Vigorously Lazy

Buying books and magazines can get expensive. Not only cash-wise, but time-wise. There’s a lot of risk there. You may not know if a publication is good or bad until you’ve already invested $25 and three hours of your life. How can you tell if you’re going to be getting the value for what you’re giving up? I hear you. While I could sit here all day and assure you a print subscription to Annalemma is well worth your time and money, you know I’m biased. So don’t take my word for it. Listen to what satisfied subscribers have to say…

“After poking around at the Annalemma site, I came across #6 at a bookstore. I took a chance and purchased it, and really enjoyed it — not just the consistently excellent writing but also the accompanying artwork and layout, which created an entirely enjoyable reading experience. I ordered #7 and was blown away by that, too. It was a no-brainer to go ahead and subscribe after that! I can’t wait to see what’s in #8.”

–       Jenny Hayes, Seattle, WA

“Annalemma is that rare breed of lit mag that is as beautiful to look at as to read. In a world of bits and bytes, I find comfort holding Annalemma in my hand. I’m not a wealthy person, but my subscription to Annalemma is the best damned money I’ve spent in this recession.”

–       Chad Pollock

“The first time I ever saw Annalemma, I knew it was something special. It is a journal that begs to be touched, that makes it worth your while on every single page. Each issue is unique and beautiful, and I’ve been introduced (and reintroduced) to a lot of great writers, photographers, and artists via its pages. Such a damn good journal.”

–       Lindsay Hunter, author, Daddy’s (featherproof, 2010)

“I wish I knew how Annalemma gets the art and the words to play so nicely together, each enhancing the other without competing or distracting. If I knew, I’d steal the technique for my own mag. As it is, though, Annalemma stands alone. Every issue’s a beauty, to hold and to read.”

–       Bryan Furuness, author, The Lost Episodes of Revie Bryson (Black Lawrence Press, 2012)

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Last night Issue Eight: Creation contributor Blake Butler rolled into Brooklyn to promote his new memoir Nothing: A Portrait of Insomnia. I found out about it at the last minute, grabbed my camera, hopped on my bike and high-tailed it to BookCourt to catch the dude.

Here’s the thing: Blake knows how to read. If he ever comes to your town or remotely near you, it’s in your best interests to check him out. Reading in front of people is performing and there’s no two ways about it. You need to give as much of a shit about reading your words aloud to people as you do putting them on paper. Blake knows this, that’s why I like watching him do his thing. He knows how to spit fire.

Here’s some video from last night. My card ran out of space about halfway through, just as it was getting very good. Apologies for the abrupt ending. You’ll need to pick up a copy of his new book to see how this piece ends. Judging by what I saw last night, you won’t regret it.

If you’re in the Seattle area this weekend, head on over to the G. Gibson Gallery where Issue #4 contributor and cover boy Justin Gibbens is showing new work from his series Spiderland. Justin focuses his fantastical lens in on a horrifically beautiful new series of Dr. Moreau-esque creatures that seem to be the hybrid of bird, mammal and arachnid. Thanks for the nightmares, Justin. For real though, Gibbens is an amazing talent and you’re going to want to check out his artistry in person.

You’re not alone, friend. Many people have been in the position you’re in now: unsure, hesitant, maybe even a little scared,  as your mouse hovers over the “add to cart” button. Let the sweat bead on your forehead no longer, feel the freedom of clicking that button. Subscribing to the print edition is a great decision. You’ll be getting plenty of value for your dollars. But don’t listen to me, I’m irrevocably biased. Check out what these satisfied customers have to say…

“As a freelance designer, and someone who started a small press in an effort to bring quality design to great writing that deserves a readership, I feel a distinct kinship with Annalemma, which has consistently proven the same commitment. It is a great joy to see, to hold, to read an issue of Annalemma. They are literature’s closest thing to a living, breathing, art museum.”

