Commentary of any kind, is always welcomed. And I've gotten some interesting input over the years. It runs the gamut of praise from a Roman Catholic priest doing some fascinating work in Israel, to a boo-hiss at times from a dear friend on Long Island, who I met over 50 years ago when starting out in the Mad Men business ("Oh, the places you will go"). He has been instrumental in helping me with this site transition.
"The melocholy of age and the power
of memory have always been central
for (me)."
David Remnick on Paul McCartney
(for which I've substituted me)
Mission
Her name was Domenica. “Sunday” in Italian. She was my grandmother, and in honor of her memory, this site and company (of a sort) is named. And by association, in a way, for all the hardworking immigrants who came to America with little more than a dream and left in its place a legacy; one so rich and with many stories to tell.
The logo incorporates a line drawing translation of the iconic Edward Hopper painting, Early Sunday Morning, which I paid for the right to use in this way. Along with the font in Hopper's hand. That was almost 20 years ago when the original site was begun. It is not only a kind of play off the Domenica name but suggests a certain poetic sensibility in itself. Perhaps, something along the lines of…
A quiet moment on a day of rest
before the world has awakened,
to reflect on all that was done
while it was in slumber.
Poetry is the foundation and the initial raison d’etre for this site/company. I wanted to publish some of the poems I had written in the dozen years or so since ’91, when at the age of 46, I wrote my first. The inspiration had come from watching my six year old daughter toting her cumbersome backpack in the short walk from the car to her class one Early Monday Morning, if you will. Perhaps it is also a reason why I like the Fearless Girl so much and have written of her on a couple of occasions. Forever locked in at a tender age, and who once held her ground in front of that brass bull, she has now been moved just outside of the stock exchange. Perhaps this time, to stare down the bear as well, whenever it comes out of hibernation and rears its massive head.
While my poetry has appeared in various literary journals (some in unexpected places), I also wanted to publish a kind of book of poems, that I had not seen much of before. Most poetry seems to be written for other poets, not other people. And often in a rasther staif format of “poem-after-poem” in similar length, tone and subject matter. While the result may be of high literary value, and perhaps praised in academic circles, it is often daunting to the more general reader. And in the course of its typical eighty-page run, with rare exceptions, the book will be unaccompanied by illustrations or sense of graphic design. As if to do so would somehow diminish the poetry itself. Shots from a Passing Car, my first compilation, was coming from a different place. yet still wanting to reach that more discerning reader.
It would no doubt be tough to find a publisher to “make” my kind of book. So I did what my grandmother would do: l'ho fatto da zero e con amorevole cura (I made it from scratch and with loving care). I got the book I not only wanted, but needed. And in so doing, also made a few bucks. Which I suppose is the definition of a company: an entity that makes $'s. Lots or little. (I use the $ symbol to avoid interlopers, who like dogs in heat, hyperlink in my space when the "M" word appears). Also, the intention at the time was to help other writers get their work in print. Which predates the proliferation of online publishing.
My next book entitled, Muse Letters from the Front, is scheduled to be published in hard copy in 2020. I've begun work on it now. And the cover will be that of an original painting done by artist
To give someone a reason to return to the site, whether they bought the book or not, I initiated something I call a Muse-Letter, which is now in its 16th year. Jeff's painting is the muse of that letter. We discussed every detail. Right down to how many tattooed stripes she should have on her left arm? Should they be facing up or down? It's the sort of tenacity I bring to all my projects and writing. A click on the button below the masthead will take you to the current MuseLetter as an example. Past issues before 2019 still remain at the original site www.domenicapress.com/.
Far beyond an outlet for poems, this "letter" in any given month, is comprised of essays, reviews, quotes (that I find interesting and don't always agree with), stories, interesting words I come across, esoterica, illustrations (found or created), schtick, etc.
Jeff Weekly an associate from an ad agency in LA back in the day, art directed "Shots."
Commentary of any kind, is always welcomed. And I've gotten some interesting input over the years. It runs the gamut of praise from a Roman Catholic priest doing some fascinating work in Israel, to a boo-hiss at times from a dear friend on Long Island, who I met over 50 years ago when starting out in the Mad Men business ("Oh, the places you will go"). He has been instrumental in helping me with this site transition.
