North Atlantic Books
Encyclopedia
North Atlantic Books is a non-profit, independent publisher based in Berkeley, CA. Founded by authors Richard Grossinger
and Lindy Hough in Vermont, North Atlantic Books was named partly for the North Atlantic region where it began in 1974, as well as Alan Van Newkirk's Geographic Foundation of the North Atlantic, an early (1970) ecological center founded in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, by radicals from Detroit. The publisher also cites Edward Dorn's 1960's poem, "North Atlantic Turbine: A Theory of Truth," which very early described the dangers of global commoditization by the Western World, as an inspiration in the company's name. The company's mission statement reads: “Our mission is to affect planetary consciousness, nurture spiritual and ecological disciplines, disseminate ancient wisdom, and put forth ways to transmute cultural dissonance and violence into service.” Genres published by North Atlantic Books include internal martial arts (through its imprint Blue Snake Books), somatics, homeopathic medicine, shamanism
, Martian mysteries, alternative medicine
, the history and philosophy of medicine, natural foods, New Science, Buddhism, parapsychology, Western esotericism, Sufism
, deep ecology
, gay and lesbian studies, conspiracy theories and Jungian psychology. In 1980, North Atlantic Books was incorporated within the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. They are a client of Random House
distribution services.
and Hough at Smith College
in Massachusetts, they founded North Atlantic Books progenitor Io Magazine, an alternative college literary magazine in 1964, featuring work from Robert Kelly
, Charles Stein, and Nels Richardson, among others. Over the next decade, Io became a counter-cultural journal mixing literature, science, and history, as it came out of Michigan, Maine, and Vermont with issues such as Alchemy
, Doctrine of Signatures
, Ethnoastronomy, Oecology, Dreams, Earth Geography, and The Olson-Melville Sourcebooks. Io is credited for publishing early works by Stephen King
(his poem, "Brooklyn August
," was featured in Io Issue #10) and Jayne Anne Phillips, and launched as well the work of writers including David Wilk, Rob Brezsny
, and Phoebe Gloeckner
.
In 2009, North Atlantic books created the Io Poetry Series, featuring collections from under-recognized voices in American poetry. Featured poets include Gerrit Lansing, Kenneth Irby
, and Lindy Hough." In 2010, Kenneth Irby's Io Poetry Series book The Intent On received the Poetry Society of America's 2010 Shelley Memorial Award.
' by William Kotzwinkle
and Glenn Murray
, with a 10th Anniversary edition of the book published in August 2011. The publisher is also credited with publishing the complete thirteen-volume series of short stories from Nebula Award
-winning science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon
. Other notable works from North Atlantic include Jon Klimos's Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources (1998, ISBN 1-55643-248-8), described by Newsweek
as "the sacred text on channeling," and Patrick Doud's The Winnitok Tales, a series the Midwest Book Review
praised for "memorable characters, poetic language, and driving narrative to these timeless tales that recall the classic epic adventure stories.”
According to filmmaker, author, and performer Miranda July
, Grossinger and Hough's daughter, her brother and her were part of the company's early operations which included "packing Jiffy bags with books for shipment." July claims her upbringing, North Atlantic Books presence specifically, instilled in her a love of writing "that is at the basis of all the things that I do." Bestselling author and writer Jonathan Lethem
has also been tied to North Atlantic Books as the publisher's first paid employee, and later provided an introduction for Theodore Sturgeon's book, The Man Who Lost the Sea.
April 2011: Endless Path by Rafe Martin received a Storytelling World Resource Award in the Storytelling Collection category.
May 2011: Noach Dzmura, editor of Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, received the Lambda Literary Award
for the best nonfiction piece in the Transgender category.
June 2011: Keep Your Wives Away From Them, an anthology edited by Miryam Kabakov, received a Golden Crown Literary Award in the Anthology category.
and online social network, Evolver.net. Topics covered by EVOLVER EDITIONS authors include shamanism
, environmental design
, theories in cosmology
, and strategies for political organizing, among others. Key authors include Daniel Pinchbeck
, José Argüelles
, and Charles Eisenstein.
practitioner Vladimir Putin
.
