Alan Squire Publishing

A Small Press With Big Ideas

"On the Road, Columbia, South Carolina, Spring 1959" A Poem by Reuben Jackson "There's much said in what's not said in Reuben Jackson's poetry. His cleverly sparse style often convincingly veils the complexities of which he writes, just until the poet sharply corrects our deception." Linda Stiles Those deceptions Ms. Stiles refers to above often come from Reuben's use of the child's point of view. As a child, the narrator, and reader by proxy, is looking up at the absurdity of adult interests and actions with a renewed curiosity. The narrator misses the cut of the barber's words when asked … [Read more...]

Radio Nights by Reuben Jackson ASP is proud to premier the new Reuben Jackson poem, "Radio Nights."  From Reuben: As I mentioned during the interview with Rose Solari, my childhood love for radio was two fold: It was (and still is, kinda…) a gateway to new music, and it provided programmers a chance to work with the musical qualities inherent in what we now often refer to as the spoken word. This unpublished poem is a nod (or another nod) to the magic of the medium, and a curious child’s life in Washington, D.C.  Radio Nights  Left hand working the dial quietly ….  quietly (My parents … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Reads "Second Grade" "Reuben Jackson's poems are gateways to possible worlds. With the finesse of a real sleight-of-hand artist, he transforms the truly personal—hopes, dreams, desires—into universal memories." Richard Peabody Reuben Jackson is a treasure trove of memories. In his brilliant interview with Rose Solari over on the ASP Podcast, he recalls childhood with a fully-formed, grown-into clarity. As with his poem, "fingering the keys," there is a vivacity in the memories he shares with us about second grade which seems to extend beyond puberty, college, marriage, … [Read more...]