Alan Squire Publishing

A Small Press With Big Ideas

Who's Afraid of Richard Peabody? An Introduction to the Indie Legend As Small Press Week approaches we decided to take some time to pay tribute to one of the original indie lit heroes in Richard Peabody. James J. Patterson (Left) and Richard Peabody share a laugh at the 2019 ASP launch party. This year's Small Press Week (sponsored by our friends over at SFWP) will run from November 30th to December 6th. Since Alan Squire Publishing is 1.) a small press (big ideas notwithstanding) 2.) runs the Legacy Series, a project dedicated to longtime friends of indie publishing and 3.) … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Blends Art Mediums at this Special Event On November 10th, the Poet Laureate returns to St. John's College to perform in this unique blend of poetry and music. As an active Poet Laureate and ambassador for the arts, Grace Cavalieri is no stranger to the mixed medium. Her own artistic career has certainly taken many unorthodox and creative turns into and out of genre and form. Her poetry often has the feel of high drama, and many times it is the case that from her poetry comes theater. Such is the case of her 2010 play Anna Nicole: Blond Glory, Anna Nicole being the … [Read more...]

Rose Solari Tackles NaNoWriMo Author Rose Solari takes a relaxed approach to National Novel Writing Month National Novel Writing Month (AKA NaNoWriMo) is now in full swing with many a bleary eyed creative furiously typing dawn to dusk or until carpal inevitably benches them (carpal tunnel release is our Tommy John’s). Their goal: 50,000 words by the end of the month AND a publishable manuscript, at least in spirit. With the myriad articles on NaNoWriMo burnout, on “slogging through” the challenge, and on just finishing a manuscript, Rose Solari has decided to use NaNoWriMo in her … [Read more...]

Lost in Okefenokee A Travel Tale by Linda Watanabe McFerrin When I was a blithely disobedient little girl, my father would always threaten, with a malignant air, to throw me into the Okefenokee Swamp. He could not know then, and doesn't know to this day, I'll bet, how thrilling a prospect that seemed. O-k-e-f-e-n-o-k-e-e. The very name was magical, and I rolled it around in my mouth with other delicious words like "Ubangi" and "Kilmanjaro." It is possible, in fact, that my unspoken desire for that forbidden place was the secret font of all my future misbehaviors. Years passed, and I … [Read more...]

Halloween Giveaway (UPDATE) Linda Watanabe McFerrin's Halloween Giveaway now applies for most any online retailer*. This Halloween, author, Linda Watanabe McFerrin, in partnership with ASP is giving away free copies of her sophomore novel, Dead Love, with every purchase of her new book Navigating the Divide. Before now the deal only applied to purchases from the ASP online store, but, we are happy to announce that we are extending the giveaway to purchases from other online retailers* as well. Just send your receipt and address to alansquirepr@gmail.com upon completing your … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Talks New Book, Local Poetry Scene with City Paper In his recent interview conducted by Hannah Grieco for the Washington City Paper, Reuben ruminates on the difficulties of writing "Scattered Clouds" and on the robust DC poetry scene. Writer and DC literary citizen, Hannah Grieco, recently sat down with Reuben Jackson and three other DC poets for a conversation as part of an article she was writing on the local poetry scene. The consensus: it thrives. The poets like Reuben Jackson, Seema Reza, and Jose Padua who lead the way for DC poetry write verse that notably … [Read more...]

Author, Leslie Pietrzyk, Interviews Reuben Jackson How "Scattered Clouds" got its title and more in this short and sweet interview of Reuben Jackson conducted by local luminary, Leslie Pietrzyk. Leslie Pietrzyk's brief interview with Scattered Clouds author, Reuben Jackson, is now live on her personal blog. Author of critical darling Silver Girl (and favorite of many here at ASP) and local literary hero, Leslie Pietrzyk, is the perfect person to prod Reuben Jackson into talking strictly of his own work. There are no anecdotal digressions nor educated musings on Herbie Hancock and … [Read more...]

Linda Watanabe McFerrin's Halloween Giveaway A deal to reanimate for... The Giveaway From now until November 1st, any purchase of Linda’s new Legacy Book, Navigating the Divide, from the ASP online store or any other online retailer* will include a copy of her sophomore novel, the zombie tale, Dead Love (while supplies last). *send your receipt to alansquirepr@gmail.com Dead Love "Linda Watanabe McFerrin does for ghouls and zombies what Anne Rice did for vampires: made them intelligent, original, fresh and unforgettable." Zombies in Japan? You bet your life! Dead … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Receives an ANNIE Award for Literary Arts MD Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri just recieved an ANNIE award for her contributions to literary arts. It adds to a long list of literary accomplishments. Grace Cavalieri Holding up the Anne Arundel County Arts Council Award for Literary Arts or ANNIE At 87 years old, poet Grace Cavalieri shows scant signs of slowing down. Yesterday, on a rainy coastal night in Annapolis, Maryland, Grace was presented with a 2019 ANNIE award for her immense contributions to the literary arts in Anne Arundel County. WYPR's Andy Bienstock … [Read more...]

The Best of Linda and Joanna's Recent Reddit Q&A The writing team talked travel and travel-writing on their debut Reddit AMA last week Recently writers and travel partners Linda Watanabe McFerrin and Joanna Biggar participated in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" wherein they fielded questions from the users of r/travel, the largest travel forum on website reddit.com. Here are the best answers from the travel-writing duo: Have you ever been afraid that you might be imprisoned yourself when traveling? Joanna Biggar: Funny you should ask! Once when trying to escape from Goa on a … [Read more...]

