You may recall, Dear Reader, I have befriended a
wild red fox, and in the course of this endeavor, I have snapped photographs
and composed some snappy prose pieces. Lo and behold, The Fox Who Loves Me
has appeared as a perfect-bound chapbook. It features said photography and said
prose. Masterfully published by Primary Writing Books, an imprint directed by
the estimable Phyllis Rosenzweig of Washington, D.C., The Fox Who Loves Me
chronicles my many encounters with this vulpine soul, in summer and winter, light
and dark, dry and snow.
The fox herself, a rusty-red vibrant young critter,
continues to orbit me. (Or vice versa: I continue to orbit her.) I see her
virtually every day, typically around sunset. In addition to her striking
colors, she also radiates mischief and intelligence. An opportunistic omnivore,
she chows down on rodents and watermelon wedges alike. When I trot, she trots,
we trot; we have jogged together several times. Lo and behold, as springtime
has blossomed-forth, she has started to keep company with a bloke-fox. I
attempt to conquer my heartbreak sensibly: with sessionable stouts and ales.
Let us sing the praises of Phyllis Rosenzweig.
Her press has published authors from two generations of the “D.C. Poetry” crowd.
Collectively, these Primary Writing Books—penned by the likes of Doug Lang, Ken
Jacobs, Lynne Dreyer, Cathy Eisenhower, Chris Mason, Lorraine Graham, and
Phyllis herself—explore the boundaries of poetry, prose, and image. Both a
writer and curator, Phyllis has garnered MVP honors more than once: I’m
recalling, in particular, the pre-pandemic chaos of an Adams Morgan Day street
festival, when she joined me and Rod Smith for outdoor-indoor poetry readings
at Libertine and the Black Squirrel. The three of us made a formidable team.
The Fox Who Loves Me checks in at 32 pages, with
color photographs. Design by Bob Allen. Author illustration by Emily Cohen. To
order a copy of this limited-edition chapbook, reach out to Phyllis [email: phyllisrosenzweig at comcast dot net] and she will
give you ordering instructions. This would be a perfect gift for fox lovers and poetry lovers alike.
Please consider supporting the vital work done by small presses. Without
them, we would never witness the evolution of language and story.
there's a foxy fox who loves you but is there a human fox who loves you? i bet there's more than one! babsy
ReplyDeleteHi Babsy. There is an application process. To be filled out in triplicate. Then "three spits for the pot" as they say. There are intense negotiations. Followed by ritual ceremonies such as pilgrimages, the collection of small stones (to be chucked at the freight train), and a host of "repairings" (as to a pub, for stouts and ales). In short: your guess is as good as mine.
ReplyDeleteYou never answered about your real name: Babsy? Babbette? Bubbalicious?
BA
lolz i am babsy!
ReplyDeletebabsy
All right Babsy, well thank you for checking out the post and for your kind words. BA
ReplyDelete