Saturday, March 17, 2012
New website and blog!
We are incredibly excited to launch our new website, powered by design engine Wordpress. It will go live by the end of March 2012, and will replace our old site and this blog. However, this page will remain as a testament to our history as a feed on the new site. Thank you for your patronage.
This is an archive of our blog posts from 2010-2012 that originally appeared on Blogspot.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
AWP Highlights
| The Grand Supreme Ballroom at Hilton Chicago. Now serving "4th meal." |
| The raffle that sold 200 tickets to around 45 people. |
Monday, February 27, 2012
AWP Press Materials
JKP & SLP Hit the Big Time
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| A handbill advertising our conference panel on Thursday |
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| The front of a new brochure advertising our accomplishments, history, and publications |
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| The inside of the brochure |



New business cards for Bad Shoe and SLP
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| Morning Poems by Justin Kinkel-Schuster |
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| Bad Shoe 6, 5, 7 |
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| Both editions of Collen McKee's A Partial List of Things I Have Done for Money |
Again, THANK YOU for your support and kind wishes. We couldn't do it without you.
Extra special thanks to:
Philip Gounis
Bob Reuter
Ellen Herget
Katie Clancy
Sue Clancy
Kristin Sharp
Alison Carrick
Local Harvest Cafe & Catering
Mangia Italiano
Thurman's Grill and Provisions
Michael Jackson
Nicky Rainey
Christopher Alex Chable
Maria & Alex Balogh
Mary Ruth Donnelly
Jill Bieker
Jeff Dodd
Billy Foster
Julia Gordon-Bramer
Aaron Dodd
Sean Arnold
Pamela Garvey
& anyone else I hope I'm not forgetting.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
SLP and JKP to Attend the AWP Conference and Bookfair
Fundraising event to held at Thurman's on Feb. 22nd
Dearest friends,
At the end of this month, CJ (JKP founder), Colleen McKee (SLP author, Bad Shoe contributor, panel moderator), and Erin (JKP/SLP managing editor) will be traveling to Chicago to attend the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Annual Conference and Bookfair. The AWP has accepted our panel discussion on small press marketing strategies and whether the traditional bookstore remains relevant. We also will sell our handmade chapbooks and distribute information about our press and literature in St. Louis (we'll be talking about many of you and (hopefully) selling your works!). The AWP event is the largest literary conference in North America, affording us a fantastic opportunity to network with other small presses and draw national attention to our local press. For more information about why we are traveling to this conference and what we will be doing there, see the image below.
Although we have kept prices for the trip to a
minimum by traveling by bus and staying in a hostel, the registration
fees for this conference are pretty outrageous if you're not backed by a
university. We'd also like to help subsidize Colleen's plane ticket
from California to Chicago. So we're throwing a fundraiser on Wednesday,
February 22nd at Thurman's Grill and Provisions (4069 Shenandoah; details
forthcoming) at 8 pm to help us along.So, we're throwing a little party to raise funds. We will have several performances, a raffle, and book sale. I'll continually update this page with information as we gather more prizes, performers, and money-raisers.
There will be no cover charge, but we will pass a donation bucket for the performances.
Also, please let me know if you'd like to help in anyway. We love doing what we do, but unfortunately, the labor of love doesn't buy bus tickets.
Thus far:
RAFFLE ITEMS (tickets will be $1 each or 7 for $5):
***Framed photography by Katie Clancy
***(2) framed photos by Bob Reuter
***1-hour tarot reading gift certificate from Julia Gordon Bramer
***Artwork by Sean Arnold
***Mangia Italiano gift certificates
***Bad Shoe book package
***SLP book package
***Untamed Ink book package (journal, 10 issues)
***Pamela Garvey chapbook
***Photography by Alison Carrick
***1991 hand-bound Diane Di Prima chapbook, "Seminary Poems", one of 2,000 ***Signed Lawrence Ferlinghetti handbill w/ 9-11 political poem ***Handmade bilingual book Nacion Nomeda by Ruben Medina, published by Rosalita Cartonera -- one of 75
***Local Harvest Cafe and Grocery gift certificates
PERFORMANCES:
Caribbean dance demonstration by Maria T. Balogh
Poetry readings by: Sean Arnold, Maria T. Balogh, Erin Wiles
Fiction reading by Pamela Garvey

Thanks for your support. We hope to see you there.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Bad Shoe Vol. 3, Iss. 1 Call for Submissions
and added guidelines!
It's once again time to submit your written works to Bad Shoe,
the finest rakehell magazine to ever dig its claws into the banks of
the ole Mississip'. Deadline is February 24th. We ask that you send 2-5
pieces (poetry, flash/short fiction) as MSWord or OpenOffice document attachment to
submissions@saintlouisprojects.org. Please include your name and BAD
SHOE in the doc heading. Please forward this entreaty to any of your interested female writerly friends. Tell yer friends, yer neighbors, and yer cats.
And gentlemen, please note that we will be accepting submissions from both ladies and gents for our NEXT issue. Although the deadline will be sometime around May, feel free to get a jump on things and send us your pieces.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Monday, November 28, 2011
Making Morning Poems
Making the Book: Morning Poems by Justin Kinkel-Schuster
It ain't easy when you gotta have 200.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Morning Poems Release Party
Theodore Frontman to Release First Book of Poetry
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.”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
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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 1st. 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 typewriterIII
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.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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.
"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)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
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.
Friday, July 29, 2011
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
Monday, July 25, 2011
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:
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.
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:

Tuesday, May 17, 2011
SPACFest This Weekend
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.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bad Shoe Issue 5 Preview
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
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.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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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