I have finally finished posting all the vintage glasses in the shop, as well as some more pretty frillies and brooches that I'd been storing up and just hadn't gotten round to. Sometimes I feel like I have so many plates in the air, so many ideas for new things, new poems, new programming for the studio, new ideas for press projects, new crafty fun things for me to do and make--I sometimes get light headed. I feel like I need three or four more hours in the day and that would get me by. Since it's February, I'm definitely sleeping way too much--time that could be put to better usage--10 hours a night sometimes. I am so ready for spring.

I had an excellent and productive day in the studio Friday playing hooky from work, making more chapbooks for one of our authors, finishing up labels and contents pages for billet-doux. I am still waiting on one set of letters that may have gone awol. I am already hating the USPS for other things that have not arrived--an etsy print and an order of dye. So I guess I've gotten used to it. Worse comes to worse I will mail them without it and then mail the single letter afterwards if it doesn't appear by mid-week.

now available from dgp

billet-doux
an anthology
$22.00 (s&h included)
dancing girl press, 2008
get it here.


This special dancing girl press limited edition collection of missives is sure to entice and delight. 15 poets. 15 love letters. Each piece written and designed by the poet themselves and collected in a lovely box. A volume sure to thrill the poetry and art lover (as well as the occasional voyeur.)

Each box includes letters, postcards, and prints by Jane Pupek, Erin Bertram, Bronwen Tate, Michaela Gabriel, Cecilia Pinto, Shawn Fawson, Diane Kendig, Christine Hamm, Jeannette Sayers, Suzanne Frischkorn, Annie Finch, Emma Bolden, Julie Enszer, Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis, and Kelli Russell Agodon.

girl show, the musical

listen here to the last song in the player.

A friend had some fun with this poem with Mac's Garage Band program. Though apparently he said he had a hard time with the arythmicality of the piece, that it doesn't translate well to lyrics. Damn, and there go my dreams of writing weepy emo lyrics....

And he, perhaps too, should stick to his day job.

soon

Still waiting on the final piece and finishing up the contents slip, but you can see some more teasers here...

wicked alice | winter 2008

has arrived...
Featuring work by Robyn Art, Pamela Miller, Sarah Catherine, Paula Mendoza-Hanna, Maggie Ginestra, Adam Strauss, Kathleen Kirk, Erin Elizabeth Smith, Jennifer Sullivan, and Jessica Jewell.

I am still waiting one more piece in the mail for billet-doux, that will no doubt appear tomorrow. I should be able to get the website up for orders in the morning when I'm in the studio, though, so they should be ready to go mid-week. I'm also starting work on Julia Drescher's Mock Martyrs/ Abound for which I've ordered some delicious charcoal cardstock and will be hand stamped instead of printed....The wicked alice issue is also scheduled to go up tomorrow evening, provided I can finish it before the end of the night...

I was talking yesterday to one of the current MFA students in the midst of finishing up her thesis,and realized how happy I am to not be in school. As much as I complain about how busy I am, it's all things I love and want to do. The question is just setting up a list and plowing through them. When I was in school there was always several things lingering over my head that I didn't want to do--papers, projects, etc, that impeded my enjoyment of all the other things I do enjoy. Always "well, I SHOULD be working on X, Y or Z..." even though I hated doing it. Now, except for work, which is less a thing to do than a place I have to be, my time is pretty much my own...

Though yesterday I was stuck in the library all day, the weekend was not a complete loss. I did manage to get the above lovelies finished and photographed this morning, as well as retake some pics that sucked from last week. I'm finding I like the jewelry making more and more (at least now that I sort of know more what I'm doing--nice to work with my hands instead of my mind so much.) I have more similar things I'll be posting this week. Plus more of these. There are also these little guys I'm so tempted to keep, but ceramic things never last very long around here, so they're going into the shop. I had a similar pair in green a while back, but they were in worse condition, though they still eventually sold.

now available

Brute Fact
Melissa Severin
dancing girl press, 2008
get it here

***
Tonight was an awesome time, a packed room, and we sold a ton of books. Daniela and Melissa, of course, rocked and I got to see some of my favorite Chi-town poetry peeps. Of course, now it's one project down and on to the next one. Billet Doux is shaping up to be the loveliest thing--though we may be a little late for Valentines Day, but these are definitely worth the wait. Today, I finally got to spread everything out and am so excited. Our fate hangs on the swift delivery of packages and the USPS. So I'm hoping for Monday at the latest.

whee!

We have finally decided on a cover for in the bird museum (artwork courtesy of the Dusie goddess Susana herself.) It is, of course, unbelievably cool...I cannot wait to show you. Soon.

Sweet Valentines Day Paperie Sale!!!

February 11-15th
Buy Two Notecard Sets, Get a Third Of Your Choice Free!

at dulcet.

