So it’s something in the air down in Tuscaloosa–the late afternoon light, the humidity just beginning to break, and the throngs of 30,000+ undergrads on campus.

And so we begin another year, with two wonderful book projects awaiting us: Amber Nelson’s Diary of When Being With Friends Feels Like Watching TV and Harold Abramowitz’s A House on a Hill. What will we do with these wonderful books–we’ll pass the manuscripts over to our interns and we’ll have them decide on design, paper, stitch–you name it, they’ll do it.

And, of course, the big poetry hike is coming up…but two extra components we weren’t expecting until they fell in our laps.

1. We’re teaming up with the wonderful Ryan Browne and Carl Peterson who oversee the Pure Products Reading series in Tuscaloosa. They’re being gracious enough to bring some locals in with some out of towners we just love and adore. Details here.
2. Our undergrads are teaming up with some of the hike’s visiting writers and other UG’s from U of GA, U of TN, Kenyon College, and UAB for their first film endeavor. We’ve got Flips in hand…

So, where are we reading? The amazing Cahaba National Wildlife Reserve. Here’s a little taste of location scouting. A little shaky and quick panning, but for the first time ever taking shots, we’re pleased with their efforts.