In 2003, the owners of ACA Galleries, Dorian and Geoffrey Bergen, asked me to start a monthly reading series at their beautiful space in Chelsea. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, just that I didn’t want to do another two-reader reading series. I thought about my trips to visit family in the Bay area each of the past two years and organizing Boog events for each trip, and how difficult it was securing venues.
So I decided we would do a reading series honoring my small press compatriots, that we’d provide non-NYC presses a space each month where we could host their authors and a local music act and they wouldn’t have to stress out about nailing down a venue. (And one month year we’d have a group event saluting local presses.) I named it after one of my poet-publisher patron saints, “d.a. levy lives: celebrating renegade presses.”
ACA graciously hosted us from 2003-2012, and since then the series has taken place briefly at the late Sidewalk Cafe before moving in 2013 to its current longtime home, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn’s Unnameable Books.
In our first almost 18 seasons, we’ve played host to 111 Non-NYC small presses and 66 NYC ones. Here they all are:
Non-NYC levy lives presses, 2003 to present
(locations and editors are at the time of the event)
a+bend press (Davis, Calif.), Jill Stengel, ed.
above/ground press (Ottawa, Canada), Rob McLennan, ed.
Aerial Magazine/Edge Books (Washington, D.C.), Rod Smith, ed.
Ahadada Books (Burlington, Canada), Jesse Glass and Daniel Sendecki, eds.
Ahsahta Press (Boise, Idaho), Janet Holmes, ed.
Alice James Books (Farmington, Maine), Peter Waldor, board president
Ambit/Furniture Press (Baltimore), Christophe Casamassima, ed.
Anchorite Editions (Albany, N.Y.), Chris Rizzo, ed.
Antennae (Chicago and Berlin), Jesse Seldess, ed.
Atelos Publishing Project (Berkeley, Calif.), Lyn Hejinian and Travis Ortiz, eds.
Atticus Finch Chapbooks (Seattle), Michael Cross, ed.
bedfellows magazine (Philadelphia), eds. Alina Pleskova and Jackee Sadicario, managing editor Laura Blagrave
Big Bell magazine / PUSH Books (San Francisco and NYC), Russell Dillon, Jason Grabowski, and Jason Morris, eds.
Big Game Books (Washington, D.C.), Maureen Thorson, ed.
Big Lucks (Washington, D.C.), Mark Cugini, managing editor
Bird Dog (Seattle), Sarah Mangold, ed.
Black Ocean (Boston and Chicago), Janaka Stucky, ed.
Black Radish Books, Jill Stengel co-ed.
BlazeVOX Books (Kenmore, N.Y.), Geoffrey Gatza, ed.
Boaat Press (Amherst, Mass.)
BookThug (Toronto, Canada), Jay Millar, ed.
Bottlecap Press (St Louis), C.A. Mullins, founder and editor-in-chief
Braincase Press (Northampton, Mass.), Noah Eli Gordon, ed.
Brave Men Press (Northampton, Mass.), E. B. Goodale, proprietor/art director and Brian Foley, poetry editor
Burning Deck Press (Providence, R.I.), 45th anniversary party, Rosmarie and Keith Waldrop, eds.
Cannibal Books (Fayetteville, Ark.), Matt Henriksen, ed.
Carve (Cambridge, Mass.), Aaron Tieger, ed.
Chax Press (Tucson, Ariz.), 20th anniversary party, Charles Alexander, ed.
Clash Books (Claremont, N.H.) Christoph Paul, managing editor.
Coconut Books (Atlanta), Bruce Covey, ed.
Combo (Providence, R.I.), Michael Magee, ed.
Conundrum (Chicago), Kerri Sonnenberg, ed.
Corollary Press (Philadelphia), Juliette Lee, ed.
Coven Press (Birmingham, Ala.; Los Angeles; Boston; Santa Barbara, Calif.; San Francisco; Normal, Ill.; Washington, D.C.), Jessica Smith, founding ed.
Critical Documents/Plantarchy (Oxford, Ohio), Justin Katko, ed.
Cy Press (Cincinnati), Dana Ward, ed.
Dos Press (Maxwell, Texas), C.J. Martin and Julia Drescher, eds.
Ducky (Philadelphia), Scott Edward Anderson, Dennis DiClaudio, Tom Hartman, and Jason Toogood, eds.
Duration Press (San Rafael, Calif.), Jerrold Shiroma, ed.
Dusie Press (Switzerland), Susana Gardner, ed.
Ecopoetics (Lewiston, Maine), Jonathan Skinner, ed.
Effing Press (Austin, Texas), Scott Pierce, ed.
Eleven Eleven (San Francisco), Hugh Behm-Steinberg, faculty ed.
