Award-Winning Poet Michael T. Young in Lambertville, NJ, Saturday, November 15

Poet Michael T. Young will read Saturday evening, November 15, from his brand-new collection, "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost" (Poets Wear Prada) at Panoply Books in Lambertville, New Jersey.

 

Nov. 13, 2014 - HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Award-Winning New Jersey poet Michael T. Young will read Saturday evening, November 15, at Panoply Books in Lambertville, New Jersey, from his brand-new book "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost," his second full-length poetry collection, soon to be released by Hoboken-based publisher Poets Wear Prada.



Michael T. Young, "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost"

Michael T. Young has published three other books, including his prize-winning chapbook "Living in the Counterpoint" (Finishing Line Press, 2012), an earlier chapbook “Because the Wind Has Questions” (Somers Rocks Press, 1997), and a full-length collection of poems “Transcriptions of Daylight” (Rattapallax Press, 2000). Last month, Young was named co-winner of the 2014 Jean Pedrick Chapbook Award for "Living in the Counterpoint" by the New England Poetry Club. Young has received both Chaffin and William Stafford awards for his poetry, two Pushcart nominations, and a fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Since "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost" had its unofficial launch earlier this year in May at the West Caldwell Poetry Festival, the poet as been on tour throughout his home state of New Jersey, and in New York, to promote his new book. Mr. Young, a philosopher as well as poet, who works as as administrative assistant in the corporate world, writes about self-exploration and identity in the context of his real-life observations during his daily activities. New Jersey readers will recognize many references in his poems to places traveled during his daily commute such as Pulaski Skyway and the Hudson River waterfront. In one of his poems "Announcing the Stops," Young writes: "The conductor announces over the intercom: / "This is Grove Street," 'This is Exchange Place,' / 'This is World Trade Center'; and later, / when I return home, the same conductor, / like a faithful Blakean, announces the same stops, / but in reverse, as if this made them / into another world, another darkness / outside the windows, another night / with cool air streaming shells and sand / and other relics of merciful judgment. //"

Bertha Rogers, author of "Heart Turned Back," lauds "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost" and says in his new book, "Michael T. Young leads his readers into loving the world in its beautiful day-to-dayness. He does this by showing the reader, in thoughtful and graceful language, how to look and listen."

Asked about the unusual title of his book, Mr. Young replied that it is simply the title of one of the poems included in the book. The book itself is dedicated to his wife, Chandra, "with whom every moment is a beautiful moment even when we are lost."

Michael T. Young was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He moved to New York City in 1990. Young lives with his wife and children in Jersey City, New Jersey.

A limited number of signed pre-release copies of "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost" will be available for sale at the Lambertville reading.

Panoply Books Reading Series
Saturday, November 15 @ 6PM
Panoply Books
46 N. Union St.
Lambertville, NJ

Free.
Contact: (609) 397-1145 or  info@panoplybooks.com

Panoply Books in Lambertville, New Jersey offers offbeat, rare and out-of-print quality used books, textiles, and artwork. The bookstore is open Monday through Thursday 11AM to 5PM and Friday through Sunday 11AM to 5:30PM.

Poets Wear Prada is a small literary press publishing beautifully designed, well-crafted poetry chapbooks from Sinatra’s hometown, the birthplace of professional baseball, Hoboken, New Jersey, since 2006.

For more details about how to purchase "The Beautiful Moment of Being Lost," and for additional events please visit the poet's website http://MichaelTYoung.com or his publisher's blog at http://pwpbooks.blogspot.com.

Contact
Roxane Hoffman
201.253.0561
roxy533@yahoo.com

Weinraub’s “Lapidary” — Poetry to Rock Your World: 46 Gems from Amber to Zircon Speak

New Book from Poets Wear Prada: “Lapidary,” inspired by gemstones, by poet and master storyteller Richard Marx Weinraub. Forty-six stones tell their stories and ours. Called “beautiful and peculiar” [Corral] and “a must have” [Odwitt].


HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Jack Cooper, production editor at Poets Wear Prada, today announced the official launch of “Lapidary” a new full-length collection of “formal verse” by poet Richard Marx Weinraub inspired by gemstones. “This book has been a long time coming: Richard’s previous full-length collection, ‘Wonder Bread Hill,’ appeared in 2002 — just over a decade ago. Craft continues to precede him; curiosity propels encyclopedic and astral projections of his subject. Natural science, supernatural myth, popular culture, historic events, wit, insight, and chutzpah, with pick, detonation, and loupe, by turns, tease ‘Lapidary’’s uncanny combination of unearthed and unearthly detail into an array of forty-six poetical gems — from amber to zircon — that speak their remarkable stories — and ours. These are poems to read and re-read. They are perfect! ‘Lapidary’ is singular — on a shelf by itself. Hail, Richard, King of Marx!” said Cooper.

Eduardo C. Corral, author of “Slow Lightning,” winner of the 2012 Yale Younger Poets Prize, called these poems “beautiful and peculiar.”



LAPIDARY
by Richard Marx Weinraub
Paperback: 70 pp.
ISBN-13: 978-0615833224
List: $15.00,
Poets Wear Prada: 2013

“Weinraub cracks open craft to reveal humane interiors. Fixed forms with meter and rhyme, tenderly chiseled, deftly sculpted, pulse with regret, joy and a hundred other sentiments. … These poems ‘forge a new world out of stone,’ a landscape populated by jade, garnet, and onyx with time-rich thoughts, blood-rich emotion,” said Corral.

Edward Odwitt, Connecticut writer and illustrator, described “Lapidary” as “an original and brilliant collection of poems that offers insights into the various states of human nature through the voices of different stones. This book is a must have, and it will be avidly read for years to come.”

“In ‘Lapidary’ — stones, semi-precious, precious — stones talk to you, skillfully, convincingly and you believe them, you believe them!” said Thomas Lux, acclaimed poet and teacher, and Bourne chair in poetry at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Roxanne Hoffman, publisher, said “We’re delighted to receive such enthusiastic response to the book. The poetry rocks! All the stones are ‘precious’ here — whether rock crystal or diamond, garnet or ruby, agate or emerald. Richard has taken the ‘stodginess’ out of ‘formal verse’; he employs its fixed and traditional patterns as a master diamond cutter would — to transform a seeming dull gray rock to its inherent sparkling beauty. Bravo!”

“Lapidary” is Weinraub’s second book project with Poets Wear Prada. “Heavenly Bodies,” a limited-edition illustrated chapbook of twelve poems, was released in 2008 by the Hoboken-based press. It included “Persephone’s Dream” which was nominated for a 2009 Pushcart prize. “Wonder Bread Hill,” his “sonovella” (a novella written in sonnets), was published by the University of Puerto Rico Press in 2002. A political thriller based on what may be the most explosive event in recent Puerto Rican history — the 1978 murder of two young radicals on Cerro Maravilla (Wonder Hill) and the trial that ensued — Weinraub’s 140 sonnets were translated into Spanish by Elidio La Torre Lagares. A Spanish edition, “Maravilla Rebanada,” was published by Terranova Editores in 2009.

Related to the Marx Brothers through his mother, Richard Marx Weinraub was born in New York City in 1949. He was Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico from 1987 through 2010. His poetry has appeared in many journals including “The Paris Review,” “Asheville Poetry Review,” “South Carolina Review,” “The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review,” “Green Mountains Review,” “North American Review,” “Slate,” and “River Styx.” Weinraub lives in Newark, New Jersey.

Founded in 2006, Poets Wear Prada publishes beautifully designed, well-crafted books of poetry from Sinatra’s hometown, Hoboken, the birthplace of professional baseball.

“Lapidary” by Richard Marx Weinraub (Hoboken: Poets Wear Prada, 2013), 70 pages, ISBN- 10: 0615833225, ISBN-13: 978-0615833224, list price: $15.00, is available in paperback from Amazon Books and other popular booksellers.

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Chapbook Classic Back In Print: Levenson's "Dances With Tears" POD Paperback Available November

Efrayim Levenson's "Dances With Tears" Print on Demand Edition Due Out November from Poets Wear Prada Following His Recently Released "Funhouse"

Described as a collection of "heartfelt psalms" ["Small Press Review''] and "a blast of Hasidic bebop ecstasy [Fishbane], "Dances With Tears" takes readers on a walk along a path a spiritual discovery. The new edition available November features cover art by publisher Roxanne Hoffman.