Richard Grossinger
Richard Grossinger is an American writer, anthropologist, and publisher of North Atlantic Books in Berkeley, California.-Biography:...
and Lindy Hough in Vermont, North Atlantic Books was named partly for the North Atlantic region where it began in 1974, as well as Alan Van Newkirk's Geographic Foundation of the North Atlantic, an early (1970) ecological center founded in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, by radicals from Detroit. The publisher also cites Edward Dorn's 1960's poem, "North Atlantic Turbine: A Theory of Truth," which very early described the dangers of global commoditization by the Western World, as an inspiration in the company's name. The company's mission statement reads: “Our mission is to affect planetary consciousness, nurture spiritual and ecological disciplines, disseminate ancient wisdom, and put forth ways to transmute cultural dissonance and violence into service.” Genres published by North Atlantic Books include internal martial arts (through its imprint Blue Snake Books), somatics, homeopathic medicine, shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, Martian mysteries, alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
, the history and philosophy of medicine, natural foods, New Science, Buddhism, parapsychology, Western esotericism, Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, deep ecology
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is a contemporary ecological philosophy that recognizes an inherent worth of all living beings, regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems and that of ecosystems with each other within the...
, gay and lesbian studies, conspiracy theories and Jungian psychology. In 1980, North Atlantic Books was incorporated within the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. They are a client of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
distribution services.
Io Magazine
While Grossinger attended Amherst CollegeAmherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and Hough at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Massachusetts, they founded North Atlantic Books progenitor Io Magazine, an alternative college literary magazine in 1964, featuring work from Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly
-Media:* Robert Kelker-Kelly , American soap opera actor* Robert Kelly , American standup comedian* Robert Kelly , American poet...
, Charles Stein, and Nels Richardson, among others. Over the next decade, Io became a counter-cultural journal mixing literature, science, and history, as it came out of Michigan, Maine, and Vermont with issues such as Alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, Doctrine of Signatures
Doctrine of signatures
The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides and Galen. This doctrine states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. Examples include the plants liverwort; snakeroot, an antidote for...
, Ethnoastronomy, Oecology, Dreams, Earth Geography, and The Olson-Melville Sourcebooks. Io is credited for publishing early works by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
(his poem, "Brooklyn August
Brooklyn August
Brooklyn August is a poem by Stephen King that first appeared in 1971 in Io magazine and was later collected in King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes in 1993...
," was featured in Io Issue #10) and Jayne Anne Phillips, and launched as well the work of writers including David Wilk, Rob Brezsny
Rob Brezsny
Rob Brezsny is an American astrologer, writer, poet, and musician. His weekly horoscope column Free Will Astrology , has been published for more than 28 years, runs in 120 periodicals, and can be subscribed to for free via email.- Career :Brezsny is the first well-known horoscope columnist...
, and Phoebe Gloeckner
Phoebe Gloeckner
Phoebe Louise Adams Gloeckner is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and novelist.-Background:Gloeckner was born in 1960 in Philadelphia, and spent most of her later childhood and young adult life in San Francisco, where her family moved in the early 1970s...
.
In 2009, North Atlantic books created the Io Poetry Series, featuring collections from under-recognized voices in American poetry. Featured poets include Gerrit Lansing, Kenneth Irby
Kenneth Irby
Kenneth Irby is an American poet. He won a 2010 Shelley Memorial Award.He is sometimes associated with the Black Mountain poets, especially with Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley, and Ed Dorn....
, and Lindy Hough." In 2010, Kenneth Irby's Io Poetry Series book The Intent On received the Poetry Society of America's 2010 Shelley Memorial Award.
Notable Titles and Authors
North Atlantic Books is the publisher of the first installment of the New York Times bestselling book 'Walter the Farting DogWalter the Farting Dog
Walter the Farting Dog is a series of children's books by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, and illustrated by Audrey Colman. All the books in the series star Walter and his many flatulent adventures. In 2007 the fifth book in the series, Walter the Farting Dog: Banned From the Beach, was released...
