Food & Drink
New Vinyl-Only Poetry Press Transports Listeners to a Live Reading
Portland's Fonograf Editions releases "Alice Notley: Live in Seattle."
By Caroline Craighead September 8, 2017
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
Combining the nostalgia for vinyl records with the feeling of a live poetry reading, vinyl-only poetry press Fonograf Editions (based in Portland and Omaha) has found a unique niche.
“We live in such a fast-paced society that the act of putting a record on and just listening is a really different sensation,” says Jeff Alessandrelli, the director and publisher of Fonograf, who combined his two passions—poetry and record collecting—for the project.
Launched in 2016, Fonograf has published recordings of acclaimed poets such as Pulitzer Prize winner Rae Armantrout and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Eileen Myles reading from their works.
Its newest release, Alice Notley: Live in Seattle (September 8; $16.95; fonografeditions.com), features Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize winner Alice Notley reading from her latest work, Certain Magical Acts, at McCaw Hall this past April as part of Seattle Arts & Lectures’ Poetry Series.
While the recordings are mastered so that the sound is high quality, they still capture every aspect of a live reading, including mispronunciations, jumbled words and turning pages. Alessandrelli, a poet himself, says it’s this deliberate imperfection that makes them truly authentic.
“It really puts you inside the reading,” he says.
Follow Us
Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing
Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege
In his book, Old White Man Writing, Seattle resident Joshua Gidding attempts to come to terms with his privilege. Gidding grapples with the rapidly changing cultural norms in 21st-century America while examining his own racial biases and prejudices. As Manhattan Book Review notes: “Old White Man Writing is an introspective deep dive into an eventful life…
Glacial Expressions
Local scientist and painter Jill Pelto spotlights climate change in a multi-artist show at Slip Gallery
The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…
How Taproot Theatre Survived A Financial Crisis
Theatre is planning for its 50th birthday next year
Karen Lund vividly remembers that sinking feeling she had in the fall of 2023. That was when Lund, producing artistic director of Taproot Theatre Co., first realized that the financially strapped, midsized professional theatre in the Greenwood neighborhood might not survive. The theatre had already weathered the worst of the pandemic, but costs were mounting….
Humanities Washington Fights ‘Midnight’ Cuts
Nonprofit loses previously approved federal grants with little warning
The letter came without warning, like a slap in the face from an invisible hand. Humanities Washington CEO and Executive Director Julie Ziegler had already been talking with peers in other states, and she readied herself for the blow. The National Endowment for the Humanities (think DOGE) had terminated her nonprofit’s previously awarded federal grant…