Rockford Poetry Publisher Zombie Logic Press Celebrates Twenty Year Anniversary

Rockford, Illinois, was recently named the most dangerous city in America with a population under 200,000 by F.B.I. statistics, overtaking Little Rock Arkansas. In the geographic center of this city's most dangerous neighborhood sits what NPR has called "America's most dangerous small press," Zombie Logic Press. 

That press is celebrating it's 20th year in continuous operation on October 31st.

Founded in 1996 by publisher Thomas L. Vaultonburg. Zombie Logic Press was created initially to self-publish the poetry of Thomas L. Vaultonburg, but eventually branched out to include the periodical Zombie Logic Review, which publishes Outsider, Outlaw, Surrealist and Dad poetry, and lately the works of Rockford writers in its Rock River Literary Series. So far books have been published by Jesus Correa, C.J. Campbell, and Dennis Gulling. 

When Vaultonburg decided to locate in Downtown Rockford, very few businesses were willing to open up space on the area, and most of the citizens were terrified to go there. Many historic building were left to rot as property speculators were content to just watch them collapse until the government gave them money to gentrify them. 

But not Vaultonburg. The poet responsible for books such as Flesh Wounds, Concave Buddha, Submerged Structure, and Detached Retinas, felt right at home in the Downtown area. After years of publishing internationally noted poets at Zombie Logic Review, Vaultonburg joined forces with Olivia Suchs to create a seconds online literary journal, Outsider Poetry, which gives voice to the self-trained, mentally ill, and marganilized creators odf the world.

Concave Buddha by Thomas L. Vaultonburg

Being in the vanguard of resurgances is nothing new for the maverick publisher, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17, received his B.S. in Psychology from Rockford College. 

Even though most of the businesses he sees around him are coming and going faster than the time it takes to learn their name, Vaultonburg says Zombie Logic Press is here to stay, and plans to publish 2 books by Rockford writers every year.  Pin It