From the Top Shelf: A Six Ft. Swells Anthology 2005-2025
Six Foot Swells Press
174 pages
An interview with Todd Cirillo
HST: Over the years both Horror Sleaze Trash (HST) and Six Ft. Swells (SFS) have published many of the same writers, including William Taylor Jr. and yourself among others. For HST readers unfamiliar with SFS, why don’t you start by introducing yourselves?
SFS: Six Ft. Swells Press is a small publishing house that specializes in After-Hours Poetry. It is poetry for truck-stops, bowling alleys, soccer moms and barrooms. We strive to create connection through common experiences, stressing an economy of language. We are attracted to lean, clear, straight forward lines that tell a story. Our philosophy is, if the poet has to explain their poem to the audience, then the poet has failed. Our goal is to make poetry accessible, interactive and fun. Poetry for non-poetry fans. It was started in 2005 by myself, Julie Valin and Matt Amott. It remains us three to this day.
HST: Last year saw the 20th anniversary of SFS Press. How’s it feel after so many years out to sea?
SFS: Julie pointed out that it was our 20th anniversary and suggested we do some spectacular things to mark the occasion. To be honest, I didn’t get a true sense of the importance of it until I was putting the anthology together. It is like being out at sea for so long, that life just goes up and down with the waves, no real sense of time until you run aground. When going over all the poems from all the extraordinary poets over the years so many moments flooded my being. I recalled editing this poem, drinking with that poet, falling in love with that one, getting this poet published for the first time, costuming up for Mardi Gras with that one, encouraging many of them in their work. When the anthology was completed and I looked at it from 10,000 feet, so to speak….I smiled…I was truly proud ya know?
What I am really proud of is that after twenty years, we still hold true to our same poetic values and what excites us about poetry. Our books are distinct, people recognize a Six Ft. Swells Press book and, most importantly, the friendship between myself, Julie and Matt remains intact. We are poets, publishers and pirates.
HST: Tell us a bit about the latest anthology.
SFS: The anthology: From the Top Shelf: A Six Ft. Swells Anthology 2005-2025 was one of the four celebrations that we produced last year, the others included publishing Jake St. John’s book, The 13th Round, a first-ever book by myself, Julie Valin and Matt Amott: Three Poets Walk Into a Bar and we put together a huge party to launch the books in California.
The anthology was a way for us to celebrate and thank the poets and the press. It gave us an excuse to throw a party and bring old friends together or at least try to get in touch with some and find out who still speaks to us. The collection brings together the best After-Hours poets in the country. Poets who were published for the first time or are nationally known: Wolfgang Carstens, William Taylor Jr., Madeline Levy, Ann Menebroker, Bill Gainer, Amber Decker, Carey Floyd, Marilyn Souza, Jake St. John, ourselves and others. These are poets who should be read more widely. Plain and simple.
The anthology spotlights well-crafted poetry that celebrates connection whether over drinks, dreams, jukeboxes, heartbreak or first kisses. Poems meant for non-poetry lovers. The poems affect the reader and every poem is written by some of the best writers in the country. Plus, another high point of the collection is that it is a quick read.
HST: What makes a poem “good” in your opinion?
SFS: My belief in what makes a good poem is that poems should be like a cherry bomb, providing the biggest bang with the fewest words while telling a good story. The use of common language and style to allow the reader/listener to connect and identify with that story, “hey that happened to me!” or at the very least relate to it, not be alienated from the work. A good poem is crafted and revised, like the track listing for one’s favorite album, meant to elicit big feelings from it. Lastly, my philosophy, as with Six Ft. Swells Press, is if the poet has to explain their poem to an audience, the poet has failed.
HST: Leave us with a few poems from the anthology.
SFS: Certainly.
Pirate’s Alley
William Taylor Jr.
I’m drinking absinthe at a little table
outside a 200 year old bar in New Orleans,
blocks away from the chaos and noise
of Bourbon St. tourists.
It’s midnight in August and 100 degrees.
It’s quiet here, everything old and pretty.
A black cat with pale green eyes
sits a few feet away and looks at me
without expectation.
I raise my glass and the sweet
liquid burns my tongue a bit.
I am one with Poe and Baudelaire,
channeling the ghosts of ancient poets
as the bright indifferent moon
hangs above.
Even the man-gunned guy at the bar
with the Bermuda shorts
can’t ruin this for me.
Moving
Ann Menebroker
The memory is sweet
and embraceable.
The slow, hands-all-over dance
with the turn-on in your life
pressing lips to your soft ear.
People all around, making touch
more exciting. A soft sweater.
A rough hand.
Something in the way you move
making the room too warm.
A trumpet blowing out its
sex, confetti, falling over everyone.
The floor is too small.
The world is too big.
Wolfgang Carstens
the human animal
possesses
an uncanny ability
to justify any action
after the fact:
if the devil
didn’t make us do it,
we were drunk,
stoned
or temporarily
insane.
when all else fails,
we blame it
on love.
Horror Sleaze Trash 