Happy to donate a copy of 'Long Lost Friend' to the Detroit Public Library today!
Official site of poet James Schwartz, author of The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America
Happy Birthday to "Sunset in Rome"!
Released a year ago today from Alien Buddha Press - Happy 1st birthday to my novella Sunset in Rome!
Jack Kerouac Anthologies!
Mahalo to @DavidLONan1 and @HilLesha for another launch that includes my image. It's really cool to get my copy today w/piece inspired by Leonard Cohen. I can't wait to see what you'll put out next. pic.twitter.com/XPAXkA0i3x
— Maggs Vibo (@maggsvibo) September 7, 2023
ON THE HIGHWAYS WITH MANY MILES... TO GO! Available via Amazon in a Deluxe Edition or Poet's Edition!
Love Poems
Look for 3 love poems of mine (Unbutton the shirt slowly, After Hours, The Italian Bed) in the November 2023 anthology The Alien Buddha Loves You!
"Long Lost Friend" Book Party
Thank you to everyone who came out for our hybrid Long Lost Friend book release party, Peter Werbe reading and open mic night! It was magical!
Summer Playlist & Poem
Celebrating summer with a new poem up (& Playlist) at Fevers of the Mind lit journal!
Coffee with Friends: Amish Hexing + Chapter One of LONG LOST FRIEND!
COFFEE WITH FRIENDS: AMISH HEXING
Join my Plain Rainbows podcast co-host Mary Byler and I for a discussion on Long Lost Friend!
Episode available via YouTube, FB, Podbean, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcast fix!
Read Chapter One "Solomon's Secret" below!
New & Recent Releases 📚
Aah August, the deepest part of summer! I have a beach read for my readers this year with my novella Long Lost Friend my follow up to Sunset in Rome and poetry / photography in several new anthologies!
On the Highways With Miles... to go! Jack Kerouac and the Poets Edition
Waltzin Through Rusty Cages (photography)
On the Highways With Many Miles...To Go! Poetry & Art: Inspired by Jack Kerouac, Townes Van Zandt, Miles Davis & many more (Deluxe Edition)
Fevers of the Mind Poetry and Art Issue 6: the Empath Dies in the End
Also...
I will be joining Coffee with Friends podcast tonight to discuss Long Lost Friend!
"Long Lost Friend" Book Party
Long Lost Friend (Alien Buddha Press) dropping on Amazon August 8! A copy is now at the Little Free Library @ Woodward and 6 Mile! 🧛♂️ 📚
Book party Aug 20 8 pm! Event link
ON THE HIGHWAYS WITH MANY MILES... TO GO!
ON THE HIGHWAYS WITH MANY MILES... TO GO! anthology available soon!
This is writing and art inspired by Jack Kerouac, Townes Van Zandt, Miles Davis, Charles Bukowski, Chris Cornell, PJ Harvey, Marissa Nadler, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Loretta Lynn, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Gram Parsons, Elvis Costello and more.
Poets & artists included are Kushal Poddar, David L O’Nan, HilLesha O’Nan, Elizabeth Cusack, Giuseppina Brandi (art), Rp Verlaine, M F Drummy, James Schwartz, Joe Kidd, quotes from Ron Whitehead’s poem about Kerouac, Jackie Chou, Jeremy Limn, Spriha Kant, Jeffrey Mason, Diana Archdeacon, Abel Johnson Thundil, Joan Hawkins, John Guzlowski, excerpt from interview from 2021 with Michelle Marie Jacquot, visual piece from Maggs Vibo, Jared Morningstar, Jen Schneider, Pam Avoledo, Pasithea Chan, Whiskey Radish (poetry/art), Adrian Ernesto Cepeda, Aaron Bowker, R.D. Johnson, Jeffrey Mason, DK Snyder, Christian Garduno, Lawrence Miles, Aaron Wiegert, Merritt Waldon, Kevin Crowe.
"Long Lost Friend" Press Kit
LONG LOST FRIEND PRESS KIT
James Schwartz writes about truth, the grit of the Midwest, survival, life through perseverance of city life, depression, crimes and more.
Now imagine writing through the aspect of someone growing up Amish and also gay.
James writes with truth, brutal at times and completely a great storyteller with amazing imagery.
- David L O'Nan of www.feversofthemind.com
Sometimes the truth may be stranger than fiction. Superstitions may often abound in Amish country and communities. Some Amish culture is rich in superstitious lore as is Long Lost Friend. Thank you James.
- Mary Byler, author of Reflections and Memories of an Amish Misfit: "My therapist says that’s not true, but I digress"
#Marianne2024
It was a pleasure to meet Marianne Williamson & hear her speak in Detroit tonight - We got to serenade her Happy Birthday, "Motown style"!
Post updated JULY 26 to include video below.
Summer Update
* The entire third season of Plain Rainbows podcast is now available via Podbean, YouTube and Facebook! Thank you to my fabulous co-host Mary Byler and all of our guests, patrons and subscribers! Dialogue is key in bridging the cultural divide between Amish and non-Amish society. Holding space for conversations centering on Amish and Anabaptist LGBTQ issues has brought "Plain Rainbows" / allies from across the Anabaptist diaspora together in community and friendship!
Doing this podcast has been a beautiful rewarding experience.
