Body Voices - by Kevin Reid (CC#39)

Cover photo by Steven B. Smith

Crisis Chronicles Press is very happy to announce the publication of Body Voices by Scottish poet Kevin Reid.  Released 9 February 2013, Body Voices was shortlisted by the Saboteur Awards for best poetry pamphlet.

"In his collection, Body Voices, Kevin Reid dissects the body using a variety of voices to expose and explore how it is at once connected to its own past and to the external world, how each separate voice depicts both functionality and experience. Reid’s poems appear personal yet each body part has its own distinctive story ranging from childhood memories to social commentary, from the organic to the cerebral. They are full of thoughtfulness, presence and wit. They are full of the senses, the transitions our bodies and lives experience, our ever dissolving yet expanding path from birth to death. They are brave and clever and they will prompt you to re-examine your own relationship with your body, your past and your place in the world. This is a living collection of poetry and I recommend you read it." 

—Gillian Prew, poet, author of In the Broken Things and The Idea of Wings

"Kevin Reid’s Body Voices is an inventive, whimsical look at the body poetic. This series of candid and wry reflections offers a delightfully fresh perspective on learning to feel comfortable in the skin we are in. These pages reveal a weary, scarred, weathered and absolutely real body examined part by part and systematically stripped of any artifice or pretense: the poet stands before us naked and unashamed, imparting courage and wisdom in the process. Body Voices is unflinching, artful, guileless, and eminently worth reading."

—Rich Follett, poet, author of Responsorials and Silence, Inhabited: Poetic Reflections on Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse 

Body Voices is 34 pages, 8.5 x 5.5", hand assembled and saddle staple bound, with a white and textured navy card stock cover. Available for $7 (plus $2 for postage) from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3431 George Avenue, Parma, Ohio 44134 USA.  If you're ordering from an address outside the USA, please add $3 to cover additional postage.

 

This chapbook is currently sold out and out of print.

Reviews:

Click here to read David McLean's review of Body Voices at Clockwise Cat.
Click here to read Aads de Gids' review of Body Voices at Crow Reviews.
Click here to read John Field's review of Body Voices at poor rude lines.
Click here to read Christine Murray's review of Body Voices.
Click here to read Dianne Borsenik's review of Body Voices.

Click here to see ratings of Body Voices at Goodreads. 

Poems:

Click here to hear Kevin Reid read "Mouth" from Body Voices.
Click here to read "Ears" from Body Voices in the Crisis Chronicles cyber litmag.
 

Bio (as of 2013, from the chapbook):

Kevin Reid lives and works as a librarian in Angus, Scotland. He studied English Literature at the University of Dundee. Back in the 90s he spent some time living in a tipi community in the southern Spanish mountains, which led to visionary encounters in peyote ceremonies. After a brief spell of teacher training he chose to study librarianship. He has a key role in organising Scotland’s longest running teenage book award. His poetry has appeared in various publications, such as, Pushing Out the Boat, Scottish Poetry Review, heavy bear, The Recusant, and Counterexample Poetics. Body Voices is his first published chapbook.

Howl for My Family in April - by Mary C. O'Malley (CC#40)

Cover photo by Chandra Alderman

Crisis Chronicles Press is honored to publish Mary O'Malley's striking chapbook-length poem Howl for My Family in April on 2 February 2013.  Howl is handmade with care and saddle stitch bound.  It bleeds. It cries. It pulls buried truth into the light.  You won't walk away from it unaffected.

This chapbook is currently out of print and unavailable.

The first edition (c.100 copies) of Howl for My Family in April was inkjet printed, 8.5 x 5.5", bound with plain white cover stock and beach card stock. It is out of print.  The second edition - revised, expanded and printed in April 2014 - is printed on lemon paper and bound using textured white and black card stock.

Click here to see ratings of Howl for My Family in April at Goodreads.

Mary C. O’Malley has worked as a post graduate degreed social worker and as a writer since 2002.  Her work has been selected for local, state, national, and international readings. Publications that have published Mary’s work include Heartlands, Whiskey Island, Box Car Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, Cleveland in Prose and Poetry, Midwest Poetry Review, Mary, and many other literary zines and anthologies both online and in print. She is the mother of two sets of twins and tries to garden in her spare time. In 2009, Tipton Poetry Journal nominated her for a Pushcart Prize.

the melody, i swear, its just around that way, volume 2 - by Bree (CC#38)

Cover art by Bree (text added by JC)

Crisis Chronicles Press is bursting into song over the publication of Bree's long-awaited the melody, i swear, its just around that way, volume 2.  Published on 21 January 2013, this chapbook features 22 pages of poem-songs, lovingly hand assembled and saddle staple bound with white cover stock, goldenrod endpapers, and white pages.  8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed with front and back cover art by Bree.  About 70 copies in print.  This chapbook is currently sold out.

