Alan Squire Publishing

A Small Press With Big Ideas

Rose Solari Shares New Poem “Hunger” After Jackson Browne Solari's new poem was shared to her Facebook page on Friday. Hunger His voice is the taste of Michelob and cheap weed, a late spring evening leaning into summer in somebody’s absent parents’ rec room. Black lights and band posters. “Saturate Before Using” spinning our smoke-addled heads. Now   someone picks up a guitar, and the still- though-not-for-much-longer tenor star of our school chorus starts singing, Doctor,   my eyes, and everyone, even the metal-head kids, chimes in. We all know this singer’s story — the … [Read more...]

Baltimore Magazine Names Elizabeth Hazen an Author to Read During Social Distancing Elizabeth Hazen, author of "Girls Like Us," is named beside Dora Malech and D. Watknins as authors to read during social distancing in a new Baltimore Magazine editorial. Elizabeth Hazen addresses a packed house at Atomic Books. In a new editorial from Baltimore Magazine, Baker award finalist Elizabeth Hazen is named as an author to read "while working from home" (read: social distancing). The magazine puts her name next to other Baltimore stalwarts like the incredible poet Dora Malech and the … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri’s “Other Voices, Other Lives” Recieves Large Discount "In the darkest of times, you will encounter starlight" says Herbert Woodward Martin of the MD Poet Laureate's Legacy Book. In continued celebration of Women's History Month, we are offering Grace Cavalieri's Legacy Book, Other Voices, Other Lives which is an abridged compendium of her poetry, plays, and interviews with United States Poets Laureate, for the discounted price of 14.99. Not only is Grace Cavalieri one of North America's premier women of letters, the recipient of many awards and honors, … [Read more...]

“Girls Like Us” Reviewed in London Grip "Who or what, exactly, are “girls like us”?" Asks Charles Rammelkamp in his review of Hazen's latest collection for London Grip ELIZABETH HAZEN'S new collection, Girls Like Us, was recently reviewed by international culture magazine, London Grip. Enjoy an excerpt below, check out the full review here, and buy Elizabeth's book here. Full Review Buy Girls Like US An excerpt from the review “Girls like us” are filled with doubt. (“The Bereaved” includes the lines, ‘It was doubt // that first defined existence. Time itself / makes no … [Read more...]

International Women's Month Sale Starts Today March is International Women's Month; this week we have a sale on two collections by poet Elizabeth Hazen. IT'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S history month and We’re Having a Sale! We’re proud of our strong list of women authors, and so we’re celebrating the month of March — International Women’s History Month — with weekly special book sales on our site of poetry and prose by women. And we’re kicking off with our latest release, Elizabeth Hazen’s poetry collection, Girls Like Us. This week only, we’ve got a 2-for-1 deal on Elizabeth’s work. … [Read more...]

Catch Reuben Jackson on WPFW's Live@5 Reuben Jackson will appear on WPFW's Live@5 today to read from his new collection of poems, "Scattered Clouds" WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3rd: Reuben Jackson will appear today on WPFW's Live@5. Although the coveted spot is usually reserved for musical guests, Reuben Jackson's jazz-informed Scattered Clouds will be the focus of today's show as the author reads from his own work. Started in 1977 as a single-room broadcast, WPFW has become one of the leading voices for progressive news in the DC area. They are known for their dedicated volunteers, … [Read more...]

Elizabeth Hazen at AWP Come see Elizabeth Hazen at the world's largest writing conference. ALTHOUGH Elizabeth Hazen will not be reading from Girls Like Us at the AWP conference in an official capacity, she will be there for conversation, books on hand. The 2020 Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference in San Antonio has undergone some adveristy recently as the San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg declared a public health emergency in the Texas city on Monday. Though, according to the San Antonio Express-News, the maneuver is more about "[wresting] control of the … [Read more...]

GIRLS LIKE US Now Available on Amazon and Indie Bound Elizabeth Hazen's new collection of poems is now available from Amazon, Indie Bound, and other online booksellers. From IndieBound From Amazon From The Ivy From A Likely Story From Loyalty From Barnes & Noble From The Book Depository From ASP … [Read more...]

“Scattered Clouds by Reuben Jackson is the balm for the sting of ‘real’ American life” In the lastest review of "Scattered Clouds" Serena Agusto-Cox explores the pain and triumph in Jackson's poetry. SERENA AGUSTO-COX recently posted a glowing review of Reuben Jackson's poetry collection "Scattered Clouds" on her excellent blog Savvy Verse & Wit.  In her review, Agusto-Cox focuses on the immense tremors of pain that shake the book at its core and on the hope lingering in their aftermath: "Scattered Clouds by Reuben Jackson is the balm for the sting of 'real' American life, … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Featured in The Montpelier Bridge In her article entitled "Clouds over Vermont," Mara Brooks describes the romantic relationship between Goddard alum Reuben Jackson and his second home. “I’d seen all these postcards where there were, like, green pastures, and gazebos, and I thought, ‘wouldn’t that be wonderful?’” Jackson recalled. “Of course, being a black kid in D.C., I couldn’t tell my friends that, so I was kind of a closet pastoralist.” In this wonderful article by The Bridge's Mara Brooks, reflections by Reuben Jackson and writing by Brooks combine to create a … [Read more...]

