Jennifer Clarvoe is the author of two books of poetry: Invisible Tender (Fordham, 2000), and Counter-Amores (University of Chicago, 2011).  Her awards and fellowships include the Kate Tufts Prize, the Poets Out Loud Prize, a residency at the James Merrill House, and the Rome Prize in Literature. She taught literature and creative writing at Kenyon College for many years. She lives in Somerville, MA, with her husband, Tony Sigel. 

Natalie Shapero writes: “In PIANO PIANO, Jennifer Clarvoe takes her signature keen attention, gorgeous music, and all-around erudition to new and world-shattering places. Clarvoe’s poems immerse us in art conservation, street photography, birds and clocks and bird clocks. They trace literary and literal lineage; they burn with indelibility and burn their indelibility into us: ‘Don’t photograph that / I tell myself but my mind / snaps it anyway.’”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired PIANO PIANO for the house, and is editing the work. He writes: “Jennifer Clarvoe is a poet of consummate formal skill. She thinks and feels with the whole history of poetry in her bones, and yet there’s such spontaneity—such winning humor—in this book, even as the poet works to face mortality, come to terms with loss and grief.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Clarvoe dissents from conventional ways of describing mortality and loss and the connection between the living and the dead. She deftly weaves a linguistic texture that opens elegy into both recalled memory and tonal surprise.”

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Alan Shapiro is the author of 15 books of poetry (including Reel to Reel, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Night of the Republic, a finalist for both the National Book Award and The Griffin Prize), two memoirs, a novel, two books of critical essays, and two translations. Shapiro has taught at Stanford University, Northwestern University, Warren Wilson College (in its low residency MFA program for writers), and from 1995 to 2021 he was the William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina.

Acclaimed novelist, essayist and poet, Charles Baxter, said, “Alan Shapiro’s beautifully constructed poems are both celebratory and elegiac, and they remind us that love may arrive at the last minute, that laughter is one form of wisdom, and that intricate thoughts and feelings can be articulated syntactically and often ecstatically in sentences that give off their own light.”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired Diver for the house and is editing the work. He writes: “There is no other poet today who has Alan Shapiro’s specific fusion of formal skill, tonal liveliness, storytelling authority, idiosyncratic imagination, and unsentimental compassion for human suffering. Shapiro is a great poet, and this is his best book.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “In Diver, Alan Shapiro plunges into the profound depths of mortality, memory, and the human condition with his signature blend of philosophical rigor and emotional clarity. With wit, tenderness, and unflinching honesty, Diver captures the precarious beauty of our brief time on Earth. We are profoundly honored to publish such a collection.”

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Unger works as a high school English teacher and tutor. His essays and poems have appeared in The Threepenny Review, The Paris Review, The New York Review of Books, and The Yale Review. He lives in New York.

Of Odd Hour, Robert Pinsky said, “Tomas Unger has the poetic gift of an enchanted vision of time, in all its limitless range, re-animating rather than merely elegiac: bandura music, the parallel flashing interiors of New York subway trains, Brazil in 1910, the moment of a chess piece held above the board, the intensity of tennis and the ‘immense boredom’ of cricket, famous artists, nameless characters (‘grandparents and torturers/ and exiles’): each real thing illuminated in its own way by the temporal mystery of its passing and its endurance. Odd Hour is a poignant, beautiful read.”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired the title for the house, and is editing the work. He notes: “There is no other contemporary poet like Tomas Unger. He has a unique talent for rendering the mysterious depths beneath ordinary surfaces. There’s a simultaneous directness and subtlety of voice in these poems, suggesting the arrival of a major poet.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “The press is committed to publishing thoughtfully challenging work, like Unger’s. Odd Hour challenges the very idea of what a lyric poem can be. This breakthrough young author finds what is odd in the ordinary and dissents from the worn habits of so much contemporary poetry in a way that is vivacious and refreshing.”

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In Infinite Sky Divided, Altmann maps the territories where memory intersects with history, where personal grief meets collective trauma. These luminous poems move with the precision of a master craftsman, weaving through landscapes both intimate and vast — from wartime Budapest to contemporary Kyiv, from Portuguese cobblestones to American hotel bars.

Altmann is an internationally acclaimed poet whose most recent book, Forgive Time, is an original collection of 50 poems translated into Hebrew by poet Tal Nitzan, and published by Keshev Press, the premier publisher of Hebrew and World poetry (Wislawa Szymborska, Czeslaw Milosz, Tomas Tranströmer). A frequent contributor to The Guardian’s “Poem of the Week” series, his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Poetry, The Poetry Review, The Best American Poetry and has been translated around the world. A native Montrealer, he has earned degrees from McGill University and Stanford University, respectively, and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Of his work, the late John Ashbery wrote: “Howard Altmann’s surprised and surprising environment…is a quietly brilliant achievement.” Billy Collins says, “Howard Altmann is an inventor of verbal scenes, where clarity and mystery keep switching places, and imagery seems to have a will of its own. His lucky readers are in for some startling imaginative rides.”

