Three NHR Books: Authors and jacket illustrations
Westville’s Kehler Liddell Gallery has long established itself as a place to view masterful paintings, prints and sculptures, but its use as a space for a variety of cultural and community events continues to evolve. Tuesday night the gallery was host to a book launch party by New Haven Review Books — “the world’s latest small press for high-quality fiction, nonfiction, and poetry” according to Review co-founder Mark Oppenheimer.
(Oppenheimer enjoyed his own book launch party at the gallery earlier in the year with his memoir, “Weisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate.”)
Musical accompaniment by “Root Farmers” - Gregory Feeley reads a passage from his new book Kentauros
The New Haven non-profit press is a spin-off of the New Haven Review, an online and in-print literary journal based here in New Haven. The press celebrated Tuesday night the release of its first three trade paperbacks, featuring the work of Brooklyn-based novelist Rudolph Delson, New Haven area poet Charles Douthat, and Hamden novella master Gregory Feeley. Douthat and Feeley were on hand to sign their books, read selections and mingle with well-wishers, as guitar and fiddle musicians Craig Edwards and New Haven Review co-founder Brian Slattery (of The Root Farmers), provided musical accompaniment.
Artworks and audience co-mingle during book readings
Platters of exotic cookies dotted the gallery space, comfortable among new artworks of painter Frank Bruckmann and sculptor Susan Clinard, whose opening reception will be held Sunday, Dec.12 from 3 to 6 p.m. The powerful two and three-dimensional works created a haunting synergy while the authors read from the pages of their newly published books.
Feeley’s reading from “Kentauros,” an accessible amalgam of fiction and non-fiction chapters, brought to life some of mythology’s creatures and characters, rendering them with the foibles and complexities we normally associate with mere humans. Douthat, excited about his first published book, “Blue for Oceans,” read several poems that were both personal and universal in their themes. Gallery director Sarah Fritchey was still mulling the effect a day later. “Charles’ poetry has really stayed with me,” she said, “and ‘The Hole’ poem was especially gorgeous in the context of the artwork: Clinard’s sink holes, introspective boxes, cloudy figures… and Bruckmann’s volcanic chasms, quartz splits and cyclical imagery.”
Artful Cookie Platters and libations were enjoyed by party-goers
The three handsome publications are relatively short in length and feature artful illustrations, French flaps (elongated jacket flaps that fold inward and usually contain blurbs) and rough-edge pages; amenities that necessitated printing by two different printers — “a bit of a headache, but well worth the result” said New Haven Review publisher Bennett Lovett-Graff.
The opportunity to represent short works has not been lost on New Haven Review Books and may be a boon to authors whose work falls into this niche. “Short books can be hard to place with some publishers” said Graff, “but that is no reflection on their quality; the large publishing houses simply prefer longer, more commercially viable books.” “How to Win Her Love” author Rudolph Delson, expressed gratitude (via email), for the New Haven Review’s interest in this specialized area remarking pointedly, “I am glad that NHR is in the world, otherwise my book would not be.”
While the books share similarities in book design, they are widely divergent in subject and tone. The New Haven Review website (bookstore tab) provides these brief descriptions:
“How To Win Her Love, by Rudolph Delson, is a ribald, witty, and startlingly wise volume for forlorn bachelors on how to woo women; an Art of Courtly Love for the twenty-first century. Blue for Oceans, by Charles Douthat, is a debut collection of poems about family and growing older, written in a style that is sharp, direct, and affecting. Kentauros, by Gregory Feeley, is a bravura piece of work — part essay, part novella, and part poetry, ranging from the mythological past to the beer commercials of today, it is a cerebral, funny, and moving investigation of the story of the origin of centaurs and why it has fallen into obscurity.”
Book sales were brisk even after after official festivities ended
Books or journals can be ordered through the New Haven Review website, where visitors can find links to author bios and reviews, as well as glean a host of Review activities and offerings. New Haven Review, according to its website, was founded “to resuscitate the art of the book review, and draw attention to Greater New Haven-area writers,” but the Review is primarily concerned with “publishing essays, reviews, fiction, poetry, and art that can originate anywhere.” The next issue of the biannual journal, is expected to be available for sale around mid-December.
Much of what New Haven Review does is experimental, including its co-sponsorship of the “Hear This” series of classical short stories read by area actors at several New Haven cafes.
Actor Bruce Altman cuts a check, Mayor DeStefano gets briefed on NHR Book’s offerings by Mark Oppenheimer
As an incubator of all things literary, New Haven Review will soon fill yet another void with its debut of a new show about books on WNPR, the Connecticut affiliate of National Public Radio. It is expected to start some time in February, 2011. Organizers are presently seeking underwriters — writers or publishers, for promotional consideration. For additional information, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or New Haven Review co-founder .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).