Today we’d like to introduce you to Lance Umenhofer.
Hi Lance, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Borne out of the slovenly hills of Middle Tennessee, April Gloaming Publishing rode the heels of Authors and Artists: The Regenerates, a 24-member writing and art collective that struck a sense of purpose and solidarity that the Nashville arts scene would one day rage against the preconceived notion that Batman building watercolors and oil paintings and charcoal sketches were all that the city had to offer. The Regenerates shook up the art scene in the early 2010s when we combined writing, art, and performance in an ekphrastic holler into the South’s budding, new life and light.
Over the years, we have seen both Nashville and the South come into their own and evolve, and just as such, we evolved into a Southern literature publisher that intends to “amplify the voices of the unbridled holler.” We seek writing that evokes a new sense of what the South is becoming, calling out racism and hate, which are still prevalent in America today, and paving a way for a “New South” ideology, one of equity, love, and light, yet still with that good ole Southern haunt.
We came as artists, and continue as artists today, most of our staff are creative in their own right, be it writing, art, film, or music. We have a passion for those with a creative energy that has something not only to say but to scream–to holler. We seek work that builds a fire in our chests and rages into the endless night. How did we get here? We built a fire of our own and stoked it day and night. How do we remain here? We take our fire and light torches for others to join in. We build community. Become a family. Welcome those who rage on too.
We do not stop because the South is worth fighting for.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is there such a thing as a smooth road? We’re no trust-fund kids or lottery winners or German heiresses, so no, nothing has been handed to us.
But speaking of raging fire, the passion to pursue art and then present it at a high aesthetic level is like accessing the divine, the infinite, the ever-rushing river of fuel for the flame. Obstacles happen, sure, and things may get a bit heavy sometimes, but having the fire already built and having the passion to keep feeding it, well, nothing can really get in the way of that, can it?
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
April Gloaming publishes poetry collections, novels, and memoirs, and we also publish 2 issues of our literary journal, Waxing & Waning, annually, one print and one online for free. Waxing & Waning is a hodgepodge of art, writing (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry), screenplays, plays, and short films. You can visit its website at www.waxingandwaning.org.
We try to publish one title a month, though sometimes we fall short of this. To stay up-to-date on our new releases, follow us on Instagram @aprilgloamingpublishing & @waxingandwaninglit; Twitter @april_gloaming; TikTok @aprilgloaming; and Facebook @aprilgloaming. We have an awesome promotional series going, titled “Get Baked & Read Great,” where our house cook/editor/board member, Emma Cardiel, serves up delicious baked goods that are curated with each release (recipes for those on our mailing list).
We are a nonprofit press, and the continued support of our community members is vital to our development. This April, we are calling on our community to help us fund a mobile bookstore that we can set up on the road and around town, complete with a stage on the top to do impromptu literature events. You can follow along with this via the socials mentioned above. You can help us achieve our goal at www.aprilgloaming.com/donate.
Of course, we are a team, and it wouldn’t be a true AG Fam interview without shouting out to our editors, board members, and friends: C.I. Aki, Chuck Beard, Theo Hall, Drew Holden, Matt Johnstone, J. Joseph Kane, AK Konradi, Robyn Leigh Lear, Emma Peterson Cardiel, Alexander Pulliam, Jenai Rogers, & Michael Brandon Stoddard.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Success is a road, a long road with many bends and curves. Find your passion. Build your fire. Work your damn ass off. And, especially, learn how to enjoy the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aprilgloaming.com
- Instagram: @aprilgloamingpublishing
- Facebook: @aprilgloaming
- Twitter: @april_gloaming
Image Credits
Dylan Spader & Jose Juarez
