Making Morning Poems

 


Making the Book: Morning Poems by Justin Kinkel-Schuster

 This Thursday, Saint Louis Projects and JKPublishing will be releasing the first book of poetry by STL musician Justin Kinkel-Schuster. We're having a release party at Off-Broadway, featuring 2 of our favorite bands: Alley Ghost and The Skekses. We've also got some of the best performers around reading between sets. Alongside Justin's inaugural performance as a poet, Brett Underwood will be ranting and raving, and local poetry guru Ann Haubrich will recite works from Bob Reuter's upcoming memoirs. We'll see you at 8 pm.

Here's some behind-the-scenes snapshots of how our team created this finely-crafted chapbook.

Each book will feature a unique set of end-sheets carefully cropped from books salvaged from a local thrift store. Architectural schematics, beautiful old photographs from textbooks on American geography and fauna, and diagrams of the mysteries and wonders of science compliment the book's content quite aptly.

 

Project editor Ellen Herget uses her trusty huntin' knife and a pattern made from a club crackers box to individually chop each endsheet.

It ain't easy when you gotta have 200.

Artist Danielle Spradley carved this gorgeous block print for the cover, and then printed each sheet by hand. This is one of her first test prints on white paper.

Publisher CJ Smith then printed the insides of the book on our many sets of trusty refillable inkjets. He collated the works by hand, arranged them between the end-sheets and cover, and placed 3 steel rivets on each margin to bind the book. The result is rustic, elegant, simple. We know we have done our job when the description of the book's physicality matches the quality of the writing therein. Please join us and grab a copy. Each book is unique, and each page has been touched by our hands.

Morning Poems Release Party

Theodore Frontman to Release First Book of Poetry

The Saint Louis Projects is set to release the first collection of poetry by Theodore's Justin Kinkel-Schuster with a rock show at Off-Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue). On the evening of Thursday, December 1st, sets from popular local acts The Skekses and Alley Ghost will buttress readings from Kinkel-Schuster's new book Morning Poems.

A refreshingly raw and modern work, Morning Poems captures the beauty and sorrow of an impoverished southern childhood: blackberry bushes and sharp bricks; kind women with missing teeth; the complicated workings of flawed family relationships. Editor Ellen Herget praises its lyrical, conversational style, noting that “each piece is delicately laid out with precision, and the heartsick honesty of the stories only serves to make their emotional content more exquisite.”

 

Elegantly bound with simple steel rivets, the handmade book boasts a screen-printed cover by Danielle Spradley of Dubble Dutch Editions. Morning Poems will be on sale for the first time at a special release price of $9. Special guest star Ann Haubrich will also be reading the works of musician and photographer Bob Reuter, whose collection of short stories is forthcoming from SLP (a division of JKPublishing). Cover charge for the show is $7. Doors are at 7:30, starts at 8.

                                                                      

an excerpt from

 Bottle Dancer



Talk shit, get hit
is what her wallet reads
(she bought it at the Hustler club
which is where she works
she started out as a cocktail waitress
but you know how it is)
I notice it as she takes it from her purse
to pay for the 3 framboise beers she’s buying
for herself and the liter can of High Life she
insists on buying for me
she tells me I am a cheap date
and I agree
Cash is king and she’s got it figured out

As we walk toward the door
the rack of porno mags catches her eye
and we stop to exchange wits and test
each other’s experience and predilections
I wait for her
and she opens with something about
one of the cover models’ tits being too big
much tamer than I’m expecting and
a relief, if I’m being honest
I tell her that when it comes to sex
I’m pretty normal, no weird shit for me
thank you very much
just regular old fucking, but good
and I sense she’s relieved, too
or maybe disappointed

In the car on the way to her place
she tells me her last boyfriend
got her pregnant and left her
but it was alright because she ended up miscarrying
and anyway he was a heroin addict

I am just about ready to head home alone
but what the hell
she already knows
I am a cheap date
and we are almost there

Bad Shoe Issue 7 Release Party

Bad Shoe Release Party to be held on Day of the Dead at the Archive

The women behind Bad Shoe literary magazine plan to raise hell on Tuesday, November 1^st. In honor of the release of the seventh issue of Bad Shoe (Vol. 2, Iss. 3), publishing imprint the Saint Louis Projects is throwing a party in the backyard of The Archive Bookstore (3215 Cherokee Street) from 7 to 11 pm.

Featuring readings from many of the issue's contributing authors, Bad Shoe is also hosting the Hobosexuals, local acoustic noisemakers. The editors are infinitely pleased to feature a short act from fire-breather Nova Beau Monde, a performer, writer, and member of St. Louis' only all-female fire troupe, Venus in Flames.

