[Jeffrey]

I am going to order a proof copy this week or next. I'm very loathe to self-publish poetry, but enough people have asked me to do so that I think I can justify a brief run of poems. I am thinking of printing about 20 to 25 poems in a perfect bound chapbook. As many of you know, I have some sort of odd social anxiety about physical mail, so I may eat some of the cost to offer the following deal:

five dollars for the chapbook along with a self-addressed stamped envelope of adequate size to allow me to mail you the chapbook.

That way, I'll be able to print a nice looking chapbook via Lulu, but I can personalize it. Also, I won't have to physically go to the post office or anything like that (for some reason, I get far behind on mail), but merely drop the book in the SASE you sent me.

I think I am going to order a limited run, putting some of them in some of the independent media shops around Austin. Of the ones offered via CGR, it'll be fairly much first come first served, and I'll attempt to paste a unique poem into each one (not that I won't eventually submit or recollect those "unique poems," but in other words each chapbook over CGR will feature a poem in it that appears in none of the others). The book will feature poems some of you have seen, along with some brand new ones and a few that preview Morning Comes to Dagger City.

If one sends me a large enough SASE, I can put some other goods in there.

I'm still working out the details, and I'll probably clear out my PM folder in coming days so I can start hammering out deals.

[Skeeter]

Sweet. I'm both down with and up for that.

[Mr.Zachcore]

Word. I would totally want one of these.

[Role Modlin]

You know I want one.

[Ordinary Sarah]

Ahh, I would love one as well. PM box open?

[poorprince87]

I want one. Please. How do I get you the 5$ and SASE?

[Jeffrey]

I'm still hammering out details. I want a good portion of the chapbook to be new poems, and I want to make sure I'm happy with those poems since other eyes won't see them first. I may wait until my next paycheck (at the end of this month) to start ordering them.

[Jeffrey]

I'm ordering a trial copy this week or next. Once I'm happy with the layout and all that, I'll clear out my PM Box so folks who want my mailing address can contact me (I don't want to post my mailing address in a thread).

Of the poems I've laid out, more than half will be new to CGR folks.

[Ordinary Sarah]

w00t!

[Jeffrey]

I've stalled on the artwork. It's frustrating. Anyone here an artist?

[Ordinary Sarah]

Go look at visual and performing arts forum. There are many amazing artists there.

[Jeffrey]

This thing is almost done. I asked our own Meggie moo moo to do some art, though I may save her work for my epic poem because I think her skills might be wasted on something that's going on a run of under 100.

Also, I found a panel from an old public domain superhero comic that's just perfect. Still, I may wait a week or two in case her art fits better (which it probably will, but I pitched something that would work for a couple projects of mine because if you've seen her work you know how good it is).

There will be a blank page in each one so I can include a unique poem in each one specially ordered. This week I'll be ordering a proof copy with a temporary cover. And therefore, in a couple weeks, I'll be taking some orders. I've also been amassing some extra goodies so I can send stuff to each person who mail-orders one.

Here's one of the yet-unseen poems included in the book:

movies, alone.

As wet as we get, I always feel as dry as a stone.
Rivulets flow to compose her business sector,
she rises from the irrigation ditches of the world,
Thetis of the developing countries, footsteps
pooling with Poseidonic placental run-off,
cast off your cares O ye of great thirst

O we of little faith do wait
in long lines for handouts,
roundabout choruses sung
in four/four time. The day
and age is neither yours nor,
I find, can I claim it as mine,
the myths have gone head
over heels as the cycle finds
itself back at square one.

We wear out brake pads and run down
the workings of combustion engines on
the wet, sparsely-shaded roads of
East Round Rock, second growth
forests creep up around residential
cracks in the gridwork, they claim
each winding drive or lane that
pools in tight coves. Cement closes
up the gaps as the groves work to
put themselves back on the map.

Coastal curves separate us from the
sea, desalinization fuels our dream
to drink up each ounce of Triton’s
backyard, we look long and hard
at plastic bags flapping in that old
salt-stitched breeze that glides with
the greatest of ease over Houston
to the heart of Texas. We watch
lightning seethe in distant clouds
that greedily suck up moisture to
survive and when we arrive at
our apartments we think: these
are the reasons we go to see movies,
alone.

[Jeffrey]

I just ordered my proof copy. Assuming I'm pleased with the result, it shan't be long.

[Ordinary Sarah]

[Skeeter]

Huzzah! I am thoroughly excited. I may pick your brain about this process at some point in the future as my friend and I have discussed putting a similar publication together.