“A publicist? Not real big on the idea. An idea that reduces all others to a self-on-the-shelf commodification of consciousness, right? Don’t publicists just gladhand their way through the shadowland of weaponized egos? Not if they’re John Madera, who approaches writing as transformational not transactional. His rhizomatic desire to promote writers is fueled by his own intelligent enthusiasm for their work, and what those words make possible. He understands the economic and cultural choreography through which writing and publishing occur and is adept at getting even the most out-there poetry and prose into the minds that’d benefit from it. Everyone wants recognition for their work, but more personally, John grasps that my own aspirations are less about prestige or notoriety than the heightened experiences and fellowship that accrue around poetry.”

—Brendan Lorber, author of If This Is Paradise Why Are We Still Driving?