The Storms Journal issue #2 featuring a very Detroit photo by yours truly will launch February 18th! ICYMI: EAT THE STORMS POETRY PODCAST
Official site of poet James Schwartz, author of The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America
New Year New Poetry
My latest, a Jack Kerouac inspired poem is up at FEVERS OF THE MIND and MLK Day poem via THE NEW VERSE NEWS!
"Long Lost Friend" Coming Soon!
I'm thrilled to share my new dark comedic micro-novella "Long Lost Friend" is forthcoming via Alien Buddha Press!
Fevers of the Mind: Amish Christmas Tree
My decade old nostalgic short "AMISH CHRISTMAS TREE" is up at FEVERS OF THE MIND!
Best of 2022
"The Alien Buddha's Best of 2022" is now available in color print (35.99) and in black and white ($18.99).
links below:
My Plain Rainbows: LGBTQ Amish and Anabaptist Stories podcast co-host Mary Byler's "Amish Misfit" memoir is also now available via Amazon:
2 seasons of Plain Rainbows podcast episodes are available via Facebook/PlainRainbows, Podbean and YouTube:
Lastly, January 2023 will see the launch of issue 2 of The Storms Journal which will include a very Detroit photo by yours truly!
I have been writing a few poems here and there when I have some downtime however no plans for a book yet!
Happy holidays and 2023! 🥂
Literary Party with the Hobo King 🚂
Late night literary party with the Hobo King 2021, Bazz! He has ridden 602 (& counting) cargo trains over 11 years! So happy to have met & spent Danksgiving with him.
You can find his poetry reading from "Sunset in Rome" on social media!
The New Verse News: "The Great American Amish Power Trip"
Thank you to The New Verse News for publishing my latest: "The Great American Amish Power Trip"!
Best of 2022
The holiday season is upon us again so I am wishing you all festive tidings! 2022 was a productive year for my creative endeavors and it's not over yet!
"Alien Buddha's Best of 2022" anthology will be available via Amazon December 15! Includes a poem from "Motor City Mix" and photo.
You can also find my poetry / writings at https://feversofthemind.com/ and in the following anthologies, all published this year!
"Hard Rain Poetry: Forever Dylan"
"Alien Buddha zine #35"
"Psalms of the Alien Buddha 2"
"Alien Buddha Skips the Party 2"
"Alien Buddha's Microdoses"
In addition to:
"Motor City Mix"
"Sunset in Rome"
If you are interested in my previous work check out the Books page for a comprehensive list with links to purchase.
Popular titles include:
"The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America"
"Sweeter Voices Still: An LGBTQ Anthology from Middle America"
What authors am I reading these days? Alex Dimitrov has a Substack now (https://alexdimitrov.
Lastly I am rereading "Cleaness" by Garth Greenwell:
And of course the daily poetic take on the headlines at The New Verse News:
My latest poem:
https://thenewversenews.substack.com/p/todays-new-verse-news-the-great-american
Happy reading!
Goodreads Review: "Microdoses"
Order your copy of the Alien Buddha Press anthology of micro lit here!
Fevers Of The Mind: "The Artist Never Sleeps"
You can read my short sketch "October Hardcover" in the Poetry Online Anthology "The Artist Never Sleeps" via FEVERS OF THE MIND!
The Alien Buddha's Microdoses
Honored to have my 2 sentence short story "Cityscape" included in the new Alien Buddha Press anthology of micro lit "MICRODOSES", now available via Amazon!
LGBT Books to Prisioners
Happy to be donating a copy of SUNSET IN ROME to LGBT Books to Prisoners!
Thank you to James Schwartz @queeraspoetry for sending us 2 copies of "Sunset in Rome." We really appreciate it!
— LGBT Books to Prisoners (@LGBTBtP) October 25, 2022
"Midwest Aesthetics" Duet-Poem with David L O'Nan
Our collaborative poem "Midwest Aesthetics" is up at FEVERS OF THE MIND! From David L. O'Nan's series and forthcoming book of collaborative poetry "The Empath Dies in the End"!