Nova Beau Monde

The issue features the artwork of Miss Delia Rainey, one half of 2-twin band Dubb Nubb.

People, by Delia Rainey

Contributors include: Julia Gordon-Bramer, Stefene Russell, Anna Ross, Jennifer Tappenden, Kelli Allen, Maria T. Balogh, Amanda Mincher, Becca Wilson, Alison Carrick, Jill Bieker, Katerina Canyon, Linda Novak, Tess Thompson, Allison Becker, Mary Ruth Donnelly, and Dena Molen.

Here's a small taste of what this issue has to offer:

Three Writers I Dated and Why It Didn’t Work
by Allison Becker

I

I’ve only said, “I love you” to
relatives, several foods,
numerous dogs and Nick.
Last spring he did something bad
with a table saw.
Nick said, “How can I love you when
I hate myself?”

II

Conor and I went to a concert.
A man in a cape threw
glowsticks at us and we
left with bruises and other
people’s sweat. Conor owned
a typewriter, a record player,
and a Macbook Pro. Never ate meat.
I admitted one night I never
read Howl, “I’m saving it for
harder times.”
The next day he wrote,
“12:16 pm yur super cool but i cant
SRY”
and I laughed because
he never used the typewriter

III

David invited me to his room.
He boiled beets for dinner,
“They make your piss pink,”
he said and led me to the
bathroom. “I didn’t flush so
I could show you.”
We stood over the toilet
bowl, pale pink, still.
A minute passed.
I admitted I expected it to be
pinker.
“You’re nuts, Allison, my piss
is incredibly pink!
Do you know how many
beets I ate?”

Come celebrate Dias de los Meurtos with the ladies who keep St. Louis literature alive.

SLP-Designed Business Cards

Get Your Business Card, Advertisement, or Web Banner Design from SLP


For the bargain-basement design price of $20-60 a package, an SLP designer will collaborate with you to produce a suite of images to promote your small business, decorate your personal web page, or advertise for your feline acrobat troupe. Pric
e is negotiable. Design packages may include:

*business card
*logo
*web page banner (can be used on Blogger, Etsy, Tumblr, etc.)
*branding/advertising copy
*booklet/event program
*poster
*print or digital invitation



A small suite of images similar to the following would run about $25:



SLP has created advertisements for local theater events, poetry readings, and late-night entertainment events.

Blue Rose Theatre Collective Poster, 2010

Advert/business card for local band The Skekses, 2011
(makes use of public domain artwork)

"Postcard-style" party invitation front, 2011

"Postcard-style" party invitation back, 2011


"Open Studio" Digital and Print advertisement for Budding Images, 2011


Benefit poetry reading advertisement, 2009
(features original artwork by Sean Arnold)



Late-night entertainment advertising for restaurant Mangia Italiano, 2011

We have many more examples and, as you can see, are quite versatile and eclectic in style. For more information, e-mail erin@saintlouisprojects.org.

A new chapbook by Colleen McKee

Colleen McKee's newest chapbook, A Partial List of Things I Have Done for Money, to be released this Wednesday





Please join us for the release of A Partial List of Things I Have Done for Money, the newest chapbook by Colleen McKee. The party will take place at The Archive bookstore at 3215 Cherokee Street, this Wednesday, August 24th, from 7-9 pm.

Featuring the photographs of John Walker Eckles, Bob Reuter, and Alison Carrick, this deluxe first-run edition of Colleen's poetry is encased in a hot-pink and silver hand-stitched envelope with nickle and string closure. The poetry delves into Colleen's world of anthropomorphic cockroaches and thrift-store intrigue, with heartbreaking characterizations of her loved ones and finely crafted descriptions of her adopted hometown.

The release party will feature a book-signing by Colleen, readings by herself, Bob Reuter, and Nicky Rainey, along with music by Bob Reuter. Light refreshment and beverages will be available for purchase.


As a preview, please enjoy this photograph by Bob Reuter, and a poem by Colleen.

JUNIATA STREET



Today I walked past your old apartment, the one
with the rickety windows, the one with the door
that knocked in the wind. I remember the wrinkled
poster of the Ramones, the ramblings of drunks
scrawled on your walls. The mail piled up
on the gritty stairs.

The steak dinners you fixed,
the soft white sheets.
The whiskey bottle
always at your elbow.
The time you almost died.
The time you did.

Now, in your yard, children complain
about raking the leaves
that fall
and fall at their feet.

