"The Alien Buddha's Got Beef" Anthology Now Available!

 The Alien Buddha's Got Beef  Anthology is now available! Includes 2 poems by me: "Monday in Detroit" and "Amish Hollywood." 

231 PAGES OF PURE GRADE A BEEF, SERVED UP FROM 43 INDIE WRITERS READY TO THROW DOWN AND BLOW SMOKE STRAIGHT OFF THESE PAGES, NOW AVAILABLE!!!

129 PAGES OF FICTION FROM 17 AUTHORS, INCLUDING ED AHERN, ANDREW BUCKNER, ASHLEY GRANT, LB SEDLACEK, AND MANY MORE!!! AN ADDITIONAL 92 PAGES OF POETRY FEATURING JULEIGH HOWARD HOBSON, HEATH BROUGHER, LEMMY WINEGARDNER, SANJEEV SETHI, JAMES SCHWARTZ, LOUISA REID, LINDA M. CRATE, ALICE BLACKWELL, AND MANY MORE!!!

IN ‘A DOSE OF TRIBAL MEDICINE’ BY MARK T. BATES, A SEEDY GUY TRIES TO SCREW SOME DRUG DEALERS AND THEIR DOG WITH FAKE CASH, GETS A CARDIO SESSION HE DID NOT SIGN UP FOR, AND ENDS UP IN A HAUNTED RAVE GRAVEYARD GHOSTLY BURN-VICTIM DANCE PARTY FROM HELL!!!

A WASHED-UP EX-NFL LINEMAN, STUCK IN A TOXIC MARRIAGE, A BROKE EGO, AND A HOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO CAN’T STAND HIM, DECIDES TO FIX EVERYTHING BY RAGE-QUITTING HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN HUT, HUT, HIKE BY TONY PENA!!!

SHIT POPS OFF IN THE BALLOON MAN BY JOSEPH FARLEY, A HALF-MAN, HALF-BALLOON MENACE GOES TO WAR WITH ANYTHING SHARP, TURNING PORCUPINES, SCISSORS, AND BASIC HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS INTO HIS MORTAL ENEMIES LIKE IT’S THE WORLD’S WEIRDST DAMN SUPERVILLAIN ORIGIN STORY!!! MEANWHILE, THE ONLY GUY WHO FIGURES IT OUT IS A MIGRAINE-RIDDLED DETECTIVE NOBODY LISTENS TO!

ALL THIS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM, BRO?!!

THE ALIEN BUDDHA’S GOT BEEF!!!

NOW AVAILABLE, ON F***ING AMAZON (SPIT)!!! 

Amish x Aliens Essay 🛸

My new creative non-fic essay about a possible UFO in Amish country (based on a childhood memory), a Manly P. Hall conspiracy theory, Michigan and more will be published in IN THE ALIEN BUDDHA'S DREAMS anthology, out in September!   

 

Milestone

A milestone - my poetry and short stories have now been published in over 50 anthologies! 

New Poetry Anthologies!

I pay tribute to Hart Crane in Sourav Sarkar's Great American Poets anthology, which is now available! 

 2 new poems (Monday in Detroit, Amish Hollywood) are included in The Alien Buddha's Got Beef anthology, dropping soon!  

Wilde in Detroit

For National Poetry Month I'm posting this previously unpublished historical trivia tidbit in poetic form, Wilde in Detroit which I wrote in 2025. Oscar Wilde was in Detroit on February 17, 1882 to deliver his lecture on the Decorative Arts at the Music Hall.

Walking downtown Detroit,

Dreaming over history, 

Wild to think of Wilde,

On February 17, 1882,

On Fort street,

Or Lafayette,

His feet,

Encased in, 

Buckle &

Rosette slippers,

Per the Detroit Free Press,

Noting he kept,

His audience

"Waiting until 

Doomsday."

Poetry of Peace

Happy National Poetry Month! My new poem Portrait of a Protest is featured in the new international Poetry of Peace anthology, edited by poet Sourav Sarkar.

