RONALD BAATZ
“Headlights from the Otherside of the World” (KSE #134)
Ronald Baatz’s new chapbook HEADLIGHTS FROM THE OTHERSIDE OF THE WORLD (KSE #134) is now available from Kendra Steiner Editions.
Two haunting and surreal narrative poems and three diamond-sharp poetic koans from this zen-beat master who regularly appeared in the legendary Wormwood Review back in the 70s and 80s and who has a number of chapbooks available from Cross+Roads Press, Kamini Press, Xerx Press, and Concrete Meat Press in addition to KSE. It’s no surprise that Baatz’s work would be championed by other publishers who are themselves first-rate poets: Norbert Blei, Henry Denander, Mark Weber, and Adrian Manning. They know!
Baatz’s work, though diverse, often falls into one of two major categories: the narrative pieces, with their elegantly crafted sentences and a surreal logic; and the miniatures, the short stand-alone koans that are often five lines each. We’ve included fine examples of both forms in HEADLIGHTS.
I can tell by looking
at an old man’s lips
if he had been breastfed
if his mother had loved his father
if his father had feared death
Ronald Baatz is a poetic genre unto himself, and we are proud to feature him here at Kendra Steiner Editions. This is his third KSE chapbook, but his first solo one: NEXT EXIT: SEVEN was a joint chap with Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, and THE COMPANIONSHIP OF THE PLUM was a collaboration with me.
An edition of 68 hand-assembled, hand-numbered copies, and 25 have already been distributed, so act soon.
Cost is $4.00 each or 3 for $10.00 (only one copy of any book per customer) postpaid in North America. Send a check (or well-concealed cash) made payable to Bill Shute, 14080 Nacogdoches Rd. #350, San Antonio, Texas, 78247. OR chapbooks are available to overseas readers DIRECT FROM KSE postpaid outside of North America for only $5 each. Overseas orders should write to django5722 (at) yahoo (dot) com and request a paypal invoice for whatever you’d like.
Why not get the 3-for-10 deal and choose HEADLIGHTS as one of your selections. Here’s what’s available now from KSE:
#138, BILL SHUTE, the stumble (sound library series, volume 44) ;
#135, BILL SHUTE, stereo action (sound library series, volume 42) ;
#130, MISTI RAINWATER-LITES, odd years ;
#126, MICHAEL LAYNE HEATH, grey rage (dyed) ;
#127, BRAD KOHLER, dog nights, dog days ;
#133, BILL SHUTE, this day without (sound library series, volume 41) ;
#131, BILL SHUTE, acres (sound library series, volume 40) ;
#129, MIRA HORVICH / BILL SHUTE, suspension ;
#119, A. J. KAUFMANN, satori in berlin (x-berg songs) ;
#122, LUIS CUAUHTEMOC BERRIOZABAL, still human ;
#116, MISTI RAINWATER-LITES, next exit: ten ;
#34, STUART CRUTCHFIELD, shack simple (reprint).