 

 

 

Click here to read (and hear Bree sing) "Prince John" from the chapbook.
Click here to read an alternate version of the chapbook's "Trees and Bushes." 
Click here to see ratings of the melody, volume 2 at Goodreads.

Bree at The Lit in Cleveland - photo by JC

Bree is a Cleveland poet best known for her Green Panda Press, which produces art and poetry books for the small press. She is also a songwriter, and performed her poems with the bands Johnnycake and Very Sharp & Midnight from the nineties to the early aughts. While volume 1 of the melody (published by Crisis Chronicles in 2011) was mainly poems which later became songs, the work in volume 2 is mostly songs that also read as poems. Bree is the author of many other books including Let Cupid Know (Ronin, 2011) and Laying Pans (Ecstatic Peace, 2009), along with memoirs The Rainbow Sweater & My Mother (Green Panda, 2011) and was chicken trax amid sparrows tread (The Temple, 2009). Her work appears in little presses like The City, ArtCrimes, Big Bridge, Arthur, Bottle of Smoke and many like ‘em.

Buy both volumes of the melody, i swear, its just around that way together for only $11.

Red Hibiscus - by Heather Ann Schmidt (CC#36)

Cover art by Heather Ann Schmidt

Spring comes early at Crisis Chronicles Press as Heather Ann Schmidt's long awaited Red Hibiscus blossoms into print on New Year's Day 2013!  Red Hibiscus is 26 pages, handbound with care, 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed, featuring a saddle stapled pale coral card stock cover with deep grape endpapers and white pages.  Contents include "Song for Lilith," "Ode to a Pablo Neruda Nude," "Ghazal of the Night," "Neorealism on the Streets of Birmingham," "Duende in a Black Dress," "Ganymede ," "French Quarter Tryst" and much more.  Around 70 copies in print.  Available for $7 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

Click here to read "Ganymede" from Red Hibiscus in Pirene's Fountain.
Click here to read "French Quarter Tryst" from Red Hibiscus in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to see ratings of Red Hibiscus at Goodreads.

Heather Ann Schmidt received her MFA from National University and has taught writing for a number of higher learning institutions.  A fine singer and visual artist, she also edits the tinfoildresses poetry journal and is the founding editor of Recycled Karma Press.  Her previous books include Batik (NightBallet Press, 2012), Transient Angels (Crisis Chronicles 2011), On Recalling Life Through the Eye of the Needle (Village Green, 2011), Channeling Isadora Duncan (Gold Wake, 2009) and The Bat's Love Song: American Haiku (Crisis Chronicles, 2009).

Photograph - by Jackie Koch (CC#35)

cover image ©2012 by Mark Hutchinson

Hear ye! See ye! Crisis Chronicles Press releases Jackie Koch's new poetry chapbook on 26 November 2012! Her Photograph is 24 pages, hand assembled, 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed, saddle saddle staple bound with white cover stock, mauve endpapers and white pages. Contents include "Red Hot July," "Phantasmagoria," "Home Spun," "Dragonfly," "Frostbite Occurs in 15 Minutes or Less" and much, much more.  Around 80 copies in print. Photograph is now available for $7 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3431 George Avenue, Parma, Ohio 44143 USA. This chapbook is currently sold out.

Click here to read a selection from Photograph in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to see ratings of Photograph at Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

author photo ©2012 by Frances Ross

Poet's bio (as of 2012, from the chapbook):

Jackie Koch grew up in southern Michigan, climbing trees and exploring the outdoors. The family camping trips in her home state, in Canada, and across the United States solidified her love for the Earth, which is reflected in her writing. She has lived in North Carolina and central Ohio, and has come back to Michigan and her roots. A columnist and freelance writer since 1999, she began writing poetry in earnest in the summer of 2010, when she volunteered to help a friend run a slam poetry workshop at an art festival. She now hosts monthly open mic events in her hometown and encourages other poets. Jackie has won awards for her short stories, which have appeared online, and her poem, "Shhhh..." was part of the anthology Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, Volume Two. She lives in Adrian, Michigan, with one of her two sons and both of her two dogs.

