Lens - by John Burroughs (CC#20) - OUT OF PRINT

Composed and published 23 March 2012 in a limited edition of 30 hand-numbered copies, Lens is a handmade chapbook featuring a four-page dramatic poem (also called "Lens") by Crisis Chronicles Press publisher John Burroughs, a.k.a. Jesus Crisis. It was not for sale, but given away beginning at the 27 March Nia Coffeehouse event Poems of Power, Words of Life at St. Alban Episcopal Church, 3555 Euclid Heights Blvd. in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.   

Click here to see video of John performing "Lens" at that event, accompanied by Vince Robinson and the Jazz Poets.

Lens is inkjet printed in black and red ink on white recycled paper.  Its cover uses "metallics" card stock by Wassau Paper: Sparkling Merlot on the outside b/w Black Knight on the inside. John drew the title and eye glyph with a red Sharpie.  He didn't print more copies because he couldn't find matching card stock.  But you can find a copy at Amazon for an exorbitant price.

In December 2012, "Lens" was republished as part of John's first full length poetry collection, The Eater of the Absurd, by NightBallet Press, who nominated it for a Pushcart Prize. 

Primer for the Vanguard Youth - by RA Washington (CC#19)

cover photo by Steven B. Smith

Primer for the Vanguard Youth, published 8 March 2012, features new poetic works by multi-dimensional Ohio artist RA Washington.  This 24-page chapbook is hand assembled and saddle staple bound using high quality gray and dark blue card stock with white pages.  8.5 x 5.5". Earliest copies were inkjet printed.  Latest are laser. Available for only $6 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

Click here to read "Moloch, Moloch" from Primer for the Vanguard Youth in the Crisis Chronicles cyber litmag.

Click here to see reviews and ratings at Goodreads.
Click here to read a review by David Egbert at Amazon.

RA Washington at The Lit in Cleveland — photo by JB

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

RA Washington is the author of 16 books, most recently the novella, The Further Adventures of Gentleman Richards. He is a member of the soul punk duo, Crave, and has released ten albums under various monikers. For more, see clevelandtapes.com or stalk him on Facebook.

Only Human by Definition - by Jay Passer (CC#18)

Only Human by Definition is a collection of 18 poems by Jay Passer.  This 20-page chapbook is hand-assembled and saddle staple bound using high quality mauve card stock, gray endpapers, inkjet printed on white pages.  8.5 x 5.5". Published on 6 February 2012.  Around 100 copies in print.  Cover foto by Steven B. Smith, manipulated by John Burroughs. Available for $6 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.

"Jay Passer has been writing poems and fiction for the littles for twenty four years. This is his seventh chapbook of work about cohabitation with bums, whores and addicts in cities up and down the west coast. Startling, perverse, and absolutely original, Jay's work will entertain a wide array of readers and deep thinkers. Jay currently resides in a spartan shithole in Sacramento."  —Brian Pinsker

"I love my friend [Brian] but I think this is a bit overstated, a bit raw, a bit inaccurate, and a whole lot inappropriate. Perhaps he was too far on the box wine."  —Jay Passer

"Passer's poetry is the wine.  I'm passing it around at my next last supper." —Jesus Crisis
 
Sample poems/reviews:

Click here to read "Chorus Line Up" from Only Human by Definition in the Crisis Chronicles litmag.
Click here to read "The Paving of the Garden" from Only Human by Definition in the litmag.
Click here to read a review of Only Human by Definition at Poet Hound.
Click here to see ratings of Only Human by Definition at Goodreads.

Poet's bio (from the chapbook):

A cook by trade, poet by nature and vagabond at heart, Jay Passer doesn't own a car but enjoys driving fast.  Born in San Francisco in 1965.  Loves cats but is allergic to them. His first 3 chapbooks were published by the now defunct OuterDark Press in Seattle, his 4th by Piss Pour Press. His 5th and 6th are e-chaps, available at Poetry Superhighway and Ten Pages Press.

Click here to contact Mr. Passer.

Rapid Eye Movement - by J.E. Stanley (CC#17)

cover image: Looking Up by Steven B. Smith

Rapid Eye Movement is a collection of 17 poems by Ohio's own J.E. Stanley. Four of the poems were nominated for the Science Fiction Poetry Association's Rhysling Award and two were nominated for the SFPA's Dwarf Stars Award.  This 20-page chapbook is saddle stitched and lovingly hand assembled using high quality white and black cardstock, inkjet printed with the poems on cream pages. 8.5 x 5.5".  Originally published on 8 December 2011, with a second printing on 27 April 2016. Available for only $6 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143.  Approximately 130 copies in print.

