Yay! Outside Voices’s second book, Ric Royer’s The Weather Not The Weather, is here! I got the box of very pretty books today. The design is by Justin Sirois, and the boy knows his way around a book cover. It’s sleek, with lovely matte finish and 60# natural innards. Stylistically, the poetry is a … hm. Well it’s a serial poem, but it’s also all over the page, so it’s a mix of seriality (length) and horizontal expansion across the page. The poem borrows from the poetry of many of Ric’s friend-poets, so if you’re familiar with my work, or Chris Fritton’s, etc., then you’ll recognize snippets.
It’s an interesting book in terms of content, besides being pretty, but what interests me is the seriality, or the way the book engages the page horizontally while also utilizing the nature of the multi-page book format. Since I usually write poems that occupy only one page (more like a canvas), the success of Ric’s use of space intrigues me.
The reading/release party, which will include introductory readings by me, Chris and Matt, will end with Ric performing the book (the whole thing, I think, at a frenetic pace). The release/reading is at 8p at Rust Belt Books on Sunday.
We have plenty of books to go around, so if you want to try it out, order it through the website at twntw.blogspot.com. I’ll try to post some excerpts over the weekend so you can try before you buy.
Jessica Smith
can’t wait to see it.
where can one purchase these beauties? i love frenetic paces!
Ah, you can go to twntw.blogspot.com and there is a paypal button on the sidebar.