Blog Posts by Milkweed Staff

We are thrilled to share that Parneshia Jones—author of the collection of poems Vessel, published in 2015 by Milkweed Editions—has been appointed the next president of Cave Canem’s board of directors. Cave Canem was founded by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady in 1996 to remedy the under-representation and isolation of African American poets in the literary landscape. The nonprofit’s extensive programming and publications have greatly impacted the American literary landscape, and include three book prizes delivered in partnership with five prestigious presses, fellowships, community-based workshops for emerging and established poets, and a vast range of events, seminars, and lectures.

We are delighted to announce the acquisition of a second collection of poems by the late Max Ritvo, the celebrated author of Four Reincarnations, which the New York Times Book Review called “good-humored, appealingly sly, and surprisingly whimsical.”

We are pleased to announce that Jos Charles has been named one of five winners of the 2017 National Poetry Series. feeld was selected by Fady Joudah and will be published in September 2018 by Milkweed Editions.

We are thrilled to announce the publication of two very special books today: Alex Lemon’s Feverland: A Memoir in Shards and William Brewer’s National Poetry Series-winning collection of poems I Know Your Kind. Both share a common impulse to meet pain and stigma with beauty and art.

Alex Lemon’s new memoir, Feverland, is a fragmented exploration of trauma, the fallibility of the body, and the joys of being alive. Listen to him introduce the book and read from the first essay, “EKG.”

A year ago today, Max Ritvo passed away after a long battle with cancer. Here are just a few of the most wonderful interviews, reviews, and remembrances of Max available on the internet.

When Amy and Dave Freeman learned of toxic mining proposed along the edge of the Boundary Waters, they decided they needed to take action—by spending an entire year in the Wilderness, sharing their experience through video, photos, and a blog that reached hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens. A Year in the Wilderness is their story.

During our Kickstarter campaign, one of the promises we made was to support emerging writers—those with just a debut or second book to their name. Emerging writers often struggle to reach readers in the marketplace because it favors guaranteed sales from proven authors, so we pledged to read, stock, and celebrate their books in part by devoting an entire section of Milkweed Books to their work. Our front display (the first thing you see when you walk in the door!) is dedicated to these important books, but that’s not the only place you can find them. Shelf talkers noting “Debut Author!” punctuate…

Milkweed Editions, in partnership with Riva Ariella Ritvo-Slifka and the Alan B. Slifka Foundation, is pleased to announce the inaugural Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. The winning poet will receive publication by Milkweed Editions in April 2018 and $10,000, making the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize the most lucrative first-book prize.

Feeling a lack of meaningful connection to their cultural roots—Lurie as the son of a reticent Holocaust survivor, José attempting to access a communal histroy obliterated by centuries of oppression—Canoeing with José is the story of two men who embark on a two-thousand mile paddle from Breckenridge, Minnesota to the Hudson Bay. Faced with mosquitoes, extreme weather, suspicious law enforcement officers, tricky border crossings, and José’s preference for Kanye West over the great outdoors„ the trip becomes an oddysey of self-discovery and companionship.

Their friend, Markus Hoeckner, produced a short documentary about their friendship.

“I can see, looking back…