(This is the first in an interview series: What’s Right and What’s Wrong with the Small Press World ?)

QUESTION ONE (Rauan Klassnik):  What’s right and what’s wrong with the small press world?

ANSWER ONE (Reb Livingston):   There’s a lot that’s right.  There’s thousands of gatekeepers and thousands of others sneaking in the side.  I like that.  I like that on an almost daily basis I stumble across a magazine, press or website I never heard of before.  Try as I might, I can’t keep up.  That’s good.  Nobody should be able to keep up.  I like that the traditional publishing tower is beginning to topple.  It’s time to start over.  Tear that shit down.  I’m waiting for someone to radically change how literature gets to readers.  Or what it means.  Or something I can’t even comprehend at this very moment.  Yes, it’s changed a lot already this past decade and changing right as I write this, but I’m talking about something few of us can imagine.  It’s going to come from an individual or a small group of people.  That’s the only prediction I feel comfortable making.  It’s not going to come from Amazon or Random House or Conde Nast (snort!) or a university (which these days are run more and more like wannabe corporations, despite some of the fabulous people they employ as teachers and staff).

I like that much of the indie publishing community supports one another.   I love how individuals freely share information on the how-tos of publishing, like Shanna Compton’s DIY Publishing Cooperative (currently on hiatus) or how Mathias Svalina started a blog-store, Press Press Press for indie publishers to announce their new titles.  Blog magazines like PANK, What to Wear During an Orange Alert and of course HTMLGIANT bring attention to all kinds of things going on in indie publishing.  There are indie publishers starting book review sites like Eileen Tabios’ Galatea Resurrects.  Countless individuals generously contributing to this gift economy.

That said, while the current indie scene certainly offers opportunities to many marginalized writers ignored by “mainstream” or “academic” outlets, it still manages to marginalize other writers, large, notable, important groups of writers.  Sometimes it seems like it’s just swapping one set with another.  I find it curious that the same characteristics we disdain in “big” publishing are often repeated in our own projects or in our own methods of support.  I’d like to see a broader and more in-depth consciousness in indie publishing overall, which is really saying I’d like more people to be more conscious and thoughtful, because it doesn’t operate by organizations or corporate machines, but by a mosaic of individuals, who, for the most part, have really wonderful intentions.

Speaking of intentions, one thing I don’t care for is those who enter the indie arena not because they want to participate in or create something unique and important, but as stepping stone to get their foot in the door somewhere “better.”  Of course people can do what they like and who the fuck am I to say they shouldn’t, but it strikes me as the wrong spirit, the wrong reason.  Notice in your question you wrote “small press” and responded with “indie.”  I don’t believe that one has to remain “small” or “unknown” to be independent.   If an indie press publishes a book that is wildly successful, they don’t become less independent in my eyes.  I’m not saying that writers who accept offers from “big” presses are sellouts or donkey-fuckers.  Rauan, I will attend all your fancy cocktail parties celebrating your Pulitzer in 2013 (after the apocalypse).  I like seeing indie writers reach large audiences and make money.  I like seeing indie publishers benefit.

My problem with the “stepping stone” mentality is that it lacks respect for independent literature or publishing.  It has nothing to do with artistic freedom or creativity.  That mentality approaches it as a “starter-home” that one hopes to quickly grow out and into something bigger or a first wife one trades up for the trophy with the giant knockers once one makes VP.  If you’re attracted to things like prestige and legitimacy, then get a job in the mailroom and fight it out with the other rats.  I knew a guy who started an online magazine.  While he was always proud of the finished product, he never really seemed into the day-to-day responsibilities, didn’t want to be bothered with it.  As his unpaid staff grew, I asked him why he kept with it, considering he always portrayed it as one big hassle.  He said his goal was to eventually be listed in the masthead as the “founding editor” and not have anything to do with what he considered mundane.  Or maybe he’d luck out and a university would someday take his magazine under its umbrella. This guy was in his early 30′s and already strategizing how to become emeritus (i.e. “withdrawing from active life” i.e. retiring i.e. becoming a statue that nobody pays much attention i.e. becoming the surface for birds to poop on).  That’s where his heart was–I found it all quite depressing.  All that misdirected energy.  What a miserable code to voluntarily live by.  I always hoped his heart would grow and he’d reconsider his purpose for being here.

