Furniture Press Inauguration v.2

Two or three years have passed into the clouds since Furniture Press and I last reared our textualisme through the doors of the libraries. It’s about time I get back to work on disseminating innovative works of art and sponsoring poets/writers who work closely with texts-at-large, or, in other words, inter-textuality and appropriation. We created a huge catalogue of handmade chapbooks and pamphlets between the years 2003-2005, all of which have disappeared into the hands of the fortunate. The next phase of the press is to expand production.

Originally, our chapbooks were published in editions of 50, each handsewn with screenprinted covers. Now that we have been given the resurrection treatment via Towson Arts Collective, we finally have our 501(c)3 status, which means better quality works that span a greater universe of new and innovative writing. And the meager 50 runs can move into the hundreds.

I’m not quite sure what the new face of the press will look like, but I assure you it will cover a wider area of poetics including VisPo, theory, fiction and sound – yes, sound. Recently I invested in a home sound studio (aka laptop with soundforge) and I’m thrilled to begin works in space and on page.

The old philosophy is still the same: great poetry without the hassle of dollars and cents. Because we’ve achieved non-profit status our ability to publish without perishing has been solidified. The money that comes in goes directly to the publishing projects – every cent. There’s no capital and no overhead – just poetry and its derivatives!

Part of that philosophy is to extend our reach to the far corners of the earth, and that means working closely with presses and poets to locate talent in the ‘spheres. It’s scouting, if that’s what you want to call it. But it makes the difference because the publishers are actively involved in creating communities of disparate writers.

Let’s start here. Share your comments and your ideas. Wake us up to new and emerging writers that work closely and blatently  with inter-textuality and appropriation.

I look forward to working with each and every one of you – in professional and in less formal settings.

Christophe Casamassima, ed.

Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics, Issue 2.1 & 2.2

 

 

Issue 2.1 edited by Christophe Casamassima

Issue 2.2 edited by kari edwards.

Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics, Issue I

Sold out!

Furniture Press Chapbooks

Donna Kuhn, Up Bluen. Screen printed covers. Printed in an edition of 200. $10

Edmund Berrigan, Your Cheatin’ Heart. Screen printed covers. Printed in an edition of 200. 26 signed and lettered by the author. $10/$20 signed

Brenda Iijima, Early Linoleum. Linoleum cut print on over-sized covers. Printed in an edition of 50. (Sold out)

 

Make orders out to Furniture Press and send to Furniture Press c/o Towson Arts Collective, 406 York Road, Towson, MD 21204. S & H is free on all orders.

Serial Pamphleteer Editions (2003-2006)

The Serial Pamphleteer Editions is a unique gallery of shorter works ranging from about 4 to 16 pages and run in an edition of about 50 to 100. Each pamphlet is assigned a letter (A though Z), so there will only be 26 titles. Between 2003 and 2006 we published a total of 11 pamphlets, but our goal is to publish all 26 within the next two years so we can sell the titles as a collection – perhaps create a bound anthology of sorts.

A. Donna Kuhn, Up Bluen (A Sampling from her full-length chapbook of the same name). Ink Jet printed covers. Printed in an edition of 50. $3

B. Christophe Casamassima & Sarah Elizabeth Kirby, Writing From Memory. Ink Jet printed covers. Printed in an edition of 50. $3

C. Christophe Casamassima, Invoice. 1st edition printed in an edition of 50. Ink Jet printed covers. 2nd edition printed in an edition of 25. Linoleum cut print. (Sold out)/(Sold out)

D. Jacob Ekier, All True. Ink covers, linoleum cut interior print. Printed in an edition of 50. $5

E. Niko Vassilakis, The 4th Eleven. Stamped covers. Printed in an edition of 50. $3

F. Lauren Bender, Guide to the Dictionary. Stamped covers with vellum exterior. $3

G. Kevin Fitzgerald, Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Stamped covers. Printed in an edition of 50. $3

H. Steve Dalachinsky, Lautreamont’s Laments. Screen printed covers. Printed in an edition of 100. (Sold out)

I. Deborah Poe, Penis/Vulva/Vagina. Screen Printed Covers with brad binding. Printed in an edition of 100. (Sold out)

J. Betsy Andrews, New Jersey. Cover stock booklet in screen printed brown paper envelope. Printed in an edition of 50. (Sold out)

K. Kevin Thurston, O Outbreak. Screen printed covers. Printed in an edition of 50. (Sold out)

 

Make orders out to Furniture Press and send to Furniture Press c/o Towson Arts Collective, 406 York Road, Towson, MD 21204. S & H is free on all orders.

