CHAPBOXES

Got a fun letter from my friend and former editor Allen Sutterfield, otherwise known as Adze. For a man who's 60 + some, he sure manages to keep his vision fresh. It seems he's come up with a new publication format: TEA READING BOXES (ed. note: now he calls them CHAPBOXES, a much catchier term for 'em). For those who operate in the underground zine and chapbook realm, this should resonate. Read on:

Hi Brian,

It rained the whole day Saturday seriously dampening turnout for the book fair. I did sell $79 worth of "goods" (GUATEMALA was prominently displayed but alas, no sales), minus many little expenses. I was exhausted by the end of it though and even this week have just come from rehearsing with Wayne for a performance two nights from now at a new Coffeeehouse venus Nik Beat is starting. Am having a chili party on June 24, my one party of the summer. Wish you could be here for that! Montreal is most unlikely for me, I now realize--I always want to do too many things! Can't be helped! Anyway stay in touch and I'll keep tabs on any sales--I'm thinking of selling books on Janet's front porch on Saturday mornings! Yours will be out there for sure! Also I recommend you always carry one or two with you when you go out anywhere, you never know when a sale can manifest and at least that way it's a part of every context. I'm practicing that speaking tonight with a couple of my chapbooks along for the Art Bar!

The biggest hit Saturday was my "TEA READING BOXES"--you know those wooden tea boxes you buy in Dollar Stores, with 20 teabags inside? I took the tea out and put 20 texts in instead! Added one teabag, a table of contents and packing note. It's ADZBOX 1 and so forth--I made 24 so far, sold six that day. So for ten bucks one can buy my little chapbook AND a teabox! And one person did. I was only selling them for six bucks. It was fun. Feedback has been good. Keep me posted on what's happening with you this summer, even if it is similar to past summers in large ways. It never is in SMALL ways which then become large in turn! A.