Brooklyn Arts Press
An independent Brooklyn-based publisher of poetry, literary fiction, nonfiction, art books, and music.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Brooklyn Arts Press (BAP) is an independent publishing company founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2007 by writer Joe Pan. It began as a vehicle for Pan to publish his own poetry collection, Autobiomythography & Gallery, after the manuscript had been recognized as a finalist in several significant poetry competitions, including the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition, the Academy of American Poets’ Walt Whitman Award, and the National Poetry Series. The book later received Coldfront Magazine’s recognition as Best First Book of the Year, giving the new press an initial platform and helping it move beyond a single-author self-publishing project. The company’s editorial scope includes poetry, literary fiction, nonfiction, art books, and music. Its list has included writers such as Daniel Borzutzky, Alexander Boldizar, Anaïs Duplan, Anselm Berrigan, Carol Guess, Michael Ernest Sweet, Noah Eli Gordon, and Joe Pan. Although poetry has been central to the press’s identity, BAP has positioned itself more broadly as an experimental and literary arts publisher, with projects that cross between written literature, visual culture, and recorded music. Production was interrupted by the economic recession in 2008 and 2009. The press resumed growth in 2010 and subsequently described a point at which each book could finance the next, indicating a small-scale, title-by-title publishing model rather than the capital-intensive structure of a large commercial house. In the years that followed, BAP generally published approximately nine to twelve books annually. This program included Christopher Hennessy’s Love-In-Idleness, which became a finalist for the Thom Gunn Award in 2012. BAP attracted broader attention in 2015 through an unusual promotional sale for a new paperback by Noah Eli Gordon. Readers were allowed to pay whatever they wanted for the book. The campaign drew comparisons with similarly unconventional pricing initiatives associated with Radiohead and Louis C.K. and prompted discussion about whether alternative pricing could affect the way poetry books were marketed and sold in the United States. The press achieved one of its most significant literary milestones in 2016, when Daniel Borzutzky’s The Performance of Becoming Human, released by BAP in April 2016, won the National Book Award for Poetry. The award gave national visibility to both the author and the independent publisher and underscored BAP’s role in bringing formally ambitious poetry to a wider audience. In 2017, the company extended its activities into music by releasing the debut LP of the Brooklyn indie-rock trio Tuff Sunshine. BAP is therefore best understood as a small independent arts publisher whose core business is literary books, particularly poetry, complemented by selected visual-art and music projects.
History
Brooklyn Arts Press was established in Brooklyn in 2007 by writer Joe Pan. Its origin was closely connected to Pan’s first book, Autobiomythography & Gallery. The manuscript had reached finalist status in several prominent poetry competitions, but its publication became the foundation for a new independent press when Pan chose to issue the work himself. The book’s later recognition by Coldfront Magazine as Best First Book of the Year helped validate the venture and created the conditions for BAP to publish additional authors. The young company encountered the wider economic difficulties of the late-2000s recession, and production stopped during 2008 and 2009. By 2010, BAP had resumed publishing and reached what it described as a sustainable point at which revenue from one title could support the next. This reflects the economics and operating style of a small press: a limited annual list, close attention to individual projects, and reliance on the performance of each book rather than on a large corporate publishing infrastructure. In subsequent years, the press generally released between nine and twelve books annually. Poetry remained the center of BAP’s catalog, but the company developed a wider arts remit. Its publications have included literary fiction, nonfiction, and art books, while its author list has combined emerging writers with figures recognized in contemporary American poetry and literature. Christopher Hennessy’s Love-In-Idleness became a finalist for the Thom Gunn Award in 2012, providing an early indication of the critical standing achieved by books on the list. In 2015, BAP experimented with book pricing through a pay-what-you-want offer for a new paperback by Noah Eli Gordon. The approach was compared in public discussion with unconventional promotional campaigns associated with Radiohead and Louis C.K. Although the available reference material does not establish a lasting industry-wide change resulting from the offer, it made the press unusually visible and raised questions about whether flexible pricing could help poetry reach more readers. The press’s strongest literary breakthrough came in 2016. Daniel Borzutzky’s The Performance of Becoming Human, issued by BAP in April of that year, won the National Book Award for Poetry. The honor significantly increased the visibility of the publisher and demonstrated that a small independent press could publish a work that received one of the highest-profile awards in American literature. BAP later broadened its activities into recorded music. On June 1, 2017, it released the debut LP of Brooklyn indie-rock trio Tuff Sunshine. This project extended the press’s arts-oriented identity beyond printed books and illustrated its willingness to treat publishing as a platform for literary, visual, and musical work. The available reference material does not provide detailed information about later ownership, management, output, or corporate restructuring.