Click here to read "City of Bridges" and here to read "Eleven Minutes" from Rapid Eye Movement in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to read a review by Greg Schwartz.

Click here to read a review by Scott E. Green. 

Click here to see ratings of Rapid Eye Movement at Goodreads.

JE Stanley at Jim's Coffeehouse in Elyria, Ohio
photo by John Burroughs

Poet's bio (as of 2011, from the chapbook):

J.E. Stanley is an accountant and on again/off again guitarist from the grayscale suburban wilderness of Northeastern Ohio where he is lucky enough to hang out with the Deep Cleveland Poets and the Cleveland Speculators. He is the author of Dark Intervals (vanZeno Press), Dissonance (Deep Cleveland Press) and co-author, with Joshua Gage, of Intrinsic Night (Sam’s Dot Publishing). His work has appeared in Amaze, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Cinema Spec, the Deep Cleveland Junkmail Oracle, Paper Crow, The Rhysling Anthology, Scifaikuest, Sein und Werden, Star*Line, Sybil’s Garage and numerous other mainstream and genre publications. He continues to assert that, winged or not, Man was always meant to fly; the moon and stars were just put there as incentives.

Click here to contact the author.

Grace, You Let the Screen Door Slam - by William Merricle (CC#16)

cover foto/collage: Downstairs by Steven B. Smith

Grace, You Let the Screen Door Slam is a 16 page poetic knock out by one of Ohio's own, the unboxable William Merricle.  Published 1 November 2011.

Grace, You Let the Screen Door Slam is 8.5 x 5.5", handbound, saddle stapled and inkjet printed on white cover stock and ivory pages with burnt orange endpapers.  Approximately 75 copies in print.

 

The chapbook is currently out of print, but its content appears (in a newly revised form) in Merricle's Contempt of Gravity: The Complete Published Poems, 1981–2020.

Click here to see ratings of Grace, You Let the Screen Door Slam on Goodreads.

Poet's bio (as of 2011, from the chapbook): 

William Merricle is a poet living in Lima, Ohio. His chapbook, Heimlich The Donut, was published in 2010 by Pudding House Publications. He also published several chapbooks, including Love & Food By-Products, Why Should I Suffer Alone?, and Slubberdegullion Blues in a previous century.

the melody, i swear, its just around that way - by Bree (CC#15)

the melody, i swear, its just around that way is a collection of lyrical poems by Cleveland's own Bree.  This 16-page chapbook features thirteen lyrical works by Bree and is available for only $5 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.  You may also order securely via PayPal.

"Bree's books, poetry, singing are pure beat punk spunk funk — not not nor wink, just real deal." — Steven Smith, publisher of ArtCrimes.

Click here to read an alternate version of the melody's "First Class Citizen."
Click here to view ratings of the melody, volume 1 at Goodreads.

the melody, i swear, its just around that way is 8.5 x 5.5", handmade, saddle staple bound, inkjet printed on recycled white paper with green endpapers and speckled cream card stock (a handful of copies used white card stock instead).  Front and back cover art by Bree (with text added to images by JC).  Approximately 80 copies in print.

Bree, 11/22/2008 at The Lit in Cleveland — photo by Jesus Crisis

Poet's bio (as of 2011, from the chapbook):

Bree has been writing since forever and publishing some of the continent's best poets for over a decade.  Her recent books include was chicken trax amid sparrows tread (2009, The Temple), Laying Pans (2009, Ecstatic Peace) and The Rainbow Sweater & My Mother (2011, Green Panda Press).  Find more Bree at Bree Poems and Green Panda Press.

Burnin' Shadows - by Kevin Eberhardt (CC#14)

Burnin' Shadows is a collection of poems by Kevin Eberhardt.  This 14-page chapbook features twelve new poems by KE and includes a free Crisis Chronicles "Bone Us" bookmark with two additional KE poems.  Burnin' Shadows is available for only $6 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.  You may also order securely via PayPal.

Burnin' Shadows is 8.5 x 5.5", handbound with ivory card stock and black endpapers.  Front cover photo by Steven B. Smith.  1st edition published 15 September 2011, inkjet printed on ivory paper.  2nd edition published 19 December 2013, laser printed on white paper.  Around 100 total copies in print (as of June 2014).

Click here to read "The Random Life" from Burnin' Shadows in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to see ratings of Burnin' Shadows at Goodreads.

