The Seasons Cemented

THE BOOKS ARE IN!!!


The Seasons Cemented
by Amanda Ackerman

Amanda Ackerman lives in Los Angeles where she writes and teaches. She is co-editor of the press eohippus labs. She is a member of UNFO (The Unauthorized Narrative Freedom Organization) and writes as part of SAM OR SAMANTHA YAMS. Her collaborative book Sin is to Celebration has been recently released from House Press. Her work has also been published or is forthcoming in in flim forum: A Sing Economy, String of Small Machines, The Physical Poets, WOMB, Moonlit, Source Material: A Journal of Appropriated Text, and Area Sneaks.

Read a poem from this collection here: http://www.wombpoetry.com/skeins/ackerman.html

Hex Presse Updates

A *new* chapbook from Hex Presse, published as part of the Dusie Kollektiv. Many thanks to Author Elizabeth Bryant and Dusie luminary Susana Gardner.

*1/4 letter size

*double-bound with chiyogami paper and vellum, cloth, or iridescent tissue paper, or lace. Every single copy is unique.

*printed in an edition of 100 copies. Only a very limited number are available for purchase, as the majority of the print run has been distributed to the collective.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth Bryant's newest book, (nevertheless enjoyment, is forthcoming fall 2009 from Quale Press. Her writing appears in many print and online journals including Coconut, Dusie #8, Bombay Gin, Key Satch(el), Gerry Mulligan, and Intercapillary Space. She is the editor of CR79 Books, and the ongoing writing experiment Defeffable.

She first studied experimental writing and poetics as an undergrad at Smith College, then again in the M.F.A. program at Naropa's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, with Anne Waldman, Lyn Hejinian, Bernadette Mayer, and Lee Ann Brown.

She is co-curator of the Bard Roving Reading Series. [close] Elizabeth Bryant's newest book, (nevertheless enjoyment, is forthcoming fall 2009 from Quale Press. Her writing appears in many print and online journals including Coconut, Dusie #8, Bombay Gin, Key Satch(el), Gerry Mulligan, Intercapillary Space, and in the upcoming issue of Jacket Magazine. She is the editor of CR79 Books, and the ongoing writing experiment Defeffable.

She first studied experimental writing and poetics as an undergrad at Smith College, then again in the M.F.A. program at Naropa's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, with Anne Waldman, Lyn Hejinian, Bernadette Mayer, and Lee Ann Brown.

She is co-curator of the Bard Roving Reading Series.

Laura Goldstein

Don't forget to check out the awesome new chapbook from HEX PRESSE!

Ice in Intervals by Laura Goldstein




You can also see Laura reading her poetry at the new Rabbit Light Movies.

Poetry Jewelry from Hex Presse

poetry and divination demonstration

I make a found poem/forecast using a parts of speech die and a book:




I am experimenting with the form of the "how to" video. This is my first one. It has problems. 1.) it is blurry 2.)it is upside down 3.) I didn't list the step where you write the words out *in the order in which they appear in the poem* 4.) most of the video is upside down.

BUT

I'm thinking of making one of these each week as a "poetry forecast" sort of thing. I'm going to try and re-shoot the vid tonight.

Here is a transcript of the poem (and yes, I really used bibliomancy and cleromancy to make this poem/forecast).

from Barbara Guest's "Green Revolution"

Being
listening
sounding
appear
is
bringing
appears
approaching
relinquishing
going
telling
whispering
is
indicating
might be
go
go
It's
I'm
looking
looking
it's
isn't

poetry locketbooks and poetry charms in the making

poetry locketbooks for Hex Presse

Poetry LocketBooks from Hex Presse coming soon

I made this poetry locket for Jessica Smith last fall. And now I am making more for you.
























photo by Jessica Smith

still thinking about numbers trouble

I suppose before I even engage in a longer discussion about gender, I ought to clarify my take on the whole "attention to gender = essentialism" debate. As an editor of both a journal and press that are committed to publishing work by writers who "self-identify" as women, I see "woman" as a political category. By choosing to publish work by women, I am not making an argument that there is a metaphysical difference between women and men. I do not think that there are only two sexes (male and female), two genders (women and men), or two ways to write (masculine and feminine). I do not think that there are essential differences between men and women or the writing they produce. I do, however, recognize processes and transactions and conversations in which systematic sexism and racism persist. In these instances, it is important to recognize gender and race as political categories. In fact, this recognition is a key aspect of intervention, community building, and progressive politics. Which is to say that is remains politically necessary for women to identify as women in order to combat systems from which they are excluded or oppressed as women.

now available @ etsy

Women of the World Wide Poetry Web

Didi Menendez is asking questions. I answered some.

transitions

WOMB:

I am working on the late sumer/equinox issue of WOMB. I hope to have galleys ready by the end of the weekend.

Hex Presse:

I hope to publish Michalle Gould's amazing chapbook Resurrection Party by the end of the month.

More cleromancies should be available at the Hex Presse Etsy store soon. There should be more puzzles too. I am also making poetry lockets and compacts. And poetry necklaces. And poetry snow globes. And comfort boxes.

room (asylum)

asylum

c.1430, from L. asylum "sanctuary," from Gk. asylon "refuge," neut. of asylos "inviolable," from a- "without" + syle "right of seizure." So lit. "an inviolable place."

Lunar Baedeker: A Hex Presse Poetry Puzzle inspired by Mina Loy

@ the Hex Presse etsy shop

ABOUT "Lunar Baedeker"

This puzzle was inspired by Mina Loys's Poem "Lunar Baedeker"

CONTENTS:

*The letters of six words from the poem: chandelier, whirl, phosphorous, ecstatic, museums, infusoria. The letters appear on brightly-colored plastic beads.

*one hematite bead

*tiny silver key

*blue yarn

*two mermaids

*zinnia seeds

*tiny silver bells

*small brown glass bottle

*bundle of bedtime tea (organic mint and chamomile) tied with iridescent organza ribbon.

*3 black licorice cats

*blue and purple sequins

*tiny blue crayon

*bitty dried flowers

*flower shaped sequins

*white feathers

*iridescent bird confetti

*small white plastic dove

*3 sea-green medium sized beads

*red glass heart

*six hexagon shaped zinc nuts

*small round mirror

Fever 103: a Hex Presse poetry puzzle inspired by Sylvia Plath

another puzzle for sale at etsy

"Sestina" : a Hex Presse Poetry Puzzle inspired by Elizabeth Bishop

~*~ SPECIMEN JAR POETRY PUZZLES ~*~
for sale at the Hex Presse Shop

The letters of six words from a single poem are gathered and stored in glass specimen jars. "Sestina" comes in a triangular jar and contains brightly-colored letter beads which allow the player/puzzler to experience the letters synesthetically. Because the letters are also impressed on the beads, once can "feel" the letters, thus allowing for the experience of "feeling" and "seeing" as simultaneous acts of "reading." The puzzle jars can be emptied and their letter contents "solved" to spell the words from the poem. The letters can be used to make anagrams and new words also. In addition to letters, other materials are harvested and added to the jar for further delight and stimulation. These additional materials are carefully selected and are -- to a certain degree -- intended to conjure sensory details related to the poem which inspired the puzzle. Something for each of the *six* senses is contained in each Hex Presse Specimen Jar Poetry Puzzle. This "syntax of tangibles" can be used to create poems, to conjure new ideas, and to amuse, delight, and inspire. For students of poetry, Hex Presse Specimen Jar Poetry Puzzles enhance understanding and enjoyment of the poetry. Like Cleromancy games, Hex Presse Specimen Jar Poetry Puzzles are an exciting, surprising, and unique way to engage with poetry.

ABOUT "SESTINA"

This puzzle was inspired by Elizabeth Bishop's Poem "Sestina."

CONTENTS:

*The letters of six words from the poem. Since this poem is a sestina, it seemed appropriate to use the six end words: house, grandmother, child, stove, almanac, tears. The letters appear on brightly-colored plastic beads.

*six morning glory seeds ("time to plant tears")

*a bundle of tea tied with silver "rain" (ribbon)

*a bird-shaped lampwork glass bead

*a flower-shaped lampwork glass bead

*a tiny spool of thread

*six plastic buttons

*six plastic flowers

*six hexagon-shaped zinc nuts (to turn)

*one dried bloom from a Persian Silk Tree (albizia julibrissin)

*3 multi-colored glass beads, one oval, one rectangular, and one spherical.

*tiny silver key charm on a white string

*one tiny sprig of fresh mint

*one valerian capsule

*one white plastic dove

*tear-shaped multi-colored sequins

*a hook and eye

*robin's eggs made of plastic

*tiny silver bells

*one "White Rabbit" milk candy

*tiny pinecones

*one small round mirror

*three white feathers

*star-shaped bark from a Laurel tree

*one match


x-posted to hex presse blog

cleromancy fun times

Jessica is making some rad poems with the sets of Rossetti dice that she curated for Hex Presse.

Sestina

Fun Stuff

So far I've gotten some great submissions for the summer issue of WOMB.

I've posted a list of things that are forthcoming from Hex Presse here.

I've also found Behind the Lines: Poetry and Peacemaking

Cleromancy Poetry Game # 2, "cup-like lilies" CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, curated by JESSICA SMITH

Now available at Etsy.

******six word dice for poetry, divination, and play******

*Cleromancy Poetry Game # 2, "cup-like lilies," is sourced from the work of Christina Rossetti
*Curated by Jessica Smith
*Six dice; each side of each dice has a different word (for a total of 36 words)
*Comes in a hexagon shaped box
*Dice and box are pyrographed and inked by hand
*Roll the dice to make poems or divinations
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Cleromancy is a form of divination using sortilege, casting lots or casting bones in which an outcome is determined by random means, such as the rolling of a dice.
___________________________________

Cleromancy Games are published in *very* limited editions (there will only be six of each). Due to their handmade nature and differences in the patterns and texture of the woodgrain, each Cleromancy game is entirely unique.

____________________________________

Jessica Smith edits Outside Voices Press, an umbrella for Outside Voices Books, Take-Home Project chapbooks, and FOURSQUARE magazine. Her first book, Organic Furniture Cellar, is available from the Press website at outsidevoices.org

____________________________________


There will be MORE cleromancy poetry games from Hex Presse. Each game will be sourced from "woman-authored texts"** and contemporary poets will be invited to "curate" the dice. Cleromancy #3 also will be curated by Jessica Smith and sourced from the work of Christina Rossetti. Cleromancy #4 will be curated by Michalle Gould and sourced from the work of Virginia Woolf.

**open to interpretation :)

x-posted to hex presse blog and womb blog