O Fool Lyric Booklets

Handmade Lyric Booklets for Local Band O Fool
Photos of a new, nifty SLP creation


Last month we made our first batch of lyric books for local gypsy-punk band O Fool. The idea was to accompany and compliment the release of their limited-edition first cassette, walk off a cliff, out from Manic Static. The artwork for the cassette cover is pretty neat:




I got together with frontman and poet Mathieu Paul to design a quarter sheet booklet with original artwork and lyrics, hand-stitched binding, and neat bright red faux-crocodile-skin cover.




Brett Marren created original illustrations for the project.




The neatest aspect of this mini-project is perhaps the finishing touch. Mat's girlfriend Mel had the idea of putting ribbons and flowers under a wax seal around each book. The purchaser must break the seal to read it, or leave it unread to maintain the look of the original product.




I wish I had a better picture of the finished product, as each of these are individually gorgeous. No two copies are alike.

The faux-red-leather edition has sold out, as we limited the print run to 29 copies. We're gonna get together next month, however, to craft the second edition in an equally tacky, quirky, and creative fashion.

Riverfront Times Contest

Enter the RFT's Limerick Contest for Bad Shoe prizes



Follow the link below to read about and enter a limerick contest sponsored by the Riverfront Times Music Blog. You could win free entrance to the release party on August 3rd and a stack of books from SLP and JKP.



RFT's Bad Shoe Limerick Contest

Upcoming SLP Events

This August will be a busy one for the Saint Louis Projects. We have a lot of projects coming to completion and a couple to start as well, not to mention a lot of events around town. Here's a rundown of where you can expect to see us in the next month.



Bad Shoe Release Party at El Lenador's STAG NITE (Aug. 3rd)




We have an awesome party planned for the release of the 6th Issue of Bad Shoe (Vol. 2 Iss. 2). We're taking over Johnny Vega$' Stag Nite, a long-running South City musical institution. In that vein, we are featuring wonderfully talented musicians to play after the poetry reading.

For about the past year, Stag Nite has occurred at El Lenador (3124 Cherokee Street). $5 affords you the opportunity to purchase $1 Stag, heckle Johnny Vega$, hear some amazing poetry from the area's finest women writers, and jam out to O Fool, Beth Bombara, and a super secret AWESOME mystery band (yes, we have booked them; this isn't a feint).

The newest issue of Bad Shoe will be available for a pretty hefty discount. Expect to save $4-5 off of bookstore prices. This issue features the divine artwork of Casey Miller, chief latte artist and owner of Cherokee Street's Mud House (her work just gets radder on paper). Not to mention that you will own a copy of the musings of ALL the following local literary rock stars:

Anna Ross, Stefene Russell, Maria T. Balogh, Julia Gordon-Bramer, Dawn Dupler, Elly Herget, Jennifer Tappenden, Katherine Mead, Christy Callahan, Erin Wiles, & Kelli Allen

Also expect a special spoken word/guitar collaboration between Wiles and local musician Tommy Halloran. El Lenador opens at 8; poetry reading at 9; music after 10 pm. Awesomeness all night long.







Erin Wiles to read at Firecracker Press and Chance Operations (Aug. 6 & Aug. 22)






The Firecracker Press is a gorgeously-run letterpress printing outfit on Cherokee Street. SLP is quite jealous of the luscious textures and old-school vibe of their work, but is also really happy to be sending their editor over to participate in their 2011 Summer Reading Series on Saturday, August 6th . At 2 pm, Erin Wiles, along with Mary Ruth Donnelly, will each perform a 20 minute set. During that time, the Firecracker geniuses will be printing handset broadsides of an excerpt of both ladies' work. The broadsides are ravishing and the conceit is quite clever. $5 gets you a reading and a print.

Chance Operations is a year-old reading that took Get Born's one-Monday-a-month spot at Duff's Restaurant (392 N. Euclid Ave.) in the CWE. Wiles read at the inaugural event last year and returns this Monday, August 22nd as a featured reader, along with 2 other yet-to-be-announced poets. The reading kicks off at 8 pm and will cost you a measly $3.





Stay tuned in the next few days for another posting about recently completed/soon-to-be-finished 100% RAD handmade books by SLP!



