chapbooks and emails to new Canadian poetry bookstore, The Printed Word

The Printed Word (bookstore)
Dundas, Ontario


Hi James,

I'm so pleased to learn that there's a new generation of booksellers which is enthused about Canadian poetry and also the hippie era  :  )   I'm both things, in spades!

Today I mailed you a small (free) sample of the chapbooks I published from the mid-1970s thru the 1990s, just to pique your interest. Also it's fascinating that you know of jones (Daniel). I published his first chapbook, "Jack & Jill in Toronto", most of which was then included in his poetry collection with Coach House Press.

The chapbooks I mailed today are "Last Minutes Instructions" by Mark McCawley (he was also a small press publisher - he died a few years ago in his 50s), "Qaani Lore" by jw curry, who is a mainstay on the micro press scene, "Poets Who Don't Dance" by Shaunt Basmajian (he died over 30 years ago - stabbed and robbed while driving cab in TO), and "Dear Little Old Lady" by Helen Costain. This is just a random sampling of Unfinished Monument Press chapbooks, of which I had a few extra copies available.

Hopefully the hot link in my email below to Chris H is still live, and it'll fill you in on the list of readers and musicians I featured at the Main Street Library Poetry Series from 1979 to 1985.

Assuming the link is live, it will take you to my blog, riffs and ripples from zenriver gardens, where there's a lot of other info on my involvement with CanPo.

Great to get in touch (thanks to Chris H. for making the connection) -

Best wishes with the bookstore - it's a hard grind making a living in the Canadian cultural field.


peace & poetry power!

Chris (Faiers)

here's the link to the Idden Brook Press edition of "Eel Pie Island Dharma":

http://www.hiddenbrookpress.com/Book-NS-ChrisFairs-EelPie.html

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 reply from James, owner of The Hidden Word bookstore

Hi Chris:

The package of Unfinished Monument arrived a few days ago and -- tho I looked at them immediately excitedly noting titles and authors and the fact that Jones edited Shaunt Basmajian's Poets Who Don't Dance which sounds like a Jones title (and the poems are closer to Jones than other Basmajian I've seen - admittedly mostly visual/concrete stuff) -- I've only now had a chance to sit down with them and type out my appreciation and say thank you for reaching out to me and sending a lovely sampling of your press.  I would definitely like to see more of what you have and discuss a purchase of valuables in your collection.  For example, any Jones that you have would be of interest.  I started collecting Jones a few years ago when I first acquired some of his chapbooks from Nelson Ball, and recently a friend traded in Jones' copy of Layton's Balls for a One-Armed Juggler with a stamp that has "Jones" in the middle, "My Book"  along the top and "Fuck Off" at the bottom.. this copy also Rochdale ex-libris). 

I'd love to have a copy or copies of your hippy poet memoir.  I'm sure of at least one buyer, and I would like read it myself.

I've got customers in front of me and work piling up so I will sign off.

thanks for the books!

James




photo from Google