Chapbooks

   /ˈtʃæpˌbʊk/ Show Spelled[chap-book]  - noun

 

1. a small book or pamphlet of popular tales, ballads, etc., formerly hawked about by chapmen.

2. a small book or pamphlet, often of poetry.

(source: Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com)

 

According to N. Hausman, "The term [chapbook] is still used today to refer to short, inexpensive booklets. [In the] Early Modern period in England, chapbooks were small, cheaply produced books, most often octavo or duodecimo printings of twenty-four pages, sold without a cover. ...  Chapbooks were timeless books of jest and tales that often sprang out of folklore. Chapbooks were so called because they were sold by peddlers known as chapmen. Chap comes from the Old English for trade, so a chapman was literally a dealer who sold books. Chapmen would carry boxes containing the conveniently sized editions, either in town on street corners, or traveling through the countryside. They typically sold their wares for twopence or threepence, and stocked a large variety of titles. Among the types of content contained in chapbooks were romantic tales of chivalry, religious and moral instruction, cookbooks, guides to fortune telling and magic, and bawdy stories full of innuendo.  Chapmen traveled through England as early as the 1570s (Watt) selling books to whoever they could." (Source:  http://web.mit.edu/21h.418/www/nhausman/chap1.html)   Circles (published July, 2010)

w/ card stock cover & beading $7.00 (limited number available) (+ $2.50 shipping)         w/o card stock cover   $5.00   (+ $2.50 shipping)     Circles: by Bernadine Fox BFA A short story (~2,500 words) about wife-battering from the perspective of a woman who witnessed it, experienced it, justified it, ran from it, and then was faced with it one last time. ______________________________________ (excerpt) Chapter One       The light of a Christmas moon reached down through the living room window and plucked a bit of bare flesh out of the darkness.  It was startling and, normally, Celia would have shrieked.  Undoubtedly, she had numbed herself to the disquieting edges inherent in living with this family where a mere drink maintained authority over all things and, seemingly, all people.  Alcohol had rules this family intimately understood.  The muddled haze of their lives lulled them into compliance.  Celia was a beginner at grasping the predictable nature of its chaos.  She had hoped to embrace another culture.  Instead, she learned how substance abuse robbed the world of good people who held buckets of unused potential.               Defining Moments: Short Story by Bernadine Fox BFA   ETA:  January 2011       These chapbooks are professionally printed on 24 lb paper.   Satisfaction is guaranteed.              Echo: For My Daughters on Their 18th Birthday (published July, 2010) By Daniel Andrew Curtis  A ten page chapbook written by a father to his 18-year-old twin daughters, Echo is a collection of inspirational writings (short stories, prose, poem, and quotes) and illustrations. Capturing and preserving one of life's pivotal moments, Echo pauses and reflects on the dividing line between childhood and the coming of adulthood. ________________________________________________  excerpt From the poem entitled, "Echo:" A mid-summer's wind delivered upon it your dual, identical spirit Whispered an echo so close to God I swore I could actually almost hear it Adorning my head in a swirling halo of radiant, riveting light As two new voices announced their arrival on an otherwise unassumingly gentle yet somehow gigantic July night. You emerged from an echo resounding in love, brought forward through fortunate ancestry Your grandparents graced your father's life Your father instilled in you their living, thriving legacy A legacy teeming with genuine heart Authentically caring and the gentle art of showing to those whom you meet on your journey, While in your care and company, they can be as they truly are  and also be worthy.   Nothing prepares us for parenthood and the whole transformation to make But it feels like we've spent all our years sound asleep And it comes like we've suddenly fallen awake

The Eye (published September, 2010) by Daniel Andrew Curtis A 30-page chapbook and collection of twelve inspirational pieces of writing, combining short stories with poetry, and examining some thoughtful, idealistic, even unconventional perspectives on subjects like knowing others, human heroism, managing jealousy, maintaining emotional health, tapping into reality, figuring out life and being authentic. _______________________________________________ (excerpt) From the Short Story entitled "Wild Stallion, Riding Into Hell" "About fifty feet outside the kitchen window, a riderless stallion in silhouette chortles a bold gust of undulating vapor from its nostrils, announcing its presence.  Your attention shifts.  The halo of steam against this chilly October sky slowly rises and dissolves into the moonlight.  Impatiently his front hoof taps twice on the ground while he majestically nods his mighty head; his summons for you to mount up.  Your embroiled thoughts are what summoned him.  He lives for the chance to take you on the wildest ride of your life.  He is jealousy incarnate and momentarily, he is headed straight for the gates of hell at break-neck speeds; nowhere else but hell."