|
Serious readers of poetry know that commercial
presses make only a passing nod at publishing contemporary
verse. Much of the worthwhile poetry written in the United
States is issued by small literary presses dedicated to promoting
good writing. Small presses have become an invaluable source for
writing that is lively, serious, and representative of the age. The spirit of small press publishing guided the formation of Aralia Press in 1983. During the past fifteen years we have featured the best work from a large and diverse group of poets. Our commitment to promoting new writing prompted Robert McPhillips to observe in his Bookways review of "Fine Press Poetry" that Aralia "has shown remarkable integrity in the quality of the verse it has published..." and that "Peich has become an increasingly valuable figure in promoting poetry through the fine presses." Aralia's mission is to issue new writing in finely printed, limited editions. All Aralia titles are produced from handset types and printed letterpress on fine papers by Michael Peich, assisted by his students in the undergraduate book arts curriculum. Peich and his students pay careful attention to the design of the text, and to all the details related to its production. Their approach to publishing is derived from the best work of the great literary fine presses of the century: Prairie, Cummington, Stone Wall and Windhover Press. Aralia's steadfast commitment to combining worthwhile texts with elegant design has set its books apart from other literary presses. We invite you to take a few minutes and browse through the list of our latest writers and discover the best of contemporary poetry and poetics. You will discover that Aralia is actively committed to good writing. Our hope is that you will find some titles you wish to add to your library. Michael Peich, Publisher |