About Us
About
Land Acknowledgment: Two Dollar Radio acknowledges that this land where we live and work, commonly known as "Columbus, Ohio," is the contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Miami, Hopewell, and other Indigenous Nations,* which comprised some of the roughly 80,000 Indigenous people forcibly displaced from their ancestral homelands east of the Mississippi River** through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. We would like to pay our respects as well as honor the culture, heritage, and resiliency of these and other Indigenous nations with strong ancestral ties to these lands, as well as individuals from Indigenous backgrounds in our community who continue to call central Ohio home.
* Source: https://native-land.ca/
** Source: https://estoo-nsn.gov/educators-guide/movement/
*** Source: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties
**** Source: https://nativegov.org/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/
^2014, Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf/Columbus Alive
Two Dollar Radio is a family-run outfit founded in 2005 with the mission to reaffirm the cultural and artistic spirit of the publishing industry.
We aim to do this by presenting bold works of literary merit, each book, individually and collectively, providing a sonic progression that we believe to be too loud to ignore.
Two Dollar Radio was founded in 2005 by Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, who now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children and their brick-and-mortar indie bookstore & cafe, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters.
Two Dollar Radio was longlisted for the 2022 Republic of Consciousness Prize (US & Canada); honored by GLIBA and MIBA with the "2020 Voice of the Heartland Award"; named "INDIES’s Publisher of the Year" by Foreword for the year of 2020. Two Dollar Radio's archives are housed at The Ohio State University’s Rare Books & Manuscripts Library.
The press also manages a film production arm, Moving Pictures, and The Flyover Fest, an inclusive and fresh annual 3-day festival in the North Campus and South Clintonville neighborhoods of Columbus, Ohio, engaging the city, stimulating creativity, and sparking conversation (paused due to Covid).
^Original sign from 2005
Our books have been honored by the National Book Foundation, finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, picked as "Editors' Choice" selections by The New York Times Book Review, and made year-end best-of lists at O, The Oprah Magazine, National Public Radio, Slate, Salon, The Believer, and others.
In addition, The Brooklyn Rail credits Two Dollar Radio with publishing "some of the finest works of contemporary fiction," while The Los Angeles Times has said we provide the industry with "an air of possibility, the belief that the future was very much in play." Publishing Perspectives dubbed Two Dollar Radio “a budding literary movement;” The Seattle Stranger envisioned us leading a "dream industry" out of the wreckage of corporate publishing.
Please find more general history of Two Dollar Radio in the FAQ tab, find links to articles written about us in the In The News tab, and perhaps scroll down to sign up for our newsletter and be first to hear about our new books and hot news.
And also check out our spate of social media links: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Issuu, Vimeo, Tumblr, YouTube.
FAQ
When was Two Dollar Radio founded?
Two Dollar Radio was founded in 2005 by two NYU grads. The original impetus to create a our family press came on the heels of reading Andre Schiffrin’s The Business of Books, which anyone interested in the publishing industry—or who cares about literature in the United States—should read.
Where does the name come from? Who designed your rad logo?
The name has its origins in a San Diego bar, when the bartender/publisher (Eric Obenauf) was doing his best to ignore a belligerent old day-drinker who realized it and blurted out, “Don’t mind me, I make more noise than a two-dollar radio.” The artist John Gagliano created our hand-painted logo and custom font.
^Sept 2013, Eliza Wood-Obenauf at the Brooklyn Book Festival
What kind of books do you publish?
Two Dollar Radio functions on a no-wasted bullets policy. In the work we produce, we value ambition above all, and believe that none of our books/films crimp to convention when it comes to storytelling or voice. Ideally, that contributes to a liberating reading/viewing experience. Our primary interest lies with what we would characterize as bold work: subversive, original, and highly creative.
How many books/films do you put out a year?
So that we can devote our full and undivided attention to each book, we publish 6 titles a year.
Your covers are rad. Who designs them?
Most of our covers are designed by publisher and editor Eric Obenauf. However, several celebrated artists have contributed cover artwork for Two Dollar Radio titles, including Barbara Kruger (The Shanghai Gesture), Aubrey Perry (Termite Parade), Xylor Jane (Baby Geisha), Mat Brinkman (The Orange Eats Creeps), John Gagliano (Frequencies), Ricardo Cavolo (How To Get Into the Twin Palms), Michael Salerno/Kiddiepunk (Mira Corpora), Lynn Davis (The Drop Edge of Yonder, Nog, Flats/Quake), among others.
Where are you?
Two Dollar Radio is currently proudly based on the South Side of Columbus, Ohio, but has also operated out of San Diego and Brooklyn.