See, I’m talking about individuals and there will always be individuals I take issue with and individuals who I absolutely love and admire.  That’s what’s both right and wrong with indie publishing.  THE FUCKING PEOPLE.

QUESTION TWO (Rauan Klassnik):  at awp 2009 (chicago) you said that men go to strip clubs so they can “take it up the ass.” do you still stand behind this statement? or?

ANSWER TWO (Reb Livingston): When I made that statement, I was enjoying myself, being silly.  It’s how I pass the time at AWP.  In fact, I doubt I would have remembered saying it the next day if you hadn’t made such a big deal about it.

It’s been my experience that when men go out of their way to disprove something I’ve said, or insist I’m “crazy,” it’s when I’m getting close to the truth.  So let it be known, Rauan, I’m on to you.

Reb Livingston is the author of GOD DAMSEL (www.goddamsel.com), YOUR TEN FAVORITE WORDS (www.yourtenfavoritewords.com) and co-editor of THE BEDSIDE GUIDE TO NO TELL MOTEL anthology series. She’s also the editor of No Tell Motel (www.notellmotel.org) and publisher of No Tell Books (www.notellbooks.org). She blogs at www.reblivingston.blogspot.com

Buy one No Tell Books title between now and Sunday, August 9, 2009 and receive a FREE tarot reading or dream interpretation! (One free reading or interpretation per customer)

If you buy a No Tell title this weekend, not only do you receive a stellar collection of poetry, you also receive FREE PSYCHIC ADVICE from me, poet and editor, Reb Livingston. This psychic advice will be dispensed via either a tarot reading or dream interpretation. BUT WAIT, THAT’S NOT ALL, if I receive any clairvoyant nuggets while I’m doing your reading or interpretation, I will share them with you AT NO EXTRA COST.

Been having a recurring dream that’s been worrying you? Then you might want to take advantage of this offer. Oh, and books and stuff.

Reb Livingston recently posted over at her blog a tour of her office where she does a lot of her work on No Tell and other things. I asked her if I could link to that post here, and she said yes.

Anyhow, above is one of the pictures she posted. If you’d like to take the tour and see more, click on over to her blog.

David Hodges

Heller, Kafka, Orwell, Vonnegut — welcome to class kids. This semester Mr. Hodges will be teaching us how horrible society is and how to maintain a negative attitude. Then we’re gonna read A Confederacy of Dunces and all kill ourselves in hopes of also being posthumously published. And don’t forget, you can use Tom Wolfe’s book as an ottoman. Lastly, we’ll finish off with a biography of Clarence Thomas, cuz there’s nothing that says justice more than a pube on a can of Pepsi.

Rating: not.

—

Reb Livingston

Despite the gayish start of all that art nouveau and origami shit, I must say the stack of books on symbols is intriguing. (Here’s my entree for The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects: UU===D ~  ~   )  The collection is borderline goth chick, but there’s something austere about it all. Now stay forever Jung and use that feather duster on yourself.

Rating: Haut

—

Darby Larson

I wanna say ‘not’ just to piss off Darby, but this shelf screams haut. Gosh: Paris review, McSweeney’s, The Believer, William Gass, Beckett, Barthelme, Brautigan, Sedaris. I even see Butler’s ‘Ever.’ Darby obviously has good taste, sans goatee. (Let’s let the Harry Potter and Cliffsnotes slide.) It’s endearing to see his Guitar for Dummies. I imagine him in his boxers on his bed, struggling over ‘Bombtrack’ by Rage Against the Machine, wondering if the revolution already happened. Darby, the only revolution you’ve experienced is the earth around the sun on your belated birthday. Suck it.

Rating: (reluctant) Haut.

A personal bit from her website:

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she now resides in the greater Washington, D.C. area with her husband and son.  Once she worked for America Online. Although that was a long time ago.

