Los Publications was created in January 2012 to promote the creative and imaginative use of language in the digital space—whether that be in fiction or non-fiction; poetry or prose. Our mission is to build a virtual creative community. With that in mind, digital poetry is simply a force that we cannot afford to overlook. On July 14th, 2010, The Huffington Post published an article highlighting one of America’s most beloved poets, Billy Collins, and his dismay over poetry in the digital world. "‘I found that even in a very small font,’” Collins is quoted saying in the article, “‘that if the original line is beyond a certain length, they will take the extra word and have it flush left on the screen, so that instead of a three-line stanza you actually have a four-line stanza. And that screws everything up[.]’"
The article goes on to discuss other world renowned poets and publishers of poetry and their lack of presence in the ebook universe, mostly due to rights disputes and digital formatting. On an end note, The Huffington Post tells us that a “leading developer of e-reading technology…is working on improving the formatting for poetry, although no major breakthroughs are expected before 2011.”
2011 has come and gone and not much has changed. The technology has improved somewhat, but the problems that have plagued poetry still exist. Because of this it still remains difficult, if not impossible, to find these contemporary giants in digital form. And since the best sellers of poetry find it difficult to enter the market, most of the top e-reading devices do not consider poetry a primary category in their stores. It is either buried inside a sub category of fiction, or else readers have to search for it themselves through keyword searches. There is little to help readers discover all of the wonderful poetry that has always been there—in the corners of our favorite bookstores—as well as the new up and coming voices scattered throughout the shelves.
What has happened, however, is that a new breed of poet has emerged. This new epoet understands the digital environment and is ready to adapt where necessary and create new forms of expression where the technology allows. While the industry quibbles, these epoets are bypassing traditional means of publication and self publishing in creative ways and self promoting through social media. And yes, there are lots of frustrated unpublished writers pulling old manuscripts from their attics, and yes, some of it is quite horrendous, but there is a significant amount out there that is actually quite delightful.
As Walt Whitman ushered in an appreciation for free verse, calling upon artists to free themselves of traditional conventions, the new epoet too sounds his barbaric yawp. We invite you to explore this exciting turn of events for yourself, or better yet, join us.
All truths wait in all things
They neither hasten their own delivery nor resist it,
They do not need the obstetric forceps of the surgeon.
--Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass)
The article goes on to discuss other world renowned poets and publishers of poetry and their lack of presence in the ebook universe, mostly due to rights disputes and digital formatting. On an end note, The Huffington Post tells us that a “leading developer of e-reading technology…is working on improving the formatting for poetry, although no major breakthroughs are expected before 2011.”
2011 has come and gone and not much has changed. The technology has improved somewhat, but the problems that have plagued poetry still exist. Because of this it still remains difficult, if not impossible, to find these contemporary giants in digital form. And since the best sellers of poetry find it difficult to enter the market, most of the top e-reading devices do not consider poetry a primary category in their stores. It is either buried inside a sub category of fiction, or else readers have to search for it themselves through keyword searches. There is little to help readers discover all of the wonderful poetry that has always been there—in the corners of our favorite bookstores—as well as the new up and coming voices scattered throughout the shelves.
What has happened, however, is that a new breed of poet has emerged. This new epoet understands the digital environment and is ready to adapt where necessary and create new forms of expression where the technology allows. While the industry quibbles, these epoets are bypassing traditional means of publication and self publishing in creative ways and self promoting through social media. And yes, there are lots of frustrated unpublished writers pulling old manuscripts from their attics, and yes, some of it is quite horrendous, but there is a significant amount out there that is actually quite delightful.
As Walt Whitman ushered in an appreciation for free verse, calling upon artists to free themselves of traditional conventions, the new epoet too sounds his barbaric yawp. We invite you to explore this exciting turn of events for yourself, or better yet, join us.
All truths wait in all things
They neither hasten their own delivery nor resist it,
They do not need the obstetric forceps of the surgeon.
--Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass)
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