Esopus is a twice-yearly arts magazine featuring fresh, unmediated perspectives on contemporary culture from a wide range of creative professionals. It includes artists’ projects, critical writing, fiction, poetry, visual essays, interviews, and, in each issue, a themed CD of new music.Published by the non-profit Esopus Foundation Ltd., the magazine has a simple mission: to provide an unfiltered, non-commercial space in which creative people and the public can connect in meaningful, productive ways.
We are excited to announce the opening of our new exhibition and event space in NYC's Greenwich Village. Exhibitions will showcase work from emerging and established figures in the contemporary art world, and events will include intimate musical performances, readings, panel discussions, lectures, and screenings. Our inaugural exhibition features 37 remarkable self-portraits by Esopus 12 contributor Michael Iskowitz, and runs from June 30th to August 15th.
5/14/09: ESOPUS 12 LAUNCH PARTY
Thanks to everyone who attended the Esopus 12 launch at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. It was a great party!
5/5/09: ESOPUS 12 IN STORES THIS WEEK
Esopus 12 should be hitting newsstands and bookstores this week. If you have trouble finding a copy, let us know (or order one directly from us!).
2/4/09: ESOPUS 10 GOES GOLD
Esopus 10 has been awarded a prestigious Gold Medal "for Superb Craftsmenship in Production" from the Graphic Professionals Resource Network (IAPHC). Appropriately enough, the award was shared with Printcrafters/Westcan Printing, the extraordinary company in Winnipeg, Canada, that has printed every issue of Esopus.
12/24/08: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
We'd like to thank all of our readers, contributors, supporters for making 2008 a wonderful year for the Esopus Foundation. We wish everyone a fantastic holiday and hope to see you at an Esopus event in 2009!
11/18/08: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
The holidays are just around the corner. Why not give your friends and family a gift subscription to Esopus? We'll send a personalized note announcing your gift that includes any personal message you may want to send.
11/4/08: ESOPUS 11 NOW IN STORES
Our eleventh issue is now on newsstands. To find out where you can pick up a copy, visit our "Where to Find" page. You can also grab one right here.
11/3/08: ESOPUS AT E/AB FAIR
Esopus recently participated in the 11th annual Editions/Artists' Books Fair (Oct 31-Nov 2) at the Tunnel in NYC. During the event, we sponsored a site-specific project by Esopus 11 contributor Jason Polan: "100 PEOPLE I SAW AT THE E/AB FAIR." To learn more about it, or to purchase a copy, visit Jason's website. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello!
9/29/08: FULL-LENGTH SONGS NOW ONLINE
For the first time, we are offering full-length streaming tracks from our sold-out back issues (Esopus 1-7). You can access these otherwise-unavailable songs by musical acts like Low, Cadence Weapon, Kimya Dawson, and the Mountain Goats by launching our music player. You will also find links to each CD—as well as more information about contributing musicians—on our comprehensive track list. Enjoy!
8/5/08: GLIMPSES INTO THE WRITING PROCESS
George Orwell once described writing as “a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.” Two selections from our sold-out "Process" issue, now viewable online for the first time, offer a glimpse into that incredible (yet ultimately rewarding) struggle. Read Christopher Isherwood's work journals from his celebrated 1964 novel, A Single Man, here, and check out the 22 drafts of Generation, by the Walt Whitman Award–winning poet Suji Kwock Kim, here.
6/23/08: TWO ESOPUS DISCOVERIES NOW ONLINE
Esopus has been incredibly fortunate over the past five years to introduce the never-before-seen work of a number of truly amazing artists. We've just uploaded original articles featuring two Esopus discoveries—Mark Hogancamp and Alex Brown—to our online Flash player. Check out Mark’s extraordinary photodioramas from Esopus 5 here, and Alex’s stunning battle drawings from Esopus 7 here.
6/10/08: ESOPUS "OBJECT"-IFIED
Esopus has been named "Publication of the Year" by Specific Object. This is an extraordinary honor and we are truly thrilled to receive it. Find out more here.