Factory Hollow Press (Hadley, Mass.), ed. asst. Jon Ruseski
Fewer & Further Press (Wendell, Mass.), Jess Mynes, ed.
Firewheel Editions/Sentence, a magazine (Danbury, Conn.), Brian Clements, ed.
Flying Guillotine Press (Denver | Rosslyn, Va.), Sommer Browning and Tony Mancus, co-editors
Forklift, Ohio (Cincinnati), Matt Hart, editor-in-chief
Future Other Book Works (Colorado Springs, Colo.), C.J. Martin and Julia Drescher, eds.
Gigantic Sequins (Philadelphia), Kimberly Southwick, ed.
Greying Ghost Press (Salem, Mass.), Carl Annarummo, ed.
Habenicht Press (San Francisco), David Hadbawnik, ed.
House Press (Chicago, Buffalo, New York City), Eric Gelsinger, founder.
Hyacinth Girl Press (Pittsburgh), Margaret Bashaar and Sarah Reck, co-editors.
Instance Press (Boulder, Colo.; New York City; Oakland, Calif.), Stacy Szymaszek, co-ed.
Interbirth Books (Dallas), Micah Robbins, ed.
Ixnay Press (Philadelphia), Chris and Jenn McCreary, eds.
Katalanché Press (Cambridge, Mass.), Michael Carr and Dorothea Lasky, eds.
Kelsey Street Press (Berkeley, Calif.), 30th anniversary party, Patricia Dienstfrey and Rena Rosenwasser, eds.
Kenning Editions (Berkeley, Calif.), Patrick Durgin, ed.
Lana Turner: A Journal of Poetry and Opinion (Santa Monica, Calif.), Calvin Bedient and David Lau, eds.
lark books & writing studio (Oakland), Elizabeth Treadwell, ed.
Lunar Chandelier Collective (Hudson Valley, N.Y.),
Mad House Publications (Philadelphia), Philip Mittereder, editor-in-chief
Meritage Press (San Francisco/St. Helena, Calif.), Eileen Tabios, ed.
Minor/American (Durham, N.C.), Elise Ficarra and Kathryn Pringle, eds.
Mondo Bummer Books (San Francisco), Amy Berkowitz, ed.
Mooncalf Press (Philadelphia), CAConrad, ed.
Narrow House Recordings (Gwyn Oak, Md.), Justin Sirois, ed.
New American Writing (Mill Valley, Calif.), Maxine Chernoff and Paul Hoover, eds.
1913 Press (San Marcos, Calif.), Sandra Doller, founder and editrice
No Press (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Derek Beaulieu, publisher
No Tell Books (Washington, D.C.), Reb Livingston, ed.
Nostrovia! (Hayward, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; On the Road, U.S.A.
Nous-zot (Syracuse, N.Y.), Marthe Reed, ed.
O Books (Oakland, Calif.), Leslie Scalapino, ed.
One Less Magazine (Williamsburg, Mass.), Nikki Widner and David Gardner, eds.
Outside Voices (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jessica Smith, ed.
P-QUEUE (Buffalo, N.Y.), Andre Rippeon, ed.
Palm Press (Long Beach, Calif.), Jane Sprague, ed.
Paper Kite Press (Kingston, Penn.), Jennifer Hill-Kaucher and Dan Waber, eds.
Pavement Saw Press (Columbus, Ohio), David Baratier, ed.
Peaches and Bats (Portland, Ore.), Sam Lohmann, founder and editor
Poets Wear Prada (Hoboken, N.J.), Roxanne Hoffman, founder
Publishing Genius Press (Baltimore), Adam Robinson, ed.
Punch Press/damn the caesars (Buffalo, N.Y.), Richard Owens, ed.
Rope-A-Dope Press (South Boston), Robert daVies and Mary Walker Graham, publishers/editors
Rye House Press (Rye, N.H.), Jeremiah Gould, ed.
Satellite Telephone (Buffalo), Robert Dewhurst, ed.
Saturnalia Books (Ardmore, Penn.), Henry Israeli, president.
Skanky Possum (Austin, Texas), Hoa Nguyen and Dale Smith, eds.
Spooky Girlfriend Press (Louisiana and Texas), Nate Logan, ed.
Station Hill of Barrytown (Barrytown, N.Y.), Sam Truitt, managing director
Stockport Flats (Ithaca, N.Y.), Lori Moseman Anderson, ed.
subpress collective, Greg Fuchs, co-ed.
Switchback Books (Chicago)
Talisman House Press (Jersey City, N.J.), Edward Foster, ed.
Talonbooks (Vancouver, Canada).
The Canary (Kemah, Texas), Joshua Edwards, Anthony Robinson, and Nick Twemlow, eds.
The Owl Press (Woodacre, Calif.), Albert Flynn DeSilver, ed.
The Poker (Cambridge, Mass.), Dan Bouchard, ed.
