Independent, female-run presses are getting the word out
By Claire Donato
Published: June 6th, 2008 | 4:10pm
Move over, Billy Collins. The younger poetry community’s small-press scene is vibrant, growing, and totally worthy of showcase. Here are three noteworthy female-run, indie poetry presses. Interested in learning about others? The Women of the Web Wide Poetry World (womenoftheweb.blogspot.com) and the DIY Poetry Publishing Cooperative (diypublishing.blogspot.com) are great starting points.
1. Founded in 2006, Chicago-based Switchback Books (switchbackbooks.com) is a feminist press devoted to publishing full-length poetry books by women. “Our definition of ‘women’ is broad,” write Switchback’s founding editors, Brandi Homan, Hanna Andrews, and Becca Klaver. “It includes transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, and female-identified individuals.”
2. Brown University MFA Literary Arts alums Jen Tynes and Erika Howsare established horse less press (horselesspress.com) in 2004 while living in Providence, Rhode Island. The press has published more than 20 handcrafted chapbooks, many of which debuted in first runs of 50 signed and numbered copies. Following their books’ first-runs, Tynes and Howsare print on demand.
3. Saginaw, Michigan, poet Gina Myers started Lame House Press (lamehouse.blogspot.com) in 2005. Her goal? To promote innovative writing by up-and-coming poets. Since then, Lame House has released 10 chapbooks with press runs ranging from 75 to 200 copies each. An interview with Myers by Kate Greenstreet — whose chapbook This is why I hurt you was released by Lame House in April 2008 — can be found at kickingwind.com/090507.html.
Issue #28
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