The Battle for Independent Bookstores

The recent news of the impending demise of Shaman Drum Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan is distressing, indeed. One of the most enduring and well-known bookstores in the Midwest, the Shaman Drum closing signals the end of an era. It is ironic and hard to believe that this store in particular would succumb, considering it is located in the heart of the University of Michigan, one of the top universities in the world. The double irony, though (if there is such a thing) is that the store's relationship with the university is partly the reason why the store has to close. According to the owner in a February article, the store lost business because of the digital revolution (many of the university's course materials were now being offered online, erasing the need for traditional textbooks). The owner also cited the disturbing government report about the decline in literary readers in the United States. These two reasons, coupled with what has already happened to independent stores due to the major chains, makes for a perfect storm.

I would venture to add one more reason, but one that does not have to be inevitable for the stores that remain. As an independent publisher in business 10 years, I can attest to the poor treatment I and my colleagues have received from some independent stores. Perhaps it's the perception that "local" can't possibly be good enough to endorse, so stores spend thousands to bring in a famous author from somewhere else for programs. This situation is doubly difficult for local publishers carrying quality literary titles by multicultural authors. While of course no store can take on every book prospect that comes through their doors, there are many award-winning authors from within that store's very own community (with impeccable credentials and a a strong public following) who get ignored.

It is my belief that a connection with the surrounding community is important, and that is directly tied to supporting talented authors within that community. This support also stabilizes the local economy. Perhaps independent stores will be more open to this idea as we move into the future.

National Poetry Month Celebration Finale

What more fitting way to celebrate National Poetry Month than to launch a new poetry website? Aquarius Press is proud to announce that its poetry imprint, Willow Books, now has it own site, http://www.willowbookspoetry.com/ . The brainchild of Reverie Journal editor Randall Horton, the Willow Books site can give our poets their proper due within a space all their own. Look for new release information, interviews, reviews and special events. Please visit often and support our outstanding poets.

The Land of Silent Morning Book Trailer

To coincide with the launch of The Land of Silent Morning, we are proud to debut our video book trailer. As it's a memoir of the experiences of author Kateleen K. Washington (born Kyong Mi), we thought the images should reflect some of the themes that appear within the book. Mind you, this is only a tiny fraction of everything that she went through. Reading her memoir will open your eyes to what's it's like to struggle for the basics of life on the streets, then come to the U.S. with little English and a 3rd grade education and struggle to make it here. But survive she did, and the book is a testament to her strength and force of will. Please post a comment here or on the YouTube channel to let us know what you think.

National Poetry Month

Each year, Aquarius Press is proud to celebrate National Poetry Month. We are particularly fortunate to have some of the best poets in the country within our ranks. One shining beacon is of course Karen S. Williams, author of Elegy for a Scarred Shoulder, which has earned international acclaim and a multiple award nominee. It is also now a part of the Beinecke Library Special Collection at Yale University alongside the likes of Jean Toomer. Other award nominees are Felecia Studstill, author of Speaking No Evil, a passionate treatise on the landscape of human emotion, and the hard-hitting John Jeffire, prolific author and teacher, whose Stone+Fist+Brick+Bone is both memoir and 1960's social commentary.

We are excited to have some new poetry superstars joining our ranks this year. Get ready for: Tara Betts, creative writing Lecturer at Rutgers and author of the upcoming Arc and Hue; Curtis L. Crisler, Professor of Creative Writing at Purdue University-Ft. Wayne and author of the upcoming Pulling Scabs, and Antoinette Brim, a Harvard DuBois Fellow and Professor in Arkansas and author of the upcoming Psalm of the Sunflower.

If we all ever needed poetry, it is definitely now.