Queen of Dorksville - by Leah Mueller (CC#34)

cover photo by Leah Mueller, text added by JB

Crisis Chronicles Press is tingling with excitement over the publication of Queen of Dorksville, a chapbook by Leah Mueller, available in October 2012. 32 pages of poetry and prose handbound with joy and care, Queen of Dorksville is saddle stitched using white cardstock, pale purple soda construction paper and white pages. 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed.  Contents include the title poem, "Maternal Advice," "Thrill-seeker," "Not Quite the King of Comedy," "Astrology 101," "Election Night," "Talking to the Dead on Television," "Security Guard," "Photo Gallery 1983," "Word Salad," "Vultures," "Selling Flowers on the Honor System," and "The Clown Chronicles."

Available for $7 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

Click here to read the title poem on Leah Mueller's blog.
Click here to view video of Leah Mueller reading from Queen of Dorksville.
Click here to view reviews and ratings of Queen of Dorksville at Goodreads.
Click here to read reviews of Queen of Dorksville at Amazon.

Leah Mueller has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember.  From 1996-2001, she was co-host of the popular open mike "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" in Tacoma, Washington, which was featured numerous times at Tacoma's annual First Night celebration.  She has appeared at countless open mikes and featured reader gigs, and was the poetry slam winner at the International Women’s Day event in Portland, Oregon, in 2004.  Leah divides her time between Chicago, IL and the Pacific Northwest, having considerable trouble determining which of the two is really home.

Angel - by Sandy Sue Benitez (CC#33)

Angel cover photo by Kim Newberg

Crisis Chronicles Press is very pleased to announce the publication of Angel, a chapbook by Sandy Sue Benitez, on 30 September 2012.  Angel is handbound with care using pale gray-coral card stock, wine-blood construction paper and white pages, and features a poignant set of poems the author has dedicated "to all families who have experienced the pain and sorrow of miscarriage."

Available for $7 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.  8.5 x 5.5". 16 pages. Early copies were inkjet printed; later copies, laser printed.  About 80 total copies made.

If you prefer an e-book format, Angel is also available via Amazon Kindle for $2.99.

Click here to read "The Sleeping Box" from Angel in the Crisis Chronicles litmag.
Click here to read the title poem from Angel in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to read the author's blog entry about Angel.
Click here to view ratings of Angel at Goodreads.

Sandy Sue Benitez

Sandy Sue Benitez is the author of Ever Violet, a full-length collection of poetry (D-N Publishing, 2007). She has authored four previous chapbooks: Beneath a Black Pearl Sky (Flutter Press, 2009), The Lollipop Club (Victorian Violet Press, 2010), Petal Storm (Flutter Press, 2010), and Postcards from Iraq (Books on Blogs, 2011). Sandy's work also appears in two anthologies: Lilith: A Collection of Women's Writes and Postcards from Eve, (both Fortunate Childe Publications). She is also the Founder & Editor of Flutter Poetry Journal and Flutter Press. Sandy's poetry has appeared in over 130 print and online poetry journals since 2006. She resides in the Inland Empire, California, with her husband and their 2 children.

In Circles - by Ryn Cricket (CC#32)

Cover photo (c) 2012 by Mark William Darus

Crisis Chronicles Press is pleased to announce the publication of Ryn Cricket's debut chapbook, In Circles, on 21 September 2012.  In Circles features 28 pages of stories and poems by Ryn Cricket (a.k.a. Katheryn Womack), in which the exceptionally normal, abnormal, paranormal, all-too-true and extraordinary mingle and thrive.  This special handbound edition is 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed and saddle staple bound with cream cover stock, hard olive end papers and white pages.  Approximately 70 copies made.

Available for $7 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Ohio 44143 USA.

Click here to read a selection from In Circles in the Crisis Chronicles.

Click here to hear an interview with (and reading by) Ryn Cricket on WOBC radio.

Click here to read a review of In Circles at Amazon.
Click here to see ratings of In Circles at Goodreads.

Ryn Cricket

About the author (from the chapbook):

"When I was in the seventh grade I thought I wanted to do three things when I grew up:  I wanted to be an English teacher, a writer and a mother.   All of that traveling, adventure, and Peace Corps was just research for what was to come.  After more than twenty years of being told I would never be able to have children, I had two beautiful baby girls, a year and a half apart.  I spend many of my daytime hours working in Asia as an ESL lecturer, teacher-trainer, and curriculum creator and editor — and all of the rest of my time  inspiring and being inspired by my two little girls and creating that writing space necessary to evolve my craft."

Click here to visit Ryn Cricket's blog.