6/3/08: 'GOOD NEWS' TRACK ON KEXP PODCAST
Seattle-based public radio station KEXP has included The Real Tuesday Weld's "Love at the Death Hotel" (the first track from the #10 "Good News" CD) on its 100th "Music that Matters" podcast. This is the second time an Esopus song has been featured on one of the influential station's podcasts; "Lisa,' the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers song from our "Imaginary Friends" CD, was on "Music that Matters #2". Download from iTunes.
5/15/08: ESOPUS 10 LAUNCH PARTY
Contributors, readers, and friends of Esopus gathered at White Columns in Manhattan's West Village recently to celebrate the release of our tenth issue. View photos from the event HERE
4/17/08: NEW BACK-ISSUE CONTENT ONLINE
There are now three more articles from sold-out back issues available online: From Esopus 2, Edward McPherson recounts his torturous 10 consecutive viewings of Mystic River in "Ten Rivers to Cross"; from Esopus 3, Andrea Dezsó offers her hauntingly beautiful artist's project "Mamushka"; and from Esopus 4, acclaimed NYC chef Jody Williams brings her experiences of learning to cook in Italy to life in "Cuoca." Check back soon for two more selections, both featuring Esopus "discoveries."
4/11/08: ESOPUS 7 SELLS OUT
Esopus 7 is now sold out. Back issues of Esopus 8 or Esopus 9 are still available here. (A limited number of copies of all sold-out issues are available in exchange for donations to the Esopus Foundation. Find out more on our donation page.
3/10/08: 'HOUSES' FOR SALE
Artist and past Esopus contributor Chris Doyle has just announced a new series: “Housing Development Project.” For it, Chris will offer 30 “subscriptions,” each of which entitles purchasers to one new 9” x 9” watercolor house drawing every month for 12 months. Chris has generously offered to donate half of the total cost of each subscription to the Esopus Foundation. Learn more about this amazing offer HERE.
11/20/07: PHOTOS FROM KITCHEN EVENT
Our second annual "Evening with Esopus" on Tuesday, November 13th, featured a reading by actor/director Tom Gilroy of "A Short Film about Andy Warhol," the unproduced Jim Lyons screenplay published in Esopus 9, and a set of music by Brooklyn musical duo High Places. The evening also included rare screenings of work by Taiwan-based filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang and conceptual artist Kay Rosen. VIEW PHOTOS HERE
Thanks to everyone who attended the Esopus 12 launch at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. It was a great party!
5/5/09: ESOPUS 12 IN STORES THIS WEEK
Esopus 12 should be hitting newsstands and bookstores this week. If you have trouble finding a copy, let us know (or order one directly from us!).
2/4/09: ESOPUS 10 GOES GOLD
Esopus 10 has been awarded a prestigious Gold Medal "for Superb Craftsmenship in Production" from the Graphic Professionals Resource Network (IAPHC). Appropriately enough, the award was shared with Printcrafters/Westcan Printing, the extraordinary company in Winnipeg, Canada, that has printed every issue of Esopus.
12/24/08: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
We'd like to thank all of our readers, contributors, supporters for making 2008 a wonderful year for the Esopus Foundation. We wish everyone a fantastic holiday and hope to see you at an Esopus event in 2009!
11/18/08: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
The holidays are just around the corner. Why not give your friends and family a gift subscription to Esopus? We'll send a personalized note announcing your gift that includes any personal message you may want to send.
11/4/08: ESOPUS 11 NOW IN STORES
Our eleventh issue is now on newsstands. To find out where you can pick up a copy, visit our "Where to Find" page. You can also grab one right here.
11/3/08: ESOPUS AT E/AB FAIR
Esopus recently participated in the 11th annual Editions/Artists' Books Fair (Oct 31-Nov 2) at the Tunnel in NYC. During the event, we sponsored a site-specific project by Esopus 11 contributor Jason Polan: "100 PEOPLE I SAW AT THE E/AB FAIR." To learn more about it, or to purchase a copy, visit Jason's website. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello!
