When I approached Papo in 2017 about doing a book, the goal was to launch a chapbook division at 2Leaf Press, with his chapbook being the first. He came up with the idea of PAPOLíTICO, which I immediately loved. I loved the idea of publishing some politically inspired poetry, especially in the surreal age we find ourselves living in today.
I first heard Youssef Alaoui recite poetry from a DVD that filmmaker Vagabond produced and played for me, and I found his poetry well-written and very interesting. When I got to know Youssef better, I found him equally interesting, a Latino Moroccan poet who speaks three languages living in California. While he is well-known and well-respected in his local community, I never heard of him, but I wanted to know more about him and his work.
When I sent out a call for books for Spring 2018, jason vasser-elong, who was a contributor to BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED (2017) sent me his manuscript for SHRIMP. The title caught my attention, and I asked myself, “What does this mean?” When I went through it, I got the sense that this was a guy searching for answers about self.
The Queens Book Festival, “A Borough Without Borders” will make its inaugural debut on Sunday, August 7, 2016 at Kaufman Astoria Studios from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free.
JOE WIKERT’S DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGIES Even though they’re gaining momentum I’ve never been a big fan of audio books. Amazon, of course, owns the market with both Audible and Brilliance. Although it didn’t receive a lot fanfare last week, Audible introduced one of the most interesting and long overdue services that I’ve seen in a long time. I’m […]
MICHELLE DEAN | THE GUARDIAN The editor of Bookslut, which shut down last week, talks to the Guardian about the current state of American literature and its attendant frustrations A couple of weeks ago, Jessa Crispin shut down her book review site, Bookslut, after 14 years. At a Brooklyn coffee shop last week, she told […]
JONATHON STURGEON | FLAVORWIRE This is how the world’s best-selling novelist sells more books. Since March, we’ve heard about a forthcoming publishing venture from James Patterson, the best-selling novelist of the age. “To date,” writes the New York Times, “[Patterson] has published 156 books that have sold more than 325 million copies worldwide.” Or, rather, […]
While the phrase “close reading” may not resonate for someone outside of an English department, Stanford literary scholar Paula Moya wants to reclaim the useful literary tool, especially when it comes to multicultural writers.
Wired, the San Francisco, Calif.-based magazine and digital publication, has launched a book club as a part of its expanding culture coverage. Its first selection is N.K. Jemisin’s Hugo Award-nominated The Fifth Season
NIRAJ CHOKSHI | THE INDEPENDENT Explicit sexuality, offensive language, homosexuality, a religious viewpoint: Those are a few of the common objections to the 10 most-challenged books of 2015, according to the American Library Association’s latest “State of America’s Libraries” report. The list, published Monday, includes some well-known titles — the Holy Bible ranked sixth — […]
When we were putting together WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA, an amazing thing happened: Many of the contributors quoted James Baldwin, and as a result, we followed their cue and not only dedicated the book to Baldwin, but sprinkled Baldwin quotes throughout the book. There is no doubt that James Baldwin always […]
Here we go again, raising money for the press. I hate begging for money, really, but in order to keep the organization and our program, 2Leaf Press moving forward to the next chapter, we really need your help. I really need your help.
From the press that boldly asked the question “What Does it Mean to be White in America?” comes the call to action for all social justice advocates and lovers of literature.
From unfriend to selfie, social media is clearly having an impact on language. As someone who writes about social media I’m aware of not only how fast these online platforms change, but also of how they influence the language in which I write.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? contributors in Portland Oregon (calling themselves the “Northwest Group,” see their Facebook page), consisting of Patrik McDade, Anne Mavor, Leah Mueller, Jan Priddy, Carol Weliky, and Tereza Topferova Bottmanare participating in Portland Community College’s first “Whiteness History Month” where people come together to talk about white privilege, […]
PCC’s Whiteness History Month events will include a reading of essays about white identity. SOPHIA JUNE | WILLAMETTE WEEK Last week, Portland Community College kicked off its first Whiteness History Month. If that brings up a red flag for you, you’re not the only one. The event has been widely controversial, garnering national media attention.WW […]