Finishing the Old Year with (exciting) New Work!

2012 may be drawing to a close, but here at NightBallet Press, exciting new works by poets Andrew Rihn and Erren Geraud Kelly are keeping those New Year mirror balls bouncing around at a feverish pace!

Published today is Ohio poet Andrew Rihn's The Hunger Dictionary:

 

 

Andrew Rihn, a popular Kent-area poet who describes himself as a "Scholarly Vegetarian Atheist Radical Socialist Feminist Pacifist Childfree Poet", has had dozens of poems published in various journals, and has had several previous chaps published, including Rust Belt MRI (Pudding House) and Foreclosure Dogs (New Sins/Winged City Press).  Visit his blog Midwestern Sex Talk at http://arihn.wordpress.com to explore his poetry, videos, non-fictional prose, and much more. 

Andrew Rihn's The Hunger Dictionary has magical properties:  it both satisfies your appetite for delicious poems full of satire and wit, and it leaves you starving for more of those tasty little nuggets.  The cover cardstock is an eggshell cream, with a heavy black textured cardstock insert, and the (20 pages of) printed paper are smooth soft-white cotton.  A delight to both hold in your hands and to read and savor, The Hunger Dictionary is available on Amazon!

Watch this blog and posts on Facebook for more about this fantastic poet and upcoming places to hear him read from The Hunger Dictionary!

Also stay tuned for an announcement about the publication of Erren Geraud Kelly's Disturbing the Peace... coming very very very very very soon!  ;)

12-12-12! The Eater of the Absurd by John Burroughs!

NightBallet Press is very excited and immensely pleased to announce the publication of The Eater of the Absurd, a brand-new, sixty-page collection of poems by Ohioan John Burroughs. This long-anticpated thematic book of new work by Burroughs is stunning, thorough, and masterfully executed, and is quintessential John Burroughs-wordplay in its punning and juxtapositioning.  It also contains his poem/performance piece "Lens", which was nominated for the 38th annual Pushcart Prize! 

Packaged in a textured white cover with a heavy, deep olive green cardstock insert, and printed on creamy soft-white cotton paper, The Eater of the Absurd makes a striking statement of (in John Burroughs' own words) "pleasure, pain, and deprogramming."
         
To celebrate the publication of The Eater of the Absurd, NightBallet Press is honored to join with Suzanne DeGaetano and Mac's Backs Books on Coventry to present A Book Release Party with Burroughs, de Blas & Borsenik tonight, Wednesday evening 12-12-12,  in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. You can view the event page HERE   The festivities will commence promptly at 7pm, with NBP editor Dianne Borsenik reading from her own new chap of poems, Fortune Cookie, recently published by Kattywompus Press. Bonné de Blas will read from her (excellent) new NBP chap The Act of Dwelling. And then John Burroughs will present poems from The Eater of the Absurd, some of which he's never read in public before (even this editor hasn't heard him read them aloud). Open mic will follow the features. And there will be refreshments- wine, cheese, crackers, and maaaaaybeee even Christmas cookies!

Please plan on joining us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of unrestrained grooviness!


Book Release Party with Burroughs, de Blas, & Borsenik
Mac's Backs Books on Coventry
1820 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 7pm (that's 12-12-12!)

Book Release and Reading PAR-TAAAAAY! with Burroughs, de Blas, & Borsenik

NightBallet Press is very excited and immensely pleased to announce the imminent publication of The Eater of the Absurd, a brand-new, sixty-page collection of poems by Ohioan John Burroughs.  This long-anticpated thematic book of new work by Burroughs is stunning, thorough, and masterfully executed, and is quintessential John Burroughs-wordplay in its punning and juxtapositioning.

This book is currently in the printing stage and has not yet been listed for sale.  If you wish to pre-order a copy, please contact me at nightballetpress@gmail.com and I will let John Burroughs know.  I'd like all initial sales to go through and to him.  An active PayPal link will appear on this website and on Amazon after the book's release on 12-12-12.  John plans on posting an active PayPal link on his Crisis Chronicles (www.crisischronicles.com) website soon.  Don't worry; if you want a copy, we'll make it happen.  Again, pre-orders should be sent via email to nightballetpress@gmail.com.  Thank you!

To celebrate the publication of The Eater of the Absurd, NightBallet Press is honored to join with Suzanne DeGaetano and Mac's Backs Books on Coventry to present A Book Release Party with Burroughs, de Blas & Borsenik this coming Wednesday evening in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  You can view the event page HERE.  The festivities will commence promptly at 7pm, with NBP editor Dianne Borsenik reading from her own new chap of poems, Fortune Cookie, recently published by Kattywompus Press.  Bonné de Blas will read from her (excellent) new NBP chap The Act of Dwelling.  John will present poems from The Eater of the Absurd, some of which he's never read in public before (even this editor hasn't heard him read them aloud).  Open mic will follow the features.  And there will be refreshments!

