Three Day, NYC Blowout in Honor of Thy Chapbook

caption: not an Asian American publication, nor a poetry platform, but a design primer that will blow your eyeballs out. Will Bradley's American Chapbook ran only a half dozen or so issues, but are a mandatory part of any fine printer/print designer's education. MUST READ. Photographed at the San Francisco Public Library Special Collections.

Continuing this marathon blogging update, I am also pleased to report that I will be sullying the streets of Manhattan late April through early May for a couple of literary reasons, keeping clear of papercuts....

Firstly, I have been invited to participate in this incredible conglomeration of poets and print fanatics for the Festival! of the Chapbook! I can hardly contain my glee and pee when I just say those words outloud. Have bonefolder, will travel.

A Celebration of the Chapbook festival calls attention to the rich history of the chapbook and highlights its essential place in poetry publishing today as a vehicle for alternative poetry projects and for emerging authors and editors to gain entry into the literary marketplace. The festival will forge a new platform for the study of the chapbook inside and outside the academy and celebrate the importance of chapbooks to America's cultural heritage and future.

AHEM!

Saturday April 25, 2009 

I am giving a workshop/lecture at the Asian American Writers Workshop on Asian American chapbook poets and publishers over the decades, and hope to incorporate as much hands-on goodness as possible. I'll be bringing four stone's weight in ye olde chapbooks from various archives, which I hope the group will be able to thumb carefully and critique. Given that I am one part historical, one part book arts, and two parts publishing--I have too many ideas as to how this can all unfold, but fortunately I'm limited to one hour only.

The rest of this astonishing event, which will include vast panels of people talking about the history of chapbooks, modern chapbookery, and publishing chapbooks both for the poet and the publishing house, is listed here.

Then, as if my luck hasn't totally shriveled up, dessicated to a husk just yet I get to stay for another week to escort Australian novelist Brian Castro on his first U.S. book tour ever, as part of my job as publicity and outreach for Kaya Press. Brian's award winning novel, SHANGHAI DANCING, will be released this spring, and as a way to introduce him to American readers, he is embarking on a giddy four-city tour, with yours truly as his own personal lapel straightener and sitter at card table selling copies of the book!

Where Will I Reside

Great news, folks (aside from the fact that I'm finally off my duff and updating the blog for the first time in like, a dog's age):

Over the past year, I took a gander and applied willy nilly to a number of artist residency programs in and around the United States, with the bloated fantasy of me perched on a wooded hillside, ensconced in a cabin stocked with a woodburning stove, striking matches for candles to illuminate the desk as I scratch out the Shig biography on parchment, snacking out of a gingham lined picnic basket....

Well all in all, I've sent out something like ten applications and have so far received three rejections, one wait list notification, and lo and behold, TWO acceptances! That means that I get to live out these feeble plans of mine to find my inner quill pen and knock this manuscript out somewhere not here at home.

July-September 2009, I'll first be an artist in residence high in the desertscapes of New Mexico at the Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, where I've also stalked out a local letterpress printer and essentially barged my way into a temporary letterpress apprenticeship in addition to the writerly time

October 2009 Not an official artist residency, but I'm stinking up the guest room of my dear friend Beth in the wildlife choked plains and mountains of Yellowstone National Park 

And finally, word just came in the post last week that I have been offered a chance to lollygag with the best intelligent, artsy minds at the Vermont Studio Center, located in Johnson, Vermont.

Three states I've never been privy to; three chances to fulfill the "get the book done, already" urges that are dinning at increasing decibels in my head. I'm waiting to hear one way or another on two or three more applications...so who knows where I'll call home next. The sad part is that after four nourishing years in this gorgeous apartment on 28th street that I've hung my hat and sheltered my snake, I'm packing and giving the place up. This place near Highland has treated me exceedingly well and I won't blush when I say that I owe this sun-dappled home of mine a great deal of effusive gratitude.

Print Run redux

Some snaps from the exhibition up at 21 Grand!

I know that it would be at least 1000 times more interesting for me to have posted photos from the actual factual opening reception, but duh, I forgot to actually use the camera my brother lent to me for this purpose.

And oh jeez, my friend and work colleague at Kaya Press, Claire Light wrote a review of the show as well (see posting below on my own fledgling career as a person with too much to say about other people's work on the wall).

Slanted

Several of you have asked how on earth I stay afloat in these trying economic times, and if you've been privy to this performance in real time, you know that my response is usually a long stammering string of part-time, piece meal jobs that are actually really wonderful. Wonderful as in creatively stimulating, art supportive, and pretty freaking diverse.

My latest gig was hatched after having a drink with my ex's sister's new roommate in San Francisco a few months ago. Lucky, lucky me, I get to attend gallery openings in and around the San Francisco Bay Area and review them, thereby oppressing the masses with MY opinions and preferences and overall colored biases.

I did my first round of exhibition reviews for the chic ArtSlant this April. For real, these shows are fresh: go check them out.

[print] run: an exhibition for wasabi press

I will be showing over two dozen linoprints from over the past several years, including many zodiac animals, nine images from "Edges of Bounty" and a whole mess of posters from my collaborations with Moe!kestra, Slydini, 20 Minute Loop and other bands. 

Holy cats. Money raised from sales of the artwork will go directly and I mean Dee-Rectly to my fund to send me to the Vermont Studio Center residency in April 2010. So come, make a scene on the streets of Oakland, and check out the krazy art for free this upcoming Art Murmur on April 3, 2009.