“A ton in ash” is a new Williams poem published by The Holster as part of the 5th installment of their “Demand & Supply” series at the 2010 NY Art Book Fair at PS1. It was funded in part by one of ASDF’s “One Hundred $1 Grants.” Get a copy for just $3.00 or grab a PDF here.
Above: Harsh Patel’s “Comedians & Musicians” and “Kim Deal.” (Click to enlarge.)
A gift is something you can’t get by your own efforts; it must be given to you. That’s how I came to receive a paint-stained package of little books by a young Los Angeles-based artist named Harsh Patel. Enclosed were a dozen or so handmade, photocopied booklets with titles like “Lee Mavers,” “Kim Deal,” “Cascando” and “Echo’s Bones.” The first two titles are the names of musicians. The latter two are titles of poems by Samuel Beckett. Each falls squarely within the fanzine genre, which Wikipedia describes as a “nonprofessional and nonoffical publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share their interest.” And yet something more than the adulation of an admirer was motivating these zines. Their vision was cohesive, bracing, and fresh.