Please plan on joining us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of unrestrained grooviness!

Book Release Party with Burroughs, de Blas, & Borsenik
Mac's Backs Books on Coventry
1820 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Wednesday December 12, 2012 at 7pm  (that's 12-12-12!)

Pushcart Prize Nominations 2012

NightBallet Press is pleased once again to participate in the nominations process for the 38th Annual Pushcart Prize:  Best of the Small Presses XXXVIII, which will be published both in hardcover and paperback in late fall 2013. 

As editor of a small press, I was invited to make up to six nominations from work published by my press since December of last year (2011), or from a manuscript about to be published in the coming month.  If selected, both the press and the author will receive a copy of the Pushcart Prize book.  The deadline to nominate was December 1st.  Notification of selection for Pushcart Prize inclusion will be in April of 2013.  

It was extremely difficult for me to choose among the numerous excellent, unique, exciting and delectable poems, short stories, and plays that NBP has had the pleasure and honor of publishing this past year.  I truly struggled with the final decisions.  After all, I'm the one who accepted the works to publish in the first place because I loved them.  But to waffle and decline to nominate because I don't want to make hard and fast choices would be unfair to all those whom I've published.  I feel I have an editor's responsibility to participate.  After all, I've promised you respect, readings, reviews, and recognition wherever and whenever possible.  

Please know that if your work was not nominated, it had nothing to do with merit.  Your work deserved nomination, no doubt.  Your work is truly excellent, or it would never have appeared as a NBP publication.  As far as I'm concerned, you're all winners! 

But there were certain pieces that glistened, reverberated, ensnared, transcended, or just plain persisted in the editor's mind/heart/soul/body.  These are the six pieces that are this year's nominees:

Jack McGuane's poem "Deep Purple Desperado" from Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press Year One 2012

Terry Provost's poem "Consolations for a Cleveland Winter" from Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press Year One 2012

Steve Brightman's poem "Sputter and Fuse" from Sometimes, Illinois.

Jim Lang's poem "10 26 03 sexualize" from Coyote Moon.

Elise Geither's short play/prose poem "The Stone" from Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press Year One 2012
and

John Burroughs's poem/performance piece "Lens " from the very-soon-to-be-forthcoming The Eater of the Absurd.

I hope you will join with me in heartily and joyfully congratulating these six who are nominated by NBP this year!

For more information on the Pushcart Prize, please visit www.pushcartprize.com; for more information on Pushcart Press visit www.pushcartpress.org.   For this year's Pushcart Prize collection, or for past years' collections, go to www.Amazon.com.   And keep in mind that there will be numerous opportunities to participate in NBP publications next year, including in at least two anthologies (the theme for the 2013 NBP anthology will be announced around the New Year’s holiday, so stay tuned).

The Forecast Calls for EARTHQUAKE WEATHER!

I don't know how the weather is in your part of the country, but here at NightBallet Press, we have Earthquake Weather!  That's right, NBP's latest chapbook publication Earthquake Weather by New York poet Joey Nicoletti has been officially released!

 

Earthquake Weather is a handsome 28-page chap containing 21 media-savvy, icon-contemporary, detail oriented, tightly crafted poems.  Each poem contains a tasty little slice of the author's life:

from "Risotto Elegy":

She talked about the time she tried
to build a campfire in their backyard
by rubbing my brother's Lincoln Logs together.

 

from "Condemned Mental Hospital Elegy":

...I put the key
in my sea-green hatchback's scratched ignition.

Factory smoke gathers
like street gangs in my rearview mirror.

from "What I Learned from Ringo Starr":

It's okay to leave
the company of the Maharishi
if the food is too spicy.

from "The Spot":

Snowflakes spit out of clouds
like slot machine coins.  My dog
scratches my leg;
he wants to go
to his favorite patch of grass

Nicoletti's poems are full of very natural references to the Death Star, Green Lantern, and Jay-Z, to super-sizing and disco balls and Guiness.  You'll feel like part of the Nicoletti family after reading Earthquake Weather!

Featuring a stunning cover photo by Chandra Alderman*, the chap is printed on a creamy ivory paper that matches the textured cardstock cover.  The cardstock insert is, appropriately for the time of year, a warm pumpkin color.  Earthquake Weather is a steal at only $5 (plus s/h), and may be ordered directly through PayPal on this website, or find it on Amazon!

NightBallet Press is very pleased and honored to have this opportunity to publish Joey Nicoletti's poetry- pick up your copy of Earthquake Weather today, and find out for yourself why Nicoletti's recent book Cannoli Gangster (Turning Point, 2012) was selected as a finalist for the Steel Toe Books Prize by Denise Duhamel. 

