Inpatient Press is an independent book and multimedia publisher based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2013 in New York, it publishes a wide range of material including experimental literature, poetry, science fiction, erotica, art books, translations, republications of out-of-print titles, and facsimiles of found objects including underground magazines and newspapers.[1] Their motto is, "We Publish What Others Do Not."[2]

History

Inpatient Press was founded by Mitch Anzuoni and Rory Hamovit in 2013, beginning as a mail art project involving limited run publications and special printed editions.[3] Hamovit departed in 2017 to attend Yale University and remains an editor emeritus. Under Anzuoni's direction, the press turned its focus to experimental poetry and fiction, including translations, as well as collaborations with galleries and museums in New York City such as Leslie-Lohman, Canada, Artists Space, Lubov, and King's Leap.[1][3] Inpatient's focus on obscure and unconventional books has led to coverage in the New York Review of Books,[4] Artforum,[5] the New Yorker,[1] the Brooklyn Rail,[6] the Japan Times,[7] and GQ.[8]

Publishing

Authors

Inpatient Press has published or republished works by both well-established and lesser-known authors. These include Samuel R. Delaney (Big Joe), Lizzy Mercier Descloux (Desiderata), Clark Ashton Smith (Averoigne), Vladislav Surkov (Almost Zero), Pierre Joris (An American Suite), Rindon Johnson (The Law of Large Numbers; Ever Given), and Ko Machida (Rip It Up).

Distribution

An Inpatient Press News Box on the Streets of New York

Inpatient Press has garnered media attention for their modes of distribution, including the sale of books, posters, and other merchandise through newspaper boxes positioned around New York City.[3] Their primary newspaper box, installed in 2019, is located in front of the Whitney Museum (the museum accidentally destroyed the original box, resulting in a letter of apology to Anzuoni[1]), while another has since been installed in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Anzuoni and interns for the press would also sell books out of special pockets sewn inside a trenchcoat.[1]

In addition to these alternative methods of distribution, Inpatient's publications are also conventionally available in bookstores around New York City such as Printed Matter as well as abroad.[1][3]

Video Games

In 2021, Inpatient launched a division called "Inpatient Interactive"[9] specializing in the production and release of video games. To date they have released two games: a publishing simulator entitled Small Press Tycoon and "a psychotronic multimedia office adventure" entitled Mezzanine, which was funded in part by Rhizome and had its premiere at the New Museum.[10][11] Writing from Small Press Tycoon was excerpted in Harper's Magazine, the second such simulation game to be featured in the magazine after Dwarf Fortress.[12][13]

Awards

Lambda Literary Award

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Iscoe, Adam (26 December 2022). "A Media Mogul Pivots to Paper". The New Yorker.
  2. ^ "ABOUT INPATIENT". Inpatient Press. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  3. ^ a b c d Staglianò, Riccardo (26 May 2023). "Il mini editore nostalgico si affida al self service". Il venerdì. La Repubblica.
  4. ^ Yourgrau, Barry (22 January 2018). "The Literary Intrigues of Putin's Puppet Master". The New York Review of Books.
  5. ^ Bertucci, Lea (2 April 2022). "Lea Bertucci Shares Her Top Ten". Artforum.
  6. ^ Schneiderman, Josh (11 September 2022). "Spencer Longo's TIME". The Brooklyn Rail.
  7. ^ Maloney, Iain (30 January 2022). "'Rip It Up': Enter the kaleidoscopic world of Ko Machida". The Japan Times.
  8. ^ "GQ's 2022 Hype List". GQ. 2 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Inpatient Interactive". Inpatient Press. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  10. ^ "First Look: Mezzanine". Rhizome. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  11. ^ "Live Playthrough of "Mezzanine" with Inpatient Interactive". The New Museum.
  12. ^ "Publish or Perish". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  13. ^ "Simulation Games". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  14. ^ "Congratulations 2020 Lammy Award Winners". lambdaliterary.org.
  15. ^ "Congratulations 2022 Lammy Award Winners". lambdaliterary.org.