BURNING BOOKS is an artist-run, weirdness-driven organization dedicated to avant-garde fiction, music, and art founded in 1979 by writer/editor Melody Sumner Carnahan and artist/designer Michael Sumner in Oakland, California.

The Burning Books imprint has produced nineteen books and numerous audioworks, often with co-publishers including the University of Iowa International Writer's Program, Archer Fields (NYC), East-West Cultural Studies (NYC/Japan), Zerx Press (Albuquerque), and High Mayhem (Santa Fe).

BB author/artists include John Cage, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Robert Ashley, Madeline Gins, Joan La Barbara, Mark Weber, Barbara Golden, Kathleen Burch, Toma Longinovic, Steina and Woody Vasulka, et al.

In 1989 Burning Books moved to New Mexico where the two founders continue to produce art and books, posters, films, pamphlets, and audioworks.

Recent installations include the Museum of Fine Arts and the Center for Contemporary Arts (Santa Fe), MOV-iN Gallery and IPI 2007 (College of Santa Fe), Mills College, San Francisco Center for the Book, Donkey Gallery (Albuquerque), and High Mayhem Gallery.

Burning Books has an incendiary incentive to make our world more elegant and convincing.

Alere flammam, to feed the flame.

The people at Burning Books run one of the more exciting small presses in the country. Their ideas are daring and substantial; they take risks . . . but do so with well-honed instincts and bookmaking skills.
Paul Schiavo, American Book Review

With perfect design and perfect prose, releases from Burning Books are like a long ride in a fine mind.
Zane Fischer, Santa Fe Reporter

I am glad you do what you do.
John Cage

links

Sumner Carnahan blog

Laetitia Sonami/Carnahan audio clips

Laetitia Sonami/Carnahan video clips

CD Baby (The Time is Now)

iTunes (The Time is Now)

Woody Vasulka's Brotherhood/Carnahan's The Maiden

Kyle Gann's Village Voice review

High Mayhem

Zerx Press and Albuzerxque

Frog Peak Music

Lovely Music

Printed Matter

Small Press Distribution