OUR BOOKS
Check out our full list of Cephalopress titles below.
Borders & Belonging: A Cephalopress Anthology
Various | Poetry / Short Fiction
In this, the first ever Cephalopress Anthology, we explore a theme close to our hearts; that of Borders & Belonging. From the physical, to the imagined, and everything in between, we move through circles both large and small – families, communities, nations – delving into the very essence of who we are, and what it means to be human, and to belong, in today’s increasingly fractured and turbulent society.
This anthology features 28 carefully selected pieces of short fiction and poetry from writers all around the globe. Each one them responds to the theme in their own unique way, but there is one single thread that unmistakably runs through this collection from start to finish: that we are here, that we need to come together, and that borders will not stop us from connecting, creating, and nurturing these spaces we inhabit for those who will come after, looking for a place in which they too can belong.
CONTRAPASSO
Alexandra Fössinger | Poetry
In Contrapasso, we soar between examination and observation, moment and reflection, freedom and confinement. Fössinger’s lyrical approach to the collection can be felt in the lines that thrum with remembrance. The poems here work as frames, capturing reverential images, offering them up to the reader with an open hand.
In many senses Contrapasso is a story in itself. It is one long poetic epic that flows from start to finish through the pages of this collection, much like Dante’s journey through Hell – and, later, Purgatory –, from which this book takes its name. It's a beautiful and at times harrowing account of a love for someone who is imprisoned, a love that perhaps should not exist, should be unable to continue, but nevertheless, does exactly so.
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE
EXCEPT MEN WHO NAME THEIR DOGS ZEUS
Lannie Stabile | Poetry
In this poetry collection, Lannie Stabile explores the patriarchal culture that firstly leads men to call their dogs Zeus, and secondly leads us all to accept that as kind-of okay — ignoring the fact that all-powerful Zeus, symbol of masculinity and thunder god, famously used his dominion to manipulate, abduct, and prey on countless women, human and deity alike.
Interspersing Greek mythology with personal tales, weaving between adult and childhood narratives, Stabile masterfully brings together modern and ancient stories that will resonate deeply with the impact of a lightning strike.
In dealing with heavy topics like depression and sexual assault, the author gives voice to the thoughts, feelings, and bodily experiences of countless people who find it so difficult to connect with, let alone express, their experiences.
Like all great works of poetry, this collection takes us out of our comfort zone. It shows us the inside of trauma, exposing how it feels in a way that a self-help book cannot. It is a deeply raw, vibrant collection — challenging in places — and all the while refreshingly human.
An essential addition to any feminist collection, this is a collection to read again and again, always finding something new. We all need connection, and in a world that celebrates Zeus culture, acknowledging and validating the emotions and experiences that come out of it is essential for healing. This book can offer that sort of validation.
HAWAIIAN SHIRTS IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
Scott Laudati | Poetry
Hawaiian Shirts in the Electric Chair REDUX is the reworked and reimagined edition of the classic debut poetry collection from Scott Laudati. Topics include his dog, New York City, aliens, death, New Jersey, love, heroin and pizza. This new edition from Cephalopress also features 10 all new poems, exclusive to this collection.
"The theme seems to be connected to remaining innocent, a will to preserve it, and a fear of losing it." - Elena Pollack, Albany Student Press
"Hawaiian Shirts in the Electric Chair reads with the ensemble momentum of a concept album, building nuance and depth via cross-reference and consistency of tone rather than through complexity at line level. Between the suburbs and the city, and all that they stand for in Laudati’s oeuvre, there is the ever-present fear not of age itself, but of fading away rather than burning out (that the collection features a poem entitled ‘Mick and Keith Pt 1’ suggests the reference). That fear informs the collection, is indeed its central theme, whether embodied by its gut-spreading midlifers or the beautiful youth of the depicted urbanites. Escaping mundanity is a mindset, the subtext whispers, and may just as easily achieved (or not) in those maligned suburbs as in the sensation-packed skyscrapers of NYC." - Sean Keenan, Trebuchet-Magazine
BESTIAL BURDENS
Neil Randall | Literary Fiction
A therapist starts to see worrying parallels between his own personal life and that of his new client – an ex-porn star struggling to come to terms with fatherhood, a man whose sexual odyssey turned into a nightmare of violence, betrayal, drink and drug abuse.
In his new novel, Neil Randall explores issues of intimacy through the eyes of two very different characters, men unable to give or receive any kind of affection, men to whom sex has become a cold, ugly performance, bereft of the love, warmth, and companionship all human beings require.
SELF-PORTRAIT
Elisabeth Horan | Poetry
This book of poetry explores the life and work of Frida Kahlo, suffusing the intensity of her life into a dual-language collection. In her love of language and Frida, emerging poet Elisabeth Horan offers a beautiful meditation on art and that which inspires it. Her connection to Frida is drawn out through the vivid poems and imagery, embedding the personal into a life-story that has become well-known. Horan’s collection illuminates a new approach to Kahlo’s life in its emphasis on shared experience and poetic tribute.