Contact KE at ke767@hotmail.com

Poet's Bio (as of 2011, from the book):

Kevin Eberhardt is a northern Ohio poet whose work has appeared in ArtCrimes, The City Poetry, the Deep Cleveland Junkmail Oracle, Fuck Poetry and also accompanied images by London photographer Richard Byerley. He blogs at October Conspiracy and is a featured artist at agentofchaos.com.

ArtCrimes publisher Smith says of Kevin:
"The Mad Poet KE is rising flame bursting wordage in great gap gasm, grasping gasps in minor moments made large. Or, as KE himself put it:

Pay no attention to the man pulling the strings / it's a
Minimum wage job and the maximum age is 55 miles
Per hour / with clown suit and headset / optional"

Fracture Mechanics / TRAP DOORS - by Michael Bernstein (CC#13)

Fracture Mechanics/TRAP DOORS is a chapbook by former Cleveland Heights author Michael Bernstein.  It features the text for two of the author's most popular poetic intermedia performance pieces.  These dynamic works meld collaboration and improvisation with Bernstein’s surreal post-urban mindscapes in intriguing fashion.  J.E. Stanley, author of Rapid Eye Movement, calls FM/TP an "excellent thought-provoking book."  

It is available for only $6 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.  You may also order via PayPal.
 

Fracture Mechanics/TRAP DOORS is 8.5 x 5.5", 18 pages and handbound with saddle staples, gray cardstock, purple pages and golden endpapers. Cover photo by John Burroughs.  J.E. Stanley continues, "As far as Fracture Mechanics/TRAP DOORS, I've seen somewhat similar formats, and done one slightly similar myself ... but I've never seen it done as well as Bernstein does it here."  Published 9 September 2011.  Approximately 70 copies in print.

Click here to see ratings of Fracture Mechanics / TRAP DOORS at Goodreads.
Click here to see Michael Bernstein and friends perform "Fracture Mechanics" at the Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza in 2011.

Michael Bernstein 1/23/2011 at Jim's Coffeehouse in Elyria, Ohio

Poet's bio (from the back of the book):

Michael Bernstein is a Chicago-born writer and musician. He is the author of 12 chapbooks, including 8bitskulls, the Fire District, and Well. His work has appeared in publications such as New American Writing, milk, Moria, and BlazeVOX. With Michael Crake, he edits the online literary arts magazine Pinstripe Fedora.

Unruly - by Steven B. Smith (CC#12)

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Unruly is a new collection of poetry by Cleveland art legend Steven B. Smith.  This 25-page chapbook includes 25 poems on sideways college-ruled paper.

Unruly is available for only $7 US from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3431 George Avenue, Parma, Ohio 44134 USA.  You may also order via PayPal. This chapbook is currently sold out.

This chapbook is saddle staple bound with white cover stock and yellow endpapers — lovingly hand-assembled — 8.5 x 5.5" with cover fotos by Smith (text added by JC).  Published 20 August 2011.  100 copies in print.

 

Sample poems et cetera:

Click here to read "No TV for Me" from Unruly in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to read "Now Zen" from Unruly at agentofchaos.com.
Click here to read "The Sociosphere vs. Mother Earth" from Unruly in the Crisis Chronicles.
Click here to read Smith's blog entry about Unruly (including "Me, Myself and Lie").
Click here to view ratings of Unruly at Goodreads.
Click here to read reviews of Unruly at Amazon.


Smith bio (as of 2011):

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Steven B. Smith is a poet, memoirist, photographer, blogger and collage/assemblage artist who makes his home in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. He's been writing poetry for nearly five decades, and for more than twenty years he published the famed ArtCrimes journal. He created a massive online art/poetry archive at agentofchaos.com, and a wide array of his poetry and collages have been published in the critically acclaimed book Zen Over Zero: Selected Poems 1964-2008 [published by The City Poetry Press]. Smith and his wife Lady have traveled the world extensively, creating and living art in places like Croatia, Morocco and Mexico, while blogging about the best, worst and most unique bits of their journey at walkingthinice.com. They've also collaborated on a book about Smith's life entitled Stations of the Lost & Found. For more information on Smith, read his mutant bio.  Then check out his musical collaborations at reverbnation.com/mutantsmith.