The Tangent (Walla Walla, Wash.), Kaia Sand and Jules Boykoff, eds.
The Wandering Hermit Review (Buffalo, N.Y.), Steve Potter, ed.
3rd Bed (Lincoln, R.I.), Vincent Standley, ed.
Third Man Books (Nashville, Ten.), Chet Weise, ed.
Tougher Disguises (Oakland, Calif.), James Meetze, ed.
Trembling Pillow Press (New Orleans), Megan Burns, ed./pub.
Tripwire (San Francisco), David Buuck, ed.
Turtleneck Press (Philadelphia), Brian Warfield, ed.
Vegetarian Alcoholic Press (Milwaukee)
Wave Books (Seattle), Joshua Beckman, ed.
NYC levy lives presses,
2003 to present
A Rest Press, Ryan Murphy and Patrick Masterson, eds.
American Books, Brett Price, co-editor
Argos Books, E.C. Belli, Iris Cushing, and Elizabeth Clark Wessel, eds.
Augury Books, Kate Angus, co-founding editor
Autonomedia
Beet/Pink Pages, Joe Maynard, ed.
Belladonna Books, Erica Kaufman and Rachel Levitsky, eds.
Birds, LLC; Sampson Starkweather, co-editor
Black Sun Lit, Jared Daniel Fagen, ed.
Bone Bouquet, Krystal Languell, editor-in-chief
Brooklyn Arts Press, Joe Pan, managing editor/publisher
Clown War/CLWN WR, Bob Heman, ed.
Cuneiform Press, Kyle Schlesinger, ed.
Cy Gist Press, Mark Lamoureux, ed.
Detour Press, Gary Sullivan, ed.
DoubleCross Press, MC Hyland and Jeff Peterson co-eds.
Ellipsis Press, Eugene Lim, managing ed.
Epiphany Editions/Epiphany Magazine, Nat Otting, managing ed.
Explosive magazine/Spectacular Books, Katy Lederer, ed.
Farfalla Press, Gary Parrish, ed.
Fence, Charles Valle, co-ed, and Max Winter, poetry ed.
Flying Guillotine Press, Sommer Browning, ed.
Fungo Monographs, Ryan Murphy ed.
Fractious Press
Futurepoem books, Dan Machlin, ed.
Granary Press, Steve Clay, ed.
Hanging Loose Press, Bob Hershon, ed.
Kaf Collective, Miriam Atkin, co-founder
Kaya Press, Sunyoung Lee, ed.
Kitchen Press, editor Justin Marks, ed.
Litmus Press/Aufgabe, E. Tracy Grinnell, ed.
Live Mag, Jeffrey Cyphers Wright, ed.
Loud Mouth Press, Gregory Ayres, publisher/director of operations.
Louffa Press, David Moscovich, ed.
Lunar Chandelier Press, Kimberly Lyons.
Lungfull, Brendan Lorber, ed.
Mal-o-mar Editions, Ariana Reines, ed.
Marsh Hawk Press, Sandy McIntosh, managing ed.
Mermaid Tenement Press, Laura Hinton, ed.
Monk Books, Ben Pease, editor and book designer
N.Y. Quarterly, Raymond Hammond, president.
No, Dear magazine, Emily Brandt and Alex Cuff, coeditors
Nor By Press, Emily Toder, editor
North Beach Yacht Club, Ryan Murphy, ed.
O’Clock Press, Kit Schluter, co-editor
Off the Park Press, Boni Joi, collaborative member
Open 24 Hours, John Coletti and Greg Fuchs, ed.
Poets Wear Prada, Roxanne Hoffman, ed.
Pompom, Allison Cobb, Jennifer Coleman, Ethan Fugate, and Susan Landers, eds.
Portable Press at YoYo Labs, Brenda Iijima, ed.
Posit, Susan Lewis, ed.
Roof Books, James Sherry, ed.
Sona Books, Jill Magi, ed.
Stay Free! magazine, Carrie McLaren, ed.
Tea Party Republicans Press, Douglas Piccinnini and Josef Kaplan, eds.
Tender Buttons, Lee Ann Brown, ed.
The Hat, Jordan Davis, co-ed.
The Operating System, Lynne DeSilva-Johnson, ed.
:::the press gang:::, cristiana baik and sara wintz, eds.
Third Floor Apartment Press, Sarah Anne Wallen, ed.
3 Sad Tigers Press, Mariana Ruiz Firmat, ed.
Ugly Duckling Presse, Anna Moschovakis and Matvei Yankelevich, collective members.
United Artists, Lewis Warsh, ed.
Urban Folk zine, Dave Cuomo, ed.
We’ll Never Have Paris, Andria Alefhi, ed.
X-ing Books, Amy Mees and Mark Wagner, eds