GARBANZOFEST 3: The Best Party In Town

Report and Photos by Paula Antolini

View more photos of the Garbanzofest 3 event here: picturesbypaula.com

There was a festive atmosphere as old friends mingled and new acquaintances were made at the "Garbanzofest 3" event on Saturday, February 22, 2014, at Byrd's Books in Bethel, CT. The event was hosted by Marc Moorash and Ava Dawn Heydt, owners of Seraphemera Books, and it is their third celebration for this series of the "Garbanzo Literary Journal" they publish. 

Seraphemera books are beautifully hand made with attention to detail from the paper stock chosen for the covers and pages, to the printing process, to the selection of writers and words they contain, to the meticulous assembling of the book parts that they create themselves.

One might say the Garbanzofest 3 was the best party in town, you might even say it was cool, as it was refreshing to see art and culture blooming in Bethel on a rare (lately) sunny and warmer winter day.  All ages were invited and the event was free. Everywhere you looked people were absorbed in reading this or that, to the delight of Byrd's Books owner Alice Hutchinson, who graciously provided the space for the event.    

Attendees browsed the bookshelves and munched on hummus and tea, among other delights. Then Marc Moorash rang the bronze Tingsha bells to signify the beginning of the reading. Tingsha are two small cymbals attached by a leather strap, used in prayers and rituals by Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. The bells are more commonly used today in musical recordings and yoga classes, as well as for a ritual tool. They produce a long unique ringing tone and on this day set the stage for a wonderful afternoon of listening. When attending any events by Seraphemera you can be sure the owners go the extra mile to provide unique touches such as this, for their guests to experience spending several hours absorbed in words.

A tall chair was placed up front that read, "Storytellers, bookbinders, mythmakers, defenders of the ephemeral arts."  This aptly describes Seraphemera's aim to keep creativity alive in the art of writing.   

Voices filled the air as writers began to read their work, many more comfortable in front of a blank sheet of paper or computer screen blank page, rather than a live audience.  But nonetheless, sixteen of the forty-one writers in the Garbanzo 3 issue participated, and six read live and ten were on audio or video.  The audience sat mesmerized.  Topics had a wide range from the light-hearted and sublime to more personal stories.

Even little Lucian, toddler son of the owners, participated by ringing his own school-bell each time a new performer was introduced (just like Dad).  People smiled.  Lucian was never far from his mom or dad during the event, watching with wide eyes as the writers read aloud.  A future author perhaps?

Live music was provided by local guitarist/singer/songwriter/banjo-player/artist Lys Guillorn, accompanied by her brother Michael Guillorn on bass, and Peter Riccio on drums.

A writing workshop was taught to those who wished to be included in the next Garbanzo Literary Journal Number 4.  There was also a free raffle for Garbanzo books! 

Artists that read aloud were:

AJ Alexander - 36 year resident of Sherman, CT,
read "Sitting on the Deck" and "Shopping in Poland Just Before WWII"

Allison Valentino - 12 year resident of Bethel, CT, writing for 20 years,
read "The Halloween Costume"

Alana Eisenbarth - 1 year resident of Leesburg, VA, writing for 30 years,
read "From the Terrifying Angel"

Paul Beckman - 40 year resident of Madison, CT,
read "May it be Written, May it Be Done" and "Maybe I Ought To Sit In A Dark Room For A While"

Ed Kielkucki - 28 year resident of Bethel, CT, writing for 40 years,
read "Full Moon"

Ashley Rockhill - 23 year resident of Neptune, NJ, writing for 6 years
read "Coffee" and "17"

Stacey Lane - (requested that someone read her work) "The Author's Autopsy"


Audio or Video Recordings were by:

Tom Juvik - "Breakfast for Dinner (audio)
Robin Dunn - "Man & Woman" (video)
TJ Chevrie - "Binary Love Code" (video)
Alina Borger - "Landslide" (video)
Eric Lehman - "The Last Sasquatch" (audio)
Bruce Mcrae - "Not His Garbanzo Piece" (other youtube videos)
Brittany Maloy - "In Our Own Backyard" (audio)
Lynn Hoffman - "After Pinocchio" (audio + two others)
Carol Oberg - "Watching Dreams Take Place" (audio)
Jake Teeny - "A Kiss From the Moon" (video)


About Seraphermera Books and the Garbanzo Literary Journal:

Seraphemera owners Marc and Ava consider themselves Bethel residents ever since living here for one year recently (they now live in New Milford). Moorash said, "Bethel is our home, everything we do is in Bethel."

