“What sets this title apart is that it works from a level “one up” from the bulk of its contemporaries..” – EN/SANE World

Read the full review here.

“The sooner we open up to what is closed,
the greater the diminishing of confusion.”

~ Ana Callan, “Poem Title,” Duet with Hummingbird

Devoted divas of dark humor and pissed-off lovers of Jean Luc the cat’s (pissed-on) escapades, we are pleased to introduce our esteemed author, m.m. garcia, to the likes of Shakespeare and Spamalot, Queens and jaunty man-tights, bangers and mash. Yes, yes, our favorite voice of all things sleek-cheeky is now in London, and she will be gracing us with a monthly message via postcard to honor that public system that makes such an impression in the Dame Rocket Press favorite Hate Mail. The official website, ilovehatemail.com will also be undergoing some changes to reflect this new chapter in our less sweet / more meat prose. First installment to arrive in December, so stay in touch…or else.

By guest writer Wendy Dwyer

It’s a Bird!

Congrats and cigars are in order; the newest addition to the Three Muses Press family is scheduled to hit the bookshelves nationwide this December. Duet with Hummingbird, an anthology of poetry by Ana Callan, with paintings by Lori Presthus, has just come back from the printer, and everyone is pleased with the result.

Duet with Hummingbird is a celebration of new beginnings for published author Callan, a Portland resident and sometime writer for the Oregonian. Callan suffered a nearly fatal accident with a logging truck in 2000, and since then has rededicated herself to her first love: poetry. In Duet with Hummingbird, she addresses love, death, and individuality through the spectrum of nature. To learn more about the author and artist, visit the Three Muses Press online catalog. Check out “Full Moon, Spent Moon” and Lori Presthus’ beautiful artwork in an excerpt of the book.

By guest writer/editor Rosie McKinlay

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for book lovers. With only a few days between the Publisher’s Association of the West (PubWest) conference last week and Wordstock Festival the previous weekend, our city has been a frenzy of reading material since the month began, even more so than usual.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

“Oh, I’m going to be a panelist at the PubWest Conference.”

2008’s PubWest conference was held at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel, which was temporary home for publishers from all over the country. For the last session of this year’s conference, publisher Gibbs Smith hosted a question and answer session with college and high school–aged students about our reading habits, our likes and dislikes, and our thoughts on new wordy technological advances (the Kindle™ reading device was a hot topic.) How special did I feel to have this honor? Extremely. With a name tag and a microphone, I felt at one with the publishing world. And though the sound of my own voice magnified across the Pacific Northwest Ballroom was alarming, I felt surprisingly comfortable. The audience was welcoming, and it was fun to offer my/our brains for the picking. And then they fed us!

For an aspiring editor, the networking opportunities were bountiful, and I hope to attend the conference next year.

If you went to Wordstock Festival 2008, there’s a good chance you left in a state of literary bliss with a bag full of McSweeney’s magazines, small press business cards, and clever bookmarks (book dart, anyone?). The great thing about Wordstock is the sheer volume you are exposed to. Plop down at any stage at any time and you can’t avoid enlightenment. Wander the rows of booths and become a publication expert in a matter of hours. I volunteered on the Author Team this year and was blessed with the opportunity to escort the likes of John Hodgeman and Jonathan Coulton from the VIP room to the Powell’s Stage.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to really feel the festival, to understand how much work goes into it and how important an event like this is. I recommend it for Wordstock 2009. There is a variety of jobs that get you inside all aspects of Wordstock—from the information booth to the sound booth. Whether you wish to hobnob with the authors themselves or just to discover one who will become a favorite, Wordstock has something for everyone. A good time for all or your (mere) five dollars back.

The bookworms of Portland have gone home to read for now, but isn’t it lovely to live in a city that houses events like Wordstock and the PubWest conference? And isn’t it nice to know that the book, in whatever form, is alive and well?

As much as we believe in exploring new ways to spread the written/published word, we still believe in the effectiveness of some good, old-fashioned, voluntary feedback. A little communication can go a long way toward achieving desirable results for all, and we intend to offer just that to the hard-working planners of Wordstock. In fact, we want to get a direct response from them in our next newsletter in a few weeks.

In the meantime, we invite you to do your part by participating in this short, 8-question survey about your Wordstock experience. Consider it the first step in getting to know each other while contributing to a good cause—the spread of book love and peace and maybe even dibs on those cool lil’ Wordstock buttons next year! Just click on the link below, and follow the directions.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228JU2X8NRX

Thanks for your extra efforts (in advance), and please stay tuned for the results in our next newsletter.

