevelander Bree and Ohioan Kevin Eberhardt are featured.

Many thanks to Lynn Quintrell and Jane Rothstein for inviting NBP to decorate the windows at Appletree Books, and for giving us the privilege of not only attending tonight's Reception, but for allowing us to have John Burroughs' book release and signing in the bookstore. You know you rock!

NightBallet Press is grateful to all its poets, wingmen, readers, supporters, and friends for the opportunities given it to publish and promote the wonderful world of poetry. Hugs!