the House
A private publishing house and creative studio.
We are
Self-funded.
Self-edited.
Self-baptized.
No committees.
Without permission.
Pistol Circus is the proof of concept. Five hundred copies. No reprints. Every dollar returns to the work that follows.
We build books end-to-end.
Edited, designed, and printed by hand in the United States.
This house exists to make objects that last and to turn labor into proof.
We are a veteran-owned, veteran-operated independent publisher based in Asheville, North Carolina.
We are
House of the Black Gull.
Thank you for being here.
the Publisher
Nicole DeZern is Chief Executive Officer and Director of Special Projects at Morphine Publishing House.
She oversees the business and publishing operations of MPH, including editorial development, production, communications, partnerships, and special projects.
Before moving into publishing, Nicole built an eighteen-year career across human performance, wellness education, and mind-body practice. Her experience spans leadership, instruction, and program development.
A Registered Yoga Teacher and multidisciplinary artist, Nicole’s work extends across writing, music, movement, and the arts. Her work reflects a long-standing study of physical and creative practice.
As publisher and senior editor, her focus remains on the work itself, the books, the house, and what comes next.
the Poet
Shaun DeZern is an American poet, whose work spans literature, film, and short narrative development. He is the author of Pistol Circus and the forthcoming Great Human Anthology.
DeZern served twenty years in the United States Navy, honorably retiring as a Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman, professionally visiting Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and several other operational environments.
The fighting years taught him the difference between humans and people; now he writes.
From intern on The Beekeeper, to SOCOM Care Coalition Fellow on A Working Man, to Senior Military Advisor for Heart of the Beast.
— the work continues.
“After getting shot the fuck up and losing my bro… I got rolled into the role II smelling of lead. Last thing I remember hearing before getting snowed outta my mind … “we’ve got a poly trauma patient, he’s got zero morphine on board.”
the Origin