Peter Campion, executive editor of the press and editor in chief of its literary journal, Revel, said, “Howard Altmann has a rare lyric gift, a quality I associate with poets such as Szymborska and Amichai. I have in mind the fierce liveliness and abiding wonder that run beneath the clarity of the lines and phrases. Infinite Sky Divided returns the reader to a state of original awe.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Howard Altmann bravely crosses cultures and histories to show the importance of poetry as a humanistic art. His powerful voice is in fact a dissent from the easy distractions that corrode our culture, as D. Nurkse writes, ‘Infinite Sky Divided is a beacon in an age of noise.’ We’re honored and proud to publish such a distinguished and vital poet.”

Reviews | ARCs Available

Literary Editors and Reviewers:

If you would like to request an advance reading copy of Howard Altmann’s Infinite Sky Divided, please contact us directly.

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Through haunting poetry and prose, A Ghost Has No Fantasies illuminates the forgotten voices of LGBTQ+ people who suffered under Nazi persecution. Drawing from archival documents, survivor testimonies, and Gestapo files, Bancroft weaves together the intimate stories of those imprisoned under Paragraph 175 and beyond — gay men, lesbians, and transgender people whose experiences have long remained in the shadows of Holocaust memory. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights remain under threat globally, this collection serves as both memorial and warning — a testament to the resilience of human love against the machinery of hate-fueled erasure.

Christian Bancroft earned his Ph.D. from the University of Houston and is the recipient of a Michener Fellowship. He is also the author of Queering Modernist Translation: The Poetics of Race, Gender, and Queerness (2020) and the co-editor of the 2018 Unsung Masters Series volume, Adelaide Crapsey: The Life & Work of an American Master. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Callaloo, The Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, Petrichor, and Asymptote, among others. 

Kevin Prufer, the celebrated poet, novelist, and critic, has said of the book, “Christian Bancroft has produced a kaleidoscopic work of docupoetics, vast in its scope and historical vision, one that draws our attention at last to the intimate voices of individuals otherwise lost in a time that would obliterate them. Brilliant, inventive, and deeply moving.”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired A Ghost Has No Fantasies for the house, and is editing the work with Bancroft. He writes: “Christian Bancroft’s A Ghost Has No Fantasies treats the horror of genocide with the enduring resources of imagination, compassion, and intense verbal skill. Here is a book of tremendous ethical conviction and aesthetic originality.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Christian’s book is among the rarest of things: poetry that resurrects, honors, and heals people lost to the deepest of tragedies. There is no book like this one, and we are beyond privileged to publish it.”

Reviews | ARCs Available

Literary Editors and Reviewers:

If you would like to request an advance reading copy of Christian Bancroft’s A Ghost Has No Fantasies, please contact us directly.

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The book chronicles her rise from extreme poverty as a Kansas Dustbowl farm girl to become a legendary public high school English teacher. But there are darker overtones: her ambivalence toward domestic life is complicated by mental illness, shock treatment, and sexual abuse. And Sleigh’s discovery of his mother’s journals minutes after her death makes a rich portrait even richer. Rosie is a warm, troubled, at times very funny investigation of his mother’s quiet passion to lead an examined life. 

Sleigh’s many books include the 2023 Paterson Poetry Prize winner, The King’s Touch, as well as House of Fact, House of Ruin, Station Zed, and Army Cats, all from Graywolf Press. His most recent book of essays is The Land Between Two Rivers: Writing In an Age of Refugees. His honors include a Kingsley Tufts Award, Shelly Memorial Award, both the Updike Award and Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His poems appear in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Threepenny, Poetry, and other magazines. A Distinguished Professor at Hunter College, he lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Of Sleigh’s book of essays The Land Between Two Rivers: Writing In an Age of Refugees, Phil Klay wrote, “Tom Sleigh is our best essayist on political violence. Whether discussing his wartime reporting, or the victims of the Stalinist terror, or American racism, he applies a unique blend of intellectual fearlessness, moral precision, and an eye for the strange, the beautiful, and the deeply human.”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, notes: “I’m astonished by Sleigh’s exploration of his mother’s life and death. His utterly unsentimental, searching approach goes hand in hand with surprising warmth and humor. I’m also just knocked out by the prose. This is a book about a topic too rarely discussed—a book we need right now—and, at the same time, it’s the work of a true artist.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Tom’s memoir stands among the most moving and courageous I have ever read. It is intimate confession and generous balm alike, both tenderly given in the service of humanity and the most heart-wrenching moments each of us must face. This is what literary fearlessness and heroism look like, pure courage upon the page.”