-Ryan W. Bradley, publisher and art director at Artistically Declined Press

“Many think of the internet as a time-waster, both for its ‘performers’, those posters of animated gifs and lolcats, and the consumers of same. I agree, but only while pointing out that the internet is so much more than that. One of its aspects I value most is knowledge-sharing. For instance, my knowledge of the existence of Annalemma would be far less likely were it not for the internet. And knowing Annalemma is not like knowing how long is a piece of string according to a search engine. It is knowing its smooth denseness in your hands, knowing the smell of its paper and ink, contemplating its beautiful layouts with no regard for electricity whatsoever! It is knowing the human who mails it to you, just a little bit, by the expressions of his handwritten note on the package. Annalemma increases my enjoyment of life, yet I found it amongst the lolcats. Which actually increase my enjoyment of life too, now that I think of it.”

-Joanne Kerrigan

“As a writer, receiving the silken tactility of Annalemma at home, has become an eagerly anticipated event of delight, and an indispensable part of my literary and visual enrichment.”

-M. Hage

“I know I hesitated before I took the plunge and subscribed, but now I don’t even remember how much I paid for my subscription to Annalemma.  The money was in that sense meaningless—but I go back to the stories again and again.  The voices and the vision of the magazine have more than repaid my investment.”

– Daniel Ellis

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My dear friends Ryan and Hays Holladay make music together under the name Bluebrain. They’ve been doing this for a few years now. What they’ve also been doing in addition to making music is making weird, technology/music hybrid projects like the one they just released today called Listen to the Light. It’s the second in a series of “location-aware” albums wherein you download an app to your smart phone, plug in your headphones and walk around Central Park. The interesting part is the phone’s built in GPS triggers different pieces of music depending on what area of the park you’re in. They also did one for the National Mall in DC.

Listen to the Light just got released today and I’m very psyched about it. Check it out if you’re interested in music and technology, which, if you’re on an art/literature blog right now, is safe to assume you might be.

Video teaser…

‘Making of’ documentary….

Have you been thinking long and hard about subscribing to the print edition of Annalemma? Has it been keeping you up at night? Do you pace the late evening streets, the decision weighing heavy on your soul? Do you shake your fist at the heavens, crying out to a stormy sky, “Why won’t someone tell me whether or not this is a good idea?!” Rest easy, fellow lover of good things. Many people have crossed over the threshold of subscriber-hood and many people are reaping the robust benefits. Don’t take my word for it, listen to what they have to say…

“As a student in Australia, I enjoy engaging with the inspiring and vibrant scene of art and literature in America. Since my subscription with Annalemma began, I have been consistently impressed with the vibrancy, quality and creativity featured within the magazine. The editorial team maintains a high level of commitment to achieving balance, focus and innovation within Annalemma’s pages. I encourage anyone thinking to subscribe to Annalemma to not hesitate, as the rewards contained in each issue far outweigh the initial financial outlay.”

– Naomi Riddle, 24, Australia

“I love holding this magazine in my hands – the graphics are beautiful, it smells good, and there is something great about feeling the physical weight of the words. It reads beautifully cover to cover, and can be a conversation starter with my kids or my non-literary friends.”

– Lissa Franz, Concord, MA

“There’s so much happening in the literary world, and so many new developments occurring all the time, that a subscription to one magazine feels like a huge commitment. It’s the decision to invest in one effort rather than explore every new experiment. With Annalemma, I don’t feel that I’m missing anything. Annalemma is my scout and my teacher. Annalemma is a gambler that knows the game well enough to win.

– Jac Jemc, author, My Only Wife (Dzanc, 2012)

“Out of the thousands of lit mags to choose from, Annalemma stands out because of its attention to detail. Every issue is beautifully designed, which elevates the already excellent content. Not only am I an Annalemma contributor, I’m also a subscriber–because I enjoy reading it, as well as displaying pretty things on my coffee table and bookshelves.”

– Ryan Rivas, editor, Burrow Press

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Have you subscribed to the print edition of Annalemma yet? I would highly recommend it. $25 gets you two issues, that’s $5 of savings, were you to buy two $15 issues individually. If you’ve been thinking about subscribing but you’re not sure if it’s worth your time or money, don’t take my word for it. Here’s what some satisfied customers have to say about the print edition…

“I subscribed to Annalemma to support my friend, Eliza Tudor, who was published in the fall 2011 issue.  I thought I’d only read her piece and set the magazine to the side but I couldn’t stop reading it.  I was hooked!  I read it cover-to-cover in one evening and can’t wait to devour my next issue when it arrives.  As a mother of two young girls I rarely find time to read anything beyond children’s books.  This is my dose of the adult world and I feel smarter after each issue.”

