A snippet of incredibly weird poetry, posted on Bluesky, led me to Piżama Press. The poetry excerpt came from Disintegration Made Plain and Easy, a collection by poet Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi published by Piżama. Reading this collection was a wild experience – I kept showing it my family & friends, saying “WTF? Read this!”
I’m happy to see more books coming from Piżama. Thanks to Benjamin Niespodziany for talking with me!
Here’s a quick intro to the press:
Piżama Press is an independent press dedicated to showcasing and uplifting the voices of the strange, the uncanny, the absurd, and the surreal. The weirder, the better. Established in Chicago in 2025 by Benjamin and with plans to release 1-2 books a year, we now have three available titles in our slowly growing catalog.
***
Myna: Tell us about Piżama Press. What do you publish? What are you looking for when choosing projects? Are there any specific styles or subject matter you especially like?
Ben: Piżama Press is a new independent press based out of Chicago. Our aim is to publish 1-2 books every year with a focus on the surreal and the absurd. Our first book, in 2025, was the absurd and tender and funny and strange debut poetry collection by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi. We have two releases for 2026: the sophomore collection by Réka Nyitrai, a Hungarian-Romanian surrealist poet, and the sixth prose poetry collection by New Hampshire-based writer Lesle Lewis.
When choosing projects, due to the low volume, we are very selective with what we publish. It has to be a manuscript unlike anything we’ve seen before. Something that keeps us up at night. That entertains and haunts and confuses and brings joy.
In regards to style: the stranger, the better. While our first three releases have been poetry, we plan to expand into microfiction, short stories, and eventually a novella. Despite the genre, our vision is to only release books under 200 pages. Slim and strange.
Myna: How do you acquire your projects?
Ben: We haven’t done any submissions yet, so I’ve simply reached out to authors I admire to see if they have a manuscript in progress. For Kiik’s book, he sent it to me years ago, as it was accepted by a separate press, who unfortunately went under during the pandemic. I thought about the manuscript so often that I eventually launched Piżama as a way to get the book out in the world.
So rather than me starting a press and looking for a book, I knew what I wanted to release even before launching the press.
With the 2026 releases, both authors were in contact with me. Lesle Lewis reached out to me while I was at AWP in 2025. I read her incredible manuscript on the flight home and quickly responded, saying how I wanted to release it in 2026. I’m honored she sent it my way.
John’s Table: Lesle Lewis’ sixth full-length book of prose poems. Arranged in 45 monostich pieces, all with single-word titles, this collection showcases a poet who, after more than 20 years of releasing books into the world, continues to master her craft.
For Réka Nyitrai, she sent me one manuscript, but before I could reply, it was actually accepted (and released as a chapbook) with Ethel Zine (With a swan’s nest on her back, 2026). Réka then sent me two more manuscripts, which we edited and trimmed into 40 pieces, creating a 2-in-1 book where you read one, flip the book upside-down, and read the other. It really fits her surrealist aesthetic.
Split / Game of Little Deaths: Réka Nyitrai’s newest book is a cyclical and symmetrical surrealist offering. A 2-in-1 collection, the layout for this double book invites readers to finish one book, flip it upside down, and begin the other.
Myna: How do you support your projects after publication?
Ben: 2025 was a great learning experience in this regard. I reached out to podcasters, Substackers/bloggers, friends, family, bookstores, reviewers, authors I admire, and so many others. Since we only released one book, I was able to focus all of my time and attention on the release. We also released an e-version on November 27, six months after the initial release, complete with an extended version of the book. Treating it like a deluxe edition with b-sides that don’t exist in the physical copy.
Now that we have two books for 2026, I’m taking much of what I learned last year and applying it to these two collections. Promoting across social media, reaching out to bookstores who grabbed Kiik’s book last year, emailing podcasters and reviewers, sending ARCs to people I think will enjoy these books.
Lesle Lewis has been great about lining up readings at bookstores around the East Coast and Réka Nyitrai, since she lives in Europe, I’m trying to find ways to gain visibility/attention in Romania/Hungary, while also championing this book with readers in the States who are interested in surrealism.
Myna: What do you wish more people knew about your press?
Ben: That it’s just me wanting to get more work I enjoy out into the world. It may seem like a daunting task, and it’s been quite the undertaking, but it’s also something anyone can do.
I think self-publishing should be more acceptable within indie literature, and I’d love to see more one-person teams trying to promote the art and the writing they love.
There seems to be 5,000 online lit mags, but when it comes to physical full-length releases, it seems much more competitive and difficult to have your manuscript find a home. I wish that wasn’t the case.
Myna: If Piżama had a theme song, what would it be?
Ben: “You’ve Got Maelstrom” by Blockhead. It’s a very strange and atmospheric instrumental, complete with vocal snippets, DJ scratches, and hip-hop elements. It’s jarring yet accessible. Strange yet smooth. I hope Piżama has a similar dichotomy.
Myna: I loved Disintegration Made Plain and Easy. Tell us about the collection! And who made all that delightful art??
Ben: So glad you enjoyed it! Like I mentioned before, the book has been in progress for quite some time. I read the PDF back in 2021, and checked in with Kiik every year or so, as I was eager to pre-order the book. When he told me the press went under, I thought about being his agent/publicist/manager in hopes of landing the book elsewhere, until I found myself motivated to launch my own press with Kiik’s book as the first release.
