Jitney Books: A Micro-Press Journey

Launched in 2016, Jitney Books is a new Miami micro-press with a bold vision of combining the talent of local artists and writers, and producing quality literature. Today, with revolutions in technology and online ordering, this might seem like an easy task. But the story behind the founding of Jitney Books—and that of the writers themselves—is one of struggle, complicated by the culture of the literary industry: an overworked professor in his first year at a more-than-full time position; a man with a novel that becomes suddenly and surprisingly relevant; a woman who discovers a delightfully innovative book in social media posts; and a writer who eked out his first book in longhand while serving an 8 1/2 prison sentence. These are the writers of Jitney. They’ll discuss the press’ founding and read from their recently released books. With Jan Becker, Luis Felipe Garcia, and Timothy Schmand. Moderator: J.J. Colagrande.