When you take the lost road
You find the bright feathers of morning
Laid out in proportion to snow and light
And when the snow gets lost on the road
Then the hot wind might blow from the south
And there is sadness in bed for twenty centuries
And everyone is chewing the grass on the graves again
—Frank Stanford, from “Circle of Lorca”
Lost Roads is a small press founded in 1976 in Arkansas by poet Frank Stanford. Its stated mission is to publish essential books in contemporary literature. After Stanford’s death in 1978, editorship was assumed by poet C.D. Wright, whose book, Room Rented by a Single Woman (1977), had been the press’s first release. Wright co-edited the press with poet Forrest Gander for many years. The current editor is Susan Scarlata.
1. Wright, C.D. ROOM RENTED BY A SINGLE WOMAN
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
First edition, perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 8.75″, 48 pages. Cover art by Stephen Beard. Printed by White River Printers. Published as Lost Roads Number 1
2. Stoss, John. FINDING THE BROOM
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
Published as Lost Roads 2
3. Adamo, Ralph. SADNESS AT THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITY
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
Published as Lost Roads 3
4. Morris, John S. BEAN STREET
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
Published as Lost Roads 4
5. McKernan, John. WALKING ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
First edition, perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 8.75″, 40 pages. Cover art by Richard Albertine. Printed by White River Printers. Published as Lost Roads Number 5
6. Broughton, Irv. THE BLESSING OF THE FLEET
Fayetteville, Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1977
Published as Lost Roads Number 6
7. Stanford, Frank. THE BATTLEFIELD WHERE THE MOON SAYS I LOVE YOU
Fayetteville / Seattle: Lost Roads Publishing Company / Mill Mountain Press, 1977
First edition, perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 7.25? x 8.5?, 542 pages. Published as Lost Roads Number 7-12
8. Wright, C. D. TERRORISM
Fayetteville: Lost Roads Publishing Company, 1979
First edition, perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 6″ x 8″, 48 pages. Cover art by Alan Pogue. Printed by White River Printers. Published as Lost Roads Number 13
9. Gilchrist, Ellen. THE LAND SURVEYOR’S DAUGHTER
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1979
Published as Lost roads Number 14
10. Stanford, Frank. YOU
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1979
Published as Lost roads Number 15
11. Caldwell, Justin. THE SLEEPING PORCH
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1979
Published as Lost Roads Number 16
12. Adamo, Ralph. THE END OF THE WORLD
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1979
Published as Lost Roads Number 17
13. Stanford, Frank. THE SINGING KNIVES
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1979
Published as Lost Roads Number 18
14. Benitez, Zuleyka. TROUBLE IN PARADISE
Fayetteville: Lost Roads, 1980
Published as Lost Roads Number 19
15. Johnson, Honor. SMALL AS A RESURRECTION
Eureka Springs: Lost Roads, 1982
Published as Lost Roads Number 20
16. Rice, Stan. BODY OF WORK
Eureka Springs: Lost Roads, 1983
Published as Lost Roads Number 21
17. Stern, Steve. ISAAC AND THE UNDERTAKER’S DAUGHTER
Published as Lost Roads Number 22
18. Mayes, Frances. HOURS
Providence: Lost Roads, 1984
Published as Lost Roads Number 23
Online Resources:
Rain Taxi article on Lost Roads Press