A former poetry editor of Puerto del Sol, Nicoletti currently teaches at SUNY Buffalo State College- learn more on the NBP Bio 2012-2013 page, and at www.joeynicoletti.com!

*Chandra Alderman, whose marvelous photos have graced previous NBP chaps and anthologies, continues to focus her artistic eye on the northeast Ohio poetic landscape.  Her photo for Earthquake Weather was taken at a Lakewood, Ohio eatery, Jammy Buggars, during the recent Fistful of Poets event.  Look for more Alderman photos in and on upcoming NBP publications!
                                               

Love Is In The Air (and On The Page)!

 

Happy Sweetest Day from NightBallet!

To celebrate, NightBallet Press is publishing TWO chapbooks of poems about love from two extremely talented, sensitive, and sensual poets:

 

Black Rainbow: All the Colors Are Still There by Californian Russell Salamon,

 

                                                   

                                and
                        Peeling the Apple by Ohioan Jacob Oet!

                                                                   















                                                                           ***

Black Rainbow: All the Colors Are Still There contains 40 pages of exotic and sensual poems written by Russell Salamon.  Salamon has authored numerous books of poetry, including Woodsmoke and Green Tea, Ascent From Cleveland: Wild Heart Steel Phoenix, and Descent Into Cleveland.  His evocative palette of poetic colors will amaze, astound, delight and excite you!  For example, this excerpt from his poem "Solid Women" promises to make your heart pound and your senses throb:

This is not a body but intense
pleasure.  I break into buds and
leaves and each green petal hurts
with joy—I shall shatter into butterfly
migrations.  Oh. 

Black Rainbow: All the Colors Are Still There features handsome gray cardstock with a deep olive insert, and boasts a stunning color photo taken by John Burroughs.  It is available for only $5 plus $3 shipping/handling...buy one for yourself, and another for that special loved one in your life!

                                                                          ***

Peeling the Apple contains 24 sweet and bittersweet poems by Jacob Oet, who is in his first year at Swarthmore College.  When we first heard Jacob read, we were stunned by the maturity and depth of his poems, many of which explore the landscape of love and relationships.  His first chapbook, Metamorphosis (Kattywompus Press), was published earlier this year, and NightBallet Press is extremely pleased to publish this newest collection of poems that peels off the layers of sentiment and gets right down to the core of feeling.  Here's an excerpt from his poem "Your Voice":

My siren, I swallowed a shard
Of your shot-glass voice

When we kissed.  It was so hard
Your lips into mine.  A word broke off

And lodged between my ribs.
I'm having difficulty swallowing.

Peeling the Apple features a creamy textured ivory cover with a golden yellow cardstock insert, and creamy ivory pages that complement the cover.  It also contains a wonderful photo by poet and artist Bonné de Blas, and is available for only $5 plus $2 shipping and handling.  These poems cry out for a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, some candlelight, and the touch of your sweetheart's hand in yours!

                                                                          ***

 

Timeless.  Ageless.  Inexorable.  Love is in the air... and on the page.  Explore its many colors and layers in Black Rainbow: All the Colors Are Still There and Peeling the Apple...
a double dose of delicious discourse.

 

photo by Chandra Alderman, used with permission

 

Here's Looking At You, Kid!

NightBallet Press announces the official publicaiton of an especially tasty treat: Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press, Year One 2012! This delicious 36 page collection of poems celebrates NightBallet Press' first anniversary. From September 2011 to September 2012, NightBallet Press published chapbooks and full-length poetry books for 18 different poets, and they are represented in this anthology by (98%) all new poems!

That's absolutely all new and exciting poems by Lyn Lifshin, John Dorsey, George Wallace, Jack McGuane, Chansonette Buck, Lady K (Kathy) Smith, Terry Provost, T. M. Göttl, Heather Ann Schmidt/Sukha-Prajna, Jim Lang, Steve Brightman, Elise Geither, Kara Johnston, Bonné de Blas, Alex Gildzen, and Russell Salamon!

The only two poems that have been reprinted from the original chapbooks are by the excellent and dynamic performance poets Zach Ashley and Ralph La Charity, and are immediately and perfectly representative of their body of work.

Lipsmack! is designed to expose and make readily available the originality and variety of poetry that NightBallet Press presents through its unique and diverse writers. The yummy vanilla-colored pages are packaged in a soft white cardstock cover with a mouthwatering candy-apple cardstock insert. But the real treats are the lipsmacking poems contained within!

This anniversary anthology is only $5 plus $2 shipping/handling, and is available NOW.  Be among the very first to sink your teeth into and sample Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press, Year One 2012. I promise... these poems will have you begging for more!