In the news
Chicago Review of Books | Jun 27, 2024
"Interview with an Editor: Eric Obenauf from Two Dollar Radio"
"Two Dollar Radio not only publishes groundbreaking work larger presses might not take a chance on, but they’re also helping to broaden and diversify the publishing landscape through their Publishing Mentorship Program. 'I don’t want to feel like I work in an industry of rich kids,' Eric Obenauf said. 'If you want to start your own press, I’ll give you everything I know for free.'...As Two Dollar Radio begins its next decade of operation, its presence in the changing publishing landscape is especially important. Obenauf believes that 'with corporate consolidation, indie publishing is more vital than ever. It is where some of our boldest and most engaging new voices can be found. Some of the biggest writers working today, like Hanif Abdurraqib, Kaveh Akbar, Roxane Gay, Marlon James, and Ocean Vuong all got their start publishing with small presses. Indie presses take chances on new voices. Once writers enjoy some success and connect with readers, then the big presses swoop in and capitalize. At its best, indie publishing can be fresh and vibrant and thrilling.'"
—Rachel León
Publishers Weekly | Apr 17, 2024
"PW Sales Rep of the Year 2024 Finalist: Andrea Tetrick"
"...'I take pride in the relationships I’ve built with publisher clients and booksellers,' says Tetrick, who works with more than 300 independent publishers including Spiegel and Grau ('a stalwart, with a very discerning eye') and Two Dollar Radio ('punching way above their weight')..."
—Andrea Tetrick
Columbus Monthly | May 16, 2023
"Two Dollar Radio Creates a Columbus Literary Clubhouse: The independent publisher’s bookstore on the South Side is also a haven for events and approachable vegan fare."
"Originally founded by married couple Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf in 2005, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters opened its brick-and-mortar location in 2017. The indie press is known for publishing fiction, nonfiction and poetry from a diverse range of bold voices... But it’s more than just a publisher. Its South Side headquarters is also a bookstore, event space and café rolled into one... In its 18 years, Two Dollar Radio has become a local institution—not only one of the best independent publishing houses in the country, but also a community gathering spot for local literary types."
—Brittany Moseley (Photos: Tim Johnson/Columbus Monthly)
Belt Magazine | April 26, 2023
"New York, Los Angeles, Columbus?"
"By combining [technological opportunities], a supportive artistic community, and a uniquely Midwestern sensibility, Columbus gives artists a bit of breathing room that they might not have received elsewhere—resulting in a refreshingly new type of creative hub... Two Dollar Radio, a successful indie publisher, was started by husband-and-wife team Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf nearly twenty years ago. They continue to pride themselves on publishing books 'too loud to ignore.' They opted to build their business and family in Columbus and maintain that their company’s mindset and approach are very Midwestern. Eric Obenauf explained, 'There’s more focus on walking the walk here, and I think that active approach is what we prescribe to. No one cares what you talk about doing; the value is on what you actually do.'... By choosing to stay and create in the Midwest, artists are redefining artistic success."
—Dana Colecchia Getz
Cincinnati Edition (WVXU, Cincinnati Public Radio) | March 9, 2023
"Downbound Books hosts indie publisher Two Dollar Radio for an event to engage readers"
In the lead up to Downbound Books (an indie bookstore in Cincinnati) hosting Two Dollar Radio for an in-person event, Eric Obenauf—editor and publisher of Two Dollar Radio—was interviewed by Lucy May, host of Cincinnati Edition. Also interviewed during the show was Two Dollar Radio author Robert Lopez—whose memoir Dispatches From Puerto Nowhere was published in March 2023—and Anne Trubek, founder and publisher of Belt Publishing, also located in Ohio.
Republic of Consciousness Prize, longlist | January 2023
The longlist for the inaugural (2022) Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada, given annually to a work of literary fiction published by a small press, includes Ella Baxter’s New Animal, published by Two Dollar Radio! "The aim of the prize is to support small presses for their on-going commitment to work of high literary merit. Most often it is the small publishers who take the largest creative and financial risks and yet, in a purely financial sense, they are least able to do so."
Origin Story Podcast | August 10, 2022
"Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf (Two Dollar Radio) on Defining the Voice of an Indie Press"
By Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp
"We talked to Eric and Eliza about the journey they took to making their indie press dreams a reality. And in the wake of the pandemic, how publishing books as a small press has become much more challenging, yet even more rewarding. This conversation is about the reality of living your dream, what they look for in publishing, and so much more."
Publishers Weekly | May 4, 2022
"Debut Novel About Ukraine Receives Attention, Acclaim"
By Claire Kirch
"Two Dollar Radio is accustomed to receiving critical acclaim for its releases. But one October 2021 hardcover release, I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart, has been receiving so much attention from major consumer media outlets—on top of glowing reviews—that the indie publisher had to move an initial 10,000-copy paperback print run up by six months... What makes the breakout success of I Will Die in a Foreign Land even more compelling is its backstory: it was an unagented and unsolicited manuscript written by a writer who is not of Ukrainian ancestry that fell into the right hands at 2DR by happenstance..."
