News Release

DEPARTMENT NEWS / March 18, 2008

Boise State University's Ahsahta Press Announces Publication of Two Spring Releases

Top to bottom: "To and From" cover, "Irresponsibility" cover, author G.E. Patterson Click to Enlarge Images

Boise State University’s Ahsahta Press has announced the publication of two spring releases, both long-awaited second collections: G.E. Patterson’s “To and From” and Chris Vitiello’s “Irresponsibility.”

The 14-line poems of Patterson’s “To and From” both honor and subvert the traditional sonnet as they explore a range of intimacies. Poet Claudia Keelan writes, “Aggression can’t live in the world G.E. Patterson envisions in this book. We are lucky to have a poet of such tenderness among us.”

Author and poet Fanny Howe writes, “The intention of these fine poems is to be found in the title ‘To and From.’ Each poem is surrounded by an arcana of words (mostly commonplace) gleaned from other poets’ poems, words that when strung together slide into the poem by Patterson himself. His poems are addressed to a mercurial, form-changing You. The result is paradoxically impersonal, transcending individual and place. One line captures the whole process: ‘That loss you know might become anyone.’ ”

Often disarmingly funny and tender, Vitiello’s “Irresponsibility” has been called “some of the most ethical poetry of our time” by poet Brent Cunningham. Vitiello writes in his author statement, “I always write from an ideal kind of persona or curiosity, not myself really. So I thought that I could make a piece of writing that would be exemplary of this, which could be useful to others maybe. Once I had that idea of utility it was easy to write this book — the words just came into place on the pages.”

Both books can be ordered from the Ahsahta Press Web site at http://ahsahtapress.boisestate.edu. Ahsahta Press, which is named for the Mandan word for “Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep,” was founded in 1974. The press publishes five books of poetry every year, one of which is the winner of the Sawtooth Poetry Prize. Ahsahta Press is directed by Janet Holmes, a professor at Boise State who teaches poetry in the MFA program.

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Media Contact: Julie Hahn, University Communications, (208) 426-5540, juliehahn@boisestate.edu

Boise State University’s new Finish in Four program guarantees that eligible students who follow a planned course of study can complete their degree in four years. If not, Boise State will pay for the additional required courses. More information about Boise State’s graduation guarantee can be found at www.boisestate.edu/finish4.
 

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Last reviewed on Tuesday, March 18, 2008