Uspoco Books

10/19/2023

We are excited to announce two new chapbooks from Sara Smith and Chris Murphy! Come join us October 20th at 7 PM at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center located at 117 E Government St, Pensacola, FL 32502 (across from Seville Quarter) for a book release party! There will be lots of whooping, hooting, and hollering, along with wine and snacks. It’s a celebration of these authors and their exceptional work. Both books will be available to purchase and the authors are happy to sign copies. Read more about the authors and see the covers for the chapbooks below!

This event is doubling as the University of West Florida’s English Intern awards. We will be recognizing five interns who were essential in the development, editing, and design of these books. We hope to see you there!

We are also excited to announce the launching of our Instagram page! Make sure to follow to keep up with what’s going on.

USPOCO BOOKS is the label under which us poetry company publishes books and magazines of poetry, politics, and just about everything else. We are excited to announce two new chapbooks from Sara Smith and Chris Murphy! Come join us October 20th at 7 PM at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center....

10/14/2023

Bring the noise!

08/07/2021

Poetry only comes alive as community. Not in a drawer, or in a void. Emily Dickinson's community drove her to respond in disguise, perhaps, ultimately, in the opposite direction as they hoped. But her apparent literary quietness was part of a conscious fight. Is yours?

Step up.

06/17/2021

Ten years ago. Still good.

Featuring Barrett Travis's brilliant, original cover art and Ed Sanders's expected ambivalence about the question of the MFA School.

https://issuu.com/meleelive/docs/pocketed1

THE MFA SCHOOL: A call for submissions was emailed to every MFA writing program in the country requesting one poem only from any currently enrolled student. We received over 200 submissions (via email) from 57 writing programs. Five poems were selected from five poets to be included in this issue. O...

12/02/2020

You'll never be creative until you have to be. Obstacles make us better. The more at stake, the greater.

There is no thinking outside the box because thinking is the box. Action is where it's at. Act. It's ok not to know what comes next.

We never really know anyway. We just think and talk until we do something. I guess it's all about your sense of urgency.

12/02/2020

Poetry Lunch Break tomorrow!

Pop-up Poetry Show Tomorrow! Come to Ferdinand Plaza at noonish tomorrow! Bring your favorite poem and read it, or come hear some poetry and perhaps leave with a free book.

This is about celebrating poetry not selling it. See you there!
(This pic is old but the post is new!)

10/17/2019

Thanks to Scott Satterwhite for this mention in his wonderful long form report of the Pensacola poetry scene! Great article, check it out!

"Expanding the Scene

For years, Pensacola State College brought several notable writers to the area. Prominent figures in the famed New York School of poets—including Bernadette Mayer, Anne Waldman and Alice Notley, as well as Eileen Myles—have graced the college campus.

PSC also has its own in-house talent, including English professor Sara Smith, who recently released her first collection of poetry, “Queen and Stranger.” A celebration of her work, published by Uspoco Books, filled every space in Open Books with fans of poetry and the poet."

Photos and video to follow as soon as midterm is conquered!

In her bestselling novel “The Poet X,” Elizabeth Acevedo wrote “Every now and then, I dress my thoughts in the clothing of a poem. Try to figure out if my world changes once I set down these words.”

09/25/2019

USPOCO BOOKS is proud to present No. 3 in The Travvis Largent Chapbook Series

I am so happy to be able to help introduce Sara Jeanine Smith, this fearless poet, and Queen and Stranger, her spirited first collection of poems, not just to the poetry community, but beyond. This collection can cross over and reach the civilians out there dying to be touched by something rare and true. These poems manage deftly, hauntingly, and sometimes painfully, to bring back from an otherwise unspeakable world living glimpses of what's left there.

You will have to read the book to see what that looks like!

Come celebrate with us the launch of this book on Friday, October 11 at Open Books in Pensacola at 6 pm. Get your copy there and get it signed. Stay tuned for an official event announcement!

The Editors

USPOCO BOOKS is proud to present No. 3 in The Travvis Largent Chapbook Series: Queen and Stranger, by Sara Jeanine Smith.In Queen and Stranger, Sara Smith explores the inner and outer landscapes of being alive in the world—at once planetary and domestic, secular and sacred, these poems are spatia....

08/21/2019

Arcata, CA. July 3, 2009. Pop-up reading in the square. The cops came. Too loud.

07/12/2018

Please check out the poetry from our friend Sy Hoahwah in this new anthology, including selections from Night Cradle (USPOCO BOOKS 2011).

These poems create a place, somewhere we could go. The place of this poetry feels like a familiar country, even though it is made from many nations. This is not to say that poems are lands—certainl…

06/09/2018

Check out our friend Sy in this month's issue of Poetry Mag. Don't let this picture scare you off. He's not nearly as serious as he looks here.

