The Floodgate Poetry Series: Three Chapbooks

The chapbook has been around longer than one might think. It was first made possible by the invention of the printing press, and as early as the 1500s chapbooks were being published, filled with stories, nursery rhymes, poems, Bible verses, and just about anything else people were interested in.

When we refer to poetry chapbooks today, in general we’re talking about a relatively inexpensive publication, often saddle-stitched, and containing about 40 or so pages. The production of chapbooks had declined until the invention of the mimeograph machine (new technology again, like the printing press) and then the internet and digital printing. Just like we have e-books, we also have “e-chaps.”

For the past four years, the Floodgate Poetry Series has published an annual collection of chapbooks, usually including three chapbooks selected by the editor, Andrew McFayden-Ketchum. This year’s publication, the Floodgate Poetry Series Vol. 4, features chapbooks by three poets – Regina DiPerna, Ryan Teitman, and Paisley Rekdal.

To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry.