|
Carl Reisman's Kettle is available now. Email orders to creisman61@yahoo.com or send $10.00 to Carl Reisman, 212 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801. |
Hot Lead Press |
Hot Lead's press inspiration is Norris Alfred, publisher of The Polk Progress, the last independent newspaper to use a hot lead press to set each weekly issue. Besides setting each line of type by hand, Norris published his illustrations of the local landscape, his birding column, his weather column that mixed meteorology with populist politics, and the news from Polk, Nebraska, including who was visiting home. My press' name celebrates Norris' rootedness and stubborn independence. Hot Lead Press' first book is my poetry collection, Kettle, illustrated by David Reisman. Hot Lead Press has a new book-- playwright Gabrielle Calls to mind the pitch-perfect absurdity of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez.. resembles the best of Charles Kaufman..befuddling and lovely and thoughtful. ChicagoCritic.com ..nonsensical...funny..surreal..compelling.. Chicago Tribune ...dreamlike language, giddy humor and a lush associative logic.. TimeOut Chicago Kettle |
Tomato Soup (for Ed & Marietta McManus) .
In August then
it was no surprise
to find a wheel barrow
of tomatoes in the kitchen,
Marietta sweating
at the stove,
canning.
Ed might help a little,
skin, blend or critique
Marietta's technigque.
She'd curse him,
give the rings half a twist more.
After 40 garden together they knew
this must be done.
Come January they"d go down to
the celler, pull the string,
see their jars,
bring up a couple quarts,
melt butter, stir in flour,
warm milk, salt, pepper,
juice, and just like that,
tomato soup,
a bowl of summer
when the world's gone cold.
Dig
When we spoke last I wanted to add this comment
about a leaking heart:
find and notice the things that make it feel better.
I found that going elemental did wonders,
particularly delighted in digging in the dirt
& told people I was gardening.
That's how secretive it had all become
or how much I wanted to have my spirit back.
I wanted to soothe the throbbing
you know you must answer.
To see more poems from Kettle and some poems from Home Geography, to be published by Hot Lead Press in 2007, go here.
To hear me read the poem, Home Geography (and play a little guitar), go here.
To read the poem, Home Geography, in pdf format, go here.
To link to the webpage for Gabrielle Reisman's production company, Mongoose productions, go here.
To link to the webpage of David Resiman, Kettle's illustrator, go here.