Groundwork

It's frightening, especially since we're not technically even through our Fall 10 list yet, but we've been working on Fall 11 presales the past couple of weeks. My initial teleconference is Tuesday, so I've been trying to get my head around our Fall list, while working on finishing up our Spring. The Fall list will be pretty spectacular: a second collection by Rebecca Rosenblum titled The Big Dream (which I finished last eve for the first time. Trust me: it's every bit as good as Once, if not better.), Ray Robertson's latest collection of nonfiction Why Not? Fifteen Reasons to Live, a memoir of the golden age of Hollywood, American theatre and publishing by Bruce Jay Friedman (Lucky Bruce), Claire Tacon's Metcalf-Rooke winning novel In the Field, Laura Boudreau's darkly playful first collection of short fiction Suitable Precautions, David Hickey's first children's book (illustrated by Alexander Griggs-Burr), and a first collection of poetry by the poet pictured above, Amanda Jernigan. I'm tired (though excited) just thinking about it.

Is it too early to begin praising our Fall list? Even when I've yet to shine light on our Spring? (Fear not: that will follow.) No, especially when Douglas Glover's highlighting one of our Fall authors on his Numero Cinq. Below, Aubade, from Amanda's Groundwork. Early September, 2011. For four additional poems, and a short write-up about the book and poet, please go here.

Aubade

The time, if time it was, would ripen
in its own sweet time. One thought of dawn.
One felt that things were shaping up,
somehow, that it was getting on.

Day broke. Upon the waters broke
in waves on waves unbreaking and
night fell, unveiling in its wake
one perfect whitened rib of land.

I slept, and while I slept I dreamed,
a breaking wave, a flowering tree,
and all of one accord I seemed.
I woke, and you divided me.