– Jennifer Rawe, Inidanapolis, IN

“When the latest issue of Analemma arrives at my house, there’s no question in my mind that this is exactly the kind of magazine I want to see around for a long time. In print. On shelves. I never know who’ll be contributing, never know what outstanding art will grace its pages, until it’s in my hands. I honestly feel as I did when I was encountering, for the the first time, The Paris Review or Story in its heyday: happy to be knocked off my feet by the indescribably good contents. So what are you waiting for: SUBSCRIBE!”

– Tom Williams, Chair of English, Morehead State University

“Annalemma’s quirky style and vibrant approach is nothing short of inspiring.  The art and photography is gorgeous, the presentation beats every magazine out there, and the essays and stories radiate the kind of thoughtful creativity that reinforces my belief that the literary arts are, in fact, very necessary.  I read Annalemma, and I feel a glimmer of hope that, yes, maybe I can be creative too.”

– Jeff Moscaritolo, MFA Candidate, George Mason University

“Each issue of Annalemma is a treasure, a collector’s item.  A beautiful literary arts journal, that arrives in the mailbox, and makes you feel as if you have received a gift. The issues are stunning, a book to hold onto and keep, long after you have read it!”

– Helen Vitoria, author, The Sights & Sounds of Arctic Birds (Gold Wake Press)

Click here to check out the subscription deal. Your order will begin with our most recent issue.

One of the best curated bookstores I’ve ever been to in my entire life, St. Marks Books, is in trouble. Facing a rent increase from the Cooper Union, the 34 year old New York City institution faces a financial bind it might not survive. The community has supported by buying books in droves and signing petitions but what it will take is the clemency of the college that owns the building. As of this writing St. Marks is scheduled to appeal their rent increase, though no date has been set for the meeting. If you would like to help out, co-owner Terry McCoy puts it best…

“Think of us when you’re going to buy a book or magazine or even a card or postcard. We have calendars, too, and Moleskine…. That, to me, is the best kind of support. The point we are making, the difference between how we approached Cooper Union last summer and this summer, is that we’re saying we’re an integral part of the community. Last year we approached them with numbers, and they came back with their own. But this community is really concerned about preserving independent businesses and diversity, to keep this from becoming a mall-type chain-store bank-branch neighborhood.”

Even before I moved to New York, every time I’d visit I would make a special trip to St. Marks just to walk around, find some stuff I wouldn’t have normally found if I’d been searching online. This is the importance of the well-curated independent bookstore: to introduce voices to the community that would not have otherwise been heard. What makes this instance of indie bookstore plight important is this is happening in the center of the literary universe. What happens here has a ripple effect on the national and global community. And what happens when the indie bookstore is closed? Voices get silenced, once again.

{quote via}

{Image by Walter Green, excerpted from the story “Golem” appearing in Annalemma Issue Eight: Creation}

Out of the blue, I got an email from Walter Green earlier this year requesting to work with Annalemma. I clicked over to his site to check out his work and immediately recognized some of the images. His work has made an impact as of late in our world of literary small press publishing, most notably at The Rumpus, McSweeneys (where he works as a designer) and the new food quarterly, Lucky Peach. I dig the overall vibe of enthusiasm, delight and unpretentious excitement permeating Walter’s work.

I had a chance to speak with Walter over Gchat about his work, where he gleans inspiration from and the perils of working in an office with x-acto knives and water coolers.

Annalemma: So how’s your day going? Can you talk about what you’re working on?

Walter Green: Sure, my day’s going well! I’m a designer at Mcsweeney’s publishing in San Francisco, and there are a lot of little branches that go along with that and a lot of different hats to wear, etc. So today, I’m working on designs for a few of our magazine/quarterly type projects, mainly this thing called Lucky Peach, which is our new food quarterly with David Chang. Besides that, I do interior design of books, book covers sometimes, book ads, press releases, and lots of little things. But today, mostly editorial design for this food magazine. Also, I am the DJ.

A: That’s amazing. So how’d you land this job?