Yesterday, Saturday September 29, 2012, was One Hundred Thousand Poets for Change day across the globe.  And yesterday was the official publication date of Lipsmack!  Yesterday was also the day that Cleveland poet and friend John Burroughs' webcam failed him at the 100K Poets for Change event at Visible Voice.  NightBallet knows synchronicity when she sees it, so we will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book to the New Webcam For John Fund.  For only $5 plus s/h, you'll be contributing to future juicy poetry webcasts by John Burroughs, AND you'll receive a book jammed with tasty poems!  We are all enriched by the work John does in the poetry community, and we will all benefit from his webcasts... so order your copy of Lipsmack!today!

Taking Pre-Orders for an Especially Tasty Treat!

NightBallet Press is taking pre-orders for an especially tasty treat:  Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press, Year One 2012!  This delicious 36 page collection of poems celebrates NightBallet Press' first anniversary.  From September 2011 to September 2012, NightBallet Press published chapbooks and full-length poetry books for 18 different poets, and they are represented in this anthology by (98%) all new poems!

That's absolutely all new and exciting poems by Lyn Lifshin, John Dorsey, George Wallace, Jack McGuane, Chansonette Buck, Lady K (Kathy) Smith, Terry Provost, T. M. Göttl, Heather Ann Schmidt/Sukha-Prajna, Jim Lang, Steve Brightman, Elise Geither, Kara Johnston, Bonné de Blas, Alex Gildzen, and Russell Salamon! 

The only two poems that have been reprinted from the original chapbooks are by the excellent and dynamic performance poets Zach Ashley and Ralph La Charity, and are immediately and perfectly representative of their body of work. 

 
Lipsmack! is designed to expose and make readily available the originality and variety of poetry that NightBallet Press presents through its unique and diverse writers.  The yummy vanilla-colored pages are packaged in a soft white cardstock cover with a mouthwatering candy-apple cardstock insert.  But the real treats are the lipsmacking poems contained within! 

This anniversary anthology is only $5 plus $2 shipping/handling, and will be available Saturday, September 29, 2012- the One Hundred Thousand Poets for Change day... but you can pre-order your copy NOW, to insure you won't miss out on this very special collection!  Be among the very first to sink your teeth into and sample Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press, Year One 2012.  I promise...  these poems will have you begging for more!

It's easy as pie- you can order directly through PayPal on this very site- the link is at the top of the page in the right column.  Order now, and I'll address your envelopes and have them ready to mail as soon as the books come hot out of the oven... er, hot off the printer, I mean!  ;)

WOWZA! WHATTA WEEK!

 

This has been an unprecedented week of wows here at NightBallet Press!  Starting off the week was a visit to Mac's Backs on Coventry in Cleveland Heights.  Mac's is a venerated and beloved independent bookstore owned by Suzanne DeGaetano, and has one of the best (if not THE best) collections of poetry books for sale in this region.  Suzanne has been very supportive of poets over the years, and hosts her own second Wednesday reading series every month.   She has also been very supportive of local presses, and has stocked NightBallet Press chaps on a regular basis.  During this past visit to Mac's, the editor/publisher of NBP was delighted and excited to see a shelf of a bookcase (in the back, by the stairs leading to the basement) labeled "NightBallet Press"!  There, you can easily find all the NBP titles!  Check it out... and while you're there, check out all the other wonderful offerings that Mac's Backs has.  I promise you, you'll find some toothsome tomes within.  Support your local bookstore!  Tell Suzanne NightBallet sent you! 

     
                               



As if that wasn't fabulous enough, Alex Gildzen of Santa Fe, New Mexico, hit town, received his copies of his brand-new NBP chap Passd Ports, and joined fellow poets Kara Johnston, Kathy (Lady K) Smith, Bonné de Blas, and John Dorsey (all with new NBP chaps!) at Jammy Buggars in Lakewood Thursday evening at the Fistful of Poets reading...  I'll let these photos show you the magic of the night (and to see ALL the photos from the event, please visit Dianne Borsenik's Facebook album):

      

And to cap off the week, a major announcement about this first year of NightBallet Press publishing... an anthology is imminent, consisting of (98%) new poems by the 18 poets whose chaps were published between September 2011 and September 2012! This includes Jack McGuane, Chansonette Buck, George Wallace, Ralph La Charity, Terry Provost, T. M. Göttl, Heather Ann Schmidt (soon to become Heather Ann Sukha-Prajna), Jim Lang, Steve Brightman, Elise Geither, Zach Ashley, Kara Johnston, Lyn Lifshin, John Dorsey, Bonné de Blas, Alex Gildzen, Kathy (Lady K) Smith, and Russell Salamon (whose Black Rainbow: All the Colors are Still There is due out by September 30th).  You can expect this tasty little treat of an anthology- Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poetry from NightBallet Press, Year One- to be available for only 5 dollars by the end of next week... and, yes, Mac's Backs will be carrying it. ;)

TONIGHT SEPTEMBER 13: NIGHTBALLET PRESS PRESENTS A FISTFUL OF POETS!