After the break begins the email interview. All pictures are taken from her own site or from her blog. I encourage everyone to check out her blog, as there are some great posts in the archives about the starting a journal, starting a press, publishing that first book, etc (look for the ‘publishing’ label). Also, don’t go away: there’s something special at the end of this post. The something special is FREE BOOKS.

Interview:

1) I read in that interview at Orange Alert that you had a hard time coming up with a title for your book of poems, Your Ten Favorite Words, and that you had a long list of alternative titles, such as Charm’s Vandalism, Uncommon Concubine, etc.

Was there any trouble with naming your son? Would you care to share other names that you and your husband considered? How did you settle on Gideon as a name?

It was the only name my husband and I could agree on. My earlier name preferences were Julian (cause I feel a strong kinship with Julian Lennon, the overlooked, suffering son), Ambrose (my grandfather’s middle name) and Oscar. Chris didn’t like any of those names, but didn’t have a single suggestion of his own, as usual. Then one evening while we were sitting in the Babies R Us, waiting for our turn to register for the long list of crap expectant parents are told they need, we flipped through a baby name book. I stopped on a page with the name Gideon. Simultaneously we both were drawn to it and knew that was the one. When you experience moments like that, you don’t question, you just go with it. Of course it helped that in further researching the name, I learned that Gideon in the Book of Judges was totally rad. He came from an unremarkable family, with no legacy, and defeated far “superior” armies not by brute strength and numbers, but by innovative ideas and tactics. That’s my kind of man.

We, er I, chose Gideon’s middle name, Hart, based on numerology. Well, Hart was my preference, but we also considered Wayne (Chris’ dad’s name), Hugh and Thor.

 

There was trouble with the name selection, but not between Chris and I. When we announced it to our family and friends at our baby shower, just about everyone freaked and yelled about it being a horrible name, how he was gonna get his ass beat in school, how I was ruining his life. My churchie, holier-than-you relatives never heard of the name before, or thought it was a hotel bible or the name of a city. One drunken relative literally drooled all over me, begging me to reconsider. It was so bad, I feared everyone was going to take their gifts back.

But Chris and I weren’t swayed. Like I said, we experienced one of those moments in the Babies R Us and did not question it.

2) When I lived in Northern Virginia, I did not get out as much as I probably should have to explore the ‘lit scene’ in DC. I attended a couple conferences at The Writer’s Center, read at Cheryl’s Gone, went to an In Your Ear reading once. That’s about it. How has the scene grown since you first arrived in Northern Virginia? And what’s up with The Burlesque Poetry Hour?

I know little about the DC poetry scene. My impression is that it’s rather segregated between schools and styles. I don’t belong to any “group” (I’m avoiding the term “clique” cause it sounds catty) so I don’t get many invites to read in DC, although I did read in DC twice in 2008, at Chery’s Gone and In Your Ear. Twice in the same year never happened before, in fact, there were only two times before that, once at the Grace Church in 2006 and the other at the Mt. Vernon Poetry Festival in 2007. People always approach me about helping them get readings in DC. Then they think I’m a total dick because I’m so useless, but the truth of the matter is that I could more easily connect them with readings in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, Austin, just about anywhere other than DC.

One of the things Carly Sachs and I did with the Burlesque Poetry Hour was mix up the poets a bit, get folks who don’t normally read together, to read together. Some people liked that, others complained cause they came to hear _____ read and then had to endure ______ and ______, who are totally uncool or weird or smelly and not who they would ever choose to hear read. Burlesque was all about innuendo and punishing snobs.

After a two year run, Burlesque is no more. Carly is in NYC and I’m too damn busy. A couple local poets expressed interest in reviving the series, which I think is wonderful and would do whatever I could to assist them, but it’s out of my hands. Although I do miss punishing the snobs.

3) A little over four years ago you and Molly Arden officially announced the beginning of No Tell Motel. Over those four years of running the journal, what have you ‘learned’ about publishing? How has the journal changed since 2004?

I don’t know if the journal has changed much since 2004, except both the range of poets and audience are constantly expanding.