You’ve waited patiently for several weeks to learn the results of Ink & Paper Group’s 2008 WORDSTOCK BIKE GIVEAWAY, and now the triumphant moment is finally at hand! One of you will soon be riding your sweet new wheels throughout the streets of Portland, rain in your face and petroleum woes winding down with the water in the gutters.

So, without further delay, we wish to congratulate YASMINE BRANDON, this year’s lucky winner! We will be contacting you before the holiday this week, Yasmine, to discuss the details for claiming your prize.

As for the rest of you, many, many thanks to one and all who stopped by our booth to say hello, to browse, to sign up for our mailing list, and/or to test your hand at a two-wheeled fate. We’re sorry that we don’t have enough bikes for each of you, but we do hope you’ll stay on our mailing list to learn of the other opportunities at Ink & Paper Group—the ones you likely heard us chatting (droning on?) about during the festival. Yes, we like to mix things up by bringing publishing to the people! And we believe that can be done by more than traditional publishing alone.

So, please, stick around! You are now a part of our community: a lively, creative, passion-filled bunch who are captured always on the notion that there’s more to publishing than ink and paper. And there’s more to Ink & Paper Group and its local publishing comrades than one weekend festival and one shiny new bike. Join us for this inside look twice a month and, if nothing else, give us a chance to renew your faith in those darned business card bowls at conferences. Perhaps you’ll find that your (book) luck has only just begun!

(By the way, you can start this new friendship with us by taking our quick, 8-question survey about your Wordstock experience. We intend to share the results with Wordstock officials to generate an even better festival next year. Win-win, right?)

“The humor and interactions drew me through.” – Comics Worth Reading

Read the full review here.

“The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.”

~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton

By Jen Weaver-Neist

So, you’re down to the wire with getting your Wordstock booth and/or networking materials in order, but you’ve been so darn busy, right? There’s always something that requires our attention in this business, and many of us are quite familiar with wearing a variety of publishing hats. Yes, I could start my local shopping plug with area chiropractors and massage therapists, who’d make a sweet living on treating us for the pain and strain of these hats on our spines—maybe even as much as costume companies made on Governor Palin costumes this Halloween!

There’s no need to fear or to feel badly, as now is the perfect opportunity for you to branch out into the local neighborhood to tap those friendly resources just down the street. (We’ve talked about the benefits of this before!) With the economy being what it is, and with many of our jobs employing laborers overseas, you can consider this a bailout package that actually supports the local marketplace while spreading the goodwill of days gone by. After all, Portland’s Joe the Printer needs to eat, too!

Just last week, I connected with a digital printing company that is literally 300 steps away from our offices (150 if chased). Precision Digital Printing offers a quick turnaround and a witty staff (just ask for Derek), in addition to affordable, quality printing. You can get 250 (4 over 4) business cards very reasonably priced, and 200 (4 over 1) postcards are just as cost effective (you have to call them directly if you wish to end the suspense with actual prices: 503.542.4433). If you want proofs, it’s a little extra, but that’s not too shabby! Derek just asks that you kindly remember that there are some limitations with digital versus offset. For instance, with the machines being fed single sheets of paper instead of being fed from a roll, there can be some shifting during printing and trimming. Slight shift or not, for a turnaround of 24 to 48 hours on a dime, how can you go wrong?

And here’s another deal we just learned about. Phoenix Media, also in SE Portland, is running a November special that will make your day. For five nonperishable food items (to be donated to Oregon Food Bank), they will print 250 full-color, one-sided business cards FREE! If you can live with one side of info, this is both a winning deal as well as a worthwhile cause.

Banners and foam core signs are two large-scale perks that can draw booth traffic like a new Krispy Kreme location on opening day, and you still have time for getting one of these through local companies like Signs By Tomorrow (yet another neighborhood resource near Ink & Paper Group). Again, the turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, and the price is right (prices vary with size). As long as you allow at least 24 hours for adequate drying, you’re set!

Growing up in a small town, I learned the benefits of local business in comparison to those of chain stores and convenient Internet resources. I’ve also witnessed the loss of local character and the boarding up of downtown stores as residents flocked to the “low, low prices” of the new superstore in what was Joe the Farmer’s cornfield. And while I support a global economy, I still believe in the ripple effect of a strong local economy. (OK. Using that Krispy Kreme reference earlier was hypocritical, and even though I admit to enjoying the southern-born Krispy Kreme doughnut on occasion, I refuse to savor more than 90 percent of it on principle.)

In conclusion, whether it’s Wordstock or any other occasion that requires outside resources, I invite you to first consider the old-fashioned investment of shopping locally. It’s convenient, environmentally friendly, neighborly, and probably more hygienic (results may vary). If nothing else, it’s yet another chance for you to “accidentally” leave one of your books in a public (nonreturnable sales) place, and for that, I’ll head for the reliable shop next door anytime!