{{Short description|American poetry press}}
'''Gunpowder Press''' is an independent poetry press based in Santa Barbara, California.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vreeland |first=Jon |date=June 1–29, 2018 |title=Gunpowder Press, the Advocates of Poetry |work=Santa Barbara Sentinel |url=https://issuu.com/santabarbarasentinel/docs/sentinel_7_7_full |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Columnist {{!}} @noozhawknews |first=Susan Miles Gulbransen, Noozhawk |date=2017-11-20 |title=Susan Miles Gulbransen: What Makes Santa Barbara Such a Writing Town? {{!}} Homes & Lifestyle |url=http://www.noozhawk.com/susan_miles_gulbransen_what_makes_santa_barbara_writing_town_20171119/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Noozhawk |language=en-US}}</ref> The press is co-edited by David Starkey and Chryss Yost. Both Starkey and Yost have served as Santa Barbara Poet Laureate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poet Laureate - City of Santa Barbara |url=https://www.sbac.ca.gov/poet-laureate |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture |language=en-US}}</ref> Gunpowder Press is a member of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses.
In 2023, Gunpowder Press was recognized by the ''Santa Barbara Independent'' as a Local Hero.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Indy Staff |date=2023-11-22 |title=Local Heroes 2023 |url=https://www.independent.com/2023/11/21/local-heroes-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>
Gunpowder Press books have been reviewed in ''The Adroit Journal'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staples |first=Catherine |date=2023-06-29 |title=A Review of Catherine Esposito Prescott's Accidental Garden - The Adroit Journal |url=https://theadroitjournal.org/2023/06/29/a-review-of-catherine-esposito-prescotts-accidental-garden/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Mom Egg Review'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-04 |title=Accidental Garden by Catherine Esposito Prescott – MER – Mom Egg Review |url=https://merliterary.com/2023/09/04/accidental-garden-by-catherine-esposito-prescott/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Southern Humanities Review'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=SHR REVIEW: Dark Matter: Aaron Baker's Posthumous Noon |url=http://www.southernhumanitiesreview.com/review-dark-matter-aaron-bakers-posthumous-noon-by-austin-segrest.html |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=SOUTHERN HUMANITIES REVIEW |language=en}}</ref> and elsewhere. Authors published by the press include Barry Spacks, Jim Peterson, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Catherine Abbey Hodges, Catherine Esposito Prescott, and others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2024 |title=Gunpowder Press Poets |url=https://gunpowderpress.com/poets/}}</ref> Authors published by Gunpowder Press have been interviewed in journals including ''RHINO Poetry'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=REVIEWS — RHINO — Accidental Garden by Catherine Esposito Prescott - Interviewed by Naoko Fujimoto |url=https://rhinopoetry.org/reviews/accidental-garden-by-catherine-esposito-prescott |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=RHINO |language=en-US}}</ref> Atticus Books & Music,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyerhofer |first=Michael |date=2018-06-20 |title=Featured Poet: Catherine Abbey Hodges |url=https://atticusreview.org/featured-poet-catherine-abbey-hodges/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Atticus Review |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Plume'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher |first=Buckley |date=2023-06-25 |title=Buckley {{!}} Hodges |url=https://plumepoetry.com/buckley-hodges/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Plume |language=en-US}}</ref> The Christian Century<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ordinary grace |url=https://www.christiancentury.org/reviews/2016-06/instead-sadness-catherine-abbey-hodges |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Christian Century |language=en}}</ref> Water-Stone Review.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Review |first=WaterStone |date=2020-04-21 |title=In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors--Michelle Bonczek Evory |url=https://waterstonereview.com/in-the-field-conversations-with-our-contributors-michelle-bonczek-evory/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Water~Stone Review |language=en-US}}</ref>
== History == The press was founded in 2013 by David Starkey. Chryss Yost is the co-editor and book designer for the press. Starkey launched the press after unsuccessful efforts to find a publisher for a manuscript left by his late friend, poet David Allen Case.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Columnist {{!}} @noozhawknews |first=Susan Miles Gulbransen, Noozhawk |date=2016-02-20 |title=Susan Miles Gulbransen: Poet David Starkey Presses On with Writing, While Marymount Holds Book Fair {{!}} Homes & Lifestyle |url=http://www.noozhawk.com/susan_miles_gulbransen_santa_barbara_poet_david_starkey_marymount_20160220/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Noozhawk |language=en-US}}</ref> That manuscript became The ''Tarnation of Faust'', the first book published by Gunpowder Press, in 2014. In 2024, Gunpowder Poetry, including Gunpowder Press, became a 501(c)(3) literary nonprofit.
The name of the press comes from the legend of Saint Barbara, who is associated with gunpowder.
== Publications == Since 2015, Gunpowder Press has published one book annually as the Barry Spacks Poetry Prize. The Spacks Prize is named in honor of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Barry Spacks. Judges for the Spacks Prize have included Dan Gerber, Thomas Lux, Jane Hirshfield, Lee Herrick, Stephen Dunn, Jessica Jacobs, Danusha Laméris, and Gary Soto.
Gunpowder Press also publishes anthologies of poems by Central California poets as part of the Shoreline Voices Project imprint. Over 130 poets have appeared in Shoreline Voices print and online publications.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-20 |title=Shoreline Voices - Gunpowder Press |url=https://gunpowderpress.com/shoreline-voices/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> The Press has partnered with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the Santa Barbara Public Library, Lotusland, and Sansum Clinic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donelan |first=Charles |date=2021-05-06 |title='While You Wait: A Collection by Santa Barbara County Poets' |url=https://www.independent.com/2021/05/06/while-you-wait-a-collection-by-santa-barbara-county-poets/ |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2022, Gunpowder Press launched the California Poets Series. Poets published in the California Poets Series include Susan Kelley-DeWitt (''Gatherer's Alphabet'', 2022), Sandra McPherson (''Speech Crush'', 2022), Dennis Schmitz (''Our Music'', 2022), and Gary Soto (''Downtime'', 2023).
The Alta California Chapbook Series publishes two books a year in bilingual editions. Emma Trelles, also a Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, is series editor.
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
Category:Santa Barbara, California Category:Poetry publishers