One of the features of today's literary landscape
is the sheer number of small presses, both print and online.
Seems that every day there are new presses launched.
Do you see there being pros and cons to this?
I'm glad they keep coming because the longevity is
definitely an issue.
And to just keep the landscape as lively as it possibly
can be, and as diverse, and interesting,
and fun as it can be--
I think that's a good thing.
More good conversations, hopefully.
I think that there are presses, the size of all of ours.
There are micro presses, there are online presses,
there presses of all sorts and types publishing
in all kinds of ways.
And while, sure, once in a while I think, Oh my God.
It's too much.
How can I even find my way around that landscape?
On the other hand, I'm faced with the fact
that sometimes I read something from some press I've never
heard of, and I'm like, wow, I want
to publish that author's next book.
Or I want to keep reading that person for a long time.
So while I would never make the claim that everything published
by every small press--
that I want spend much time with--
it does happen that all kinds of presses
are publishing things that I do and that I
know that other people do.
So I guess if there's any con side to it,
it's outweighed by the positive of having, once more,
good work in this world.
I sympathize with readers, though,
who come into poetry wondering, what should I read,
and what should I do?
And then probably all of us in here
would tell you something else, if you really sat down with us.
We'd have different answers to that question.
How do you find your way?
And it takes an amazing act of faith in your own reading
ability to find your own way.
And the fact that that's a different way
for every one of us is completely fascinating to me.
I think the idea of presses everywhere, it excites me.
I feel that they represent their little local culture.
And I'm very interested in the idea of microcultures.
Not just subcultures or little movements.
But I feel like we comprise a culture here
that is different than the culture in Portland.
And so, I want as many presses to exist as possible.
And there's the thing, like, why did Aretha sing that song?
You know, so you don't have to.
And I feel like the more presses we have,
the better off we're going to be in the whole singing of songs
department.
Also, I'm really excited by the idea
that perhaps in contrast to the big houses, who
are shrinking and being eaten by other big houses
sort of at the top of the food chain,
we are proliferating down here on the ground.
And I think that's worth remarking.
We're the slow food of the literature world.
[LAUGHTER]