The Lummox Press evolved out of the Lummox Journal. There were several chapbooks, a pamphlet and a small poem printed on a business card that preceded the publication of the Journal in 1994. These were created by the poet Raindog.
In the mid-nineties and being, essentially, naïve/ ignorant, Raindog self-published two books of poesy: Unkissed by the Angels and And Love is Dancing Just out of Reach. These met with a modest success. Then, in 1998, Raindog published the first of what he hoped would be a series of perfect-bound anthologies that represented the finest that had crossed his desk, called Dufus. Dufus turned out to be an accelerated course in how not to publish a book. Dufus was a one-time deal, as it turned out. But the concept of publishing other poets hung on and in 1999 Raindog published the first titles in the Little Red Book series, this, in addition to publishing the monthly Lummox Journal.
It was a prodigious undertaking. In 1999 alone, twelve titles were published. By 2006, fifty one titles in the LRB series (as it came to be known) had been published, along with The Wren Notebook by Rick Smith and Last Call: the Legacy of Charles Bukowski (an anthology edited by RD Armstrong - Raindog - featuring some 41 contributors) and a few other titles by RD Armstrong as well.
Some of the authors in this series include: Lyn Lifshin, Larry Jaffe, Glenn Cooper, Ed Jamieson, Jr., Marie Lecravain, Alan Catlin, Philomene Long, John Thomas (his last work before his death), Gerald Locklin, Hugh Fox, Scott Wannberg, A.D. Winans, Bill Shields, Todd Moore, Will Taylor, Jr., Mark Weber, and Raindog. It's a very eclectic mix. And accessible too, since the LRBs are only 4.25 by 5.5 inches and can easily fit into one's pocket.
The Lummox Press continues to publish. The idea has been to bring poetry to the people. Unfortunately, the people haven't always been that interested. But Lummox perseveres, trying to find new ways to entice the readers of poesy…coming soon, DVDs of poets reading.