Rose Solari’s Review of “Million Dollar Red” Lands on the Front Page of Lit Pub Gleah Power's powerful new memoir receives the thumbs up from ASP's Rose Solari. ASP'S OWN Rose Solari made waves today when her review of the much-anticipated new Gleah Powers memoir Million Dollar Red hit the front page of Lit Pub. Solari, the co-founder of Alan Squire Publishing and a working editor on almost every book we published, was more than prepared for the job of critic, penning a review that, though positive, does not pull any punches. At the end of the review, Solari gives Powers her most … [Read more...]

Joanna Revisits Greece in her New Blog Entry In her personal blog, "Thoughts on Books and Such," Joanna Biggar describes the differences between visiting and revisiting. "Visiting a foreign place for the first time offers the traveler the chance for fresh wonder and the jolt of surprise—like new love. But revisiting that place, perhaps multiple times, offers the traveler another opportunity:  to add connections through time and season rendering what was already known to layers of what is still to be revealed and the chance to find something new altogether" It's safe to say … [Read more...]

Linda Watanabe McFerrin Talks Travel and Literature on KCBX Writer Laurie McAndish King conducts this fine interview for central California's public radio station. Photo from a reading at Copperfield's Books in San Rafael WRITER AND TRAVELER, Linda Watanabe McFerrin, stopped by KCBX on Tuesday to talk about her new Legacy Book, Navigating the Divide, which collects many of her poems, short fictions, and travel essays. Laurie McAndish King, herself an award winning travel-writer and photographer, conducted the interview. In the discourse, McAndish King and Watanabe McFerrin … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Talks "Old DC" on the DC Library Podcast Reuben Jackson shares his wisdom as archivist and writer with the DC Public Library Podcast, "All Things Local." ON TUESDAY the writer of 2019's Scattered Clouds and working archivist at UDC's Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, Reuben Jackson, stopped in for a chat with the DC Public Library's radio podcast. Reuben, who studied library science at Goddard College in Vermont, shares his thoughts on the "Old DC" and reads from his new collection of poetry. This is a not-to-miss edition of the wonderful "All Things Local" … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson's Poem Cycle "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" is Featured Poetry on The Boston Review The new poem cycle debuts on The Boston Review, celebrating Reuben's love for waltz form. Reuben Jackson's new poem cycle debuts in its entirety on the Boston Review today. The poem is written in a Waltz, with each line containing three words. Kelly, the voice of the poem, makes it clear why she uses waltz form in this poem cycle in "Kelly Makes it Plain." Kelly Makes It Plain   People ask why All my stuff Has three words On each line It’s cause I Do what I Want with my How you … [Read more...]

Scattered Clouds Featured on The Poetry Foundation's December Reading List Reuben Jackson's second collection of poetry is named by editor Naomi Ayala to the December reading list. If you're a frequent reader of The Poetry Foundation's Editor's Blog, you might have seen the title Scattered Clouds appear somewhere between Samuel Miranda and The Dalai Lama on editor Naomi Ayala's December reading list. The PF reading list, simply put, is a short list of recommended reading from the editor's of Poetry. December's was an eclectic list and the tastes (and … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri talks Buddhism with "Lion's Roar Magazine" Grace Cavalieri, MD's 10th Poet Laureate and a practicing Buddhist, talks about her spiritual journey with "Lion's Roar Magazine." GRACE CAVALIERI, poet, playwright, author, educator, poet laureate, radio personality, and Buddhist. Grace Cavalieri recently spoke to Lion's Roar magazine, an English-language Buddhist publication, about how her spiritual journey in Buddhism has dovetailed with her artistic journey in poetry. Grace started practicing Buddhism after her partner of 60 years, Ken, passed away. She was named as … [Read more...]

Nathan Leslie Interviews Reuben Jackson Before the publication of "Scattered Clouds" in October, Nathan Leslie sat down with Reuben Jackson to discuss his work in literature and music. "I’ve been a music chaser all my life. When I was in grade school, I secretly longed to, say, write liner notes for albums. I’d also conduct fantasy interviews with my favorite artists. I never imagined that I would work with Duke Ellington’s papers for 20 years, for example...Some of my reviews make me wince like old high school photos. But like anything, you do your best. And hopefully … [Read more...]

ASP featured in “Six Local Indie Presses You Should Know” "D.C.’s literary scene is independent to the core..." begins local author Hannah Grieco's article on the movers and shakers of the DC publishing world featured today in the Washington City Paper. Alan Squire Publishing, celebrating its ten year anniversary in 2020, and its close collaborators make up three of the six presses Grieco interviewed for her article. Richard Peabody's press, Paycock, publisher of Gargoyle Magazine, and Andrew Gifford's Santa Fe Writer's Project (of which we are an imprint) are featured prominently … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri on Kojo Nnamdi WAMU Grace Cavalieri was recently featured on WAMU's "People we met in 2019". Listen to her appearance on the Kojo Nnamdi show earlier this year. “What I love best is the people who say, ‘After talking to you, I wrote my first poem,’” she said. “I would love to have put that little chip, that little crystal behind your heart.” — Grace Cavalieri The Maryland Poet Laureate was recently featured in WAMU's "People we met in 2019." During the inaugural year of Grace's Laureateship, Grace has received many awards and recognition for her busy speaking … [Read more...]