Monday, June 08, 2009

Chapbooking

This just in from Matt Henricksen:

Gang-

Maggie Ginestra is putting together a chapbook store, which she plans to run more like a low key reading room, and sent me the following note about it. We are tentatively planning a reading there, possibly for July. If any of you might want to get involved, as hosts or readers, let me know.
-Matt

Dear Cannibal:

I’m opening a teeny tiny place at 2122 Cherokee Street in St. Louis, hopefully in late July. It will mostly be a chapbook consignment shop. Also, it will be a gallery usually and a performance space occasionally. The chapbooks will not be shelved—they will constellate on little tables. Music will burble. I’m hoping to make a space that really invites people to spend time and read and be, and then I also hope they fall in love and want to take things home. There will be a reading room and snacks. I hope you’ll want to sell your work there, and that St. Louis will have access to what you do.
It will be chapbooks-only to help keep things small and intimate and perceivable and slightly unified. Also in the name of smallness, I’m asking each press to pick out just a few chapbooks from their catalogue, 3 or 4 or 7, ones that rattle and explode hearts. And just 2 copies of each title to start with. Before things get going, we’d email and be very clear and happy and arranged so that we stay that way.

I think what would happen is something simple like 1) You send me books and set the selling price 2) I sell them! 3) I send you periodic checks for 60% of everything (that is negotiable! I’ll want to help your press thrive! It just seems like what people do?) 4) I ask you for more books to sell. We refine the process.

I want to sell chapbooks because I want to hold them and read them myself and mostly because it feels like a stable way to foster a literary arts community here. Please email me with any questions or thoughts. I’d also be very grateful if you forwarded this invitation to other presses that you love.

With greatest respect,
Maggie Ginestra


Also, a new review site for chapbooks.

6 comments:

John Madera said...

Thanks for posting about The Chapbook Review!

Pam said...

Hi...I'm with toadlily press, listed at the chapbooks review site. How would I get in touch with Maggie to discuss her chapbook store? Thanks, Pam Hart

Morgan Lucas Schuldt said...

Pam,

You might get in touch with Maggie via Matt Henricksen. Good his name and you should find his blog. I'm sure you can find an email or something that way.

Best,
M

Pam said...

thanks...will do.

maggie ginestra said...

stirruppantschapbooks@gmail.com! email me pleeeez.

maggie ginestra said...

stirruppantschapbooks@gmail.com, pleeeeeez.