' by William Kotzwinkle
William Kotzwinkle
William Kotzwinkle is an American novelist, children's writer, and screenwriter. He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for Doctor Rat in 1977, and has also won the National Magazine Award for fiction. Kotzwinkle wrote the novelization of the...
and Glenn Murray
Glenn Murray
Glenn Murray is an English footballer who plays for Crystal Palace as a striker. Prior to joining Crystal Palace in June 2011, Murray has previously played for Brighton, Carlisle, Rochdale, Stockport, Barrow, Workington Reds and Wilmington Hammerheads.-Early career:Born in Maryport, Cumbria, after...
, with a 10th Anniversary edition of the book published in August 2011. The publisher is also credited with publishing the complete thirteen-volume series of short stories from Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
-winning science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
. Other notable works from North Atlantic include Jon Klimos's Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources (1998, ISBN 1-55643-248-8), described by Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
as "the sacred text on channeling," and Patrick Doud's The Winnitok Tales, a series the Midwest Book Review
Midwest Book Review
Midwest Book Review is an organization which maintains several book review publications. Established in 1976, the organization's Editor-in-Chief is James A. Cox. Midwest Book Review produces several book review publications per month, with a goal of encouraging small press and increasing literacy....
praised for "memorable characters, poetic language, and driving narrative to these timeless tales that recall the classic epic adventure stories.”
According to filmmaker, author, and performer Miranda July
Miranda July
Miranda July is a performing artist, writer, actress and film director. Born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger, she works under the surname of "July," which can be traced to a character from a "girlzine" Miranda created with high school friend Johanna Fateman, called Snarla.- Background :Miranda...
, Grossinger and Hough's daughter, her brother and her were part of the company's early operations which included "packing Jiffy bags with books for shipment." July claims her upbringing, North Atlantic Books presence specifically, instilled in her a love of writing "that is at the basis of all the things that I do." Bestselling author and writer Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in 1994. It was followed by three more science fiction novels...
has also been tied to North Atlantic Books as the publisher's first paid employee, and later provided an introduction for Theodore Sturgeon's book, The Man Who Lost the Sea.
2011 Awards and Recognition
March 2011: Publishers Weekly listed North Atlantic Books as a 'Top 10 Fastest Growing Indie Publisher.'April 2011: Endless Path by Rafe Martin received a Storytelling World Resource Award in the Storytelling Collection category.
May 2011: Noach Dzmura, editor of Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, received the Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
for the best nonfiction piece in the Transgender category.
June 2011: Keep Your Wives Away From Them, an anthology edited by Miryam Kabakov, received a Golden Crown Literary Award in the Anthology category.
EVOLVER EDITIONS
Launched in 2011, EVOLVER EDITIONS is an imprint of North Atlantic Books presenting voices of the transformation movement of "psychic evolution," a spiritual counterculture that explores the concept of consciousness. The imprint is a collaboration between North Atlantic Books and Evolver LLC, which publishes the online magazine Reality SandwichReality Sandwich
Reality Sandwich is a web magazine published by Evolver LLC, a privately held company. The site is intent, as its tag line expresses it, on "evolving consciousness bite by bite"...
and online social network, Evolver.net. Topics covered by EVOLVER EDITIONS authors include shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, environmental design
Environmental design
Environmental design is the process of addressing surrounding environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products...
, theories in cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, and strategies for political organizing, among others. Key authors include Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck is an author living in New York’s East Village, where he is editorial director of Reality Sandwich, a blog website centered around New Age philosophy and activism. He is the author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism and 2012:...
, José Argüelles
Jose Arguelles
Joseph Anthony Arguelles , better known as José Argüelles, was a world-renowned author, artist, visionary and educator. He was the founder of Planet Art Network and the Foundation for the Law of Time. He held a Ph.D...
, and Charles Eisenstein.
Blue Snake Books
Blue Snake Books was founded in 2005 as a dedicated martial arts imprint of North Atlantic Books, though the company has been publishing martial arts titles for over 25 years. Disciplines of martial arts featured include capoeira, karate, muay thai, tai chi, ba gua, judo, jiu jitsu, and more. Blue Snake Books authors include t'ai chi master Bruce Frantzis and Russian Prime Minister and judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
practitioner Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.