Some Takeaways from Last Night's Book Launch Last night ASP hosted a book launch for its 2019 titles at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Here are some takeaways from the party. A Young Lot Celebrating the 2019 Launch (all photos courtesy of Hankins-Lawrence Photography) The Indie Community is Thriving in the DMV Over eighty people came out to Bethesda last night to see Reuben Jackson, Linda Watanabe Mcferrin, and Joanna Biggar read from their new books. The applause was thunderous and laughter spread infectiously through the crowd lending a warm, room-filling … [Read more...]

ASK ME ANYTHING: 2 ASP Authors to Host Reddit AMA Joanna Biggar and Linda Watanabe McFerrin will answer your travel and travel-writing questions in tomorrow's reddit AMA (Open to all) Tomorrow, October 9th, from 12:20-2:00pm, travel-writing partners, Linda Watanabe McFerrin and Joanna Biggar, will be hosting an AMA on reddit.com's r/travel. An "Ask me Anything" or "AMA" is an open period where the users of online forum, Reddit, can ask questions of a specific person (or duo in this case). Here is astronaut Chris Hadfield's AMA  and President Obama's The "Anything" part of an … [Read more...]

MELANIE'S SONG is "Riveting", "Unputdownable" In a new "Literary Review" article, Professor of English, Nandini Bhattacharya, discusses the storytelling virtues of Joanna Biggar's newest novel. In Nandini Bhattacharya's review of Melanie's Song for "The Literary Review" posted earlier this week, she focuses on the novel's non-traditional story-focus: "...What distinguishes Biggar’s novel from the traditional hero’s journey narrative and in fact makes it more satisfying and significant is that [the main character] undertakes a hero’s journey not for her own … [Read more...]

They're Here! Welcome October with three new titles from Alan Squire Publishing now available for order. Order NAvigating the Divide Order Scattered Clouds Order Melanie's Song It's time! ASP's three 2019 books are finally ready to order from your favorite online booksellers (including Alan Squire Publishing *wink*). And don't forget that you are cordially invited to our book launch party at The Writer's Center in Bethesda. There will be refreshments, curated snacks for every dietary restriction and prescription, a whole lot of … [Read more...]

Rose Solari Came of Age as a Teacher at "The Writer's Center" In this short essay, Rose Solari muses on her time as a teacher working in the early '90s at Bethesda's up and coming "The Writer's Center", and on how a recent reconciliation led our 2019 book launch back to The Center. Rose Solari addresses a crowd at The Writer's Center. "I came into my own as a poet in graduate school. But it was at The Writers Center that I truly came of age as a teacher." Rose Solari I can no longer remember when I first heard about The Writer’s Center.  If you were a young, aspiring … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri and Other MD Poets Honor Stanley Plumly on Midday W/Tom Hall Elizabeth Spires and Michael Collier join Cavalieri in remembering the great Maryland Poet. The late Stanley Plumly (University of Maryland) Stanley Plumly, former Maryland Poet Laureate, Guggenheim Fellow, Capote awardee in literary critisism, PEN awardee in biography, Paterson Poetry awardee, LA Times Book Prize winner, passed away April 11th, 2019 at his home in Frederick, Maryland. He was 79 years old. Not only an artist but an educator as well, Stanley Plumly led the University of Maryland Creative … [Read more...]

"Melodic Recollections of Notable Musicians: Stories from the Stacks" Reuben Jackson on VPR Reuben Jackson discusses his twenty years working for the Smithsonian's Duke Ellington Collection in this hour long talk he gave over the Vermont Public Radio Airwaves in 2013. A baby-faced Duke Ellington fingering the keys "This isn’t HBO so I won’t go into any of the funny things I may have seen." Reuben Jackson thinks that hindsight is kind of funny, though in a disruptive way. That once you reconnect with a person you once were, you often end up not as smooth and contiguous a person … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri’s QUILTING THE SUN “Shines at Theater For The New City” NYC's Theater for the New City opens Grace Cavalieri's play "Quilting the Sun" to rave reviews. (directed by Shela Xoregos) "Step aside, Joseph; your amazing technicolor dreamcoat has some serious competition." Derek McCracken Art from Theater for the New City The Maryland Poet Laureate's 21st play, "Quilting the Sun"-- which was presented at the Smithsonian Institution and received its world premiere at Centre Stage, S.C.--is currently being performed by New York's amazing Theater for the New City. The … [Read more...]

Linda Watanabe McFerrin Interviewed in PANK Asian-American author, Leland Cheuk, sits down with Linda to discuss her own Japanese-American heritage and experience. Read the full interview here Excerpt from the Interview Cheuk: I loved the poem “Legacy” in which you write: “I’ve thrown out the kimonos, the costumes and robes / I’ve made a new self out of flowers and surgical steel / a shiny new self that blooms every spring / And I’ve cast all the ancestors / back over the sea”. Have you felt constrained by your heritage in your writing (or in the publishing of or … [Read more...]

INCOMING: The 2019 Book Launch is One Month Away! Join us at the writers center in Bethesda for the launch of three new books from ASP. Interesting story: The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland is where the co-founders of ASP, Rose Solari and James J. Patterson, first met. At the time Rose Solari was leading a poetry workshop there, while James J. Patterson studied the personal essay under former WaPo journalist and current novelist, Joanna Biggar. Interesting story Pt. 2: The last time ASP launched a book from the writer’s center was in Autumn, 2010. There, introduced by Rose … [Read more...]