A new book, hot off the press

Dear friends, colleagues, artists, writers, and bibliophiles:

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my new book of poems and prints, in collaboration with the talented and acclaimed Filipino poet Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta. Mookie-Katigbak Lacuesta and I both traveled from opposite corners of the world to Iowa City, where– thanks to the Writer’s Workshop and the International Writing Program, our artistic and intellectual paths crossed, and this unusual collaboration project blossomed. We approached the concept of ‘translation’ as a creative act rather than a transcriptive act– more like a game of telephone or Chinese whispers, in that I responded to her material as a ‘hearing’ or ‘echoing.’ In my collaboration with Mookie, I responded to her work in a series of poem-responses, then I translated these echoes into my paintings. This translation has been a mutually beneficial mutation of two poet’s works, from one type of English into another, from one poet’s voice into another, and I am grateful to Mookie for allowing me the freedom to twist the traditional mode of translation for the project.

We were fortunate to be able to work with Michael Brennan of Vagabond Press in Australia, who has published Mookie’s poetry in the past, and who transformed our art and writing into a glorious object. The books arrived today and could not be more beautiful, thanks to Michael’s efforts in design and attention to detail. You may purchase a copy directly from me for $25 and I will be glad to sign it for you, or you may order from the Vagabond Press website, or from Amazon (see links below).

I hope to organize a more formal book launch and reading in the near future in Iowa City and later in Burlington, Vermont– so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement and your ears primed for a reading. Below you will find our bios, websites, and links to the book.

Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta is the author of two poetry collections: The Proxy Eros (2008) and Burning Houses (2013). She obtained an MFA from the New School University in 2002, and has since taught in major universities in Manila, fronted a rock band, written feature articles, a libretto, and short fiction. She is the editor of Metro Serye, a fold-out zine featuring new poetry, fiction and graphic art in the Philippines. She also co-edited Fast Food Fiction Delivery: short short stories to go, an anthology of flash fiction, in 2014. Widely awarded, she was the Filipino delegate to the 2012 Medellín Poetry Festival. In 2015, she completed a writing residency for the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

Frances Cannon is a writer and artist currently pursuing a master’s degree in nonfiction and book arts at the University of Iowa, teaching literature and creative writing, and working as an editorial assistant to The Iowa Review. She was born in Utah and since then has bounced around living, making artwork, and writing, in Oregon, Maine, Montana, Vermont, California, France, Italy, and Guatemala. She received her bachelor’s in poetry and printmaking at the University of Vermont, where she self-published several chapbooks of silkscreened prints and poems. She has also worked as an editorial intern and contributor at McSweeney’s quarterly, The Believer, and The Lucky Peach. She has recently been published in Vice, The Examined Life Journal, Edible magazine, and Vol. 1 Brooklyn.