On June 30, Snowfort will host four writers that I know pretty well, since they’ve all published books with our in-house small press, Publishing Genius. That means that, even more than usual, I can testify to how great this event is going to be. Find out more about the event here. But that’s just some nitty gritty. Here’s some background on who is coming to town:
Edward Mullany
Edward is the author of four books with Publishing Genius, starting with If I Falter at the Gallows back in 2011, which ended up being the first volume in a unique trilogy. His most recent book, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, came out last September. Craig Beaven called it, “Whimsical and deeply soulful,” and Maggie Umber said it is “Immensely readable in any location or mood.” In the book, Edward pairs rudimentary drawings with extraordinary very short stories. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Edward, and he’s moved out to Cheyenne, WY in that time, and—grown a mustache.
Claire Taylor
Claire’s book April and Back Again came out in February of this year. Her sister painted her portrait for the cover. The collection charts Claire’s 39th year into her 40th birthday, and the poems address all the feelings that come with that—the joy and dread of getting older, growing a family, the world’s news … and the miracles—like our children—that keep us going. It’s a truly sterling collection of poetry that Dean Rader said is “both elegiac and celebratory, Taylor maps the daily duties that define not just existing but living.” I know lots of Snowfort customers have read it already and talked about how much they love the poems. One thing people might not know yet is that Claire also runs a magazine for kids called Little Thoughts, and she’ll bring some along to share at the event.
Andrew Weatherhead
Andrew lives in Glens Falls, so it’s a little surprising that he hasn’t read here before. He did read at ACW in Saranac Lake a couple years ago, when his latest PG book, Fudge, came out. He showed his collages there as well. It was a masterful performance. I’ve rarely been so proud of publishing a writer. I felt that the way he presented his work—his seriousness—conveyed a legitimacy onto Publishing Genius as a whole. I was like, “You see what I’m saying?” Which, I mean, I wasn’t saying anything, Andrew was. Sean Thor Conroe, author of Fuccboi, said Andrew is his favorite working poet.
John Dermot Woods
John’s book from Publishing Genius, Activities, has had a home in the Snowfort bathroom since before we officially opened the bookstore. I recognize that’s a weird thing to say, but I just really want people to take a minute to pick it up and flip through it for a few minutes and see how cool it is. It’s a graphic novel, or a graphic short story collection really. It’s comics. John, a Brooklynite and creative writing teacher at Nassau CC, has been making comics for decades, and this 2013 book received praise from none other than Blaise Larmee, who said, “John Woods is making thoughtful, refreshing, beautiful comics that you can drink with your eyes.”
Plus! A gallery show?
Since each writer has a second discipline—I forgot to mention that Andrew makes these pristine collages—we will also be showcasing some of their work in the gallery, and during the event there will be a chance to have a conversation about how their many different hyphenations (author-cartoonist, author-publisher, author-collagist, author-artist) come to bear on their writing and their life in general. We are excited for this upcoming event and so proud that we get to host it.