The Ozarks are where defeated assassins, the unholy,

03/22/2017

Call For Works – Issue 3:

Don't waste your best insights on Facebook. Send your editorial to us at the MFA Monthly now. The deadline is April 1st! Just do it. Do it.

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reac…

03/15/2017

Where We Go From Here: On “Political” Poetry and Marginalization

Where We Go From Here: On “Political” Poetry and Marginalization

“But one voice is not enough, nor two, although this is where dialogue begins.” — Cherrie Moraga THE PROBLEM Something occurred during the days after the Trump election. There was a marked difference between those who were angry and … [Read More]

03/14/2017

Call For Works – Issue 3:

Get your poems, story or essay / article / editorial in for Issue NO 3 of MFA Monthly! It's free and easy to submit to this truly unique, pocket-sized print journal.

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reac…

03/09/2017

Civil Disobedience

John Rawls defines civil disobedience as “a public non-violent conscientious act contrary to law done with the intent to bring about change.” I will first consider his stance on the subject of civil disobedience as noted in A Theory of Justice (Section 57):
Civil disobedience is by its nature an act responding to injustices internal to a given society, appealing to the public's conception of justice.

Civil disobedience can be justified if the following three conditions are all met:

1. If the injustice is substantial and clear, especially one that obstructs the path to removing other injustices (e.g., poll taxes and other burdens on the right to vote). This certainly includes serious infringements of the principle of liberty and blatant violations of the principle of fair equality of opportunity.

2. If the normal appeals to the political majority have already been made in good faith and have failed. Civil disobedience is a last resort.

3. If there are not too many other minority groups with similarly valid claims. The just constitution would be eroded if too many groups exercised the choice of civil disobedience. The resolution of this situation is a political alliance of these multiple minorities to form a working majority coalition.

03/08/2017

Contributors

Check out our list of contributors from over the last ten years. You may be surprised by who you find there. This is only a list of contributors in print.

This is a comprehensive list of contributors in print since 2007. Click on a name to see what that person is up to now. Click on a title to buy the magazine issue or book. If you are one of these a…

03/08/2017

Call For Works – Issue 3:

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reached an extremely precarious point with the election of Donald Trump. In a frighteningly short time, Trump has made dangerous, harmful decisions that impact millions. However, this is also a time of hope as people rally, pushing back hate and fear with love. The movement predates Trump, but it does not predate the state of violence in this country or the need to speak out. While the acts of violence and hate make us want to hide away from the world and protect ourselves, we also recognize that the turmoil of the election has created a real possibility for change. We must follow the movements like , making ourselves heard as a voice against fear and hate.

The need for change in this time of uncertainty has compelled USPOCO Books to return to the press and begin publishing our magazine again. Art is an incredibly powerful medium for change. We dedicate this issue to as a way to create a space for the voices of those who need to be heard. Poetry, songs, essays, and journalism make tangible the poverty, violence, and dehumanization that the movement fights against.

In a time of violence and oppression, the press is a vital and powerful vehicle for change. As Amiri Baraka reported long ago, “Freedom of the press means that we are free to become the press.” In our quest to add our voices to the mêlée and become the press, we have been inspired to take up the publication of this magazine once again. We are dedicating this edition to . Let your voices ring out in a declaration of hope with ours.

Submissions for the issue close on April 1st. To submit your work follow https://greensubmissions.com/876/mfamonthly/index.php and create a free account with Green Submissions. Submit your work by either pasting it into the text field or uploading it as a .doc or .docx file. Leave the bio field blank as we do not include contributor bios in our publication; the writing stands for itself. We guarantee an email only if your work is accepted. Follow up with us after three weeks to determine the status of your submission.

We look forward to reading your submissions and creating a powerful conversation about .

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reac…

03/08/2017

Call For Works – Issue 3:

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reached an extremely precarious point with the election of Donald Trump. In a frighteningly short time, Trump has made dangerous, harmful decisions that impact millions. However, this is also a time of hope as people rally, pushing back hate and fear with love. [ 339 more words ]

https://themfamonthly.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/call-for-works-issue-3-blacklivesmatter

For the third issue of the MFA Monthly, we’re looking for politically mindful poetry, stories, and essays centering on the movement. The political climate of this country has reac…

02/02/2017

"What are your political acts, and what politics do they serve?"

03/03/2015

Happy Birthday, USPOCO BOOKS!

USPOCO published its first title five years ago today! If you want to help us celebrate, click the link and buy one of our books or mags and read it. Read it out loud in public, and then send it to a friend. That's what we are about. What are you about?

