Flood Stage: Bringing You the Best of St. Louis Poetry

Walrus Publishing, Inc. is nearly three years old. We are very proud that we started out our publishing adventure with Flood Stage. This little anthology, the first of its kind that we can remember, presents 55 of Saint Louis’ best poets. It exemplifies our mission to work with the talented Saint Louis writing community.

Through Flood Stage, Walrus was privileged to meet so many wonderful Saint Louis readers at various readings, open mics, and other events where the Flood Stage poets read their works. We laughed. We swapped stories. We applauded anthologist Matt Freeman for his incredible ability to know a great poem and for getting all of the great poems in one volume. These events brought the readers together with the poets, keeping their poems alive—a reminder that the “story” continues every time someone picks up a book.

And we are pleased to keep the personal stories of the Flood Stage poets alive by introducing them to you on our Web site. Read about Catherine Rankovic and Keith Byler, who were featured in September.

It was also through Flood Stage that Walrus was able to strengthen its contacts with the Saint Louis independent booksellers such as Left Bank Books, Subterranean Books, Dunaway Books, the Archive, Hammond’s Books, and so many more. These booksellers are just fantastic. They are staffed with enthusiastic, knowledgeable people who are so dedicated to Saint Louis readers and writers. They have been so supportive of our work with Flood Stage and helping us to get this wonderful piece of writing to a growing audience of appreciative readers. In a world of large, faceless, industrial bookstores, these independent booksellers are a shining light of new thought and energy which truly reflects the Saint Louis community they serve.

Flood Stage is a work from the heart–the heart of the poets, the heart of the anthologist, and the heart of the publisher. Flood Stage has worked its way into the heart of so many Saint Louis readers. We are proud that it has meant so much to so many people.

To the folks who have Flood Stage, thank you! We look forward to seeing you at the next reading as we keep the conversation going. To the folks who have yet to experience the best of St. Louis poetry, click here to get your copy today!