- 2017
Expansion into music publishing
[1]On June 1, BAP releases the debut LP by Brooklyn indie-rock trio Tuff Sunshine.
- 2016
BAP title wins the National Book Award for Poetry
[1]Daniel Borzutzky’s The Performance of Becoming Human, published by BAP in April, wins the National Book Award for Poetry.
- 2015
Pay-what-you-want book promotion
[1]BAP promotes a Noah Eli Gordon paperback using a reader-selected price model, generating attention beyond the independent-press sector.
- 2012
Love-In-Idleness becomes an award finalist
[1]Christopher Hennessy’s Love-In-Idleness is named a finalist for the Thom Gunn Award.
- 2010
The press resumes and reaches a sustainable publishing model
[1]BAP resumes activity and reports reaching a point where the proceeds from each book could support the next title.
- 2008
Publishing production pauses during the recession
[1]The press halts production during the economic downturn affecting 2008 and 2009.
- 2007
Brooklyn Arts Press is founded
[1]Writer Joe Pan establishes Brooklyn Arts Press in Brooklyn, initially around the self-publication of his poetry book Autobiomythography & Gallery.
Products and positioning
An independent, literary and arts-focused press emphasizing poetry, experimental writing, emerging and established authors, and projects that connect literature with visual art and music.
Books · 2007
Poetry books
Poetry is the press’s central publishing category. BAP’s catalog has included contemporary and experimental poetry by both emerging and established writers, with Daniel Borzutzky’s The Performance of Becoming Human becoming its most prominent award-recognized title.
Books
Literary fiction and nonfiction
Alongside poetry, Brooklyn Arts Press publishes literary fiction and nonfiction. The available reference material describes these as part of the press’s broader independent literary program, but does not specify a separate imprint or detailed genre list.
Art publishing
Art books
Art books form part of BAP’s arts-oriented output and broaden its identity beyond conventional literary publishing. Detailed titles, formats, and production partnerships are not specified in the available sources.
Music release · 2017
Tuff Sunshine debut LP
BAP released the debut LP of Brooklyn indie-rock trio Tuff Sunshine on June 1, 2017. The release represents the press’s documented move into recorded music alongside its book publishing activities.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Noah Eli Gordon pay-what-you-want paperback promotion
United States · International literary audience
Brooklyn Arts Press allowed readers to determine the price of a new Noah Eli Gordon paperback. The unusual model was discussed in relation to other high-profile pay-what-you-want promotions and generated debate about alternative approaches to selling poetry.
Outcome. The campaign increased public attention to BAP and stimulated discussion about poetry-book pricing; the available source does not document precise sales or financial results.
Brand decisions
2017
Expansion from books into recorded musicProduct launchBackground
BAP had established an identity spanning literature and the arts and subsequently undertook a music release.
Action taken
The press released the debut LP of Brooklyn indie-rock trio Tuff Sunshine on June 1, 2017.
Aftermath
The release broadened the documented scope of BAP’s publishing and arts activities beyond printed books.
2015
Adoption of reader-selected pricing for a paperbackPrice changeBackground
The press sought an unconventional promotional and distribution approach for a new Noah Eli Gordon paperback.
Action taken
Instead of assigning one fixed promotional price, BAP permitted readers to pay whatever amount they chose.
Aftermath
The experiment drew local and international attention and prompted speculation about whether flexible pricing could influence the way poetry books were sold. No verified sales or revenue figures are provided.
Sources2 sources
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