I emailed him this idea in the summer of 2024 and we released it in the summer of 2025. Thankfully, because of the delay with the other press, Kiik had written numerous more poems, and the visual artist Gautam Rangan had drawn numerous more illustrations, so the editing/selection process was really collaborative between the three of us, as we worked on ordering the poems, adding illustrations, and making sure it all shined. It truly was a group effort. I couldn’t have done it without them.
Myna: Tell us about your role with Piżama. What takes the most time? What is your favorite part of this job?
Ben: I do a little bit of everything. I’ve chased most of the blurbs, found a printer, found a distributor, shipped 200 copies out of my apartment, learned how to obtain an ISBN, made the logo on my iPad, launched a website, launched social media pages, and did all I could every step of the way.
I told myself I would hire someone if I ever hit a road block (like a book designer or a publicist), but I felt comfortable in my attempts with the first book, and learned a lot with the year-two books (like designing the interior for a book that’s 50% upside down).
That might change down the road, but for the time being, I enjoy doing it all on my own. Working directly with the authors and being as hands on as possible. For this reason, I don’t think I could do more than two books a year.
Myna: Were there any surprises or problems along the route to establishing your press?
Ben: For the pre-orders in 2025, I bought budget-friendly envelopes, which turned out to be very flimsy, resulting in a handful of books being damaged upon arrival or not arriving at all. Because of this, I had to send a few replacement copies. I learned my lesson and have since purchased sturdier envelopes, as well as utilizing Asterism to do the majority of the shipping.
Myna: Tell us about your career trajectory. How did you get here?
Ben: I consider this much more of a passion than a career, as my ‘career’ is in the music industry. I’ve been helping in that area of entertainment for over a decade, and I’m currently a senior marketing manager for an independent music label.
Reading and writing has always been a joy for me. I’ve released two of my own books with two indie presses (Okay Donkey and X-R-A-Y).
I’ve also released magazines and zines with friends and I run my neonpajamas blog where I interview authors. While Piżama isn’t my first time doing something on my own, it’s definitely my biggest undertaking yet. It’s been a serious learning experience but I’m so glad I took this leap.
Around this same time, I started hosting a bi-monthly reading series in Chicago called Neon Night Mic, so I think the literary enthusiast in me simply wants to learn more about the publishing industry and be part of the writing community, championing work I admire in any way I can.
Myna: Please tell us about your own writing. Where can we read your work?
Ben: I released a book of poems with Okay Donkey in 2022 and a book of microfictions with X-R-A-Y in 2023. Along the way, I’ve released a few chapbooks, including one with Gasher Press that will be out in October of 2026 (titled Uncle Time). I’ve also had a handful of poems and short stories published online. You can find anything and everything over at neonpajamas.com/eyes.
Myna: Tell us about a recent accomplishment or share some happy news with us!
Ben: As I write this, Piżama’s next two books will be out in 11 days. Home stretch! By the time this interview goes live, they’ll be in the hands of readers, and I can’t wait to have these two wonderful books out in the world. Once the marketing and promo quiets down, I’ll be spending the end of summer and most of the fall preparing for our two 2027 releases: one debut book of poetry and one debut book of prose poems / microfictions. I can’t wait to share more.
Myna: Now for the important stuff: Which mode of transportation would you prefer: electric seahorse, cyborg dragon, raven-starship hybrid, or something else (explain!)?
Ben: Electric seahorse sounds really cool, but I think I’d ultimately choose a pink 1974 Lamborghini Espada. I’m not much of a car person, but I dream about that car. It looks so cool. If I ever win the lottery or stumble upon some riches, that’s the vehicle I’ll be tracking down. That, or a used limo I could park outside of my apartment and turn into a library.
Myna: Would you rather live in a magical forest, a sentient urban high-rise, an enchanted underwater city, or a complex alien world? Or do you have another perfect living space in mind?
Ben: Magical forest would be wonderful. I have a novel out on submission that takes place in a magical forest, so I spent the last four years or so deep in this woodland space, and I miss it. I’m working on a different project now, but part of me wants to return to the forest.
Myna: Do you have a pet or other hobbies/activities?
Ben: No pets, but I enjoy making mixes on SoundCloud, taking long walks along the Chicago River, watching stand-up comedy, and traveling the world. I’ve been to over 30 countries and am always eager to take my next trip.
Myna: What’s next for you?
Ben: Releasing these two books with Piżama Press, preparing the next two releases for 2027, reading throughout Chicago, releasing my chapbook in October, continuing to submit my novel in progress, working on my next poetry collection, and already looking ahead and chatting with two authors about releasing with Piżama in 2028. Staying busy!
Myna: What do you wish I’d asked?
Ben: I loved these questions! Thank you so much. Platforms like MicroVerse help small presses share exciting work and allow new people to find out about what we’re doing. Thank you again.
***
Benjamin Niespodziany is a Chicago-based writer whose work has appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, Fence, Indiana Review, Fairy Tale Review, Conduit, and elsewhere. The author of two books (one of poems and one of plays), his chapbook manuscript was recently awarded the 2025 Poetry Prize with Gasher Press. Along with hosting the Neon Night Mic reading series in Chicago, he also recently launched Piżama Press. You can find more at neonpajamas.com.
Find Piżama Press on Bluesky, Instagram, and X
Find Ben on Bluesky, Instagram, and X
Myna Chang 