1. Michigan (James Schwartz)
Ruth Ellis, The Great Blizzard of '78, Michael Moore, #FlintWaterCrisis, Motown, Madonna, Eminem, Sada Baby, Gray sweatpants, Factory hours, Rivers of coffee, Biscuits and gravy, Gravel roads, Amish buggies bumping techno, Blueberry picking, Pumpkin patches, Model T Town, Industrial Era hangover, 6 Mile sex workers, "Working on the night moves"... 2. Indiana (David L O'Nan) Larry Bird flat foot jumpers The Great Blizzard of ‘78 The Ohio River flowing and suicide watches Donald Trump really won On big trucks blasting rap music Drive by white racists who justify using profanity By lyrics, by tiktok Elitists walk by you, the trash and the preppy Wal-Mart days, Wal-Mart nights, And speaking of nights, we had Bobby Knight Now we’ve got memories of floods and tornadoes We’ve got Holiday World. Gravel Roads, The Meth Crisis to Fetanyl Crisis David Letterman went to Ball State Festivals in the fall. We eat garbage upon garbage and smile. Vomiting in cornfields, Hey Indianapolis, Hey Gary, Hey the Jacksons, Hey nevermind. Indy 500’s used to be a grandpa’s deam. But I also know of Kentucky and I know of New Orleans I the the hatred someone from Southern Indiana has For a Kentuckian just a bridge away. With the same accent they mimic what they think is different, but really the same. We’ve got Hoosiers We’ve got Bloomington, actually a fine town We’ve got Wineries and We’ve got Falling Rock Zones. We’ve got an escape to New Harmony. A dystopian town for prayer. Do we have Indiana Jones or that just a name? We had James Dean and then he left to escape the curves around cornfields. We’ve had Fairgrounds Coliseum Gas Explosions We had Mike Pence and was saw him dispense. We have John Mellencamp wandering around like Springsteen in New Jersey. Dan Quayle, Dan Quayle, fuck that. Steve McQueen , Steve McQueen. Oh and don’t forget John Dillinger. Don’t forget the programmed corn, the factories pounding out super pollution. Steroid chickens, 9 mile Chic-Fil-A lines that tells you to have a good day. While they racially judge you, while they investigate your sexual preference. Well they never know that over half their staff is to be cautious and close to the closet. All for those French fries that shape like waffles, chicken sandwich nights. Super churches across from Super churches. Envy the bully, rampage the road, defeat the enemy, defeat the empathy.
FEVERS OF THE MIND: "SUNSET IN ROME" OVERVIEW
Above: SUNSET IN ROME book party photos
"This book begins as a story/play that displays in words the feelings of having to be told to keep secrets. Not only are you discouraged to be yourself. You are abandoned and rendered almost obsolete to those that supposed to have cared for you. So a strong sense of rebellion just to be yourself is born. This unfortunately isn’t the safest path for the character “Jakob” in this novella as he finds himself in a dire situation with some shady characters looking to take advantage of him. So, “Jakob” is always searching for a new way to get to a “home” and to be accepted since the old home isn’t accepting of him. Jakob however, is looking to change the dynamic and expose that there is more like him out there, even in the shadows of secrecies.
The poetry is outstanding from James in the book. “American Linden” which I posted on here as well a month or so ago
Poetry Preview “American Linden” from “Sunset in Rome” from James Schwartz “Limbs intertwine, with whisky breath, in rites of splendor, as ancient as, the forest-fawn….”
There are so many wonderful sad stanzas in “The Ninth Garden (9 vs The Garden of Night) “My step falters in the garden of night. I have not the strength left to fight.” “The night is old: I scream, I scream. I am youth: I dream, I dream” “I seek shelter in the beauty of night. I seek sanctuary by autumn orb’s light” “A ribbon of wheat the moonlight paves. Illuminating the garden of forgotten graves” “Leaving behind her heart with mine. Buried in the box of pine.”
There is a sleepcast poem (an audio/visual presentation) which includes lines such “I met a guru by chance, as one does at Kehena Beach…he wore flowing robes & flowers & told me Shiva was the god of both marijuana & tobacco”
Please read more about James and his book “Sunset in Rome” with Alien Buddha Press and please purchase yourself a copy of a very unique style of writers out there. James has got the spirit of many writers flowing inside his blood."
"SUNSET IN ROME" PRESS KIT
by James Schwartz (author of "The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America", "Motor City Mix" Alien Buddha Press) is an homage to literary muse Denham Fouts and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and satirical queer coming of age micro-novella following Jakob, a young male hustler returning home to the Midwest and his Amish family.
"This is a story about beautiful anomalies in the Matrix."
Including a bonus selection of recent poems by the author.
Mary Byler (with her beautiful art) and copy of SUNSET IN ROME!