Amish Alchemy Interview

Author of the Lambda Literary Award nominated book The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America (2011) James Schwartz  is a Detroit based poet whose credits include Motor City Mix (2022) and his latest Alien Buddha Press poetry chapbook Amish Alchemy. 

Q: What inspired your new book?

JS: Amish Alchemy was inspired by many things including the juxtiposition of being gay and Amish. There are poems on Amish life, love sonnets, an autobiographical haiku sequence, a one minute horror play, a look at Swiss / French Amish history and illustrations from the Public Domain Image Archive. 

Q: Who are your go-to authors?

JS: I love the South Pacific short stories by W. Somerset Maugham and read a lot of books on Kilauea and volcanoes. Willa Cather, Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, Paul Bowles and to list more modern authors,  Michael Cunningham and Garth Greenwell. I've been reading Dante with Ascend: The Great Books podcast. 

Q: How do you stay creative? 

JS: Hiking and connecting with both my city and nature. Museums, theater, art, poetry, listening to 90s trance / club music. I recently collaborated with my friend Detroit techno artist Butch Baxter and wrote lyrics for Acceleration (Detroit Mix) which is on all streaming platforms and YouTube! I love Detroit techno so to contribute to the Detroit techno genre was way cool!

Q: Any projects to shout out?

JS: You can find a new poem of mine titled After the Enlightenment (prefaced by a Hemingway quote) in semiosis issue 1  (poetry from poets who express solidarity against the rise of violent authoritarianism) along with poets Robert Kelly, Louis Armand, Dennis Formento, Deborah Tosun Kilday, Jonathan Cant, Marc Olmsted, Larry Goodell, Wang Ping, Ron Whitehead, Strider Marcus Jones, Rita S. Spalding, John Stickney, John Holding, Danny Shot, Richard Modiano, Jay Simpson, Mark Lipman, Eliot Katz, Dan Flore III, R.M. Engelhardt, Randy Barnes, Bernard Pearson, Merritt Waldon, Gabor Gyukics, Terry Wheeler, Dave Boles and Chris Bodor.     

 

'Gay and Amish' Charts on Amazon Gay Poetry Bestseller List!

 Congrats to The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America (Kindle, 2011) for reentering the Top 100 Gay Poetry Bestseller list! My Literary debut previously reached #1 in 2011 and in the Top Ten several times over the years. 

#NoKings

 

Happy to join Team Abdul to collect signatures at the Ferndale, MI. #NoKings protest! 

 

Alien Buddha Zine #85

 

Alien Buddha Zine #85 (includes an excerpt from Amish Alchemy) is now available! Read a preview here! 

Amish Alchemy Book Review

"James Schwartz congratulations on this book! It was a short read but I found it thought provoking in regards to Amish heritage and politics. Discussion about mental health and the need for resources was insightful and much needed.. like a balm to my heart. Thank you!" 

- Mary Byler  

"Amish Alchemy" (Alien Buddha Press, 2026) by James Schwartz available in paperback here!

Why is Amish Crime Happening?

Amish Alchemy Photos

Amish Alchemy photos by @dollartospare. 

Detroit, MI. 3-7-26 

Little Free Library #129229

 

Amish Alchemy Book / Bday Party!

Thank you for your bday wishes! Celebrating with an Amish Alchemy book launch party at The Black Salt Bar (Hamtramck, MI.)! 

PARTY PHOTOS! 

 Each copy of Amish Alchemy included a printed QR code for "Acceleration (Detroit Mix)" my recent collab with Butch Baxter!  

Amish Alchemy Now Available! 🌹

Amish Alchemy (Alien Buddha Press) is now available in paperback! Read a preview here. 

Poet James Schwartz (author of the Lambda Literary Award nominated The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America, 2011) returns to Alien Buddha Press with a sparkling collection of poetry mining his Amish heritage into gold.

Through a raw autobiographical haiku sequence and love sonnets Schwartz confronts homophobic religious intolerance and loss, death and grief transforming to spring, love, freedom and renewal.

Amish Alchemy is a transformation of the Ages, illustrated with stunning images from the Public Domain Image Archive spanning antiquity and offering alternative mirrors of contemplation.