9/29/08: FULL-LENGTH SONGS NOW ONLINE
For the first time, we are offering full-length streaming tracks from our sold-out back issues (Esopus 1-7). You can access these otherwise-unavailable songs by musical acts like Low, Cadence Weapon, Kimya Dawson, and the Mountain Goats by launching our music player. You will also find links to each CD—as well as more information about contributing musicians—on our comprehensive track list. Enjoy!
8/5/08: GLIMPSES INTO THE WRITING PROCESS
George Orwell once described writing as “a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.” Two selections from our sold-out "Process" issue, now viewable online for the first time, offer a glimpse into that incredible (yet ultimately rewarding) struggle. Read Christopher Isherwood's work journals from his celebrated 1964 novel, A Single Man, here, and check out the 22 drafts of Generation, by the Walt Whitman Award–winning poet Suji Kwock Kim, here.
6/23/08: TWO ESOPUS DISCOVERIES NOW ONLINE
Esopus has been incredibly fortunate over the past five years to introduce the never-before-seen work of a number of truly amazing artists. We've just uploaded original articles featuring two Esopus discoveries—Mark Hogancamp and Alex Brown—to our online Flash player. Check out Mark’s extraordinary photodioramas from Esopus 5 here, and Alex’s stunning battle drawings from Esopus 7 here.
6/10/08: ESOPUS "OBJECT"-IFIED
Esopus has been named "Publication of the Year" by Specific Object. This is an extraordinary honor and we are truly thrilled to receive it. Find out more here.
6/3/08: 'GOOD NEWS' TRACK ON KEXP PODCAST
Seattle-based public radio station KEXP has included The Real Tuesday Weld's "Love at the Death Hotel" (the first track from the #10 "Good News" CD) on its 100th "Music that Matters" podcast. This is the second time an Esopus song has been featured on one of the influential station's podcasts; "Lisa,' the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers song from our "Imaginary Friends" CD, was on "Music that Matters #2". Download from iTunes.
5/15/08: ESOPUS 10 LAUNCH PARTY
Contributors, readers, and friends of Esopus gathered at White Columns in Manhattan's West Village recently to celebrate the release of our tenth issue. View photos from the event HERE
4/17/08: NEW BACK-ISSUE CONTENT ONLINE
There are now three more articles from sold-out back issues available online: From Esopus 2, Edward McPherson recounts his torturous 10 consecutive viewings of Mystic River in "Ten Rivers to Cross"; from Esopus 3, Andrea Dezsó offers her hauntingly beautiful artist's project "Mamushka"; and from Esopus 4, acclaimed NYC chef Jody Williams brings her experiences of learning to cook in Italy to life in "Cuoca." Check back soon for two more selections, both featuring Esopus "discoveries."
4/11/08: ESOPUS 7 SELLS OUT
Esopus 7 is now sold out. Back issues of Esopus 8 or Esopus 9 are still available here. (A limited number of copies of all sold-out issues are available in exchange for donations to the Esopus Foundation. Find out more on our donation page.
3/10/08: 'HOUSES' FOR SALE
Artist and past Esopus contributor Chris Doyle has just announced a new series: “Housing Development Project.” For it, Chris will offer 30 “subscriptions,” each of which entitles purchasers to one new 9” x 9” watercolor house drawing every month for 12 months. Chris has generously offered to donate half of the total cost of each subscription to the Esopus Foundation. Learn more about this amazing offer HERE.
11/20/07: PHOTOS FROM KITCHEN EVENT
Our second annual "Evening with Esopus" on Tuesday, November 13th, featured a reading by actor/director Tom Gilroy of "A Short Film about Andy Warhol," the unproduced Jim Lyons screenplay published in Esopus 9, and a set of music by Brooklyn musical duo High Places. The evening also included rare screenings of work by Taiwan-based filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang and conceptual artist Kay Rosen. VIEW PHOTOS HERE
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"Personally, I thought the choice of material was kind of odd, but at the same time, many people really liked it. I think for the audiences, the show provided a complete break with reality. Everyone wanted to get back to “the world” and away from Vietnam, and for a few hours, the play had that effect." Find out more |
| Sam Amidon, "Vance" (from CD #12: "Black and White") |
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