osedax   n  a species of deep sea worm that feasts only on the bones of dead whales.

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Osedax Press was founded in 2014 in Lexington, Ky. We delight in the poetic, strange, and uncountable, and specialize in small limited-run publications such as zines, chapbooks, and broadsides. Our name is taken from a species of deep sea worm which feasts only on the bones of dead whales; “osedax” means bone-eating.

The idea of bone-eating is central to our press: we believe that it’s valuable and vital to re-purpose and re-invent what has come before. Our primary project, Scrimshander Books, a series of literary pamphlets dealing with topics such as heartbreak, nutrition, death, and wallflowery, takes the titles of its volumes from the titles of E. Haldeman-Julius’s Little Blue Books of the 1920s. Each volume contains a careful selection of poetry and prose that engages with a given theme; the result is a blend of literary journal and instructional booklet which seeks to inspire, upset, amuse, and seek out new truths via any means necessary.

Our other projects include EXACTLY LIKE LOVE, a collection of poetry by Alan Walowitz, and DIVINATIONS, a poetic project from Christopher McCurry. More information is available on the “Our Projects and Where to Find Them” page.