Soft Skull in China, Poetry Prizes, Oprah, and Things on the Horizon
Howdy all. As Anne promised last week, I'm Adam, straight from the book-production trenches of Soft Skull, on the Berkeley side of this massive, twelve-person (give or take) operation we call Counterpoint/Soft Skull. I hope I'll be able to give you all a very clear and forward-looking view into what's going on over here, almost like a window at a fudge shop, only instead of fudge, we're making books about muslim punks, artists on sexual escapades, poets on the path of Elvis, and young Americans meeting their counterparts in China's various underground scenes. So without further ado...
Kevin Powell on Oprah! Author of Soft Skull standbys No Sleep till Brooklyn, Someday We'll All Be Free, and the forthcoming Open Letters to America, Kevin was on the program speaking from childhood experience about ending violence against women and girls. A great cause, a well-spoken messenger, and a dynamic writer. When not on TV, Kevin's putting the finishing touches on what should become defining essays for an Obama-generation-led world. In his spare time, he's running for office in Brooklyn.
Elsewhere, China Underground is whipping up a minor frenzy over in Asia, and seems now to be picking up steam here in the States. Zack's touring in April and May (including a couple events with Pasha Malla), so be sure to click the Events link on this site to hear him read, and possibly have that badass book signed. And, should you buy the book, note the "gritty matte UV" cover made to look almost like drawings on construction paper—sorry, I geek out on these details.
Poetry! Who publishes that stuff anymore? We do. That's who. And we have two award nominees on our list. First: Daphne Gottleib, whose heartbreaking verse in Kissing Dead Girls was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. Second: CAConrad won the Gil Ott Book Award. We just recently sent off to print CAConrad's love epic/homage to Elvis, titled Advanced Elvis Course. It's roughly a portrait of America via Elvis, including interviews with Memphis locals, answering-machine messages to Elvis (prompted by a flier claiming that the author's home phone number is in fact Elvis's—which is recreated and printed in the book, with the real number, in case you want to talk to "Elvis" too), and of course, amazing poems about Elvis's power and grace.
Stay tuned for some graphic novels, a book cover with a banana on it and the titled printed on said fruit's sticker and said sticker being a real sticker, removable and all, and a couple full-color art books, believe it or not.