Tag: swimming with elephants publications

On the Surgeon’s Table: A Review of Some of it is Muscle

On By awhitetrashpoetIn Reviews

Some of it is muscle promo 1On the Surgeon’s Table

A review by Sarah Smithson

Title of Book: Some of it is Muscle

Author: Zachary Kluckman

                Kluckman portrays his life experiences with a ringing theme of home, family, loss, and endurance presented in each diverse and carefully constructed poem. He offers love and survival as the antidote for all obstacles, evoking emotion and tenderly stitching wounds up with the delicacy of a one performing open heart surgery.

The imagery chosen for each poem is open, dry, and honest, reflecting the desert setting presented in a majority of the poems. Although a second or third read may be necessary to grasp the deeper nuances of each piece, it is hardly a burden since a cover-to-cover read is enjoyable and enlightening.

Kluckman’s poems are sun-ripened peaches; flavorful, rich, and filling. Once you’ve been spoiled on them, poetry will never read the same way again. Kluckman, like many performance poets, uses the combination of experience and emotion to craft powerful pieces; a method successfully employed throughout the book.  

262710_10200154892465990_1862870133_nThe poem entitled, “Training Day,” recognizes these themes, stating, “This is how we acknowledge the heart.” As strength. As work. As Muscle. The only blemish in this masterful collection is the use of some rather abstract metaphors, which may require deep thinking and multiple readings to reveal. These poems were intended to offer hope to the quiet, downtrodden, and lost, and they do this well. This would a recommended read for anyone who craves beauty, hope, or guidance.

Zachary Kluckman is a performance poet, a two-time member of the Albuquerque National Slam Team, and an accomplished spoken word artist. He is featured in numerous publications, as well as radio broadcasts and organizes many events in the local Albuquerque area. His recent publication, Some of it is Muscle, is now available from Swimming with Elephants publications. Find your copy on Amazon, Createspace, or a Local Book Seller in the Albuquerque area.

Coming Soon: my verse, by Katrina K Guarascio & Shawna Cory

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CoverA new collection of poetry and photography by Shawna Cory and Katrina K Guarascio, entitled my verse, will be released in February 2014 from Swimming with Elephants Publications.

Learn more about this unique upcoming collaboration of art and verse by reading an except from the foreword, penned by Swimming with Elephants Publication author Jessica Helen Lopez.

An except from the forward:

When one woman creates we know this as spell casting.  When one or more of these female titans get together with the intent to produce art we call this act of goddess: splitting cells.  Lord help us all if they begin to shed clothes, vulnerabilities, secrets, traumas, and metaphors that bounce like agitated atoms.  This is the naked truth shook loose from words and physical form. This is poet Katrina K Guarascio and photographer Shawna Cory when they decided to comingle and author a book. 

my verse smallNow they say two women together cannot produce life, that zygote cannot be created without the gamete being fertilized by the sperm. They say fertilization is impossible without the ovum and the spermatozoa.  However, I dare any reader to peruse these pages and not feel that a milagro has taken place.  The whole world quaked when Katrina coupled with the indubitable photographer Shawna to birth the photopoetic collection that is, my verse.  Okay, maybe not the whole world, but I swear to you I felt tremors beneath my feet the first time I opened up the first drafts of the document on my laptop. The book itself is a more than adequate balance between written imagery and the image. The poems take the reader on a sojourn into the topography of modern womanhood and the photos serve to fill in the flesh of the land.  This is important work and it should be seen by all.  I have high hopes that it will.

Stay tuned for the future release of this exciting new publication.

Hurry to Your Local Book Store

On By awhitetrashpoetIn Local Events, News
CuntBomb Promo 1
 
For all of you ABQ locals, Swimming with Elephants Publications first two book: Some of it is Muscle by Zachary Kluckman and Cunt.Bomb. by Jessica Helen Lopez are now available at Bookworks Albuquerque.
 
 
Some of it is muscle promo 1Swing down there to support local business and your local authors. Thank you Amanda Sutton for making the venture from trunk to shelf so accessible. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Now Available: Verbrennen by Matthew Brown

On By awhitetrashpoetIn News, Publications

VerbrennenSwimming with Elephants Publications is proud to announce its newest publication: Verbrennen by Matthew Brown.  

To order from creatspace: Verbrennen

To order from Amazon.com:Verbrennen

Description:

Matthew Brown is a young poet born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though relatively new to slam poetry, he has preformed alongside some of Albuquerque’s most seasoned poets, and represented New Mexico two years in a row as a member Unidos Poetry Collective at Brave New Voices. Matthew Brown’s poems expose social, racial, and economic inequalities from a Hispanic, gay, and African American perspective.

Now Available: September: traces of letting go by Katrina K Guarascio & Gina Marselle

On By awhitetrashpoetIn News, Publications

SeptemberSwimming with Elephants Publications is proud to announce its newest publication: September: traces of letting go by Katrina K Guarascio and Gina Marselle.  Currently the book is available through Createspace.