 

Tonight's event A Fistful of Poets features five fantastic poets: Bonné de Blas with her excellent and unique 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 exciting NBP chap of travel poems and pieces, 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 available for sale both on this site and at the Fistful event tonight, September 13th.  

Jammy Buggars, located at 15625 Detroit in Lakewood, Ohio, has promised us our own bartender and our own server.  We'll have our own entrance to the venue, as well.  Come early and grab a chair!  The food is wonderful, and you'll want to come hungry.   This event will begin at 7pm!

One night, five poets, good friends and excellent poetry in a venue that features delicious food, a multitude of draft beers, a welcoming ambiance, and unrestrained grooviness. Let the magic begin!

HOT! Off the Press...FIRECRACKER MANDALAS! by Lady K Smith

The much-anticipated Firecracker Mandalas by Kathy/Lady K Smith is hot off the press and officially published!  This stunning new collection crackles and pops with astute commentary on relationships, ecology, politics, the universe, and the self.  Lady K wields her poetic brush with precision and skill, and her use of metaphor, repetition and masterful vocabulary paints a series of brilliant pictures from the first page to the last. 

Lady K Smith will be one of the fine five featured poets at NightBallet Press Presents *A Fistful of Poets next Thursday, September 13th.  If you've never heard her read before, this will be an excellent chance for you to experience her wonderful poems in her own voice... and if you have heard her read before, then you know you won't want to miss out on hearing her again!

Firecracker Mandalas is a handsome 32-page book done in earth-tone colors, and featuring a textured ecru cardstock cover, a rich brown cardstock insert, and thick, creamy pale-taupe paper.  But the best part is what's inside... the eleven exciting new poems by Lady K Smith!

Be among the first to get your copy of Firecracker Mandalas- order yours today!


*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! 

Ready to Travel! Gildzen's Passd Ports!

Alex Gildzen's new collection of poetry and short pieces, Passd Ports,  is ready to, er, ship out!

By turns witty, whimsical, wistful, and wise, Gildzen's poetry and short travel pieces will take you on a journey of astute observations, history, memory and longing.  Crisis Chronicles Press founder John Burroughs says of his work: "Gildzen is economical in his use of words, distilling the essence of champagne stories into high quality poetic cognac.  No mixer, no filler...."


Passd Ports features a pale green cardstock cover with a deep green cardstock insert, and thick, brilliant-white 25% cotton pages; a delightful photo taken by Bonné de Blas is included.

Alex Gildzen will be one of the featured poets in the upcoming event *NightBallet Press Presents A Fistful of Poets, and it's always a treat to hear him read.  You won't want to miss it!
Once you start reading, you won't stop until you've finished the journey, and oh, what a wonderful trip it is!

Don't pass up the chance to get your copy of Passd Ports... order yours today!

*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! 

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!

Now Available For Sale On Amazon.com!

It's official!  NightBallet Press titles will now be available for sale on Amazon.com!  There are several listed already, including Buzzkill: Apocalypse, Knife Edge & Absinthe, The Hard Stuff, Sleeping Beauty's Revenge, and An Uncountable Infinity Of Orgasms, with the rest of the titles to be added as soon as time permits.  Of course, you can still order directly from NightBallet Press on this website, as well.  Order copies of your fave poets' collections today!  Most NightBallet Press publications are limited editions of forty copies (the Buzzkill anthology is an exception), so when they're gone, they're gone.  Don't miss out!

You Know That Old Saying: I Have Good News & Bad News...?

The good news is that (at long last) I have new broadsides printed up and ready to mail to Miles Budimir and Skylark Bruce!

Miles Budimir's "Of Ashes and Dreams" and "Dike 14", both with references to Cleveland, are beautifully written.  The cover photo is by Steven B. Smith.

 

And Skylark Bruce's "La Seducción en Español" is a delightfully saucy take on language, with a twist:

And the bad news?  NightBallet Press has learned that putting cardstock through her printer the way she's been doing is ruining the rollers... after two printers bit the dust.  As a result of this, and with a fervent desire to keep the new printer I've acquired in tiptop shape, any NightBallet broadsides from now on (including these two new broadside titles) will be printed on white 24lb. weight paper.   The "up" side of this is that the cover photos and inside text look nice and crisp on the bright white paper.

This also means that I'll have to outsource the printing of chap covers in the future, as I did with Lyn Lifshin's book and the Buzzkill anthology.  It will cost me a bit more to produce the books, but the covers will look really nice.

As I said, good news, bad news.  Ah, well.

