R.I.P. Oba Maja (1944-2015)

We are deeply saddened to report that Chicago’s Poet Laureate and beloved member of the Peisithanatos Press family, Oba Maja, passed away last week at the age of 71.  Oba was more than just a brilliant poet to us: he was a dear friend, brother, creative collaborator, and source of boundless inspiration.

Friends of Oba’s have set up a GiveForward campaign in order to help raise funds to assist his family in paying for his funerary expenses.  We implore you, our readers and fans, to contribute anything you can to this cause, and to help us spread the word by sharing this post.  Oba loved the city of Chicago and gave everything he had to brighten the lives of the people in it by sharing his poetry on the streets and uplifting the spirits of passersby.  Now is our chance to thank him for the joy and inspiration he brought to the inhabitants of the city by making sure that he gets a proper send-off.

In accordance with the wishes of Oba’s family, Peisithanatos Press will continue with plans to release Oba’s book, “Drops of Rain: The Complete Poems of Oba Maja” in 2016.  100% of the proceeds of the sale from that book will now go to Oba’s immediate family.