Alan Squire Publishing

A Small Press With Big Ideas

Inside the Industry: The Wonderful World of Galleys Joanna Biggar's new book has just gone to galley, but what does that mean? "Melanie's Song", the latest from Joanna Biggar, is out on October 1st, 2019 A galley, put simply, is a proofing copy. Doggy-eared, coffee-stained, and scribbled  on with bright red pen, the galley is the penultimate stage before publication where all the smallest details of a manuscript, disregarded during the writing and organizing process, are scrutinized by fastidious copy-editors and a team of eager-to-help friends of the author. Because it is … [Read more...]

Remembering W. S. Merwin Grace Cavalieri's Two Interviews with the Literary Giant On Friday we lost one of America's greatest literary voices. W.S. Merwin was 91 years old. Grace's first interview with W.S. Merwin: Grace and Merwin 1 Grace's second interview with W.S. Merwin: Grace and Merwin 2   On Friday we lost a true hero of American poetry. Dignified from beginning to end, W.S. Merwin was not only one of America's finest literary exports, but one of its most prolific (an almost impossible feat for any career artist). During his life, Merwin published over 50 books of … [Read more...]

Fiddlin' Around in Ireland a Travel Essay by Linda Watanabe McFerrin We were at Maggie’s, a pub on Kiernan Street in Kilkenny, and the devil was panting at Anthony Macauley's elbow, for the Irish lads were dueling it out with the musicians from Cornwall and the fiddles were smoking. The four musicians from Cornwall had their backs to the dark plank wall.  Portraits of Yeats and Shaw frowned down on them. "I'm going to have to number these tunes," muttered the Cornish fiddler. "There's no point; you can't count," taunted one of the Irish lads. And so it went with the fiddles … [Read more...]

An Interview with Elizabeth Hazen, Baltimore Poet and 2019 Baker Award Finalist "Baltimore is a small city; it is almost impossible to leave the house without running into someone you know. Until I moved here, I never experienced a strong connection to a place, but after almost 20 years here, I feel Baltimore, with all of its quirk and contradiction, is part of my identity." Last week Baltimore poet, Elizabeth Hazen, was announced as a finalist for the 2019 Baker Award in literature. Baltimore poet, Elizabeth Hazen's first collection of poems is entitled Chaos … [Read more...]

Elizabeth Hazen Announced as a Finalist for the 2019 Baker Award Elizabeth Hazen (left) with Santa Fe Writers Project founder, Andrew Gifford The 2019 Baker Award finalists have been announced! The Baker Awards are the premier honors for artists working and living in the greater Baltimore area. Past awardees in music include jazz pianist and music club stalwart, Lafayette Gilchrist, and avant garde pedal steel virtuoso, Susan Alcorn. Winners of the Baker Literary prize include poet and Iowa Writer's alum Dora Malech and novelist Timmy Reed. This year, ASP's own Elizabeth Hazen, … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri's February 2019 Exemplars of Poetry Every month for the Washington Independent Review of Books, the Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri, author of Other Voices, Other Lives, does a round-up style review of the best recently released independent books of poetry and books about poetry. February 2019's review features 8 books ranging from exciting newcomer, Sam Ross, to long-dead literary stalwart, Charles Bukowski (whose new collection, edited and compiled by Abel Debritto, is titles On Drinking) Read the full February 2019 round-up HERE … [Read more...]

Throw Back Thursday: James J. Patterson's "Jesse Lancaster Remembers" One of Patterson's most intimate and psycological scenes is featured today on ASP's Throwback Thursday. But it is a deviation from the normal tone of his personal essays. James J. Patterson with his first book, the essay collection "Bermuda Shorts." Myra Sklarew once said of reading James J. Patterson that it is "like sitting down with a very intelligent friend and having the kind of conversation you’d always wanted to have." James J. Patterson is best known for personal essays like "Lovesick Lake" with its … [Read more...]

A Great Evening at a Great Indie Bookstore (Who are the Wanderland Writers?) Recently, The Wanderland Writers have been hosting a myriad of reading events and writing workshops throughout California. Lately on the ASP page we've been posting a lot of events for the Wanderland Writers. Most of these are in California, and generally they are workshops geared toward travel writers. WW put out books as well: anthologies for the most part. Their latest book Wandering in Cuba; Revolution and Beyond features contributions from several writers detailing their … [Read more...]

Featured Audio: Rose Solari Reads "The Beginning , 1939" "Rose's voice is as much a part of the journey as the text. Her understanding of (and love for) the music within language is entrancing-haunting, and delightful. It moves me like love itself." Reuben Jackson In "The Beginning, 1939" Rose Solari's mastery of recitation is put to the music of her capricious mother and the frantic hopes of her father who wishes to leave "no long, tight pauses for her to fill." I've written before about Rose's use of swing and rhythmic motifs in her work, elements which are alive in this poem, … [Read more...]

Mikaela Lefrak Examines the Life of Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri In a new piece for the WAMU website, Mikaela Lefrak takes a deep dive into the career and day to day of Maryland's 10th Poet Laureate. The beloved Grace Cavalieri "contains multitudes" according to Mikaela Lefrak in her newest article from WAMU taking a look at the life and career of the 10th Poet Laureate. And Ms. Lefrak treats her subject with the due respect of a life which cannot be covered succinctly in 500 words. She delivers a reverent tourists' view of Grace Cavalieri's life, hitting the big things: … [Read more...]

