Alan Squire Publishing

A Small Press With Big Ideas

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...]

“Melanie’s Song” Reviewed in The Maryland Literary Review Author and Baltimore native, Charles Rammelkamp writes glowingly about Joanna Biggar's newest novel in his review in MLR. Charles Rammelkamp's lovely review of Joanna Biggar's new novel Melanie's Song is up today on the Maryland Literary Review. Read an except below, the full review here, and find a preferred place to purchase the book here. "A sequel to her 2010 novel, That Paris Year, which followed five California girls on their junior year abroad, in 1962, at the Sorbonne, Joanna Biggar’s new novel follows … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson and Rose Solari to Read at the American Poetry Museum December 14th, 2019 Reuben Jackon, Rose Solari, and the wonderful Maryland poet Maritza Rivera will perform poems from their catalog at the American Poetry Museum in Washington, DC. The readings will be followed by a question and answer period. more info Sure to be a treat for the DMV poetry fan, Reuben Jackson and Rose Solari are known to have particularly excellent chemistry together, having read and worked together for over twenty years. In the early '90s Rose and Reuben were fresh poets just hitting the scene. … [Read more...]

Incoming: Early 2020 will be the first ASP Open Submissions Period This new year WE WANT YOUR POETRY AND NOVEL MANUSCRIPTS! For this, our first open submissions period, we are looking for manuscripts in two categories: full-length poetry collections and novels. We are interested in work that is well-crafted and possessed of a strong, distinctive voice. Before you submit, we suggest you review our current list, to see if your work might be a good fit for us. What we are NOT looking for on this round: Short story collections, essay collections, memoirs, and other forms of creative … [Read more...]

A Writer's Legacy: The Mission Behind the Peabody Reader and The Legacy Series The life of a small press writer can be difficult. Many writers can go their whole lives publishing only with small presses only to watch them fold and their work sit in langor out of print for years or maybe forever. LR: Linda Watanabe McFerrin, Richard Peabody, Grace Cavalieri "When we launched [The Peabody Reader] to a packed house at that year’s AWP conference, ASP co-founder James J. Patterson asked everyone in the room whose career had been assisted in some way by Richard to raise their hand. In … [Read more...]

Christmas comes early Mark A. Pritchard is a writer in the tradition of well-loved British and American authors, from E. B. White to Madeleine L’Engle, from J. R. R. Tolkien to J. K. Rowling, whose books, though directed at the young, capture the hearts and minds of readers of all ages. Billy Christmas is a boy with a man’s problems. Since his father disappeared mysteriously last Christmas, Billy’s mom has withdrawn into her grief, neglecting him and everything else. Now, in addition to his schoolwork, Billy must also keep the household running for both of them, paying the bills from … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson and Richard Peabody Featured in The Writer's Guide The Writer's Guide is the tri annual literary offering from Bethesda's The Writer's Center. See inside for an interview with Reuben Jackson and a Review of Peabody's newest collection. The Winter/Spring 2020 edition of the Writer's Guide (The Writer's Center tri-annual literary offering) is out and you can read it for FREE here to get all your DC lit news, book reviews, and information on upcoming classes and workshops at The Center. This edition features an excellent interview with Reuben Jackson on his newest … [Read more...]

Scattered Clouds Receives Glowing Review in Foreword In book reviewer Matt Sutherland's short and sweet review of Scattered Clouds by Reuben Jackson, he remarks on Reuben's use of punctuation saying "By avoiding cumbersome punctuation and the formality of capitalization, Reuben Jackson lullabies his way into treasured-voice status, quiet yet forceful." The review is, as stated, a brief one; but, in a couple of sentences Sutherland gives an accurate aesthetic assessment of Reuben's unique style. That is an achievement unto itself. You can read the rest of the review here You can buy the … [Read more...]

“Mind Grenades from a Broken Body” Richard Peabody’s Review of Miles’ Collected Poems Full title: "Mind Grenades From A Broken Body Or The Surreal Life of the Disciplined Spirit." This review appears in "The Richard Peabody Reader" in the "Reading and Writing" section. Miles circa 1980 Josephine Miles was one of the great ones--a marvelous poet, critic, gifted educator, mentor to the Beats, originator, and remarkable woman She was in fact the first female teacher to be tenured in the English Department at the University of California, Berkeley, where she spent her entire … [Read more...]

"Princess Daddy" a Story by Richard Peabody Celebrate the beloved publishing legend, Richard Peabody, and his collected best-of, "The Richard Peabody Reader," by enjoying this story from its "Home and Family" section Princess Daddy by Richard Peabody I am Princess Daddy complete with tiara and I’m en route to the Princess Planet with Twyla, my 3-year-old whirlwind of a daughter. She has constructed a spaceship out of wooden blocks to transport us. She’s wearing her purple tutu. "Where your tutu daddy?" Good question. One my wife wishes to remedy at the very next thrift sale. My … [Read more...]

Listen to Richard Peabody on The Poet and The Poem Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri, interviews Richard Peabody for her podast "The Poet and The Poem" In the first years of the Obama presidency (now seemingly so long ago) Grace Cavalieri sat down with poet, novelist, publisher Richard Peabody as part of her "The Poet and The Poem" series. During the podcast Richard and Grace discuss many things including novel writing, "tween" lit, and Richard's "Mondo" series. The section above is edited to include only the interview with Richard Peabody. The original version also … [Read more...]

Joanna Biggar talks “Melanie’s Song” and Thanksgiving Recipes with Leslie Pietrzyk The most challenging character to write and more in this short and sweet interview conducted by local luminary, Leslie Pietrzyk. Leslie Pietrzyk's brief interview with Melanie's Song author, Joanna Biggar, is now live on her personal blog. When author of critical darling Silver Girl (and favorite of many here at ASP) and local literary hero, Leslie Pietrzyk, asks Joanna Biggar to share something about her book she wants readers to know Joanna answers: "The narrator, J.J., in the first book … [Read more...]

Nuages (after Django Reinhardt), a poem by Richard Peabody Today we share a poem from "The Richard Peabody Reader" centered on fatherhood with an interesting twist in homage to the famed jazz guitarist. 1   She’s lost amidst her sleeping cubs like otters in a nature film.   One girl horizontal across the bed the other vertical with her hair fanned along my wife’s stomach.   How does she sleep?   Buttery moonlight spotlights skin. Softens everything.   I watch from the doorway.   Earlier they were like tiny animals-- fighting sleep. Melting … [Read more...]