Regarding why they have these Garbanzo events, Moorash said, "Hopefully folks will appreciate words, music, and lets everyone come together and have a fun afternoon of creating things, and eat food, eat hummus."

The Garbanzo books are published approximately every nine months.  They do not particularly have an idea of theme beforehand, Moorash said. "This one [book 3] came out a few days before Halloween and interestingly enough, we got a lot of stories and poems that were Autumn based or Halloween based, so it created a little bit of a theme," he said.  Book 3 also has a 5-page theater script in it, he said.

Most of the writers in each book are new, with a few repeat writers, such as Alana Eisenbarth who is from Virginia, and is in book one and book three, Moorash said.

The idea to begin the Garbanzo publication was actually an idea of Moorash's many years ago.  "About 12 years ago I had the idea for Garbanzo and tried to start it up in North Hampton, Massachusetts, and I'm really glad that it never happened because it would have been a very generic, like-everything-else, book.  It just took until we figured out the chap books we do, the hand-made books, it took that happening to then realize that Garbanzo should be a hand-made book as well,"  Moorash said.

In the process of creating the books there are some pleasant moments.  Moorash said, "You come across things and scenarios that you never would have dreamed, I mean one, the writers that we deal with are just amazing.  The fact that we can get ten folks to send audio and video, that six authors said that they would show up today, I mean that's…," Moorash is obviously pleased.

Seraphemera does not change much in the production or design process of each issue, other than the words and authors contained in each book.  Their formula has proven successful and they keep the format the same, Moorash said, only perhaps changing the book's cover color or dust jacket.  He says you do learn to produce the books with a little more efficiency, but for the most part there is much repetition in the craft of making hand-made books. "I've learned how to not sit at a table, and my wrists feel like they are about to fall off when I'm punching through a few books.  You learn how to sit properly at a table and not harm yourself when making books," Moorash said with a smile. 

When asked if he has any favorite issues or stories in the Garbanzo books, he said, "It's the age old, when each of your kids asks you which is the favorite. You know, what is amazing to me and what makes what we do grand, is to try and put a book together, that if you were to sit down and read, and even though the voices are different all the stories are different, you feel like they are all connected in some way, there's some journey of the feel to it." 

If you are wondering what kind of written contributions Seraphemera searches for, it has more to do with cohesiveness. Moorash said, "Folks ask us what kind of work are you looking for, for the book, are there things that move us, but there are things that move us that don't go in, because they don't have a place with everything else. There are pieces that go in because they find a dance partner and they want to dance together."  He continued, "We want you to feel, when you sit down to read the first one, and you keep reading, and all of a sudden you look up and it's eight hours later and you read the entire thing."

Moorash also said, "For each book we always come up with our favorite word, book one, "loblollies" was a great word.  Things like that.  It's not about a piece per se."

For aspiring writers, Moorash's advice is, "Just write.  Everyday, sit down and write and learn how to ask yourself questions, because that's what a good editor would do, and since it's difficult to find someone really willing to take the time to work as an editor for you, learn to ask yourself questions."  Heydt then added, "and keep a note pad with you when things strike, when ideas strike."

***

Garbanzo books are available from Seraphemera Books garbanzoliteraryjournal.org
and are also sold at Byrd's Books.

Along with the Garbanzo Literary Journals, Byrd's Books also sells another beautiful series of hand-made books made by Seraphemera Books, about Bethel, CT, that contain vintage photos and historical facts, that are also a journal with blank pages to write upon.

***

Submission deadlines for next books are:

Book 4 - May 1, 2014 for July 14, 2014 publication
Book 5 - January 15, 2015 for Match 31, 2015 publication

Submissions can be emailed to:
storyteller@garbanzoliteraryjournal.org
or mailed to:
Seraphemera Books
211 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 224
Bethel, CT 06801