I
founded Rose Alley Press in November 1995, just after the execution of Nigerian playwright
Ken Saro-Wiwa and the assassination of then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. I
founded and managed two small presses before, and felt compelled to initiate my third
publishing venture.
My press is founded on several ideals. First is press freedom. I
believe passionately in the free exchange of ideas, uninhibited by fears of personal or
political reprisal. This manifests itself in the press's name--Rose Alley being the London
off-street where poet and playwright John Dryden was nearly murdered by three hired thugs
on December 18, 1679.
Second, I believe passionately in the value of formal poetry.
While appreciating the merit of some free verse and recognizing the tinniness of mere
jingle-making, I am committed to preserving the highest standards of traditional
versifying. Rhyme and meter, while not aesthetic absolutes, contain value not often
appreciated by contemporary writers and readers. I am committed to publishing writers such
as William Dunlop and Michael Spence who esteem and master them. The work of Seattle's
Victoria Ford, while less strictly formal, reflects respect for meter and stanza form.
Third, I believe passionately that responsible alternatives to
traditional religions need support. I published my own work entitled Strength &
Sympathy in 1996 as a means of publicizing a form of Deism based on the twin ideals of
consideration and vitality, not mere faith in a holy book or an oracular guide.
Fourth, I believe passionately in educating readers about small
press management, the writer's craft, and the publishing marketplace. To that end, I have
written three popular, notably inexpensive pamphlets about writing, getting published, and
self-publishing.
I understand that my concerns are not the stuff of front-page
headlines, but I feel all the more committed to preserving this press's integrity because
of that. I primarily sell my books to independent booksellers, at book fairs (including
Bumbershoot and Bookfest), at poetry readings, to friends and colleagues, and at various
other events. I try continually to develop non-conventional marketing strategies to
survive financially, so that I may share the work of writers that I publish. In short, I
am an independent arts entrepreneur in a world of big chains, big expenses, and big
competition.
When asked to submit an entry for my firm to the respected annual
directory Poet's Market, I summarized in the following way my press's ideals and
aspirations: "We like urbanity, not snobbery; earthiness, not crudity; profundity,
not pretension; and wit, not glibness." I hope Rose Alley Press publications help
preserve consideration and vitality in American culture. |