Amazon.com: uspoco books

02/15/2014

Available April 2nd!

USPOCO BOOKS is proud to present ORESTEIA, the second full-length poetry collection by Chris Wong.

If you are a reviewer of poetry and would like to receive a review copy of this text, please send your request to the editors at [email protected].

A note from Wong on the text:

"I feel the Oresteia is the saddest and most tragic of all Greek tragedies. I mean tragic insofar as a person is duty bound by both fate and gods to go to his demise. Still, there is a hint of redemption at the end of the Eumenides that suggests that, although the universe is unspeakably cruel, there is the possibility of atonement. I mean the story itself, not its most familiar tellings. To that end, I find Aeschylus and even Euripides to be a bit underwhelming in their treatments of this aspect of the story. To me the story centers on the pathos of the characters—particularly Elektra, Orestes, and Clytemnestra, who are the most thrown by the fates throughout. Neither of the ancient Greek works gives me much of a sense of these characters' inner-workings. I find especially that Clytemnestra has a fascinating psychology. She is a character whose motives throughout are decidedly ambiguous—a sense I tried to create in my version. I chose to focus my retelling of this great narrative not on formality or dramatics of plot but instead on the humanity of the characters."

Cover art by Barret Travis.

02/14/2014

The Truth About The Perils Of Being US Poetry Company

"ManuFacturedArtists.com has now been around for 3 strange years. This has been our most viewed post, followed closely by, "Who is this Bryan Roth Kid? The meanest kid in poetry." Thanks to everyone who has visited our blog in the past few years. There is still way more to come!

The Editors"

The good news came in May, 2009. "You have been renewed for another 9 month contract as a full-time Lecturer at the University of Arkansas Department of English." I resigned my position. Rebecca an...

02/14/2014

The Truth About The Perils Of Being US Poetry Company

ManuFacturedArtists.com has now been around for 3 strange years. This has been our most viewed post, followed closely by, "Who is this Bryan Roth Kid? The meanest kid in poetry." Thanks to everyone who has visited our blog in the past few years. There is still way more to come!

The Editors

The good news came in May, 2009. "You have been renewed for another 9 month contract as a full-time Lecturer at the University of Arkansas Department of English." I resigned my position. Rebecca an...

12/22/2013

Elegy for Social Media

Elegy for Social Media

What would you say to Facebook on the Facebook Memorial Page if Facebook died tomorrow?

12/14/2013

Contributors

Okay, this is updated: This is a comprehensive list of contributors in print since 2007. Click on a name to see what that person is up to now. Click on a title to buy the magazine issue or book. If you are one of these artists and there is no link to your name or if you would like us to link your name to a different site, drop us a line: [email protected]. Thanks!

This is a comprehensive list of contributors in print since 2007. Click on a name to see what that person is up to now. If you are one of these artists and there is no link to your name or if you w...

11/12/2013

Un-Training May Be Most Difficult in Preparing Veterans for College

Un-Training May Be Most Difficult in Preparing Veterans for College

Veterans Upward Bound is a pre-college program which is available for veterans on many college campuses. The program has a clear goal, to help prepare veterans to enroll and succeed in college. I t...

11/10/2013

"Initially, a paradigm offers the promise of success.

Normal poetry consists in the actualization of that promise. This is achieved by

-expanding the audience (through publication, etc.) for those poems that the paradigm displays as particularly revealing,

-increasing the extent of the match between those poems and the paradigm’s predictions,

-and further articulation of the poetry itself."

11/10/2013

Poet Juice NO. 4: The Advance of the Poet Critic

A poetic community cannot practice its trade without some set of received beliefs (p. 4).

These beliefs form the foundation of the “educational initiation that prepares and licenses the poet for professional practice” (5).

The nature of the “rigorous and rigid” preparation helps ensure that the received beliefs exert a “deep hold” on the poet’s mind.

Normal poetry “is predicated on the assumption that the poetic community knows what the world is like” (5)—practicing poets (as well as teaching poets and poet-critics) take great pains to defend that assumption.

To this end, “normal poetry often suppresses fundamental novelties because they are necessarily subversive of its basic commitments” (5).

Workshop is “a strenuous and devoted attempt to force nature into the conceptual boxes supplied by professional education” (5).

Form, for a poet, is the awkward, fragile thing to avoid. The form, once lived on. And now despised for its sincere naivety. It's difficult to meet that hopeful relative beside the blaring road. I ...

10/01/2013

The blog of the arts produced by USPOCO @ ManuFacturedArtists.com has been visited by readers from 67 countries in the last 18 months. We did not track these stats during the blog's first year of existence. Thank you to all of our readers!