I Wrote A New Book
Pay Attention, You're Alive—Spring 2026
It’s been about a month since I’ve written here, and I apologize for my absence.
Not that I think you’re waiting around on the edge of your seat to hear from me, biting your fingernails down to the bone, but I do appreciate that folks contribute to this publication (my livelihood), financially.
Thank you, thank you. I consider your patronage fuel for far more than just my writing, here, which is why I’m excited to announce what in tarnation I’ve been doing with the time between…
I’ve been designing a new book of poetry, which I’m going to release in the spring of next year.
Pay Attention, You’re Alive
A book by Levi Macallister
featuring a collection of
poetry and short essays
written between 2021 and 2025.
Release Date: Spring 2026
Preorder Begins: Black Friday (Nov 28)
The Briefest of Histories
Over the past six months, I’ve been releasing a series of handmade zines—a full-on ROY G BIV of ‘em (well… the first five, so far…👇).
Each of the seven zines contains ten poems from a selection I’ve written over the course of the past four years, along with artwork, scribbles, photos, and additional intro/outro essays. I’ve only made 25 of each, and designed, printed, cut and assembled all of them, myself. I’ve dropped them randomly, and done it quietly. I haven’t posted about them here, but I’ve shared links in the Substack Chat, or in my community Discord (both of which are available to paying subscribers of A Becoming), or in my Instagram Stories, for the folks most closely following along.
What’s The New Book, Then?
Pay Attention, You’re Alive is a collection of the collections, plus some.
I found some of my favorite writing, ever, in the past four years. Though I’ve scattered plenty of it in digital spaces a la various mediums across the internet, I’ve wanted to house it in print for some time, and working on these zines has energized me toward that goal in a way I didn’t expect.
I’m very excited to put it out.
So much life and death has happened since I released my first book, It’s All Worth Living For. So much change (which I like to think of as: God, happening).
The work in this collection is the result of those changes—at each point along the way. In the planting of seeds. In their dying. Shells breaking. Watering.
The tilling of whatever kind of dirt I happened to be along the way: the hard path, the rocky ground, the thorny ground, the good soil.
I have been all of it: trampling myself and taking the seeds away, withering in the sun without roots depthy enough to hold, weeded, worried and chokeholded, and even—sometimes—receptive and bountiful.
I am proud of what’s here: a testament to the fullness of years that I sometimes struggled to feel like I’d make it through (and a learned aspect of that fullness, despite).
How’s This Preorder Gonna Work?
Next Friday is Black Friday—the start of America’s most beloved holiday: Capitalist Weekend. That’s when the preorder begins.
Obviously, the book comes out next spring, so you’ll not have it gift-wrapped beneath the tree this year. However…
Anyone who supports this release by preordering the book between Black Friday and Cyber Monday (Nov 28—Dec 01) will receive, by Christmas:
A postcard print featuring a poem from the book—signed, stamped and shipped to your door—as a unique “I-Owe-You” guarantee of your purchase. (This way, you can also preorder a book or two for a friend or family member, and they’ll have something both in-hand and to look forward to, to pull out of their stocking on yuletide morn.)
Your name in the book, itself. Yep. I’m gonna write the names of anyone and everyone who helps kickstart this thing into the book, itself. I did it for It’s All Worth Living For, and loved getting to acknowledge those of you who make any of this possible. (Please note: this is only applicable to those of you who preorder during Black Friday Weekend—Nov. 28 thru Dec. 01).
Early arrival (pending): if the books make their way to me before end-of-Spring, I will send it to those of you who preordered within this window, early.
Of course, preorders will be live and available through the end of this year and into the beginning of 2026, but—bluntly—I’m trying to incentivize you to buy early so that I can purchase what I must to make it happen. This remains a DIY operation, and I’ll still have a some designing to do in order to add your names to the book before I can go to print, at all.
Okay… But When’s The Actual Release Date?
In my ideal world, which I think is creatable, I will begin delivering these books to people by March/April, give or take a month.
I know that this is an abnormal way of announcing a book, which usually involves creating excitement around a particular release-date.
I’m doing this in real time, independently. I still need need to finalize some design elements, and receive/approve print-proofs before concretizing the final deliverable and paying it forward to you. I’ve got a general guage on how long that will take, but need to retain a bit of flexibility.
That said, I’m asking for your trust and saying: Spring 2026. As always, I’ll communicate clearly and update you along the way.
Interested? Here’s What You Can Do To Help Me Right Now
Click here, and fill out the “waiting list” signup form I’ve created to let me know you’d like to participate in this preorder.
This will also allow me to begin adding your names to the book, and working on your Christmas postcard.
I’ll email you first thing Friday morning, and you’ll be able to make your purchase, then.
I’m really excited about this, and really thankful for your ongoing presence, generosity and kindness in my life.
It can all be a gift, if you want it to be.
I want it to be.
Levi
P.S. Please actually join the waiting list!
YES DUDE.
So exciting! 🐝