July is here, and NightBallet Press is taking a month's sabbatical to renew, restore, rejuve, and recover her vim, vigor, and verve.  In August, NightBallet plans to publish new chaps by Russell Salamon, John Dorsey, Bonne de Blas, and perhaps even one more author.  Stay tuned!

Now, get out there and enjoy the summer sunshine!  Pool, anyone?

The Buzz on the End of the World (Anthology)!

Yes, Buzzkill: Apocalypse - An End of the World Anthology was published, as predicted and promised, on summer solstice, June 21, 2012.  NightBallet has just finished printing out, assembling, and mailing the very last of the contributors' copies (there were 47 different contributors!), and has stockpiled a number of copies in readiness for those who order through this website.   We are already getting some feedback on the book.  :)

Yahia Lababidi, who has a wonderful two-page poem titled "I Wept for Creation" included in Buzzkill, sent this photo of himself with the anthology.  Steve Smith reports:  "We each got our copy of Buzzkill: Apocalypse yesterday.  Fine looking book.  We each read from it last night at NIA Coffee House.  Looking forward to reading the rest.  Thank you."  Mary Turzillo says "I am in love with this gorgeous anthology!  It is truly splendid.  And a poem from F. J. Bergmann and also one from David Brin, how excellent!  I do hope you've printed extra copies for sale- I will be buying some to send to Star*Line for review.  And now I must sit down and read, read, read it!"

To order your copy of Buzzkill: Apocalypse, just click on the "Buy now" icon beneath the book's photo in the right-side column of this webpage.  At only $10 (postage/handling included in the U. S.), it's a steal.   There  are 80 pages of 52 poems, 2 short fictions, and 17 photographs from 26 Ohioans (home of NightBallet Press), 15 non-Ohioans (from NY to TX to CA), and 4 out-of-country (Canada, England, Australia) contributors!  Also included in the book are four pages of bios, so you'll know who's who.  You might feel like it's, er, the end of the world if you miss out on this fabulous collection!

To celebrate the publication of the anthology, NightBallet's editor has composed a very special- and very different- poem, "Countdown", about her version of the end of the world.  She'll be performing the poem for the very first time ever at the 4th Annual Poetry in the Park event, Saturday June 30, at Frontier Park in Erie, Pennsylvania.  The event runs from 2pm to 9pm (with Borsenik scheduled at 7:45pm)- hope to see you there!   Yes, she'll have copies of Buzzkill there for sale- plan on getting your copy before it's... too late!  ;)
                                      

The BUZZ on Buzzkill: Apocalypse- An End of the World Anthology!

Here it is... the first full day of summer, 2012... so what's the buzz on the Buzzkill anthology?  IT'S PUBLISHED!  Yes, NightBallet Press is very pleased and excited to present the official release of Buzzkill: Apocalypse- An End of the World Anthology!
And it's a whopper, with 80 pages full of catastrophic, apocalyptic poetry, short fiction, and photos from 47 different contributors from around the world! 

There are fourteen pieces written especially for the anthology, including new and exciting poems from George Wallace, Michael Salinger, bree, T. M. Göttl, Kathy Smith, Heather Ann Schmidt, Carolyn Srygley-Moore, Robert Miltner, mark kuhar, Debbie Goings, and Howard Hendrix.

Terry Provost submitted what he called his first concrete poetry- and it's Buzzkill's centerfold. 

Eric Anderson and David Brin wrote some very special short fiction for the anthology- brand new pieces never before seen!

(Brin, you may recall, wrote the wonderful novels Startide Rising and The Postman; his new novel Existence debuted Tuesday.)

NightBallet is enormously pleased that these poems and short fiction, which present everything from zombies (Anderson and Miltner) to devastation from the sky (Göttl) to acceptance, enlightenment,and hope for a better future (bree, Kathy Smith, Schmidt), are making their debut in Buzzkill!
 
I won't give away Brin's fictional slant. (*grin*)

There are 17 illustrating photos from gifted photographers Steven B. Smith, Chandra Alderman (her first published photos- and NightBallet is proud to debut her!), John Burroughs, Jacob Oet, Debbie Goings, Jen Pezzo, artist and studio-owner Amy Mothersbaugh Roos, and the world-renowned (16 year old) Eleanor Bennett.

Some great scripted scenarios start off the book in poems by J. E. Stanley, Geoffrey Landis, and Mary Turzillo.  Mike Finley shoots us with black holes.  Kevin Eberhardt, Russell Salamon, Ed Plunkett, Debbie Goings, Tina Puckett, Alexis-Rueal, Jacob Oet, J. R. Simons, Jay Passer, and Wolfgang Carstens offer tales of rain, rapture, resignation, acceptance, celebration, horror and rebirth.  Clarissa Jakobsons and Robert Smith focus on the moon.  Mark Jordan intones a tale as only an actor can.  Yahia Lababidi, Steven B. Smith, MaxWell Shell, Juan Manuel Perez, Jen Pezzo, Susan Moeller, and F. J. Bergmann each tell of apocalypse in their own unique ways.  The end of the world as seen through Death's eyes is explored by John Burroughs, Lyn Lifshin (her poem "Obituary" is previously unpublished anywhere), and S. A. Griffin (who co-edited The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry).  Charles Lovecraft destroys Australia.  Howard Hendrix is represented by a delightful little song of doom.  Chansonette Buck and R. L. Raymond "burn" with "white hot fear". 