The New York Times | May 3, 2022
By Molly Young
"Scads of other feral writers exist, but they are usually found in the catalogs of small presses—like Two Dollar Radio, Emily Books, Deluge, Pioneer Works and Inventory, to name a handful out of hundreds—not major publishers. Liarmouth is the exception that proves an irritating rule. Big publishing has always been insider territory, and consolidation hasn’t helped. (News releases will tell you otherwise, but if you seek truth in news releases, I have some exciting zero-risk crypto opportunities to tell you about.) For real strangeness in novels, you usually have to voyage to lands that still tolerate the obdurate, the sleazy, the resentful, the offline and any other attributes presently considered unmarketable. Liarmouth is a good novel. It is a better gateway drug."
Poets & Writers, 3/30/2022
"Eric Obenauf of Two Dollar Radio Recommends..."
AGENTS & EDITORS RECOMMEND series
"Be a sponge and keep your antenna up, not just to books and literature but to other art forms and experiences. Many of the projects we’ve pursued at Two Dollar Radio have been more about community building than traditional publishing, and we find inspiration in varied sources, including films, record labels, roadside attractions, restaurants, and hikes..."
Lit Hub, 12/6/2021
Literary Hub's "When You Start an Indie Press With Your Life Partner"
"From Hogarth to Two Dollar Radio, Beth Kephart Looks Into Literary Labors of Love"
by Beth Kephart
"...As a disillusioned high school student, Obenauf came to his passion for books later than Wood-Obenauf, who had loved books so much that she had, in her younger years, constructed her own. But as students at New York University, where Obenauf began to amass a prized book collection, and then as fellow travelers across the west—South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana (before settling for a time in San Diego)—books became, to them, a binding force..."
Three Rooms Press, 6/24/2021
"Indie Press Spotlight: An Interview with Two Dollar Radio’s Eric Obenauf"
by Mary Rose Manspeaker
"This month, we spoke to Eric Obenauf of Two Dollar Radio about publishing art with a distinctive vision, community connection, and looking beyond the pandemic to what’s next. Two Dollar Radio operates their press, their film division, and community events out of Columbus, Ohio. "
Foreword, 6/17/2021
ANNOUNCING THE 2020 FOREWORD INDIES WINNERS
Two Dollar Radio was named the INDIES’s Publisher of the Year. “A boutique, family-run publishing company, Two Dollar Radio challenges us not only with their titles, but with their community commitment and engagement,” says Lead Editor Danielle Ballantyne. “In their own words, their mission is to present titles that are ‘too loud to ignore,’ and their numerous awards and accolades suggest the publishing world is sitting up and listening.”
Lit Hub, 4/16/2021
Literary Hub Interview with an Indie Press: Two Dollar Radio
by Corinne Segal
"Two Dollar Radio began in 2005 as the dream of Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, who had recently moved to central Ohio to start their family in an area with a lower cost of living than the coasts. Today, they work out of an office they describe as an “indie bookstore, event space, bar, and vegan cafe” on the south side of Columbus, selling some of their favorite books alongside the new discoveries they publish through the press. The two of them answered our questions about the idealism it takes to start a press, creating a storefront, and what they’re reading."
Vulture / New York Magazine, 1/8/2021
by Molly Young, literary critic and writer of Read Like The Wind
"Two Dollar Radio [is] a small press out of Columbus, Ohio, which I think of as the Barry Bonds of small presses: They hit an astonishing number of home runs."
Ohio State University Libraries: Rare Books and Manuscripts | 10/28/2020
Two Dollar Radio archives featured in the 2020 Preview Night presentation.
An annual event during which curators and colleagues share highlights from the previous year’s acquisitions, from medieval manuscripts to contemporary zines.
Publishers Weekly, 9/18/2020
Two Dollar Radio Wins 2020 Voice of the Heartland Award
by Claire Kirch
"Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association executive director Larry Law announced yesterday that the 2020 recipient of its Voice of the Heartland Award, co-sponsored by GLIBA and Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, is Two Dollar Radio, an indie publisher and bookseller headquartered in a Columbus, Ohio ... In his nominating letter to GLIBA’s board, bookseller Gary Lovely of the Book Loft, a Columbus indie, wrote, 'Since Two Dollar Radio's beginning in 2005, they've consistently published fresh, bold voices and have been a shining example of indie publishing. With only a handful of employees, TDR has managed to grab acclaim from both literary icons and every major reviewer. Not only are the books good, but through their Purchase with Purpose program, they've consistently donated portions of their sales to fight racial inequality, lift up the LGBTQIA+ community, and more.' ... In a release, Law stated, 'We feel Two Dollar Radio’s mission, and especially their commitment to actively elevate and publish the voices of BIPOC authors, is the very embodiment of what the Voice of the Heartland Award seeks to honor. Their work is meaningful, not only to our collective regions, but also in elevating and expanding the voices heard in American arts & letters.' ... GLIBA noted also that TDR's bookstore and café 'have created a "third space" that has proven to be an anchor to its community.'”
