Amy King was born in Baltimore, MD but grew up in Stone Mountain, GA. She has received a few degrees from Towson University, SUNY Buffalo, and Brooklyn College. Amy's books include I'M THE MAN WHO LOVES YOU and ANTIDOTES FOR AN ALIBI, both from BlazeVOX. She has written several chapbooks, which include THE PEOPLE INSTRUMENTS (Pavement Saw Press), THE GOOD CAMPAIGN (Dusie Press), ON THE FLY (Flux de Bouche), and THE CITIZEN'S DILEMMA (Duration Press).
She is the editor of the Poetics listserv as well as editor-in-chief for the literary arts journal, MiPOesias. Her website is available at amyking.org.
Publishing Questions:
1) What projects are you currently on? (Include issue #s, books, chapbooks, broadsides, special projects, print and web).
I just finished working on a chapbook for Dusie called, "Kiss Me With the Mouth of Your Country." It should appear online sometime later this year. Now I'm turning to a fifteen page piece that is long overdue. The idea for it has been germinating all summer, fingers crossed for a worthwhile maturation & manifestation.
2) What has been your biggest challenge as a poetry publisher/editor?
I've enjoyed most of it, so the only minor challenge I can recall is now and then not hearing back from poets I've solicited.
3) Do you regret any paths you have followed as a publisher/editor?
I have no regrets.
4) Name one poet who has not appeared in your publication which you would love to have included and why.
Many, but Cesar Vallejo always comes to mind, though he's unreachable right now.
5) Who is the designer of your web site and how much input do you have in the design of the web site and the other design elements including covers for books, etc.?
Didi Menendez. I don't desire much input when it comes to design since I am design-challenged. My marginal suggestions have always been well received.
6) What recognitions have you received as a publisher/editor?
People actively respond positively to the work I've selected. These responses remain a source of ongoing encouragement.
7) Where do you see your publication/editing in 5 years?
I hope to continue contributing to the growth and expansion of online publishing; I think we've only seen the beginnings of what online publishing is capable of as well as the reception and validation of it. Online publishers, at this point, are pioneers.
8) What are some of your other interests?
I would love to travel. I know there are so many other realities, perceptions, ways to interact with other people and species, but alas, I'm also a creature of comfort and limited resources, so I don't get away much. That may change soon.
9) What is your favorite poem as of today and why?
I don't really have a favorite poem, though I have some favorite poets for sure. Primarily, I'm a consumer and a voracious one at that. I'm always looking for my next fix, which may sustain me as an editor. One needs an appetite to carry on. Most recently, I've been digging into a book of selected writings by Louis Armstrong (ed. Thomas Brothers) that really reveals the creative proclivities of the man - his letters might be dubbed the Armstrong Poetics of Prose. Some amazing stuff in there.
10) Recommend a poetry book, blog or web site to our audience (not from one of your presses) and why.
Just released -- Ron Padgett's HOW TO BE PERFECT - Among other things, there is a wonderful and surprising political poem within that suits our times to a T.
11) What is the most exciting aspect of being a poetry publisher/editor?
The hunt for new work that moves (or removes) me.
12) Leave us with a recipe for poetry.
A decent glass of wine, a place to sit and watch that which you aren't familiar, and a desire to become aware of and step away from your certainties and comfortable thought processes/ideas. You also need to practice this kind of composing alone, in most cases, unless you can find a friend who shares these sentiments, a collaborator of sorts.