(let me know the design of the third in the notes field when you buy..)

five random things

1)I am, if anything, a creature of habit. The counter staff at the Dunkin Donuts on Michigan has my Large French Vanilla (medium iced in summer) and blueberry muffin practically waiting for me before I get to the counter. There's something about that that freaks me out a little.

2)For some things, certain impulses I cannot control when it comes to certain men, I am SO going to hell...

3) I read arguments like this and sometimes feel as if my head if stuffed full of cotton and I can't figure out what the hell anyone is saying or why it matters as long as you write poems people like or respond to on some level. Of course I also feel like I gave up any keys to the post-avant kingdom when I name Plath and Sexton as my primary influences.

4) Sometimes, writing poetry is very hard. Sometimes not.

5)Last night I dreamed I was back in a CC poetry workshop, workshopping poems that everyone hated that I could not, for the life of me remember having written. I personally though they were pretty good and had very clever titles, none of which I remember now, but I was unusually impressed. Then there was an earthquake and we all crawled under the table. A few weeks ago I had a dream that I was meeting a daughter (now 18) I had given up at age sixteen, despite not remembering ever having given birth or even having had sex at that age. There is probably something to all this...

tomorrow

we will be hauling all things dancing girl press over to the Empty Bottle. We have big spot this time, which means we'll be able to spread things out a bit more than the last couple. There will be chaps of course, and notecards a plenty, plus paperweights, collages, and all sorts of goodies. I'm not sure I could brave your average outdoor fair, too much schlepping stuff around and possible inclement weather, but this one hardly feels like work at all. You should come and buy things. I will be the girl in the back near the stage with the rum & coke in her hand...

ten questions

no waiting..

For those very few who did not get a copy of this chap thrust forceably into your hands last summer, brief history of girl as match , and all the delectable Dusie Kollektiv chaps are now available here in highly readable .pdf.

Mostly this weekend I've been working on new pretty things for the the shop and next week for HandmadeChicago. I recently managed to get my hands on a huge lot of vintage eyewear after some rather viscious ebay bidding, so those will be in the shop this week as I add them--a few I am so tempted to keep for myself even though I only rarely need glasses. I'm also working on a bunch of sea-inspired jewelry pieces (I am so ridiculously in love with aqua quartz) as well as a bunch of velvet chokers I sewed last night whilst watching trashy horror..in this case the rather distubing, not so trashy, The Abandoned.) I also have some cool typewriter key necklaces, but I'll post them when I have better pics (I only have about a two hour window of decent light on days like this and I was losing it..the light that is in the pic, but also maybe my mind.) Alot of work the more I add to the shop--more vintage goodies, more jewelry, but it does a damned good job paying studio rent and keeping me in toner, supplies, and lovely paper products for chaps. Plus it's a helluva lot of fun...and book sales are overwhlmingly good (for poetry anyway)....maybe some day we'll actually turn a profit if I'd stop buying other books..hmmm...

Speaking of books, the Dusie Chap Spectacular is reportedly very close to forthcoming..and I'm still finding stragglers in my mailbox daily which is a treat. Also in my mailbox, the contributions for billet-doux, which are so delectable, you will just die when you see them. I swear...I will post sneak peeks this week I promise...

I am in a weird mood lately, I just want to hide in my apartment for days on end even moreso than usual which is saying alot. Some of it's weather. Winter. Some of it's personal stuff. I am finishing poems for the kissing disease--the book is coming together though there are no sections. (and still not sure if that's a brilliant or awful title for the whole collection..I go back and forth..)

it's on..

The Poetry SuperHighway Book Exchange.

You should really do it...

sweet deal

I was going to end our special deal on February 1st, but I've decided to go ahead and continue the discount through Valentines Day. You know you want to...

---

2008 Subscription


Get every single thing we publish next calendar year delivered to your doorstep for

$100 (30% off the regular price)

details here


Your subscription includes:

*16 chapbooks (including work by Daniela Olszewska, Melissa Severin, Julia Drescher, Melissa Crowe, Anne Heide, Miriam Pirone/Edward Smallfield, Kristi Maxwell, Leigh Stein, Kim Young, Danielle Vogel, Claire Hero, Melissa Culbertson, Heather Green, Emma Bolden, Kim Gek Lin Short, Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis/Caleb Adler, and Julia Cohen.) )

*1 full-length book : Dear American Love Child, Yours, The Beautiful Undead / Robyn Art & Robin Barcus (November 2008)

*2 special limited edition projects, including billet-doux (February, 2008) and another TBA.

Plus other various goodies, occasional broadsides, and our endless adoration...





After V-Day, the price will go back up to it's original $150, still a steal, but not quite so much of one...so get yours while the getting is good...