Gay Amish (with a forbidden iPhone) are hearing our voices and to those who have reached out, we see, love and support your journey.
Happy Pride 24/7/365! Amish / Anabaptists have yet to accept us but we are living proof that an authentic life is not only possible but that we are living our best lives!
* I have put a lot of writing on the back burner this year however I did have work published in a few places. Thank you to the editors, publishers, journals and my readers who have also reached out to me over the years from Leeds to Lancaster! I appreciate you and your Amish stories!
* Recent poems have appeared in the anthologies THE ALIEN BUDDHA GETS A REAL JOB 2, FEVERS OF THE MIND 6: THE EMPATH DIES IN THE END and THE NEW VERSE NEWS, ROI FAINÉANT PRESS, FEVERS OF THE MIND and photography in THE STORMS JOURNAL ISSUE 2.
* Reminder that Summer book sales are ongoing:
PUNATIC $15 + FREE ebook copy!
* Forthcoming work TBA including the Fevers of the Mind anthology ON THE HIGHWAYS WITH MILES TO GO inspired by Jack Kerouac!
Fevers of the Mind: Pride Poetry #WaltWhitman
My Walt Whitman inspired poem DIVINITY (and Hawaii photo) is up for Pride Month at Fevers Of the Mind today! DIVINITY was previously published in the Squares and Rebels Press anthology Lovejets: Queer Male Poets on 200 Years of Walt Whitman (2019).
PSA
Welcome to Amish preaching meets military training.....
CALL TO ACTION:
Pennsylvanians: show me who you really are.
Collectively:
Take action.
Mark your calendars!
Call pa state senators on June 15th
Say yes to HB1 and HB2
#nojusticenobudget
Find your PA legislator here:
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/index.cfm?mobile_choice=suppress
Like, share, comment and tell your friends and family.
Take action!
Thank you all for standing up and supporting with money, labor, and standing with us.
Thank you to the ones who are behind the scenes organizing it all.
More remarks from the Harrisburg PA rally:
#PlainRainbows3
Plain Rainbows: LGBTQ Amish and Anabaptist Stories - (season 3) podcast is coming soon! Happy Pride! 🌈
FB/PlainRainbows
Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Issue 6: The Empath Dies in The End
My collab poem "Midwest Aesthetics" with David L. O'Nan is included in the newly released anthology Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Issue 6: The Empath Dies in the End.
This edition of Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Issue 6: "The Empath Dies in the End" which includes collaboration pieces from poet/editor David L O'Nan that he constructed with other great poets & writers including Ron Whitehead, Ryan Quinn Flanagan, Tony Brewer, R.M. Englehardt, Spriha Kant, John Drudge, Carson Pytell, Elizabeth Cusack, Amanda Crum, James Schwartz, Petar Penda. Also included is a photo prompt from K.P. DeLaney poetry/writings from Ryan Quinn Flanagan, Christian Garduno, Michael Igoe, Ethan O'Nan, HilLesha O'Nan, Pasithea Chan, Donna Dallas, Victoria Leigh Bennett, Kushal Poddar, Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon, Peter Magliocco, Tova Beck-Friedman, Joan Hawkins, Lorna Wood, Vipanjeet Kaur, Matthew Freeman, Lesley Curwen, Merritt Waldon, Andrew Cyril MacDonald, Rp Verlaine, Oz Hardwick, Stephen Kingsnorth, K.G. Munro, Ava Tenn, Robert Pegel, Dee Allen, K Weber, Maria A. Arana, Aaron Wiegert, C.L. Liedekev, Jay Maria Simpson with artwork from her daughter Katy Simpson-Langley, staci-lee Sherwood, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, Jennifer Patino, John Grey, Rickey Rivers Jr, Duane L. Herrmann, Doryn Herbst, Mike Zone, Jessica Weyer-Bentley, John Zurn, Jeremy Limn, Lynn White, art prompt poetry inspired by Rene Magritte, John D. Robinson, Monica Sharp, James Lilley, Mykyta Ryzhykh, Gabriella Garofalo, Sandrijela Ksagic (translated by Petar Penda) Rachel Coventry, Gayle J. Greenlea, Anneka Chambers.
Thank you David L O'Nan, great to see our collaboration in book form!
The Alien Buddha Gets A Real Job 2 Anthology
THE ALIEN BUDDHA GETS A REAL JOB 2 Anthology drops tomorrow on Amazon! Includes a work of literary labor by me.
New Poetry
My latest poem "Birds" -a poem that conjures omens and grief- will be in the next edition (issue 36: "Hips") of Roi Fainéant Press! Out April 2nd! Happy National Poetry Month!
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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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Happy to donate a copy of 'Long Lost Friend' to the Detroit Public Library today! -
Released a year ago today from Alien Buddha Press - Happy 1st birthday to my novella Sunset in Rome ! -
Celebrating summer with a new poem up (& Playlist) at Fevers of the Mind lit journal! SUMMER HISTORY & PLAYLIST -
Note: I'm happy to let my readers know I've written a chapbook of Hawaii themed poems, more on that later this year! In the meantime... -
Post by Obermutten GR Gemeindeverwaltung . GAY WARFARE Beautifully constructed poetry and poignant essays... ...