To order from creatspace: September: traces of letting go

To order from Amazon.com: September: traces of letting go

Description:

A collection of poetry by Katrina K Guarascio, accompanied by the photography of Gina Marselle, September: traces of letting go is a beautiful collaboration sharing the efforts of these two artists. This collection contains poetry from Guarascio’s previous out of print books as well as new poetry which has never been previously published. This is the first publication combining the works of these two artists but hopefully will not be the last.

Matthew Brown

On By awhitetrashpoetIn Authors

MattMatthew Brown is a young poet born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though relatively new to slam poetry, he has preformed alongside some of Albuquerque’s most seasoned poets, and represented New Mexico two years in a row as a member Unidos Poetry Collective at Brave New Voices. Matthew Brown’s poems expose social, racial, and economic inequalities from both a Hispanic and African American perspective.

Matthew Brown’s latest chapbook Verbrennen is now available on Amazon, Createspace, and Bookworks Albuquerque via Swimming with Elephants Publications.

Nika Ann

On By awhitetrashpoetIn Authors

Loved a WriterNika Ann is a writer. She enjoys reading poetry out loud to her cat, playing tag with the snooze button on her alarm clock, and drinking beers while watching Austin City Limits. She is not known for taking author bios very seriously.

Nika Ann keeps a blogsite by the name of Chasing Rabbits which she invites visitors to shift though until they find something they like: nikarasco.wordpress.com.

She posts a poem every day, regardless of occasion, mood, or relevance. She mostly enjoys writing that only makes sense to her which is an incredibly selfish act and leaves her mostly shunned from the publishing world.

But she doesn’t really care about that, after all we all but walking shadows; poor players that strut and fret upon the stage, and then are heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Or something profound that some dead guy said once…

Nika Ann also enjoys using ellipses in random places and lifting quotes from great writers to use as inside jokes within her biographies and daily conversations. She is confident the right people will get the reference.

Oh, and she loves you madly.

Happy New Year from SWEP

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Elephant New Year

Swimming with Elephants Publications would like to wish all of our followers a very Happy New Year.

We are happy to have our first two releases available for purchase via Amazon.com and CreateSpace Direct.

Please check out our publications for ordering information.

 

Now Available: Some of it is Muscle by Zachary Kluckman

On By awhitetrashpoetIn News, Publications

Some of it is muscle promo 1Swimming with Elephants Publications is proud to announce its newest publication: Some of it is Muscle by Zachary Kluckman. Currently the book is available through Createspace and Amazon.com.

To order from Amazon.com please visit the link: Some of it is Muscle

To order from Createspace Direct: Some of it is Muscle  

A little about the book: The poems in this collection are meant to be read from beginning to end. These are poems of endurance, written with the conviction that “we survive” is the thread that connects the body to the spirit, and from that recognition comes an appreciation of the beauty that exists in the simple acts of living. These are poems that celebrate the anvil and the hammer, those things that shape and reshape us.

Jessica Helen Lopez

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JessicaRecently named one of 30 Poets in their 30’s to watch by MUZZLE magazine, Jessica Helen Lopez is a nationally recognized award-winning slam poet, and holds the title of 2012 and 2014 Women of the World (WOW) City of ABQ Champion.

She’s also a member of the Macondo Foundation. Founded by Sandra Cisneros, it is an association of socially engaged writers united to advance creativity, foster generosity, and honor community.

Her first collection of poetry, Always Messing With Them Boys (West End Press, 2011) made the Southwest Book of the Year reading list and was also awarded the Zia Book Award presented by NM Women Press.

She is the founder of La Palabra – The Word is a Woman collective created for and by women and gender-identified women. Lopez is a Ted Talk speaker alum.

You may find some of Lopez’s work at these sites –LaPalabra.abqnorthwest.com, thebakerypoetry.com, and asusjournal.org.

Her work has been anthologized in A Bigger Boat: The Unlikely Success of the Albuquerque Slam Scene (UNM Press), Earth Ships: A New Mecca Poetry Collection (NM Book Award Finalist), Tandem Lit Slam (San Francisco), Adobe Walls, Malpais Review, SLAB Literary Magazine and the upcoming Courage Anthology: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls (Write Bloody Press).

Her forthcoming release, Cunt. Bomb. a chapbook of poetry, will be released in January of 2014 from Swimming with Elephants publications.

Katrina K Guarascio

On By awhitetrashpoetIn Authors

Guitar 300Katrina K Guarascio is a writer and teacher living in Albuquerque, NM.

As an active member of the poetry community, she has worked as an editor for various literary magazines and small presses, along with hosting poetry workshops and producing various poetry performances, including The Second Saturday Slam, Rio Rancho’s only monthly Poetry Slam and Open Mic.

As an educator, her focus resides in bringing poetry into the classroom and making it accessible to students. Guarascio sponsors the Rio Rancho Youth Poetry Community, coaches a youth Slam Team, and produces a yearly literary magazine of student poetry.

Guarascio also co facilitates the Speak Easy Tangents Workshop series with fellow poet, performer, organizer, Zachary Kluckman and manages the website of La Palabra: The Word is a Woman, a feminist collective created by poet and performer Jessica Helen Lopez.

Forthcoming books published by Swimming with Elephants include:  September: traces of letting go, available in early January 2014 through create space and amazon.com.