WG: Well, I interned there a while ago, and never really did a lot of design stuff. I had the desire to do design but no experience really. So I did some things for free for my friend’s bands or their business ideas and what have you, and kind of amassed a little portfolio. Then I moved to New York for a while and helped out at a small but fertile design studio and made my portfolio a little stronger. And when I eventually moved back to San Francisco, I started doing some freelance design and that seemed to work out okay for us all. So after a while they asked me to be a junior designer and I quickly said yes!

A: That’s rad, I have to say I’m really jealous.

WG: Well, it’s fun but often really tough and exhausting.

A: About five years ago I was obsessed with McSweeneys.

WG: Then what happened!

A: I started getting more and more involved with the publishing world, started digging deeper, seeing what was out there, seeing all the presses that were doing cool stuff. I still love what y’all do, but my focus is spread out so far now.

WG: Sure, of course!

A: I thought McSweeneys was the only game in town worth a shit, for a long time.

WG: How long has Annalemma been going on for?

A: We’ve been putting stuff out for four years. But I always looked to McSweeneys for design inspiration, so when I heard you were a designer there I was immediately curious about what that’s like.

WG: Well, it’s fun and exhausting as I said. It’s a two-person design team, essentially. There’s me (I think I’ve dropped the junior from my title now) and an amazing art director named Brian Mcmullen. So we do the bulk of the work, with other people helping out when they need to. Everyone here has some idea of how to work indesign/photoshop/what-have-you.

A: I’ve always been blown away by the ambition and scope of the design work. Where does the driving force come from to make things look so good?

WG: Well, I can’t say for sure for everybody else here. We’ve never sat down and had a real conversation about why we make things look the way we look. Why not put some effort in to make something look good if you can? I guess you could also say that we like to make our things look the way they do in hopes that people will buy them, read them, keep them, etc.

Also, just on a personal level, I think we’re all very interested in trying out new things and new ways to present content, just to keep things fun for us. By the way, the design of your magazine is incredible. The clarity of design is really inspiring. KUDOS, is all!

A: Thanks man, I wish I could take credit for that, it’s all my designer Jen O’Malley, she’s really talented. She comes up with a lot of the ideas, I’m more of the philosophy guy in the background trying to make sure that nothing looks like it’s a part of disposable culture, trying to make it something that people will want to keep around for a long time.

But enough about me, how long have you been drawing?

WG: Since I was a small child, I guess. Though there are always long periods of inactivity–even today–when I don’t draw for the longest time and end up sort of completely forgetting how it’s supposed to be done.

Yeah, it’s tough to talk about drawing. I’m not very good at it, but it’s somehow become a part of what I do, just because I’m so interested in it. I wish I could be the kind of person where my brain and my hand are totally connected and I can draw whatever I can imagine. But it’s probably just not in the cards for me, so in my illustrations that I work on today, I don’t rely on the regular stuff that actual talented artists use. I’m kind of just grabbing whatever is around and throwing it all together and hoping that something sticks I’d say I’m more of a DESIGNER-ILLUSTRATOR than a straight-up-drawing-dude.

A: I like how you incorporate your drawings into your design work though. I’m cruising around on your site here and all your work at first glance just looks like it’s a lot of fun. Like fun to read, fun to work on.

WG: Yeah, I guess being even slightly talented at illustration is a huge boon to the kind of design work that I want to do, so I’m able to fill in holes where necessary in my design and it’s good to not have to rely on an illustrator.

A: What are some design resources that pump you up? What are the daily places you go to that are doing good work?

WG: Hey, hold on a second!!! “BRB”

A: k

WG: SORRY! people are looking for x-acto knives.

A: No problem.

WG: I like to visit that site 50watts.com for a lot of incredible vintage/classic/bizarre/whatever design work. I like to visit the sites of other designers I like. but mostly I like going into Dog Eared Books near my office here and obnoxiously browsing their covers! And a lot of inspiration comes from the people I worked with/have worked with/the work they’ve done.

A: Who are the designers you’re a fan of?

WG: I’ll forget people but some of my favorites are: Paul Sahre, Leanne Shapton, Rodrigo Corral, Paul Buckley, John Gall, and the aforementioned Brian McMullen.