The Other Guy - by John Thomas Allen (CC#31)

cover photo by Steven B Smith

Crisis Chronicles Press is overjoyed to announce the release of The Other Guy, a new poetry chapbook by John Thomas Allen. Published 15 August 2012, The Other Guy is 16 pages, lovingly hand assembled and saddle staple bound using white cover stock, black card stock endpapers and white paper. 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed. Approximately 120 copies in print. Available for $6 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

According to David Shapiro: "Freud said to the young surrealists to beware of unconscious imagery, and Meyer Schapiro said even dreams were social. John reminds me of Lamantia, Vigo, Bolano—raw and angry but with a clear day under his baseball cap. Like the Berrigan brothers, he seems to be writing a last protesting book, with the harp of Harpo and instead of handcuffs from a flic who appears to look like a hamburger…The soul is conscious in this new voice, and John wears a rosary around his neck. Real as Albany, his infra-surrealism is growing and growling. Good that he's so disappointed; he occupies a special place in Poetry Park."

According to Charles Bane, Jr.: "The work of John Allen is profoundly moored; it is exploratory, shaded and searching. Read his work, and follow his quest."

According to Rich Follett: "John Thomas Allen's surreal images strung together like pearls; seemingly random events and characters juxtaposed in ways that expose mind-expanding meanings; the pungent, unblinking eye of the camera obscura; the unexpected voice of transients, ne'er do wells and those forgotten by fortune; these flavors and many more await readers of John Thomas Allen's dreamlike Humanist poetry and prose. There is a certain light to these visions — a three-in-the-morning beam of truth that exposes both deep flaws and great beauty in every subject, every character. John Thomas Allen offers us a mirror; — who among us can resist looking? What we see in the process is the bones of our collective socio-intellectual hypocrisy. The result is a simultaneously humbling and edifying reading experience: our flaws are laid bare but we realize in the blush of our shame that we still have an ineluctable beauty if only we are willing to cultivate it. John Thomas Allen's world has existed always, around us, among us and within us; in coming to terms with his humbling and uplifting indictments, we can only shake our heads and wonder how it is that we have missed so much for so long. Read, and walk with him."

Click here to see several reviews of The Other Guy at Amazon.
Click here to see ratings and reviews of The Other Guy at Goodreads.

Sample poems:

Click here to read "Smokebreak" from The Other Guy in the Crisis Chronicles cyber litmag.
Click here to read "An Elegy for One Living and Dead" from the book in the Crisis Chronicles.


Poet's bio (from the chapbook):

John Thomas Allen is a 29 year old poet who lives in Albany NY, for the moment. His work has appeared over 40 journals and his chief ambition is to write a real poem one of these days!

as she unbends - by Jolynne M. Hudnell (CC#30)

cover photo by Steven B. Smith

Crisis Chronicles Press is overjoyed to announce the release of as she unbends, a new poetry chapbook by Jolynne M Hudnell. Published 1 August 2012, as she unbends is 27 pages, hand assembled, 8.5 x 5.5" saddle staple bound with a green-gold card stock cover, black endpapers and white pages.  Inkjet printed.  Approximately 80 copies in print.  Available for only $7 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

Click here to see ratings of as she unbends at Goodreads.

Poet's bio (as of 2012, from the chapbook):

Jolynne M Hudnell writes cryptic poetry and flow poetry, draws with oil pastels, crochets doilies and creates sculptures with recycled materials. Originally from Elyria, Ohio, and now living in Randle, Washington, Jolynne is a freelance writer whose previous books include Beyond the Sun, Leaving the Continuation Station and Exhalation Point.

Street maps for lost souls - by John Dorsey (CC#29)

cover photo by Steven B. Smith

Crisis Chronicles Press is happy to announce the release of Street maps for lost souls, a new chapbook by John Dorsey. Published 27 July 2012, Street maps for lost souls is hand assembled, 8.5 x 5.5", inkjet printed, saddle staple bound, with a charcoal blue card stock cover, salmon endpapers and white pages.  Approximately 125 copies in print.  Available for $6 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio 44143.

Includes "street maps for lost souls," "Poem for Jerry Sandusky," "requiem for a gambler," "starving artists," "Mightier than the sword," "Ted Berrigan's Roller Derby Haiku," "poem on my 35th birthday," "The Jimi Hendrix of New Paltz, NY," "cherry street grocery store poem," "the last time" and "sugar coated." As of February 2024, only 2 copies remain available.

Click here to see reviews and ratings of Street maps for lost souls at Goodreads.

Poet's bio (as of 2012, from the chapbook):

photo (c) 2012 by Casey Rearick

John Dorsey currently resides in Toledo, Ohio. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw's Prayer (Rose of Sharon Press, 2006), Sodomy is a City in New Jersey (American Mettle Books, 2010), and Leaves of Ass (Unadorned Press, 2011). His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize numerous times and he may be reached at archerevans@yahoo.com.