In this Amish themed journey through the Midwest and beyond lies beautiful temples of knowledge, fountains of wisdom and the alchemy of an exquisite artistic endeavor.

Amish Alchemy Goodreads page  

Diversity Rules Magazine Review

Thank you Diversity Rules Magazine! "Amish Alchemy" drops Wednesday!

Poetry Reading: Ocala Rainbow Gathering 2026

 
Let the Way of the Heart shine through... Valentines Day poetry reading at #OcalaRainbowGathering2026! Thank you Rainbow family! 

Amish Alchemy in the Garden of Good and Evil🌹

 

semiosis issue #1

 I have a new poem titled After the Enlightenment in the literary journal semiosis issue #1, dropping in February! 

Post update now available!

Press Release: "Amish Alchemy" by James Schwartz

Press Release: "Amish Alchemy" by James Schwartz

In my fourth decade on this planet I just feel grateful to still be around and still inspired! 

A Michigander who happened to grow up in an isolated, high control religious environment and rebelled against the homophobic status quo.

Conform or be shunned. The Amish Closet or the streets. I chose the road less traveled (with a lot of gay bars along the way). 

Exotic locations, a few romances, a lot of friends and many adventures later I have not forgotten about the youngsters in similar situations, this act of alchemy is for them. 

My new poetry collection Amish Alchemy also raises awareness for  The Misfit Amish org. I am honored to serve as an Art Ambassador! 

"The Misfit Amish delivers secular insights into Amish, Mennonite and Plain communities, striving to bridge the gap between Amish and English cultures, offering resources authored by former members of these communities and developing presentations to enhance awareness and promote understanding." 

Amish Alchemy (Alien Buddha Press) available via Amazon Feb. 18th!  

Amish Alchemy Word Search

Click on "Amish Alchemy" word search to enlarge or play here! 

Amish Alchemy POEMS 🌹 2/18

Poet James Schwartz (author of the Lambda Literary Award nominated The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America, 2011) returns to Alien Buddha Press with a sparkling collection of poetry mining his Amish heritage into gold. 

Through a raw autobiographical haiku sequence and love sonnets Schwartz confronts homophobic religious intolerance and loss, death and grief transforming to spring, love, freedom and renewal. 

Amish Alchemy is a transformation of the Ages, illustrated with stunning images from the Public Domain Image Archive spanning antiquity and offering alternative mirrors of contemplation. 

In this Amish themed journey through the Midwest and beyond lies beautiful temples of knowledge, fountains of wisdom and the alchemy of an exquisite artistic endeavor.

Release date: Feb. 18th! 

FREE PRINTABLE BOOKMARK!

Detroit Techno Track!

I was honored to collaborate with my friend Butch Baxter, the end result "Acceleration" is now on SoundCloud and YouTube! I'm officially a Detroit techno songwriter! Also on Apple, iTunes, Spotify! 

Gay and Old Colony Mennonite

Happy 2026! 🎉

 Happy New Year! Grab your copy of Alien Buddha's Chaos Countdowns 2 anthology, now on sale! Includes my short story The Golden Age of Trance!

Alien Buddha Zine #82 Now Available!

The Alien Buddha Zine #82 (January 2026 issue) is now available! Selections from me are my recent New Verse News poem The Great Louvre Caper and a new poem February Blues. 

Spiritual Tripping in Hamtramck VIDEO 🍄

 

Spiritual Tripping in Hamtramck 

Poetry reading from Big Island Beatnik, 12-6-25

Psychedelic Shack (Detroit, MI.) 

The Golden Age of Trance (playlist)

My club kid era 

 The 90s were a trip! My new 90s themed short story The Golden Age of Trance (in The Alien Buddha's Chaos Countdowns 2 anthology) references several trance / dance songs from around that time. I have also created a playlist, enjoy!

The Golden Age of Trance 

Amish vs. Mennonite

Congrats Mary (and Rosanna!) on your newest book, We're Not Wrong, You Are: Amish vs. Mennonite now available! Sure to shake up the systems!