Poetry Chapbook Classic Back In Print from Hoboken Publisher

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Oct. 10, 2013 - HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Roxanne Hoffman, publisher at Poets Wear Prada, announced today the upcoming re-issue of “Dances With Tears” by poet Efrayim Levenson.  Originally printed in 2007 as a limited-edition (under 500 copies) saddle-stitched chapbook, and described as “a blast of Hasidic bebop ecstasy” by Brooklyn poet and Bensonhurst resident Craig Fishbane, the newly designed mass market paperback edition will be available this November.

DANCES WITH TEARS 

by Efrayim Levenson

(Poets Wear Prada, 2013)

Hoffman said, “This very popular and charming little book was reprinted twice after its original print run sold out with each subsequent printing selling out. How nice it will be to have the book in circulation again so that more readers can enjoy it.”  The new perfect-bound soft cover edition will be available print-on-demand, so the little book should not go out of print, again, at least not anytime soon. An initial run of fifty copies will be printed, to be signed and numbered by the author for collectors.

The new edition of “Dances With Tears” follows the recent publication of Levenson’s “Funhouse,” written while the poet listened to the music of guitarist Buckethead.

Levenson, who often composes his poems under headphones listening to music, said, “There are instrumental music interpretations involved with most of these.”  He recalls listening to Dave Schmeidler, “Skyrats Scraps,” HDS, 2002; Ensemble Ambrosius, “The Zappa Album,” Musical Heritage Society, 2001; Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, “Appalachia Waltz,” Sony Classical, 1996; Pat O'Connell, “Tikal,” Rogue Elephant Music, 2000; Prasanna, “Peaceful,” Susila Music, 2001; and John Zorn (performed by Rashanim), “Masada Rock,”  Tzadik, 2005. And of course Buckethead, “Electric Tears,” Meta, 2002, was playing when the poet wrote his poem “Electrocuted Tears.” The admiration Levenson has for these musicians is often returned. John Zorn, the American composer and saxophone player, wrote Levenson a personal thank-you note for “Mordechai’s Day at the Beach” after the poet hand-delivered a copy of the poem with his email address, the first time they met.

Levenson has collaborated with several musicians, including Dave Schmeider, Rey Scott, and others, and said he has a spoken word CD in the works.

The book's production editor, Jack Cooper, described the new front cover as "Beautiful!" Cooper had requested “something that colorfully and with Surrealist execution combines tears with rain.”  Hoffman, who is also a graphic designer, said she created the image of the young man dancing in a drizzle of tears, someone just learning to be “frum” [Yiddish for “devout” or “pious”], after googling hundreds of images of Hasidic men dancing. Levenson’s daughter Marissa took the photo of the author that appears on the new back cover.

Levenson began writing poetry in 1982.  His work is influenced by poets Lawrence Ferlingetti and Allen Ginsburg, and Chabad Chasidism, as well as by the music he enjoys.

"Dances With Tears" takes the reader on a walk along a path of spiritual discovery. The book, described as collection of “heartfelt psalms” by Small Press Review, includes the poem "& Ribbon," which was nominated for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. Rabbi Yossi Mendelson, Congregation Machane Chodesh, said “Efrayim’s poetry truly embodies the experience of a contemporary Jew who has found a very deep inspiration in his ancient roots. There is a certain freshness and bright sunny quality that comes with his pure simplicity which cuts to the very core of his growing relationship with G-d.”

Poetrymanz Press released his first collection, "For My Relations," in 2000.

Founded in 2006, Poets Wear Prada publishes beautifully designed, well-crafted books of poetry from Sinatra's hometown, Hoboken, the birthplace of professional baseball.

“Dances With Tears” by Efrayim Levenson (Hoboken: Poets Wear Prada, 2013), 24 pages, ISBN-10: 0981767834, ISBN-13: 978-981767833, list price: $12.00, will be available in paperback from Amazon Books and other popular booksellers.

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