Anobium was a boutique literary publishing outfit that operated from 2011 to 2015.

Anobium published four multi-author literary collections, featuring dozens of outsider and experimental writers and artists from around the world, including Joe Meno, Blaster “Al” Ackerman, Roxane Gay, Patrick Somerville, Jesse Ball, and others.

Anobium also published a standalone poetry collection, Sebastian’s Relativity, by Jonathan Greenhause.

Anobium also served as a digital and social platform for literary analysis, multimedia experimentation, event production, and the facilitation of various creative consortia in Chicago and online.

You can still access the full Anobium archives here.

As of 2025, this page is still maintained by Anobium founder and publisher Benjamin van Loon.

The main publisher email for Anobium (anobiumlit@gmail.com) is still open but not regularly checked.

For all time-sensitive inquiries or requests, contact benvanloon01@gmail.com or ben@benvanloon.com.

format / print and digital
specs / (5″x7″), 86 pages
date / summer 2011
isbn-13 / 978-0-615-50106-2
isbn-10 / 0-615-50106-0
asin / B007ON7496
lccn / 2011910263

Anobium: Volume 1 was the first journal published by Anobium; a literary collection focused on experimental literature, poetry, and other hybrid literary forms, as well “outsider art” from the around the world.

Anobium: Volume 1 was edited by Benjamin van Loon and collaboratively designed by Jacob van Loon, who also provided original artworks for the book. Benjamin van Loon also oversaw all content curation, editorial operations, creative direction, as well as marketing and publicity for the release.

Anobium: Volume 1 features writing and other work from Ben Nardolilli; Bethany Minton; J.S. MacLean; Thomas Mundt; E. Jones; Eric Evans; Graham Tugwell; Jennifer Collins; Meredith Turits; James Payne; Susan Yount; Stephanie Plenner; Ricky Garni; William Doreski; Claire McCurdy; Rich Ives; Jonathan Greenhause; Luke Irwin; Laura Carter; and Joe Meno.

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format / print and digital
specs / (5″x7″), 106 pages
date / winter 2012
isbn-13 / 978-0-615-56908-6
isbn-10 / 0615569080
lccn / 2011910263

Anobium: Volume 2 was the second journal published by Anobium; a literary collection focused on experimental literature, poetry, and other hybrid literary forms, as well “outsider art” from the around the world.

Anobium: Volume 2 was edited by Benjamin van Loon and collaboratively designed by Jacob van Loon. Original art was provided by French artist Ivan de Monbrison. Benjamin van Loon also oversaw all content curation, editorial operations, creative direction, as well as marketing and publicity for the release.

Anobium: Volume 2 features writing and other work from Jon-Erik Means; Ivan de Monbrison; Kari Larsen; Jeffrey Maclachlan; Vernon Frazer; Kristine Ong Muslim; Graham Tugwell; Jac Jemc; Roxane Gay; John Gosslee; David Appelbaum; R.A. Allen; Rance Denton; Annah Browning; D.E. Steward; Benjamin Goluboff; Jonathan Greenhause; Blaster “Al” Ackerman; Derek Sanchez-Hoeksema; Patrick Somerville; and Jesse Ball.

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format / print and digital
specs / (8″x8″), 171 pages
date / summer 2012
isbn-13 / 978-0-615-65190-3
isbn-10 / 0615651909
lccn / 2011910263

Anobium: Volume 3 – Noospheria was the third journal published by Anobium; a literary collection focused on experimental literature, poetry, and other hybrid literary forms, as well “outsider art” from the around the world.

Anobium: Volume 3 – Noospheria was edited by Benjamin van Loon and collaboratively designed by Jacob van Loon. Benjamin van Loon also oversaw all content curation, editorial operations, creative direction, as well as marketing and publicity for the release.

Anobium: Volume 3 – Noospheria features writing and other work from Timothy Schuler; Caroline Picard; Blaster “Al” Ackerman; Benjamin Schachtman; D.E. Steward; Daniel Carter; Brandi Wells; Lauren Goodman; Jonathan Greenhause; Ben Merriman; Cassandra Seltman; John M. Bennett; Adam Levin; Bruce Bickford; and more.

“The Gospel According to Peanut Butt,” selected from Blaster: The Blaster Al Ackerman Omnibus by Blaster “Al” Ackerman (Pointe-Claire, Quebec: Feh! Press). Copyright © 1994 by Blaster “Al” Ackerman. Reprinted with permission from the artist. // “Two Conversations,” “Billy,” and “Important Men,” selected from Hot Pink by Adam Levin (San Francisco: McSweeney’s). Copyright © 1994 by Adam Levin. Reprinted with permission from McSweeney’s. // “Untitled Photograph of John Bennett,” from Jeff Sass. Copyright © 2012 by Jeff Sass. Printed with permission from the artist.

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format / print and digital
specs / (5″x7″), 146 pages
date / summer 2013
isbn-13 / 978-0-615-75837-4
isbn-10 / 0-615-75837-1
lccn / 2013901535

Rescription was one of the final projects published by Anobium, and was a truly collaborative, cooperative project. Benjamin van Loon served as the creator, organizer, facilitator, creative director, editor, and publisher for the project, which was designed by Jacob van Loon.

Rescription was the result of “the Rescription Project”: a five-month collective project that involved ten writers with ten dead ideas. These writers collaborated to resuscitate these drafts by allowing each respective writer, with their own machinations, to inject their own talent and writing into the work of others; a reimagination of “the exquisite corpse” experiment.

At the start of the project, each writer submitted one piece of fiction to the group, with the acknowledgement that in turning it over, it would no longer be their own; like jazz, but on paper. The completed product, Rescription, was ultimately the product of all ten “authors” working and publishing in tandem.

Rescription was collaboratively written by Jeff Bakkensen, Pat Chesnut, Sean Conner, Joshua Covell, Benjamin Goluboff, Sophie Summertown Grimes, Nicholas Hayes, W. Doak Neal, Stephanie Plenner, Steven Ramirez, Ben Smith, Steven Teref, Benjamin van Loon.

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format / print and digital
specs / (8″x8″), 43 pages
date / summer 2011

Sebastian’s Relativity was a poetry chapbook and the only single-author book ever published by Anobium, featuring the work of Jonathan Greenhause, a New Jersey-based poet. Benjamin van Loon served as the editor and publisher of this project.

It was illustrated and designed by Jacob van Loon.

Typeface: Calson 540 LT STD, Avenir LT STD
Printing: Bookmobile; Minneapolis, MN

The poems “Sebastian & the Series of Three Words”, “The Power of Suggestion” and “Fido & the War in Iraq” previously appeared in Going Down Swinging. The poem “Being True to Himself” previously appeared in Ilya’s Honey.

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