There are a lot more who have sites that I’ll check out, but it probably means something that those are the first names I think of when asked about designers I like.

A: Yeah, first impulses are usually the best. Like I was saying before, I’m really digging the work on your site cause it all looks fun, how do you maintain that attitude? My designer and I can work on something for days and weeks and sometimes it can be hard to keep fresh eyes about it. I guess I’m asking what drives you, what do you want the audience to feel most of the time?

{pause}

WG: Hey sorry I was absent, I was changing the water cooler

A: Sounds busy there today : )

WG: I guess as a designer/illustrator I am going on a project-by-project basis. Some things that are, you know, more light-hearted and fun can be appropriate for some silly colorful hand-lettering, while other projects call for a more serious illustration/type treatment/design treatment/what- have-you.

Mostly, I’m hoping that the design can reflect the content in some way. That’s when it comes to editorial design/cover design/illustration and stuff. As for, how to maintain a happy and fun feeling while designing, I’m not sure that it’s possible all the time.

There’s definitely a large part of what you were saying earlier in what I do, where I’ll start a project and think it’s the greatest thing in the world. You know, ten weeks later, it’s hell. And I hate the whole thing, and I still have to carry on the fun feeling.

A: Haha, yeah when the excitement wears off.

WG: Yeah, definitely. But, I guess I’m lucky in that the littlest things are able to bring me design-excitement, something as simple as just changing one color to a design I’m “tired” of can make me love the project all over again, sometimes. And it’s also good that at my job, I have a wide range of things I can work on, so I can put projects down, and pick them up later and my hatred for them has died down.

A: Haha

WG: And I start to remember them fondly. And even miss them a little bit.

A: I hear that, I keep trying to do that, look at things from a different perspective in order to see it in a new way. I do that a lot with writing, like a story might not be working at all and it’s complete shit in my mind but something will click, like I need to change the perspective from third to first and everything will come together. I love it when those breakthroughs happen.

WG: Yeah, of course, little things like that that bring a clarity to the whole thing and can sort of show you the light at the end of the tunnel are the greatest.

A: So what’s the next release we should look out for? What’s good on the McSweeneys roster?

WG: Welp, I’ve been doing a little more editorial illustration work for a few different clients and that’s been fun. I do a weekly illustrated column for the bay citizen (a nice journalistic website focusing on the bay area) where I review different events that happen. So tomorrow I’ll be going to some sort of yard sale and then drawing the people I see there.

Beyond that, I’m mostly focusing on this food quarterly thing here that is shaping up to be great. This is the second issue, so we’re gonna be able to tighten up everything a bit from the slightly loose style we established in the first issue. And that’s fun because I’m able to do hand-lettering, or type design, or chalk drawings, or vector illustrations–just whatever the articles call for.

A: That’s cool.

WG: Yeah, beyond that, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to give the secret scoop on whatever stuff Mcsweeney’s is doing. But I can say that whatever it is, we’ll be trying to make it look nice!

A: Awesome, well, I can’t wait to see it whatever it is. Thanks for talking to me, Walter.

WG:  Hey thanks for thanks for letting me do some work for your recent issue! I loved that story.

A: I’ll get that mag out to you soon, I spilled a big cup of water on a stack of personalized thank-you letters to contributors I was sending out with mags and I’ve been putting off rewriting them so I think that’s why you haven’t got yours yet.

WG: Gotta hate those big cups of water! No worriez!

A: Cool man, well thanks again and I’ll be in touch.

WG: NICE! Talk to you later bud! We’re CHAT-PALS NOW!

A: Haha, indeed we are, talk to you soon.

Click here to check out Walter’s work appearing in Annalemma Issue Eight: Creation.

{Here’s us}

Hey New York! It’s nice out, right? Fall’s here. Means that old bastard Winter is around the corner, he’s gonna make us stay in doors for three months and question why the hell we live up north. Nothing to do but read some books. Come out the the BBF this Sunday and get a jump on all the stuff you’d like to put in your mind grapes for the hibernation.

Us and Avery Anthology will be at table #71, pimping out our latest wares to all the hungry brains. Come see us! And come see Amelia Gray read at the St Francis Auditorium at 5pm. I’m going cause Amelia is radical and always fun to watch. See you there.