Listen to Grace Cavalieri on the Kojo Nnamdi Show Grace Cavalieri's interview on the Kojo Nnamdi show is now up on the WAMU website Grace Cavalieri's recent stop at NPR's The Kojo Nnamdi show is now streamable HERE Over a substantive 22 minutes, listen to Grace talk about poetry, inspiration, and her plans as the 10th Maryland Poet Laureate. Other Voices, Other Lives: A Grace Cavalieri Collection is a selection of poems, plays, and interviews drawn from over forty years of work by one of America’s most beloved and influential women of letters. The author of 23 books of poetry and 26 … [Read more...]

The Prologue of "That Paris Year" is POETRY Rethink your definition of poetry, Joanna Biggar's prologue to her first novel "That Paris Year" is an absolutely breath-taking vision of California and the city of love. Excerpt from the Prologue of "That Paris Year" How can I convey to you what this is like? It’s been only ten years, but it seems a hundred since I walked this shaded street, passing the open grassy quad, the somnolent ivied walls, the buildings and bell tower beyond where California Spanish makes an impressionist’s blur of whitewash splashed with red tile, orange … [Read more...]

MLK Video: Reuben Jackson narrates "March" by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin Hear Reuben Jackson narrate from "March: Book One" in honor of MLK day. If the video is not working, you can follow THIS link to stream it. Happy MLK day! We are super excited to finally see Reuben Jackson's long awaited narration of March: Book One co-written by congressman and civil rights activist, John Lewis. And it does not disappoint. The narration above is paired with visuals from the graphic novel which was illustrated by Nate Powell. For more information, we did a story last week on … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Narrating Graphic Novel "March" for MLK inspired Concert In-house ASP wordsmith and noted Jazz Scholar, Reuben Jackson, will be narrating March: Book One, written in part by sitting Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, for the Vermont Youth Orchestra's celebratory performance of Duke Ellington's Three Black Kings (which includes an ode to MLK) and Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony (which takes inspiration from African American spirituals). Amy Lilly wrote beautifully on the subject over on Seven Days an independent journal in Vermont. You can check out her … [Read more...]

Featured Poetry: "Winter Funeral" by Elizabeth Hazen Fully embracing what the lyric mode does best, Hazen provides the readers with brief, intense poems that preserve a suspended moment in time, attempting to record the thought processes and emotions of the speaker much like tree rings reveal drought, heat, and age. With astonishing clarity and concision, Hazen explores the mysteries of our realities—which are ultimately beholden to entropy. —Charlotte Pence, Kenyon Review Winter Funeral The embouchure opens to the unknown of ocean, the horizon’s deceptive line. It unfolds … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Set to Appear on the Kojo Nnamdi Show Jan 23rd Recently Governor Larry Hogan announced that Grace Cavlieri, poet, playwright, and long time host of NPR's The Poet and The Poem, would become Maryland's next Poet Laureate, succeeding the great Stanley Plumly. Now after being inaugurated, one of her first stops is The Kojo Nnamdi show. Kojo Nnamdi has been hosting his show on WAMU for 20 years, so he and Grace are kindred spirits in that regard--Grace has hosted The Poet and The Poem for over 40 years. All in all the intrigue is laid: a long-time radio host and poetry … [Read more...]

2019 Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri Reads "Work is My Secret Lover" “We’re honored to have Grace Cavalieri join the distinguished ranks of Maryland’s Poet Laureates. Her lifelong passion for and dedication to poetry and the arts is nothing short of astounding, and I’m confident Marylanders will enjoy her readings and develop a greater understanding and appreciation for poetry through her service.” - Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan Governor Hogan recently announced Maryland's ninth Poet Laureate to be the incomparable Grace Cavalieri. In his press conference regarding the announcement … [Read more...]

ASP Author's Gift Guide for Book-Lovers Part 3: The Scholar, The Teacher, and The Godfather A Sampling of Music, Mythology, and Books that Touch the Heart   Reuben Jackson Poet Reuben Jackson is also an acclaimed jazz scholar, and an expert in all things musical. We asked him to list 5 great books for music lovers. His new collection, scattered clouds, is out from ASP in 2019.   Debussy: A Painter in Sound, by Stephen Walsh, Alfred A. Knopf My only quibble with this biography of the great French composer is that the inclusion of technical music jargon … [Read more...]

Hear Mark A. Pritchard Read from "Billy Christmas" Pritchard’s debut novel is a magical treat in the grand tradition of children’s Christmas tales – he’s a natural storyteller, whose characters will engage and delight even the most hard-hearted scrooge. — Kate Whiting, Worcester Book Reviews “We have things to discuss” the Christmas tree says to Billy in the dark of the living room after bemoaning its fairy light binds. Billy’s mother is sick in bed, his father is missing, and the pine tree he was given by the charitable proprietor of his local stand is about to thrust him into a magical … [Read more...]

ASP Author's Gift Guide for Book Lovers Part 2: The Explorer, The Poet, and The Cosmopolite This week, it’s travel books, mysteries, and books related to Northern California. Linda Watanabe McFerrin Linda Watanabe McFerrin's ASP Legacy Series poetry and prose collection, Crossing the Divide, is forthcoming in 2019. Co-founder of the Wanderland Writers Anthology series, Linda has traversed the globe more times than we can count. Here are her picks for the travel lovers on your list:     West with the Night, by Beryl Markham, North Point Press. Beautifully written … [Read more...]