New Poems by Joel Allegretti From Poets Wear Prada Take the Reader Around the World in 52 Pages

April 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Poets Wear Prada announced today publication of “Europa/Nippon/New York: Poems/Not Poems” by the American poet Joel Allegretti. “The Kansas City Star” counted Allegretti’s "Father Silicon" among the '100 Noteworthy Books of 2006,' a list that included Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” and “Against the Day” by Thomas Pynchon.

“Europa/Nippon/New York: Poems/Not Poems” is a cinematic travel log through space and time replete with airplanes, submarines, the expected cathedral stops, and surprise visits with pop culture icons and other legends.  Publisher Roxanne Hoffman said "Allegretti convincingly defies gravity in the best modern way: with verve, intelligence, marquee names and loads of special effects."

“The trip is shorter than Phileas Fogg's— the book takes but a fraction of the time to read; still, Jules Verne (who figures prominently in it) remains in the balloon’s gondola,” said Jack Cooper, who as production editor at Poets Wear Prada guided “Europa/Nippon/New York” to its elegant landing. “The difference is Fogg’s out and Allegretti’s pulling the strings,” he continued.  Roxanne Hoffman called it a “vacation between book covers," adding "You go to Italy. It’s a day at the beach (and undersea) with nights at the movies combined: Phantom of the Opera, one time; howling at the moon, another.”

“‘Europa/Nippon/New York’ is my jet-setting, la dolce vita collection,” said Joel Allegretti. “I absolutely love the cover! It shows a side of Steve I never knew.” Steve Dalachinsky, a widely celebrated poet, created the collages featured on both front and back of the book.

This is Joel Allegretti’s second book project with Poets Wear Prada. In 2010, the Hoboken-based press brought out “Thrum,” Allegretti’s meditation on stringed musical instruments. His two previous collections “Father Silicon” and “The Plague Psalms” were released by The Poet’s Press in 2006 and 2000, respectively. Allegretti’s poetry has been set to music by Frank Ezra Levy for two song cycles: “A Cycle by the Sea” had its world premiere in 2009 at Kean University, and “Night Keeps Its Promise” was first performed in 2011 by Cantori New York at Holy Trinity in New York City.

Founded in 2006, Poets Wear Prada publishes beautifully designed, well-crafted poetry chapbooks from Sinatra’s hometown, birthplace of professional baseball.

“Europa/Nippon/New York: Poems/Not Poems” by Joel Allegretti (Hoboken: Poets Wear Prada, 2012), 52 pages, ISBN-10: 0615600204, ISBN-13: 978-0615600208, list price: $12.00, is available in paperback from Amazon Books and other popular booksellers.