One of the best parts of working on the Little Patuxent Review — in addition to reading the incredible work in the journal — is celebrating the success of our contributors.
In the past year, members of the LPR community have published a wonderful, diverse array of poetry, memoir, fiction, and essays. We’ve collected many of them below, and will continue adding to the list. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a poetry lover in your life or setting a New Year’s resolution to read more from independent publishers, we hope you find what you’re looking for in the pages below.
Poetry
Frank Thomas Rosen, auschwitz of the digital age and other poems (new cognitive poetry) – New from Cherry Castle Publishing comes a poetry collection that casts an unflinching eye on life in contemporary America. Rosen, who grew up in East Germany, uses poetry to address sociopolitical injustice, cross-cultural struggle, and civil rights. Tara Betts, author of Break the Habit, says of auschwitz of the digital age, “Even in brevity, these poems demand rereading and considering the power of long-term peace.” (Image from Cherry Castle Publishing)
READ: Q&A with Cherry Castle Publishing founder–and former LPR Board member–Truth Thomas
Derrick Weston Brown, “On All Fronts” – Brown’s new chapbook, “On All Fronts,” is collected with chapbooks from Sarah Rebecca Warren and T.R. Hummer in Floodgate Poetry Series Vol. 5. Fellow LPR contributor Alan King calls “On All Fronts” a “block party of emotions.” With originality and feeling, Brown explores the issues crippling black communities. (Image from Upper Rubber Boots Books)
WATCH: Derrick Weston Brown shares his poetry at LPR’s annual reading in September 2019
Mary Brandenburg, The Intelligence of Leaves: Collected Poems 2003-2019 – From Columbia, Maryland, LPR’s home town, comes this debut collection from poet and healer Mary Brandenburg. Brandenburg’s poems explore how we can live close to nature, and are in part inspired by her experience as an acupuncturist. (Image from Amazon)
Fiction
Dan Crawley, Straight Down the Road – Longtime LPR fiction reader Dan Crawley’s new book is a novella-in-flash that follows a quintessentially American narrative: a family roadtrip. Each story explores the tensions between the family members, but also the bonds that keep them together. Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works, calls Straight Down the Road “a gorgeous and unforgettable debut.” (Image from Ad Hoc Fiction)
Nonfiction
Ann Bracken, “Learning to Speak the Subtle Language of Pain” – LPR contributing editor Ann Bracken’s recent essay explores an aspect of the holidays that can be a struggle for so many: emotional and physical pain. With patience and compassion, Bracken shares her own journey with chronic pain and its connections to mental health. This essay is excerpted from her unpublished memoir, Noncompliant.
Anthony Moll, Out of Step: A Memoir – Even though Moll published his memoir in 2018, it’s been getting award attention this year. In June, Out of Step won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Nonfiction, and it was included in the American Library Association’s 2019 “Over the Rainbow” list of notable works of LGBTQ+ literature. The memoir follows Moll’s experience as a “bisexual, working-class kid joining the army during ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'” (Image from The Ohio State University Press)
WATCH: Anthony Moll at LPR’s annual reading in September 2019
Have an addition to this list? Email the online editor at onlineeditorLPR@gmail.com.
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