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Unbound Edition Press also published Parkison’s most recent collection of short fiction, Suburban Death Project, in 2022 to wide acclaim. Kirkus Reviews praised the title, recognizing its “extraordinary, character-driven tales from a sublime voice that resonates,” and awarding it a coveted “Get It” ranking. 

Parkison is widely published and the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize, the Kurt Vonnegut Prize from North American Review, the Starcherone Prize for Innovative Fiction, a Christopher Isherwood Fellowship, a North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship, a Writers at Work Fellowship, a Puffin Foundation Fellowship, and a William Randolph Hearst Creative Artists Fellowship. She currently teaches creative writing and literature in the MFA/PhD program at Oklahoma State University.

The Review of Contemporary Fiction wrote, “Aimee Parkison, whose stories have garnered both critical praise and prestigious awards, maintains a voyeur’s densely layered dynamic with the world. It is easy to get seduced as much by the sonic texture of her accomplished prose as by its startling cinematic imagery.” 

Peter Campion, executive editor of the press and editor in chief of its literary journal, Revel, first commissioned a piece from Parkison, which led to the new collection. “We knew from that one story ‘Remember Me’ that we wanted more, and Aimee certainly brought her powerful voice and talent to Body of Evidence.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “I have had the great honor of working with Aimee closely on both of her collections for the press. Her voice, which is as lush as it is inventive, is why we exist. The stories she tells are accessible, even if disturbing at times. They are universal because they are so deeply grounded in the challenges of everyday life.”

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Work from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities and voices is especially welcome.

Unbound Edition Press acquires world rights in English, pays advances, and offers generous royalty schedules. Our titles are both critically acclaimed and on multiple bestseller lists. Authors include literary luminaries and new voices alike. Quality of craft and thinking shapes our editorial decisions. 

We are writers too and understand the submission process can take time and be frustrating. You will get a response from us within four to six months. We happily accept simultaneous submissions, but do ask that you kindly inform us right away if your work has been acquired by another publisher.

Submittable is the only way we receive manuscripts. We cannot accept any submission by email or post. These will be unopened and unread. Please follow all formatting guidance in our Submittable form.

Thank you for sharing your work with us. We look forward to reading it.

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In this boldly experimental work of prose and poetry, Portela excavates personal and ancestral histories to chart a radical cartography of queer becoming. They refuse categorization while exploring the complex intersections of gender, sexuality, and Mormon heritage. The title is scheduled for publication on June 24, 2025 as part of Pride Month.

Taylor Portela is a queer, nonbinary poet and performer who received their MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Tech and now calls Oregon home. Their work has appeared in publications such as The Adroit Journal, Fence, and WUSSY Mag. 

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired the title for the house. He notes: “Taylor’s breakthrough voice captured our attention immediately. Their book coming to us is one of those happy stories in which an open call for submissions revealed a new talent and led to a publishing agreement. We are thrilled.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Tranny Muse embraces contradiction as sacrament — simultaneously reverent and blasphemous, tender and obscene, anchored in tradition yet fiercely innovative. Portela’s voice emerges as a necessary intervention in contemporary poetry, reclaiming slurs and celebrating the messy contradictions of lived experience with equal fervor.”

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Estes is widely celebrated for her work. She has won the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the Audre Lorde Prize for Lesbian Poetry, and was a 2010 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Among her many achievements are a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Lannan Foundation. In 2023, she was the Writer-in-Residence at the James Merrill House.

Of Estes’ work, Langdon Hammer, Professor of English at Yale University, previously wrote, “This is a poetry of style, elegance, and fresh surprise, for the ear and the eye, the heart and the mind. It reminds me why I read.”

Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired The Swallows Come Out for the house, and is editing the work with Estes. He writes: “Angie Estes writes with exquisite attention to the world, to the whole history of art in its many forms, and to language itself. At the same time, for all its subtlety and sophistication, her poetry remains emotionally immediate, disarmingly vulnerable. To read her work in its full breadth, as this collection allows, is to behold the major achievement of a major American poet.”

Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “It is impossible to overstate the importance of Angie Estes’ work within the arc of American poetry. Likewise, I cannot adequately express what a profound honor and pleasure it is to bring her very best poems to readers of serious literature. Her work is a gift to all who respect the endless potential of language, lovingly crafted, to capture and share the human experience in its full, complex variety. These are poems for the ages.”

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