| Final days of National Poetry Month, celebrating Indie Bookstore Day, and new in the magazine this week! |
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This week we're wrapping up our most hectic editorial month of the year with new poems published every day through Sunday. We hope you're finding some new authors to follow! Thanks again to our hardworking Poetry Editors Cortney Lamar Charleston, Carolina Ebeid, and Monica Romo.
And we have another reason to celebrate, since this SATURDAY is Indie Bookstore Day! To show our appreciation for one of the most vital parts of the literary community, The Rumpus team is sharing some of our favorites with y'all. Since our volunteer team is spread out all over the US, you may find a new spot near you! Check out some of our recommendations and visit your local indie or support one online this weekend (and all year round). Happy reading!
Asheville, NC: Firestorm Books is a queer radical co-operative bookstore with a great zine collection, excellent staff picks, and one of the best possum sticker selections in town. I'm lucky to have them as my neighborhood store! —Alyson Sinclair, Publisher
Roanoke, VA & DC: The literary scene is hotter than you'd think and the hub of it all is the great little crew running Book No Further. DC is flush with amazing bookstores, but don't overlook Capitol Hill Books, which is where your second hand book dreams can come true—and you might find some killer first editions if you ask nicely! —Eve Ettinger, former Features Editor
Baltimore, MD: Aspiring writers, actors, and artists alike are bound to find themselves at Charm City Books. The two-story shop houses seemingly every book in the world while also making space for author readings, live music, craft workshops, AND private date nights! If you're a bookshop romantic like me, you'll fall in love with the cozy, sun-warmed vibes. —Jade Chin, Social Media Editor
Philadelphia, PA & Collingswood, NJ: Harriett’s Bookshop and Ida’s Bookshop, are two Black-owned bookstores by Jeannine Cook in Philadelphia, PA and Collingswood, NJ, each of which, celebrate marginalized authors and artists while also supporting local creators. If you're in Philly or South Jersey, grab a cheesesteak, an Eagles and Sixers hat, and a bundle of books at either of these bookstores. —Davon Loeb, Features Editor
Brooklyn, NY: Cafe Con Libros bookstore and coffee shop in my neighborhood is "Black, Feminist & Bookish" just like their sign says! The shop is shelved wall-to-wall with books by women and queer writers of color, including the best rad/bipoc baby and kids books selection! —Di Jayawickrema, Assistant Features Editor
Also recommended the NYC area, Word Bookstore! —Cortney Lamar Charleston, Senior Poetry Editor
Cleveland Heights, OH: Mac’s Backs is a Cleveland staple. They have a broad selection, including zines made by local youth, and in February they offer a “blind date with a book” for $5. Also, they’ll let you drink your milkshake from Tommy’s next door while you browse. —Sienna Zeilinger, Features Reader
Des Moines, IA: Storyhouse Book Pub Owner, Abbey Paxton is a true champion of books, literature, and readers. I always, always, always trust her book suggestions and she genuinely cares about making this bookstore a place where people can gather and share their love of literature. —Kateri Kramer, Sketch Book Reviews reviewer
Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Books in downtown Minneapolis is inside the Open Book building that houses MCBA, The Loft, and the Milkweed Editions office. It’s a a beautiful book centered oasis! The staff is helpful and have great taste. Don’t let the small floor space fool you, their selection is expansive! —Michelle Zamanian, We Are More editor |
St. Paul, MN: Subtext Booksin downtown St. Paul is a small, but mighty, indie! Their booksellers (especially Sarah Cassavant) make excellent recommendations, host thoughtful events, and they're offering special discounts, exclusive merch, & free shipping this Saturday. Hit up the 1st Lowertown farmers market of the year and walk over to stock up on your spring reads. —Alyson Sinclair, Publisher
Chicago, IL: Pilsen Community Books is the beautiful, well-curated worker run and owned bookstore in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Booksellers Mandy Medley and Katharine Solheim are wonderful humans, indie press advocates, and inspiring members of the lit and social justice communities. They've commissioned a limited edition new print designed by the artist Shelby Rodeffer, buttons and other giveaways to celebrate Indie Bookstore Day. Plus, they've promised snacks! —Alyson Sinclair, Publisher
Also recommended in Chicago, 57th Street Books! —Cortney Lamar Charleston, Senior Poetry Editor
Denver, CO: Westside Books is an amazing new and used bookstore with booksellers who have a true passion for books. It's exactly the kind of bookstore you can get lost in —Kateri Kramer, Sketch Book Reviews reviewer
[And endorsed by a 2nd editor!] I’m grateful this old Denver fav in a long cherished neighborhood, the Highlands, is still going strong! And I have loved going there over the years for their used and rare book collection. It’s a treasure. I look forward to checking out their readings! —Kelly Thompson, Voice of Addiction Column Editor
Moab, UT: Back of Beyond Books has one of the most thoughtfully curated selections of books out there. I always find something new that I had no idea existed. Inevitably it becomes my new favorite book. —Kateri Kramer, Sketch Book Reviews reviewer
San Francisco, CA: There are more famous indies in the Bay, but my favorite is Christopher's Bookstore. It's three blocks from my house, with a highly curated selection and good hours (they close at 8 PM, which is late for SF!). They always give my dogs treats and let me move my friends' books to more prominent displays. —Anna Held, Associate Editor, Features
Green Apple Books—a labyrinth of rooms where you're bound to stumble on a book—new or used—that will not be the one you go in looking for but now is a new favorite. I used to live around the corner and visited its stacks often! —Annelies Zijderveld, Interviews Editor
Oakland, CA: East Bay Booksellers. I've attended some incredible book readings here. The staff is friendly and book lovers who provide solid recommendations too.