And last but certainly not least, Steve Brightman and John Burroughs take us far into the future and far into space as we "hang our dying arms out the window and drive" and "give the Milky Way a long kiss goodbye"....

These wondrous works of science-fictional dreaming and speculation are not to be missed!  So how, you ask, might you obtain a copy of this book?  Why, right here on the website!  Buzzkill : Apocalypse is only $10 (postage paid in the US; outside the US, the postage costs are just too prohibitive), and is available for immediate shipping, so don't delay- order your copy now!  You never know if the world might end early, and you don't want to lose out on this limited-edition opportunity!  They'll even make great Christmas gifts in December... if the world's still here after December 21st.  Heh heh. 

Stay tuned in the coming days for more tasty tidbits about the making of Buzzkill: Apocalypse... a "behind the scenes" look at the writers and photographers, the poems, short stories, and pics, that make up the anthology. 

It's Official- Lyn Lifshin's newest book is published!

NightBallet Press is thrilled to present the work of the legendary Lyn Lifshin in a brand-new, book length collection titled Knife Edge and Absinthe- The Tango Poems.

           

When Lyn and I originally spoke about doing a "tango chap" for her, I had no idea I would receive three manuscripts full of dozens and dozens of tango poems, nor that I would have such a difficult time choosing which ones to include and which ones to omit from the collection.  Lifshin's work is brilliant.  This final NightBallet selection of 54 poems represents the body of those manuscripts, matching and interweaving themes of throbbing sensuality, knife-edged freedom, and the absinthe of losing one's self in the act of dance.

This is, to date, the longest book published by NightBallet Press, with 60 pages printed on a soft ivory paper.  Be sure to order your copy of this limited edition book of poems by the "Queen of the Small Presses", the one and only Lyn Lifshin, now!

Visit Lyn Lifshin's website at www.lynlifshin.com to learn more about this exciting poet.

Special thanks to Vlad Swirynsky for his help in obtaining the ISBN and barcode for this book- you rock, Vlad!

NEWS NEWS NEWS

NightBallet Press has been busy this merry month of May!  Here's a promised NEWS UPDATE:

Lyn Lifshin's new book of poems, Knife Edge & Absinthe- The Tango Poems, is the first full-length book of poems we're publishing (60 pages), and with 54 tango poems included, it's a fantastic read. The only reason it's not out already is that we're waiting on an ISBN and bar code.  (I'd love to be able to have those for EVERY publication we do, but it's simply not feasible financially.  Yet.)  As soon as those are in place, we'll be formally announcing publication.  The book ROCKS.  You can preorder your copy through PayPal right here on this website.  Lyn says anticipation is very high, and we already have a reviewer, as well.  There will be a limited number of copies, so don't wait to order!

Next up, a double lovesmack of poetry from revered poet Russell Salamon, whose chap Black Rainbow: All the Colors are Still There is next in the queue, and from Buzzkill: Apocalypse- An End of the World Anthology, due out June 21st.  Buzzkill will also be a full-length NightBallet publication, and it's going to be the longest one yet, at a staple-busting 72 pages!  We cannot tell you how much fun it's been, working with over 40 different poets and photographers to bring the end of the world to you!

Since NightBallet wants to keep on schedule with Lyn's book, Russell's book, and the promised publication date of June 21-Summer Solstice for the Buzzkill anthology, NBP won't be getting out to as many local poetry readings for the next few weeks.  But you can still get your poetry buzz on by ordering NightBallet chaps through PayPal right here on this site.  Stock up for summer!  Poetry's the PERFECT thing to read while you're sitting by the pool, resting from the mowing, chilling on the patio... ;)

WOO HOO! GEORGE WALLACE is HARD STUFF!

Woo hoo and howdy do to YOU!  April is National Poetry Month, and NightBallet Press has been celebrating all month long, with a good number of delectable publications.  Now, we leave April with a BANG:
New York poet George Wallace's brand new chap of audacious, outrageous, ambrosial poetry, the hard stuff is officially published!

Featuring 36 pages of poetry, the hard stuff covers everything from "easy money" to "an american education", and everything from "subway music" to a "toolbox of desire"!  If you've never experienced George Wallace, now is the time.  This is his 25th chapbook of poetry, and the 2nd by NightBallet Press (sleeping beauty's revenge was the first NBP chapbook by Wallace).  the hard stuff is available through PayPal right here on this website, for only $5 plus $2 s/h!

