Reaction to My First Chap Book

Chap books were originally smaller-than-typical, inexpensive books without fancy bindings of ribald or, at least, amusing poems and essays and typically 50 or fewer pages, not illustrated, sold by traveling peddlers in England. They had no moral goal other than to entertain countrymen of the hinterland who had learned how to read. The modern equivalents of the original are small books, 6″ x 9″ or so, sometimes self published, often published by cottage industry editors who take poems and often burnish them into shape on the cheap for practiced readers’ consumption and sold for less than $10 a book. Chap books today area a terrific way to share burgeoning writers’ words as a “sampler” of the best, something strangers will buy on a lark because they like your smile, or the reading you gave at Robbie’s last month. I recently published a chap book with none of my poetry, but a lot of my prose, pictures in color and black and white, and two poems by Springfield, Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay. It is entitled Confluence of Legends and subtitled The Spirit of John Chapman, “Johnny Appleseed” meets Vachel Lindsay “Prairie Troubadour.”  It’s the story of how I was engaged to read Vachel’s poem “In Praise of Johnny Appleseed, Part I, Over the Appalachian Barricade” for a permanent exhibit at the Johnny Appleseed Education Center and Museum on the campus of Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio, an “apple’s throw” from Springfield, Ohio. The successful effort led to my appearance at the rededication of the Museum and a visit to John Chapman’s grave in Ft. Wayne, Indiana this year where I read the entire poem to “the spirit of John Chapman” and to my friend Arthur Humphrey, a member of the Appleseed Museum’s Board of Trustees, who underwrote expenses for my trip and did all the driving. As I say in the book, it  brief visit to Urbana University during the rededication was the most enjoyable five consecutive hours of my life I’ve experienced with my clothes on. I shared what I learned about Chapman and read a poem I wrote about his life  during a summer event at Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site, 603 S. Fifth Street in Springfield, and on October 22, starting at 2pm, I will premiere the book I wrote during my “Poetry in the Parlor” presentation. If you live in central Illinois, I hope you will attend this presentation.
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If you can’t attend, I hope you will purchase the book I produced. An autographed copy is yours for $5 if I hand it to you and $6 if I mail it to you.
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Without Arthur Humphrey’s help and his darn near unfathomable regard for my ability to speak a poem, there would have been no voice of mine in the Appleseed Museum exhibit, there would have been no “confluence of legends” last March, and no October 22 presentation at Vachel’s house. Here is what he said after reading my new book . . .
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“I am completely blown away — and haven’t seen one typo — and how professional it is, and how interesting too. How is it that you can take some ordinary experience or memory and make it into something downright fascinating, again and again?
. . . .”Why didn’t you find a career writing for some big newspaper or magazine — or is that still in your future? I can see many great books coming out of your brain — and onto paper sometime soon.
. . . . “YOU HAVE REAL TALENT, only … maybe you never believed you did? Or someone told you didn’t. I doubt that. Or you already knew this and are laughing at me for saying this. I can’t wait to show Confluence to my mother, brother and his wife who are arriving here tomorrow.
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“Would you like some financial help to print a larger batch of the book for the Johnny Appleseed Museum and Urbana University Library and other places. There are many venues for it, I think.
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“I have never been to the Fort Wayne J.A. Festival, but I would think a reading of “the poem” by you with other Johnny-loving onlookers there might be a wonderful event? I might get into seeing what I can do about getting you to come to Bryn Athyn (north of Philadelphia) sometime if this might interest you.
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“You are the very best,. Dont ever lose that wonderful jacket or your great singing touch. You have a wonderfully-tuned guitar.”
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My responses to his note in a nutshell. . . . .
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I will travel anywhere to read, recite and sing my poems where expenses are paid. Bryn Athyn in the spring would be great.
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I write for two local publications, but no one has offered me a living wage to write for them full-time as I earnestly want to do.
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I believe I am a good writer. I wish more people felt the same. I have faith in my ability to write as a journalist, poet and tunemaker. My ability with my guitar is about C+ and if I played more frequently, I believe I could improve to a B.
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The people who admire my writing the most are the people most unlikely to allow me to earn my living as a journalist and a poet. I would gladly trade off some kind words for some perishable food items and a new pair of pants, but no one is looking for my talent now.
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I’m paying for copies of Confluence to be printed and distributed at the Appleseed Museum, a local bookstore and wherever I share my poetry and song. At press runs of 50 at a time, I can pay for them myself. I would welcome a legitimate publisher interested in publishing that book or any other I have written.
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After sending copies of the “first edition” to Arthur and to the Appleseed Museum in Urbana, Ohio, I revised the book, correcting some minor oversights and a typo or two so that what I offer at my October 22 presentation at Vachel’s house starting at 2pm will be the publication I truly want to share.
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I hope to see you there!   
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Live long . . . . . . . and proper.