—Annelies Zijderveld, Interviews Editor
Sacramento, CA: I love Time Tested Books in downtown Sacramento, and The Bookstore in Chico, CA. Both of these sell new sand used books; both are active in their community. Libromobile, in Santa Ana, CA is new books only, and their passion for literacy and community involvement is inspiring. —Janet Rodriguez, Interviews Editor
San Diego, CA: La Playa Books in Point Loma. A cozy book store that always has what I'm looking for, but also what I didn't know that I needed when I walked in. —Robbie Maakestad, Senior Essays Editor |
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Originals & Columns
"Coming to Broadway: Classical Plays About Modern Air Travel" written by Sue D. Gelber and illustrated by Elly Lonon:
"A view from the jet bridge shows no one is wearing a mask."
Six Micro Stories: "the mongooses of Pahala" by Melissa Llanes Brownlee:
"we run from the smell of burning cane, the heat following us as we join the rats we were brought here to kill..."
Sketchbook Reviews, written and illustrated by Kateri Kramer: Poetry Unbound by Pádraig Ó Tuama:
"This book is so ridiculously good and is perfect for National Poetry Month!" |
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Interviews & Reviews
Nicole Chung, the shapes of grief (an interview)
Erin Winseman reviews Katherine May’s Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age
Miah Jeffra, not every story needs to be a coming out story (an interview)
J. Bailey Hutchinson, kennings and the bones of poetry (an interview) |
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Announcing our JUNE Book Club Picks |
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Every month subscribers receive a book in the mail handpicked by The Rumpus staff.Now through midnight on May 15, you can sign up for our May Poetry Book Club pick I Do Everything I'm Told by Megan Fernandes and/or our Prose Book Club pick As If She Had A Say by Jennifer Fliss.
As a subscriber, you'll also be invited to an exclusive online video discussion with the book's author + a Rumpus Editor. Subscribers are encouraged to join in the chat with their questions before and during the conversations. These will take place on the Rumpus' Crowdcast channel and will remain available to subscribers for 1 month after they take place.
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"We decided no kids. We decided to run marathons together. We decided to live in a condo along a lake that had an extra bedroom but we never had any guests.
Last summer I had stopped taking the pill." |
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Letters in the Mail (from authors!) |
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| | | Letters in the Mail from authors is a Rumpus subscription in which you receive an actual, postmarked letter from one of our favorite writers in your IRL mailbox twice a month. All letters are non-promotional, include a creative prompt, and have a return mailing address in case you'd like to write the author back! Up next, author letters from . . .
May 1: Anne Elizabeth Moore
May 15: Janika Oza |
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A special thank you to this week's sponsor Ploughshares magazine! |
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We're trying something new with half or full month ad partners for the site and/or our weekly e-newsletter in the hopes of having a more solid way of supporting the work we do at The Rumpus. This also allows us to have more say in who we work with vs. automated ads feeding through our site.
If you're interested in sharing the work you do as a publisher, literary organization, author, or other member of the literary community, please reach out to Monica at [email protected]. We are currently looking for sponsorship partners for May and beyond!
*If you're a Rumpus Member, editor, or volunteer reader, email [email protected] your upcoming literary-related events or classes and we'll do our best to include them in an upcoming free weekly newsletter. We appreciate you supporting the work WE do and would like to pay it forward. |
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Rumpus Editor and Member Recommendations |
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| | Friday April 28, 7 pm at Different Wrld in Asheville, NC
Asheville FM and MadHat present; Voices: A Celebration of Community, Poetry, and Language to benefit Asheville FM’s diverse talk shows and youth programming. Asheville FM is a nonprofit community-run radio station and The Rumpus is proud to co-sponsor this benefit event! Featuring Nathaniel Mackey with musician Vatel Cherry. The evening will also include a tribute to Kevin McIlvoy, and Asheville FM programs Word Play presenting Mildred Barya; Southern Reckoning presenting Jared Wheatley of the Indigenous Walls Project; and The New Wave Youth Radio presented by Reagan Sizemore. ALL proceeds benefit Asheville FM. This is not a Rumpus fundraiser, but we love to support our literary community and thoughtful public radio programs!
More information and to RSVP, visit here. |
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Reader Support Keeps The Rumpus Going! |
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| Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, CA and now based in Asheville, NC with readers and editors all over the US and abroad, The Rumpusis one of the longest-running independent online literary and culture magazines. Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. We lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers readers already know and love. Often, we are an emerging writer's first notable publication, which is something we’re really proud of. We believe that literature builds community—and if reading The Rumpus makes you feel more connected, please show your support! Our Membership and subscription programs along with tax-deductible donations made to The Rumpus through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, help keep us going and brings us closer to sustainability. |
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