Orison Books, a non-profit literary press “focused on the life of the spirit from a broad range of perspectives,” is the latest brainchild of North Carolinian poet and editor Luke Hankins. Watch the video, and help out by joining the cause on the Supporter, Friend, Contributor, Donor, Advocate, Ally, or Partner level through Indiegogo.

Orison Books {indiegogo crowdfunding video) from Daniel Westover on Vimeo.

Today, a significant gap exists between literary publishers and strictly religious publishers. Literary publishers occasionally publish books of spiritual depth, but few, if any, set out to do so as a mission and raison d’être. Religious publishers, on the other hand, tend to publish work that offers little appeal to readers outside a particular ideological group. Orison Books, a new non-profit (501(c)(3)) literary press, aims to address this gap through its focus on the life of the spirit from a non-ideological standpoint.

We are conducting a fundraiser to enable a successful launch. Through behind-the-scenes efforts, Orison Books initially raised $6,500, which allowed us to incorporate, apply for tax exemption with the IRS, and create a logo and website. Our goal is to raise an additional $40,000 to enable us to begin publishing books in early 2015.

“Orison” [awr-uh-zuhn] is an archaic word that means “prayer.” We at Orison Books believe that the best spiritual art and literature call us to meditate and contemplate, rather than asking us to adopt any ideology or set of propositions. As Simone Weil wrote, “The mysteries of faith are degraded if they are made into an object of affirmation and negation, when in reality they should be an object of contemplation” (Gravity and Grace). This type of art evokes the human experience of transcendence and explores the mysteries of being, and in so doing opens our minds and hearts to the divine and the possibility of becoming the fullest humans we can be. In our view, spiritual writing has little to do with subject matter. Rather, the kind of work we seek to publish has a transcendent aesthetic effect on the reader, and reading it can itself be a spiritual experience. Such work is not merely about spiritual contemplation, but itself leads the reader into profound contemplation. It is not merely about the sublime, but itself has a sublime effect on the reader. It is not merely about the mystery of being, but itself heightens the reader’s sense of the mystery underlying the fabric of our daily lives.

Orison Books will serve as a home for writers and readers of all backgrounds, religious and non-religious. In addition to publishing spiritually-engaged poetry, fiction, and non-fiction books of exceptional literary merit, each year we will publish The Orison Anthology—a collection of the best spiritual writing in all genres published in periodicals the preceding year.

Our titles will be released in beautifully-designed hardcover and paperback formats, and many will also be released as e-books.

Additionally, Orison Books aims to contribute to the cultural conversations around spirituality and literature by hosting classes, readings, symposia, and other public events.

We cannot succeed without the contributions of those who support our mission of publishing exceptional literature that engages the life of the spirit, and of fostering cultural conversation around spirituality and literature. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today.

Since Orison Books is a non-profit, Indiegogo does not require us to reach our goal in order for us to collect donated funds. All funds are collected in real time, and we at Orison will use whatever amount we’re able to raise first of all on expenses related to releasing and promoting our first title. If we raise more than is necessary for that, then we will be able to more quickly acquire and release additional titles and plan public events. If we reach our $40,000 goal, we have budgeted for a small salary for the Editor in order to allow him to create the time necessary for shepherding Orison Books into a successful and impactful future. (This will be more than a full-time job!) So, even if you’re able to donate $10, or $50, or $250, it will support the mission of Orison Books, and our promise to you is that we will use all funds raised in a responsible and thoughtful way, always in order to further our mission of publishing the finest new spiritually-engaged literature, and promoting cultural conversation around spirituality and literature. Thank you for any support you’re able to offer. And if you’re unable to support us monetarily but you feel compelled by our mission, please consider helping spread the word about our fundraising effort, which is a vital aspect of any fundraising campaign.

Please also visit our website at www.orisonbooks.com.

Staff & Board of Directors
Founder/Editor
Luke Hankins
Fiction Editor
Karen Tucker
Non-fiction Editor
Nathan Poole
Associate Poetry Editor
Rachel Shopper
Associate Fiction Editor
Mattox Roesch
Readers
Briar DeHaven
Esme Franklin
Designer
Matthew Mulder

Advisory Editors
Bruce Beasley
Claire Bateman
Richard Chess
Tarfia Faizullah
Keith Flynn
Brett Foster
Jennifer Grotz
Andrew Hudgins
Amit Majmudar
Kevin McIlvoy
Philip Metres
Sofia M. Starnes

Board of Directors
Luke Hankins
Sara Levine
Rachel Shopper
Karen Tucker
Orison Books is pleased to announce its first title:

I Scrape The Window of Nothingness: New & Selected Poems by Stella Vinitchi Radulescu