Reb Livingston was born to teenaged parents in Pittsburgh, PA on Christmas Day 1972. She earned a BA from Carnegie Mellon and an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars. Now she lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and young son. Her books include Your Ten Favorite Words, Wanton Textiles and Pterodactyls Soar Again. Along with Molly Arden, she edits the online magazine, No Tell Motel and the Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel anthology series which is published by Reb's micropress, No Tell Books. Reb also blogs.Books Published by No Tell Books:
2006
The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel, editors Reb Livingston & Molly Arden
Elapsing Speedway Organism, by Bruce Covey
The Attention Lesson, by PF Potvin
Navigate, Amelia Earhart’s Letters Home, by Rebecca Loudon
Wanton Textiles, by Reb Livingston & Ravi Shankar
2007
The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel - 2nd Floor, editors Reb
Livingston & Molly Arden (forthcoming)
Shy Green Fields, by Hugh Behm-Steinberg
Harlot, by Jill Alexander Essbaum
The Myth of the Simple Machines, by Laurel Snyder
Never Cry Woof, by Shafer Hall
2008
Personations, by Karl Parker (forthcoming)
Cadaver Dogs, by Rebecca Loudon (forthcoming)
Publication Questions:
1) What projects are you currently on? (Include issue #s, books, chapbooks, broadsides, special projects, print and web).
Currently I'm reviewing the print proofs of three No Tell Books titles scheduled to be published in October: Shy Green Fields by Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Harlot by Jill Alexander Essbaum and The Myth of the Simple Machines by Laurel Snyder.
I am in the process of laying out The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel-Second Floor -- all the poems are typeset, so now I'm working on order, the introduction and getting the galleys ready to send to the 100+ contributors. I hope to have this completed by November--it's kind of important that I do since we have a release party scheduled at KGB in NYC on December 3. Yikes, I see a string of late nights in my immediate future.
Year round I'm working on No Tell Motel, galleys, submissions, etc. We publish new work every single week day. No rest for the naughty.
2) What has been your biggest challenge as a poetry publisher/editor?
Time management. Often I take on more projects that I can reasonably manage. I'm trying to scale back my "ambition" which I think is really just code for "nuttiness." I'm trying to scale back my nuttiness. But it's difficult for me, I come across other people's projects and I think "Oh that looks like so much fun, I want to do
that!" or "Hey, you're doing it wrong, let me show you how."
3) Do you regret any paths you have followed as a publisher/editor?
Nope. I regret screw-ups and sloppiness, but I don't consider that a path. I consider that a sign from the higher powers telling me to slow down and look out.
4) Name one poet who has not appeared in your publication which you would love to have included and why.
Lara Glenum. I invited her to submit once, but as of yet, she hasn't. I'll probably bug her again sometime.
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.?
Nancy King, my college roommate, designed both No Tell Motel and No Tell Books. I told her what I needed and she came up with design concepts and set up a content management system that I use to program the sites. My husband helps with server and other technical maintenance. All the day-to-day stuff is done by me.
I have a pool of designers I draw from for No Tell Books covers, sometimes they use art provided by other artists and sometimes they come up with it all on their own. Some of designers are also poets. All of the designers have poet friends -- that's how I connected with them. Some of the designers are Meghan Punschke, Maureen Thorson, Shanna Compton, Charles Orr, Stacy Elaine Dacheux, Robin Vuchnich-Salerno, Sonya Naumann and Amanda Burnham.
6) What recognitions have you received as a publisher/editor?
I receive a lot of compliments on the work published both in the magazine and as books. Poems we first published have been selected by Sundress' Best of the Net and Best American Erotic Poetry. We've also receive a lot of good reviews in places like American Book Review, Bitch Magazine, Cab/Net, RainTaxi and online at Galatea Resurrects, MiPOesias, Octopus, Growler and blogs galore.
7) Where do you see your publication/editing in 5 years?
Pretty much where it is now. 3-5 books a year. I don't envision growing into a mammoth (or even medium-sized) publishing house. No Tell Motel will always be a web-based publication publishing on a (week) daily basis. I don't view online publishing and POD as settling, I consider it smart and the direction of the future, er, actually at this point what I really mean is the present. It's a good place to be now. I don't have a crystal ball, but I think it will still be a good place in 5 years from now.
I want to continue doing the day-to-day hands-on work, not lord over minions. I have a husband and son to inflict that on.
8) What are some of your other interests?
I'm really into jewelry -- before I started publishing and before I had a child, I ran a small jewelry design business.
I also love things like astrology, tarot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Oh Spike, invite me to your crypt!), Smallville (Oh Lex, I can be your salvation, just give me a chance!) -- you know, all that dreamy, dopey stuff that people turn their noses up. I have a vivid fantasy life. Helps get me through the rough spots. When life serves
lemons, I come up with an apocalypse and rise from the ashes as Head Priestess. It's very awesome.
9) What is your favorite poem as of today and why?
I don't have a favorite poem. Not even today. I don't think I ever have. Lame, I know.
10) Recommend a poetry book, blog or web site to our audience (not from one of your press) and why.
Recently I read Hannah Weiner's We Speak Silent (Roof Books) and was enthralled with the fascinating repetition, wordplay and delightful dark humor. All characteristics I'm trying to hone in my own writing.
11) What is the most exciting aspect of being a poetry publisher/editor?
Publishing whatever the hell I want, how I want and not answering to anyone else aside from myself. I have issues with authority. You're not the boss of me!
12) Leave us with a recipe for poetry.
What I've been cooking lately for my manuscript-in-progress, God Damsel: Find a religious text, completely rewrite it making it pertinent to your daily life. God's not the boss of me!
CRACK * * * duck