I think we’re going to give the magazine a surface make-over in 2009, nothing major, just the art. While most women and some men understand and appreciate the many nuanced facets of a pretty lady in thigh high boots sitting on a motel bed holding a martini, it’s forever being misunderstood. I understand being misunderstood is part of life, but I don’t feel like it warrants the number of penis poems we receive. It’s starting to affect our love lives.

We do have a blog now and an intern named Kurt who helps with that.

4) Guest question from Mike Young, whose poems you will feature in March at No Tell Motel: “You work on No Tell, publish books, orchestrate your family, regularly blog, and still (theoretically) find time for your own work. Do you have any time management tricks or strategies?”

Hi Mike! My secret is lemons and Mop N Glow! Hah, just kidding. I’m a lime lady. Stick your lemons in your ass, why don’t you.

Not to sound June Cleaver, but my son is always my top priority. I will wipe a boogar from his nose before I work on a galley or write a poem.

My own poems are always what gets short-changed, although I’m close to finishing my next book, God Damsel. I just need a couple weeks of (relatively) uninterrupted time. Since that’s not in the cards for me anytime this decade, it means I need to stay up working until 2 or 3 a.m. on a regular basis.

Because my own poems pay the price for my many projects, I’m usually cranky and hate other poets. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I constantly re-evaluate what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, how I’m expending energy and towards whom. For instance, I loved doing Burlesque, but I gave two years and it was time to let that go. Figuring out childcare so I could attend was a project itself. Another example, Molly and I used to read No Tell subs most months out of the year, but now our reading period is only two months. I’m publishing fewer titles per year at No Tell Books. I tend to enter projects with ridiculous expectations, kill myself trying to reach them and then have a Jesus moment where I realize, hey, maybe I don’t have to operate like an asshole. Of course once you demonstrate you can indeed accomplish an assholian task, certain people take for granted that you won’t learn your lesson and will continue doing so. These people will try to guilt you into doing their projects or books or whatever, no matter how much you try to explain that you’re really at your limit and can’t do anymore. It’s the asshole calling the asshole asshole. Discovering exactly which asshole you are in the scheme of things takes years of therapy.

These days I turn to my dreams. They always point out where I need to focus and improve my life. They tell me the things I don’t want to hear. They tell me who’s my ally and who I need to disconnect from my tit.

5) About your first MFA program, you blogged: “Every week I’d turn in a poem and half of the time when I’d get it back, there would not be a single comment on it, just a hand-drawn smiley face. That’s it. A fucking smiley face. If all I needed was a smiley face, I could have saved all that tuition money and just handed poems into my second grade teacher.”

If you could run a poetry workshop without any limitations, how would you do it? What would the semester be like?

I have never taught — ever. I don’t have the slightest clue how one teaches poetry. I rarely think about it.

Which is why every Thursday from April 16 to May 21 I’ll be teaching the following course at the Writers’ Center in Rockville, MD:

Kooky Creation and Radical Revision

This workshop will focus on non-traditional, unorthodox ways to create and edit poems such as “inspired” translations, collage and alchemical revising. Exercises will be designed to push students out of their writing comfort zones in attempt to generate different types of works than they’re used to writing. We will also apply radical makeovers to existing poems in the hope to transform them into something completely new. This class is for the poet who finds him/herself in a writing rut and is ready for a dramatic change in process and result. Not recommend for the adventure-queasy or for poets perfectly satisfied with their current writing style.

Sign up now. I get paid by the student!

6) What is your favorite drink?

Tears, preferably my own.

So that’s it.

Thanks Reb for taking the time to answer these questions.

And thanks everyone for reading. Reb has kindly agreed to put up a special deal, a (Reb)ecca Book Giveaway, to promote No Tell Books: her book Your Ten Favorite Words and Rebecca Loudon’s Cadaver Dogs.

All you have to do is send in an email titled (REB)ECCA BOOK GIVEAWAY your name and mailing address to htmlgiant [at] gmail.com by midnight tonight (CST). I will randomly select a winner using some sort of random number generating system and announce that here tomorrow.

UPDATE – Winner of the (Reb)ecca Book Giveaway is Brad Green. Thanks to those who emailed in – keep a look out for future giveaways.