George Wallace will be doing a very special reading in the Cleveland area on Friday, May 11, 2012, where he will be reading from both sleeping beauty's revenge and the hard stuff, among others.  This reading, sponsored by Clevelanders Russ Vidrick and Charlotte Mann, will be at The Gypsy Beans and Baking Company, 6425 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, at 7pm.  The last time Wallace read in Cleveland was during the Tres Versing the Panda event in May of 2009, so you won't want to miss out on this wonderful and rare opportunity.  NightBallet Press will be there.. yes, with copies of the hard stuff and sleeping beauty's revenge!

Many thanks to all the poets and poetry lovers who have celebrated along with NightBallet during this official National Month of Poetry- Poetry lives, poetry rocks!

"You should always be trying to write a poem you are unable to write, a poem you lack the technique, the language, the courage to achieve. Otherwise you're merely imitating yourself, going nowhere, because that's always easiest." - John Berrryman
"We are one species. We are starstuff." - Carl Sagan

NightBallet at Hessler Street Fair 2012!

Vertigo Xavier of Poets' Haven and John Burroughs of Crisis Chronicles Press have both already announced the great news: Poets' Haven, Crisis Chronicles Press, Writing Knights, and NightBallet Press will come together at this year's Hessler Street Fair in Cleveland on May 19 and 20, 2012!

We'll have tables full of delicious chaps for your perusal, delectation, and acquisition.  George Wallace's new chap the hard stuff will be published on May 5th (in time for his Cleveland visit May 11th), and we'll have it at Hessler, along with all the chaps that have been published by NBP to date.   NightBallet also plans to have at least two more new chaps out by then- one, by the prolific and fantastic poet Lyn Lifshin.

Check out the fair here:  Hessler Street Fair 2012... and the weekend of May 19-20, be sure to stop by and say hello!

A big thank you to VX for working out the details and making it possible.  We'll post more news of the event as it gets closer to the date.   

HOT OFF THE PRESS! MAP WRAPPING PAPER CRADLE DANGLER by Kara Johnston!

Hot off the press today- a new chapbook of poetry by Kara Johnston:  Map Wrapping Paper Cradle Dangler!

Kara Johnston, a recent graduate of Kent State University, has been called "a terrific young poet (whose) attention to sound and image and collaged narrative is sometimes breathtaking" by Robert Miltner.  NightBallet agrees with him- Johnston weaves a sensitive and quietly sensual thread of ocean, seashells, sunlight, and love throughout her poems in Map Wrapping Paper Cradle Dangler.
The cover features a photo taken by Bonné de Blas, whose own chapbook of poetry, The Act of Dwelling, is forthcoming from NightBallet Press.

Beginning today, Map Wrapping Paper Cradle Dangler is available through PayPal right here on the NightBallet Press website- order your copy today!   You won't be sorry.  I was spellbound from the moment I began reading the manuscript.  :)

ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD!

ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD! 

Until the "end of the world" Buzzkill: Apocalypse submissions of poetry, flash fiction, and photos are due, that is... the deadline is May Day, May 1st, 2012.  What are your visions of apocalypse? Catastrophe? Cataclysm? Climate change? Alien invasion? Biohazard or germ warfare? Radiation? Rogue asteroids?  Don't delay!  Send your submission in an email (with "submission, your name" in the subject line) to nightballetpress@gmail.com.

All submissions will be read, and the decision to include works will be based on subject relevance and merit, so previously-unpublished poets have just as much chance for inclusion as veteran writers.  Photos must indicate, in some way, the theme of "end of the world'.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent after the May 1st deadline.  Confirmed contributors so far include science fiction luminaries Geoffrey Landis and James J. E. Stanley, artist-photographers Eleanor Bennett and Amy Mothersbaugh Roos, and celebrated poets Lyn Lifshin, Robert Miltner, and George Wallace, with many more surprises in store.

Publication is scheduled for summer solstice, June 21st, 2012.

Friday the 13th- Zach Ashley Is POETICALLY INCORRECT!

We are allllmost on the third week of National Poetry Month, and the celebration here at NightBallet Press continues with the publication of Zach Ashley's Poetically Incorrect! 

Michigan performance poet Zach Ashley has long been known for his outrageous, hilarious, and magnificently performed tirades on getting a flu shot, finding the colors in his rainbow, hearing voices, and explaining his guardian angel.  An announcement that he's going to make an appearance always generates frissons of anticipation and excitement.  Now, you can experience Zach a whole new way:  Poetically Incorrect contains 18 of Zach's "greatest hits", as well as a list of links to online live performances.  Don't miss out on the excitement- order your copy today!