Filed under Uncategorized
Two greats duking it out above the bar.
“If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods. And the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.” –Bukowski
Yes indeed, the true sign of a great bar. Nailed up for your poetic inspiration. Sit underneath these champions for about 3 hours swigging happy hour swill and tell me you don’t feel like writing a few lines on the old cocktail napkin and then rack up a couple mighty sins to end the evening. Few people recognize the signs but luckily I am not one of them. I see them shining neon loud and clear. Many poets and writers have various ways and rituals to get in the mood, some more fun than others. Personally, I believe the poetic punch is the finest way. That haymaker which comes out of nowhere and knocks your dick in the dirt and from the floor you look up at the beautiful stars spinning around and around and the only necessary next movements are to order another round, get out your notebook and pen and put the words down that have been handed to you.
Under greatness,
Todd, Erin Rose bar, New Orleans, LA
Filed under Drinking, Poetry, Publishing, Small Press, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writer's Block, Writing
Well well, here we are coming upon the end of a year. We at Six Ft. Swells Press would like to take this opportunity to offer our appreciation to all of you for making our year successful and above all, fun. We thank those of you who supported us by buying our books, merchandise and coming to our shows, buying our drinks and falling in love with us, as we have fallen in love with you, over and over again. We created, fondled, found love, lost love, cashed out, blacked out, wrote some good poems, wrote some shit poems, made poor choices, made choices we were sure were brilliant at the very least, wrestled with demons inside of us, wrestled with demons inside of you…that came out in the wee hours, we traveled, gave readings, found words written on cocktails napkins in the morning, taken photographs, slow danced on the side of the road and survived the apocalypse. Any one of those in this world is a helluva an accomplishment and to think that we did it together, is as beautiful as a first kiss at sunrise.
The pirates and poets at Six Ft. Swells Press, released two stellar books amongst all this movement. “The Coast Is Clear” by Matt Amott and “Sucker’s Paradise” by Todd Cirillo changed the direction and understanding of poetry and pushed forth the essential notion that poetry can be fun, frivolous and full of sex, love and miscommunication. These books as well as Julie Valin’s magnificent “The Distance Between” are available at amazon.com through the diligence of the masterminds at Six Ft. Swells Press, we keep movin on up to that big high rise in the sky. This is a new dawn. Ride the wave. Fuck the establishment. It’s a good time to be us. We have created more than most in the poetry world and more importantly, stayed together as friends, companions and co-conspirators. We have reestablished old poetic connections of friendships and poetic allies and kicked the masses in the ass, showing them our style of After-Hours Poetry. This has been a good year.
Now, when it’s midnight, and the rain hits your roof and Muddy Waters sings, “I just can’t be satisfied” rolls out your speakers. Understand where we come from and where we at Six Ft. Swells are going…we just can’t be satisfied. Not with the state of poetry we hear out there, the relationships we are in, the jobs we do 9-5, the words we put on paper. But we’ve got each other and we’ve got the poems we’ve written, so let’s keep trying and because of your kind encouragements we know we are on the right road.
Please continue to support Six Ft. Swells Press in the the new year, tell your friends and support us any way you can…remember, even a small ship can make big waves.
We are with you. And when you are shipwrecked and the waves come upon your head and all seems lost…we may not throw you a life raft, but we will jump in and ask if you want to go skinny-dipping.
Bring it on,
your friends at Six Ft. Swells Press,
Matt, Julie and Todd
Filed under Drinking, Poetry, Publishing, Small Press, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writing
Todd Cirillo
Julie Valin
Matt Amott
After Hours Poetry 