1. Melbourne Thanks
2. Melbourne Stores
3. Adelaide Launch
4. Gig Reminder

1. Melbourne Thanks
Thanks to Kelly-Lee, The Arthouse, the Overload Poetry Festival, Steve Smart, Mess N Noise, DeviantArt and all the various doorbitches, merchbitches, sausage/eggplant cookers, angry band managers, teachers etc who made the Melbourne Shotgun launch such a good time. The readings were excellent (despite occasional drunken background buzz) and sales went better than expected. A special g’day also to the Belfast poets.

2. Melbourne Stores
Both Shotgun and Waste are now in stock at the central Dymocks (Collins St) in Melbourne. Getting on shelf with the major retailers is a pretty big deal so please everyone support us by getting down there and buying a copy.

But don’t forget both Collected Works and Polyester Books for your Paroxysm purchases – both have been very long term supporters of the label.

3. Adelaide Shotgun Launch
The Adelaide Shotgun launch will take place Oct 24th, Tues 6-8, at Hard Boiled (which will then be at its new home @ Higher Ground, Rundle Street).
More details to come.

4.Gig Reminder
And don’t forget:

This Wednesday Aug 30th at SA Writers Centre the first ever Hard Boiled spoken word gig from 7pm.

Hard Boiled is a new spoken word event!
The inaugural HARDBOILED reading and open mic session will take place on Wednesday, 30 August at 7pm at the SA Writers’ Centre.
(2nd floor, 187 Rundle St)

Featured poets: Kerryn Tredrea, Kami, Miss Jessi, G.M. Walker (who has a new book out through Bookends) and Ray Liversidge (VIC).

The event goes two hours in total, from 7 til 9.
Its FREE entry.
There is OPEN MIC and a bookstall carrying Paroxysm Press, Bookends, Friendly Street & other titles.

See you there!

I hoped to make this one a little more comprehensive but half the crew are in Melbourne already and I fly out tomorrow. The line-up in Shotgun is loaded with Melbourne and Adelaide people, but we also have representatives from NSW, ACT, QLD, Canada and the U.S.

Special mention must be made of Sherwin Tjia, from Canada, who has allowed us to use material from his brilliant books of pseudohaikus. His first “The World is a Heartbreaker” (isbn: 1552451534) was a brilliant example of super short poetry and I advise you to go out and buy this one immediately. Any decent sized bookstores (especially the Dymocks chain) should be able to special order import this one. Let’s increase the demand for his work in OZ – his poems spread throughout Shotgun really do help define it.

Thanks go also David Rat from the U.S. for letting us use a poem so good we all wish we’d written it!

Repeat authors are all over the place on this one as are people brand new to the Paroxysm label. I wish I had time to mention all the Melbourne people personally before we’re over but you’ll have to wait until we get back for that one.
Here’s a couple for starters:

A special hello to the DeviantArt guys and gals. New author Kat Muscat is WAY too good a writer for 16 (she was 15 when she wrote the pieces in the book) – over talented bitch!

And welcome to Kristy Love – a great and grimy little piece from someone I’m very happy to have the privilege to publish.

More detailed news after Melbourne but the COMPLETE line-up is as follows:

SHERWIN TJIA KAMI

MISS JESSI

STEPHEN STUDACH

KERRYN TREDREA

RYAN PAINE

HOP DAC

SHANE JESSE CHRISTMASS

KELLY-LEE HICKEY

MARTIN DOWNEY

BEN KEARVELL

MEI YEN CHUA

PAUL NASSARI

KAT MUSCAT

KRISTY LOVE

KATE HARRIS

JOSHUA JENNINGS

STEVE SMART

JAMES MORRISON

KRISTEN T.

JASON SWEENEY

LEAH GARDINER

DAVID RAT

PHIL GUY

SAM DRANE

GRAHAM NUNN

MATTHEW SMITH

RICHARD TIPPING

DANIEL WATSON

Gotta run – Overload is looming!