One last little goody for you. For the first time ever, Bad Shoe's featured artist has also designed a cover for the magazine. Here's Casey Miller's take:

SPACFest This Weekend

Shaw Performing Arts & Crafts Festival This Friday and Saturday

Philip Gounis performing at the release party for his newest chapbook, Upgrading the Allusion

You should come see us this weekend (May 21st and 22nd) from 11 am to 3 pm at the Shaw neighborhood SPACFest. We will have a booth set up with our current catalog for sale (look for the most the 3 most recent editions of Bad Shoe, the new chapbook by Philip Gounis--Upgrading the Allusion, and handmade journals and crafted artbooks. There will also be a lot of favorites from the past few years on the table, from Michael Castro's The Bush Years to Ellen Herget's Thus Far, from Sean Arnold's Open Window series to the second edition of my own first chapbook, I & Apocalypse.


All of the above mentioned authors along with a slew of others will be reading in Saint Louis Projects and JKPublishing's performance space at the corner of Thurman and Shenandoah (Shaw Community Garden, across from Thurman Grill). This is a great opportunity to catch some live poetry in a relaxed, pressure-free, outdoor setting. So if you've never been to a poetry reading before, now's your chance. If you don't like it, you can scoot off to see a blues band, a drum circle, or a dance troupe. I'll post a complete list of performers and their scheduled dates/times in the next day or two.

Bad Shoe Issue 5 Preview

Art & Words Appearing in the Next Issue of Bad Shoe



We're hoping to see you at the Archive tomorrow night (3/15; 7 pm; see previous post for details) for the release party celebrating the newest Bad Shoe. Here's a small sampling of the wealth to be found inside issue 5.


Faith
Brett Lars Underwood


She saw a dog puppet licking the branch outside her window
She had 17 girly, vodka drinks and a bottle of wine
Painted naked in acrylic all night long
Later that afternoon the dog puppet
dissolved into pain

Betsy
Bob Reuter

Mirror Trees
Christy Callahan



When spring came that year, my fifteenth year,
the Magnolia tree sighed and grunted,
and feigning interest would only produce
russet-colored brittle buds
and as they bloomed, then died,
my mom cried a horrible cry,
the sound tires make as they try to dig
their claws in to wet pavement.
Dad hid in the garage, twisting metal
and swallowing scotch.
When fall came that year, my fifteenth year,
the pine tree coughed and spat
needles across our roof,
clogging our gutters and tingeing it green.
My dad cried a horrible cry,
the sound a brake pad makes with its final grind
on the rotor before death.
Mom hid in the greenhouse,
planting Brazilian Verbena
and sneaking Pall Malls.
When winter came that year, my fifteenth year,
mom moved us to Manassas
where Magnolia trees never disappoint
and dad lingered in the garage,
awaiting the pine tree’s next move.

The World is a Pinprick
Erin Wiles

Until next time.

NEW Bad Shoe To Be Released on the Ides of March

Bad Shoe Issue 5 Release Party

On March 15th (the Ides of March), St. Louis lit mag Bad Shoe releases its 5th issue, hosted by the Archive bookstore at 3215 Cherokee Street.

This is a special issue of the lit mag, which is the only periodical publication for emerging and eminent lady writers and artists in St. Louis. For the first time, the editors are publishing male perspectives on femininity.

Male writers and artists appearing in this issue are Chance Operations' Tony Renner, JK Publishing author Phil Gounis, local favorite curmudgeon Brett Underwood, Joe Sulier of Get Born, KDHX's Bob Reuter, and many more. This issue features the work of several women, some of them new to Bad Shoe, such as Kelli Allen and Christy Callahan.

Readers at the upcoming event:

Kelli Allen

Byron Lee

Brett Underwood

Matt Freeman

Tony Renner

Christy Callahan

Aaron Ruiz

Jake Cohen

Bob Reuter

Erin Nihiser

Nicky Rainey

Mary Phillips

Christoper Alex Chable

Matt Freeman and the Skekses will provide musical entertainment. Doors are at 7, reading starts at 8. The Cherokee Peach will sell snacks, wine, beer, and handmade sodas, and the Archive will also be open for book sales. Bad Shoe Issue 5 will be available at the special release price of $8.

***

Bad Shoe, a recent winner of a St. Louis Kick-Ass Award (curated by 52nd City), is the flagship publication of the Saint Louis Projects. SLP, an imprint of JKPublishing, provides St. Louis writers with a means to conceptualize a publishing project and actualize their vision by participating in editing, design, and promotion of their work.

Other SLP notable projects include chapbooks by Michael Castro and Sean Arnold, and an upcoming chapbook by Phil Gounis. SLP director Erin Wiles, along with Bad Shoe co-editor Elly Herget, have often been featured on KDHX's Literature for the Halibut.

The Saint Louis Projects is proud to a part of the continuing development of St. Louis literary culture.

***

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