So the next day, the Buddha and Basinski walk into a bar…

One day, in Allentown, Mike Basinski was walking down the street when he happened to run into Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha. This was a long time ago, and the Buddha was carrying in his hand a copy of Basinski’s The Wicked Old Woman, from Textile Bridge Press. “Gadzooks!” cried Basinski. “No one has that book—I mean, no one!” The two decided then and there to lunch on open souvlakis at the Towne Restaurant. The rest is history.

Michael Basinski

Some say that this never happened. The Buddha, they point out, was a vegetarian. Yet such critics miss the larger point. Buffalo’s history of small press happenings and independent literature miracles have gone hand-in-hand for as long as the new moon has held the old moon in her arms and the small rain down can rain. Which is to say, a really, really long time.

March is National Small Press Month, and as director of Starcherone Books, I proclaim Friday night at 7pm at Rust Belt Books to be NAKED KITCHEN YOGA, a mega-reading of Buffalo Small Press all-stars, to include not only the revered and irreverent Father Basinski, but Paul Hogan, Gary Earl Ross, Ethan Paquin, Lisa Forrest, Michael Kelleher, Aaron Lowinger, Ed Taylor, Geoffrey Gatza, Russell Pascatore, Douglas Manson, and many others. Together, these authors represent not only the current generation of small presses that have carried on Buffalo’s dyed-wool indie identity, including BlazeVox Books, House Press, White Pine Press, and Little Scratch Pad, but also small presses from around the nation, even the world: Salt, Spuyten Duyvil, Meow Press, Ahsahta, Menendez Publications, and on and on. A total of 19 readers will take the stage for a maximum of five minutes each, in random order, except for Lowinger, who said he was going to be late, and so will go on toward the end. And refreshments? They will be served!

Since as long as there have been small presses, small presses have been broke, the evening will be a benefit for Starcherone Books, with $5 admission requested, to help beat our creditors back from the door. This donation will reward the celebrant with a beverage.

Novelist Sherman Alexie has said, according to a promotional poster for Small Press Month, “The small presses represent what is most brave, crazy, and beautiful about our country and our literature. So let us all sing honor songs for the independent publishers!”

I couldn’t agree more. It’s been a cold, dark winter. Let’s get naked and work on a new position! In the kitchen!

—ted pelton