Dear Reader

Dear Reader,

A few years back and in a town not far from where I am standing, I went through a moment of intense self-reflection. Spending hours and hours, days and days, and weeks and weeks, alone. I searched and searched for the bottom of my soul. What I found was that I have an insatiable urge to write and an even greater urge to meditate on crisis. What I did not understand was that when I was writing about crisis, I was also going through a crisis.

About a year ago, it occurred to me that what I had been writing about were things that were all connected spiritually. That the characters in the books I was writing had one thing in common; Crisis. They were all going through one crisis or another. Some of their own creation, some foisted upon them and some that just exist in the world we live and breathe in.

I am an artist. I think like an artist. I had a second moment of self-reflection that appreciated these writings as an artist. These novels I wrote during this period were paintings. They should be treated like paintings. But how does one paint a writing? Well, they publish a novel, of course. How does one paint a series of writings that are all connected spiritually? Well, they publish a series of novels, of course.

I am doing this. I started the project. The project is called: CRISIS ETC. There are nine novels in the series, all aligned in spirit, but of vastly different narratives. In order to make this project happen I have hired Jess Barbagallo to edit the works, Michael Jung to do the layout and design, Jack Warren do the art work, and George Truman to design the logo and tertiaries. I started an LLC and I created a press. The press is called: Marine Press.

The books, novels of varying lengths, are all going to be hard cover glossy pocket books. Reminiscent of the books my high school in Wyoming had me read in the nineties. They will be objects of art. They will be published every three to four months until the project is finished. I am having the books printed by a small American book maker outside of Philadelphia in New Jersey called, OnPress, in batches of 100 at a time. They will only be available to purchase through me on the press’s website and local bookstores. I will be launching each novel at varying venues throughout New York City during this period.

The launch of the first book, You Will Know, happened on Sunday, June 1^st at Performance Space New York, nee’ PS 122. It was a wonderful event, attended by many very good people, George and Jess and I read. Kristin Worrall created delicious and theme appropriate victuals and drinks for the event and Lucy Taylor ran a Q&A for the ages and the curliest and reddest of all women, Tina Satter, visualized the event for me.

You Will Know, is an allegory about life as a working class artist. It takes place in a chalet in New England, a successful writer and his beleaguered partner/editor find themselves trapped in a snow storm that destroys everything they hold dear and only a relentless crow can make sense of any of it.

The book is available for sale right now on the website. The sales from this book goes to getting the next book printed.

This is just the beginning. There is still beauty in this world. We can all be part of it if we decide to be.

love, joey

[insert Marine Press Website]

https://www.marine-press.com/

[insert Marine Press logo]