Furniture Press Poetry Prize

Deadline: June 30, 2009

Judges: tba

The 1st annual Furniture Press Poetry Prize will be awarded to the writer that best exemplifies the poetics and particularities of Furniture Press’ editors and judges.

Two judges will be invited to determine a manuscript’s “pressability” and will work with anonymous, unidentified texts. Only the editor of Furniture Press will know the true identity of the applicants and their work. Each text will be assigned a number and distributed to the judges.

After the first round of readings the judges will assign three finalists. The winner of the Prize will receive a publishing contract in which the winning manuscript will be published as a chapbook. S/he will also receive 25 copies of the chapbook. The remaining finalists will have samples of their work published in an issue of Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics. All applicants will receive a copy of the chapbook.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting an application:

1. Send 1 unpublished manuscript per entry. It must be between 20-50 pages in length of poetry and its derivatives. Include a cover letter with your name, address, eMail and short bio. Do not put your name nor the title of your submission on the pages of the manuscript.

2. Send a $10 fee per manuscript submitted. 100% of the cash goes to the pressing and publishing of the winning chapbooks. Editors and judges do not get kickbacks. Please send checks or money orders only, made out to Furniture Press.

3. Send manuscripts to Furniture Press Poetry Prize c/o Towson Arts Collective, 406 York Road, Towson, MD 21204.

We strongly encourage you to send us work – it’s also a very good way to catch the attention of the editors who may want to publish your work in the future, despite whether or not you win the prize.

Donations

Furniture Press needs your help. In order to get the press up and running for the spring, we will need generous contributions from the community-at-large. Donors can contribute any amount they wish, but those that donate $100 or more will be guaranteed a life-time subscription to all press materials and objects and will receive adequate space for advertising on our (future) website and in Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics- plus you will have the option to become a member of the Towson Arts Collective for one year free! Simply write a check made out to Furniture Press and send it to this address with your address, phone number and eMail address:

Furniture Press and mail to Towson Arts Collective c/o Furniture Press, 406 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21211.

We’re 501(c)3 and that means your donation is tax deductable!

Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics / Issue IV

Reading period: October 1, 2008-April 30, 2009

The editors of Ambit : Journal of Poetry & Poetics are seeking texts/objects that address issues of inter-textuality and appropriation in all formats, genres and outtakes.

Please send (no more than) 8 pages of text (poems) or 5 images (JPEG, PDF, GIF) or 5,000 words (fiction / essays / theory / criticism) to appropriate.intertext@gmail.com or Furniture Press c/o Towson Arts Collective, 406 York Road, Towson, MD 21204.

Please include a return address and eMail so we may contact you upon acceptance. If you would like us to return your manuscripts please provide an SASE with sufficient postage. All materials without a way home get tossed in the shredder and made into book covers.

Submissions of Long Works

If you would like Furniture Press to consider your work for future publication, please follow the simple guidelines below. Be sure to follow the guidelines carefully so that we do not overlook your submissions because they look like spam.

What is Furniture Press looking for?

Works and derivatives of poetry, VisPo, fiction and theory that submit to acts of inter-textuality and appropriation.

How do I submit work?

There’s two options:

1. Send via eMail to appropriate.intertext@gmail.com. Please use the subject heading of the following order: Name / Genre of Submission / Page Length (ex. Joe Schmoe / Poetry / 5 pages). Send only PDF and RTF formats.

2. Send via USPS to Furniture Press c/o Towson Arts Collective, 406 York Road, Towson, MD, 21204. Please be sure to include a note in the address line suggesting submission type: Poetry, VisPo, Poetry, Theory (ex. Furniture Press c/o Towson Arts Collective, Attn: Poetry Editor, 406 York Road, Towson, MD, 21204).

What should I send?

1. A sample of your unpublished manuscript (no more than 20 pages, please).

2. A short bio and/or vita

3. A cover letter that alludes to why you think we should publish your work. Furniture Press publishes texts and objects that specifically address issues of inter-textuality and appropriation. These criteria will be left to you to defend in your cover letter.

Any submission failing to meet these criteria may fall through the cracks.