EXCERPT:
"This book begins as a story/play that displays in words the feelings of having to be told to keep secrets. Not only are you discouraged to be yourself. You are abandoned and rendered almost obsolete to those that supposed to have cared for you. So a strong sense of rebellion just to be yourself is born. This unfortunately isn’t the safest path for the character “Jakob” in this novella as he finds himself in a dire situation with some shady characters looking to take advantage of him. So, “Jakob” is always searching for a new way to get to a “home” and to be accepted since the old home isn’t accepting of him. Jakob however, is looking to change the dynamic and expose that there is more like him out there, even in the shadows of secrecies.
The poetry is outstanding from James in the book. “American Linden” which I posted on here as well a month or so ago
Poetry Preview “American Linden” from “Sunset in Rome” from James Schwartz “Limbs intertwine, with whisky breath, in rites of splendor, as ancient as, the forest-fawn….”
There are so many wonderful sad stanzas in “The Ninth Garden (9 vs The Garden of Night) “My step falters in the garden of night. I have not the strength left to fight.” “The night is old: I scream, I scream. I am youth: I dream, I dream” “I seek shelter in the beauty of night. I seek sanctuary by autumn orb’s light” “A ribbon of wheat the moonlight paves. Illuminating the garden of forgotten graves” “Leaving behind her heart with mine. Buried in the box of pine.”
There is a sleepcast poem (an audio/visual presentation) which includes lines such “I met a guru by chance, as one does at Kehena Beach…he wore flowing robes & flowers & told me Shiva was the god of both marijuana & tobacco”
Please read more about James and his book “Sunset in Rome” with Alien Buddha Press and please purchase yourself a copy of a very unique style of writers out there. James has got the spirit of many writers flowing inside his blood."
Microdoses
SUNSET IN ROME Book launch!
"I have written a wicked book, and feel spotless as the lamb. Ineffable socialities are in me. I would sit down and dine with you and all the gods in old Rome's Pantheon."
- Herman Melville
Unlike most Old Order Amish children I attended a public school with teachers who nurtured my love for writing and books. I also was allowed to have a library card.
The official launch for SUNSET IN ROME is October 9th! If any of my readers will be in Detroit on that date please join me at the book signing / reading / orgy... just kidding about that last bit! Really! Do expect an intimate evening with yours truly in the D!
Now available on Amazon!
Event link: https://fb.me/e/
Of course an ex-Amish man's book will be banned. This is a story about defying the church so sermons may even be preached condemning it! Exciting times!
I even drew the wrath of several ex-Amish YouTube preachers (basically my queer existence, also Plain Rainbows podcast) but let's not forget that these men are selling fundamentalism now.
Conservative Anabaptists Reject Fundamentalism
I fail to see the difference between a sex worker and hoeing your Amish heritage for click bait and monetization or book sales.
SUNSET IN ROME will be suppressed by all Amish publications and those that are controlled by the Holy Hetero Amish Church but it may be found by the gay Amish person who needs to read this story.
See you at the party!
Coffee with James / Preview "Sunset in Rome"
SUNSET IN ROME Book preview via FEVERS OF THE MIND!
"Wow! I just got done reading this novel of a queer Amish experience.
It's wildly fascinating to finally have a novel about a queer Amish experience. I was particularly engrossed in the part about the ministers and deacons engaging in homosexual acts. Is it possible this is happening even when they are simultaneously requiring confessions from other people engaging in homosexual acts?
This is a must read for queer anabaptists, seeking to find themselves. It's a coming of age story, with many twists and turns". - MARY BYLER, THEMISFITAMISH.COM
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"The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America" Book Reviews + Media Highlights
THE LITERARY PARTY: GROWING UP GAY AND AMISH IN AMERICA (EBOOK) BOOK REVIEWS: As a country boy in Kentucky, I’m acquainted with the Ami...
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The Storms Journal issue #2 featuring a very Detroit photo by yours truly will launch February 18th! ICYMI: EAT THE STORMS POETRY PODCAST -
COFFEE WITH THE MISFIT AMISH PODCAST EAT THE STORMS PODCAST PLAIN RAINBOWS 2 FEVERS OF THE MIND Q & A PLAIN RAINBOWS: OUTFRONT MAGAZI... -
Honored to have my 2 sentence short story "Cityscape" included in the new Alien Buddha Press anthology of micro lit " MICRODO... -
Thank you to The New Verse News for publishing my latest: "The Great American Amish Power Trip" !