Blue Graffiti - by Dianne Borsenik (CC#11)

Foto by Smith, scrawled on by JB

Blue Graffiti is a new collection of Dianne Borsenik's best haiku/senryu.  A careful hand creation, this 34-page chapbook is saddle staple bound on gray-blue card stock, printed on high quality cotton paper and features front and back cover photos by Steven Smith.  8.5 x 5.5".  Published 7 July 2011.  We created 144 copies (featuring 48 different endpaper designs). The first 96 were inkjet printed; the last 48, laser. When they're gone we will not reprint. A feast for both the eyes and mind, the print edition of Blue Graffiti is available for only $7 (US) from Crisis Chronicles Press, 535 Parkside Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 USA.  You may also order via PayPal:

Or click here, if you prefer, to buy the Kindle ebook edition of Blue Graffiti for $2.99.

J.E. Stanley, author of Dark Intervals and Rapid Eye Movement, has this to say:

Blue Graffiti rocks. I like the fact that you mixed traditional and modern haiku. It lets the poems be what they should be, rather than forcing the poems into a form which may or may not suit them. Your use of metaphor is extremely effective in this collection ("dry riverbed rocks flowing between the trees," "watching darkness / bleach minutes into day," "laughter showing in the air" and too many more to mention). Too many favorites to list, but "favorite" favorites are "dry riverbed rocks...," "bonfire" and the chilling "no guardrail." And, by the way, "Blue Graffiti" is a perfect title for a book of haiku. Excellent work!!

Click here to read Krysia Jopek's review of Blue Graffiti at The Tao of Jesus Crisis.
Click here to read reviews of Blue Graffiti at Amazon.
Click here to rate Blue Graffiti at Goodreads.

Rear cover, foto by Smith

Bio (as of 2011, from the book):

Dianne Borsenik, a former flower child and current redhead, lives with husband James near Elyria, Ohio's beautiful Cascade Park, where she found the "blue graffiti." She has had poems and haiku published in a number of journals and anthologies, including Rosebud, Slipstream, Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac and The Magnetic Poetry Book of Poetry. With poetry partner John Burroughs, she co-produces/co-hosts the Lix & Kix Poetry Extravaganza and Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest series.  Find her at dianneborsenik.com and nightballet.com.

Fever Dreams - by Yahia Lababidi (CC#10)

Fever Dreams by Yahia Lababidi is Crisis Chronicles Press' tenth poetry publication and (at the time of its release) our largest yet. Published 27 June 2011, it features over 70 pages of the poet's best and most popular works.  Perfect bound and brilliantly illustrated by John Tillson, Fever Dreams is available in a 6" x 9" paperback at the discounted price of $9.99.

If you prefer to order using cash, personal check or money order, Fever Dreams by Yahia Lababidi is available by mail for $12 US (includes shipping and handling) from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3431 George Avenue, Parma, Ohio 44134 USA. This chapbook is currently sold out.

213 paperback copies in print. Fever Dreams is no longer available in e-book format.  Paperback is out of print as of June 2015.

Sample Poems:

Click here to read "Cairo" from Fever Dreams in berfrois.
Click here to read "I Saw My Face" from Fever Dreams in Serving House Journal.
Click here to watch a short film by Swoon featuring "What do animals dream?" from Fever Dreams in Moving Poems.

Reviews:

Click here to read a review of Fever Dreams by Alex Sharp.
Click here to read Mary Clara White's review of Fever Dreams in Zouch magazine.
Click here to read an interview with the author in Tuck magazine.
Click here to read Yahia Lababidi's self interview about the book at The Nervous Breakdown.
Click here to read a review of Fever Dreams by Annalisa King (and her interview with the author) in Fluster.
 

Poet's biography (as of 2011, from the back of the book):

Yahia Lababidi is a Pushcart-nominated poet, aphorist and essayist with work appearing in such publications as AGNI, Harper's, Rain Taxi, New Internationalist and Philosophy Now. His work has also appeared in several anthologies, such as Geary’s Guide to the World's Great Aphorists, where he is the only contemporary Arab poet featured, and the best-selling US college textbook, Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. To date, Lababidi’s writing has been translated into Arabic, Slovak, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, and Turkish.  He was recently chosen as a juror for the 2012 Neustadt International Prize for Literature.

Lababidi’s first book Signposts to Elsewhere (Jane Street Press) was selected as a 2008 Book of the Year by The Independent, UK.  His latest book is a critically-acclaimed collection of twenty-one literary and cultural essays, Trial by Ink: From Nietzsche to Belly-dancing (Common Ground Publishing).

Click here to find out more about the author at Poets & Writers.
Click here to visit his YouTube channel.