Dear Friend of Literature:

I’m pleased to write on behalf of Sarabande Books, the distinguished literary press that I became a fan of when in 1995 they asked me to judge their inaugural prize in poetry. (Like so many in American poetry I got my start in 1963 in what was then called begrudgingly a “small press,” although such presses then as now did the heavy work of discovering who of the hundreds of self styled poets merited print.) In the six years Sarabande has been on the scene they established a reputation as one of the most visible, reliable, and distinguished independent presses in the country. Their books are reviewed in our major newspapers, including, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chicago Tribune. This year, the press has received additional recognition in the form of grants from the NEA, the Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Fund, the Kentucky Arts Council, the Academy of American Poets, and several private foundations.

Sarabande is no small press: they presently publish ten collections a year of poetry, short fiction, and literary essays, and what’s more, they take chances the so-called major presses would avoid by presenting unheralded talents who I truly believe will become the literary lions of the years to come: first-book poets, fiction writers with unimpressive sales figures, unjustly ignored mid-career authors on the comeback trail, translators presenting the work of foreign giants unread in the U.S. Sarabande chooses on the basis of the work alone, edits them with scrupulous care, and presents the work in handsomely designed formats, and even then the sales of these superb books often amount to less than 1500 copies.

As you’ve no doubt guessed this enterprise is expensive, although the press has cut overhead costs to a startling minimum through the intelligent use of its staff. A handsome, thoughtfully designed book is a rarity, and sales of Sarabande’s books cover less than half the production expenses. For the remainder, the press must seek funds, which explains why I am writing you. Times are tough, the market slumps, the economy slows, but the individual reader is still here, and he or she requires literature of the highest quality. That literature demands independent publishers, and Sarabande has over the lastsix years proved to be one of the finest. I hope you will consider a donation of $100 or more to ensure a home for the best writing in our country. I thank you, American writing thanks you for your attention, American writing needs your gift.

Sincerely,

Philip Levine