NEW RELEASE for Fall ‘22

My new chapbook, Interrogation Days, is now available for pre-order. This book focuses on the psychic toll of two decades of the US "War on Terror," and it forms a small trilogy with the press's previous releases, Dysnomia and Civil Society. Over the next four weeks, I will be sharing a bit more about it, so stay tuned for that. For now, you can read a sample poem and place an order, and the book will be shipped on Nov. 14th.

Also, I will be donating 50% of all sales to The Guantánamo Survivors Reparations fund. This is a joint project between two organizations — Healing and Recovery after Trauma (HeaRT) and the Tea Project — devoted to supporting the victims of the US's illegal prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. For donation, our specific goal is to sell 40 copies of the book, which will raise $200 for the fund. I hope you will join me in supporting this work.

Some Background on GTMO

While popular perception of Guantánamo (GTMO) inmates is that they are "hardened terrorists" and "the worst of the worst" (the language of "War on Terror" propaganda par excellence) the fact is that most of these individuals were simply kidnapped and turned over to the US military for bounties. According the Dept. of Defense's own data, 55% of detainees had committed no hostile acts agains the US, and only 5% were actually captured by US forces. The remaining 95% were turned over to the US by warlords and intelligence services from Afghanistan and Pakistan in exchange for large bounties. Thus, often on the basis of scanty or false evidence, the majority of these men were simply sold into a living nightmare -- one in which 36 inmates still remain -- and subjected to physical and psychological torture, being forced to provide information they did not have, leading in many cases to their death. In sum, this was not just a grievous injustice but a moral abomination, and in lieu of the US actually paying reparations to these men, I am proud to support these organizations in their attempt to provide that reparation.

A Note on Donation Amount

Although I donated 60% of previous releases, I am currently erring on the side of caution and only donating 50%. This reflects unanticipated changes in my personal financial situation, as well as the fact that the press makes plans to publish four other writers' books in March and June of 2023. As this is a new venture, it is not unclear exactly what expenses may pop up along the way, and I want to be sure to be ready and to do right by the writers trusting me with their work. While 10% may not seem significant it could potentially bring $40 extra in for the press.

While I am willing to run the press at a slight loss, I would prefer it to be sustainable and to be replicable model for others to adopt. However, I don't want to just be sustainable; after all, I could keep 100% of the proceeds and get along much easier. The goal is to be sustainable while also offering reasonably priced books, being as generous as possible with writers, and managing to give a sizable portion away. This is a very delicate balancing act, and I hope everyone understands my rationale here.