Announcing the book publication of Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry

January 10th, 2025

Dear Readers:

…..For several years I have published major jazz poetry collections that were solely available on the Jerry Jazz Musician website, and during that time I frequently contemplated the possibility of releasing future anthologies in traditional book format. Last summer I moved toward doing so by entering into an agreement with Unsolicited Press of Portland, Oregon, who will publish two collections per year.

…..This series will be known as Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry, and I am proud to announce that Volume 1 is now available.

…..This 90 poem, 164 page collection features 47 poets from all over the world who capture the spirit of jazz through rhythm, improvisation and emotion, echoing the genre’s profound influence on world culture and creativity. Featuring brilliant artwork by Marsha Hammel and a foreword by Jack Kerouac’s musical collaborator David Amram, each poem invites readers to experience the moods, moments and musicians that define jazz: cool, bluesy, soulful, and bold.

…..The collection is “interactive” (and quite unique) because it invites readers – through the use of QR codes printed on many of the book’s pages – to link to selected readings by the poets themselves, as well as to historic audio and video recordings (via YouTube) relevant to many of the poems. Consequently, this concept – what I call “Read. Listen. View” – offers a holistic experience with the culture of jazz.

…..While the large jazz poetry collections that have been published three times a year since 2019 will now only be available in printed book form, individual poems and smaller poetry collections continue to be published on this website. They will remain robust and appear often, leaving ample opportunity for poets to share their work. (Click here to be taken to a page listing all the poems).

…..This book and future volumes of Kinds of Cool will provide an opportunity to take what has been successful on jerryjazzmusician.com into the printed book world, creating a potential revenue source that can help Jerry Jazz Musician remain commercial- free, while offering a new avenue of reach for the poets published within it.

…..To view the book via the Unsolicited Press website, click here. To view it via Amazon, click here.

…..I am often asked by readers how they can help me keep up with the expenses associated with publishing such a robust site. Your donation is of course very welcome and appreciated. Buying a copy or two of this book – and encouraging others to do so as well – would also go a long ways toward my efforts.

…..Thanks very much for considering adding Volume 1 of Kinds of Cool: An Interactive Collection of Jazz Poetry to your bookshelf.

Sincerely,

Joe Maita

Editor/Publisher

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Listen to George Kalamaras read his poem “Mood Indigo,” which is published in Kinds of Cool. George is former Poet Laureate of Indiana (2014– 2016) and Professor Emeritus at Purdue University Fort Wayne.