The Voice of the Heartland Award has been awarded by GLIBA and MIBA to individuals and organizations who uphold the value of independent bookselling and who have made a significant contribution to bookselling in our combined regions. This mission statement has remained slightly vague to allow us to choose recipients that the committee feels embody the spirit of this statement.
^Eric Obenauf, accepting the 2020 Voice of the Heartland Award, with Brett Gregory and Eliza Wood-Obenauf (October 15, 2020)
Forbes, 5/21/2020
To Stream Or Not To Stream: Live Celebrity Music Events Alternately Ease And Intensify Feelings Of Isolation, Anxiety And Resentment
by Philip Fagan
"The last two months of social distancing have certainly proven to be a new dawn for the intersection of technology and entertainment...
In the cowardly new world where “Zoom bombing” is now a thing, livestream technology faces other challenges as well. The edgy independent book publisher Two Dollar Radio, whose wonderful catalogue continues to expand on my shelves, issued the following statement to its subscribers after a recent live streaming author event went sadly wrong:
An unfortunate incident occurred tonight during our live virtual event with Andre Perry, Sadie Dupuis, and Phil Kim. Calling it anything other than ugly would be an understatement, and letting it exist without some kind of statement would be a disservice to those affected. It was a sad testament to racist ideologies in our country, as well as in opposition to quite literally everything that we stand for as a publishing company and as human beings in general.
As author of Some of Us Are Very Hungry Now, Andre Perry, said in a Facebook post directly after the event, this was “an honest picture of America on Friday, May 8th at 7 p.m. Eastern. We aren't deterred. In fact, we welcome the real picture of our national soul. The airbrushed version is no longer suitable. Never was. We will be back and our purpose to discuss art + community + a better future has sharpened.”
Our goal is, as it always has been, to amplify bold voices with something to say, and we absolutely will not let one racist counter-person deter our efforts. The event with Andre Perry, Sadie Dupuis, and Phil Kim will be rescheduled. We have amazing stuff on the horizon, and we’re working tirelessly over the next couple days to ensure that future events are secure and safe for all participants.
And so it goes: New technologies, same old problems of hate and malice..."
Michigan Quarterly Review, Feb. 2020
“Too Loud to Ignore: An Interview with Two Dollar Radio”
by Cameron Finch
"Since its founding in 2005, this feisty small press has produced over 60 books of nonfiction and fiction... In this latest installment of our Small Press Series for MQR Online, we chat with the founders of Two Dollar Radio, Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, about their press’s mission, their experimental and punk aesthetic, and a few upcoming titles from outstanding Two Dollar Radio authors."
Write or Die Tribe, 12/12/2019
In the Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio
by Kailey Brennan
An interview with Eric Obenauf with his wife, Eliza, of Two Dollar Radio about the publishing industry, “books too loud to ignore” and what to expect from Two Dollar Radio in 2020. 
^Image from Write or Die Tribe's website.
Columbus Alive, 10/3/2019
Two Dollar Radio archives to be housed at OSU’s Rare Books & Manuscripts Library
by Andy Downing
"Two Dollar Radio archives will now be housed at Ohio State University’s Rare Books & Manuscripts Library (the digital archives will follow in 2020). Prior to being relocated, the items will be on display at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters on Saturday, Oct. 5, during an event that will double as a two-year anniversary celebration for the South Side brick and mortar location at 1124 Parsons Ave. Among the items on display are early Two Dollar Radio catalogs hand-sewn by Wood-Obenauf, typed and annotated author manuscripts, artwork from cover designs and correspondences with writers, including Joan Didion and Joy Williams."
All the Books! Podcast, Episode 200 (BookRiot), 3/19/2019
200: New Releases and More for March 19, 2019
by Liberty Hardy
"Two Dollar Radio, one of my favorite small presses."
Russian Doll Season 1, Episode 5: "Superiority Complex" (Feb 1, 2019)
Check out Natasha Lyonne with a bookshelf of our Two Dollar Radio titles!
Los Angeles Times, 12/26/2018
Seven publishers that had a remarkable 2018
by Michael Schaub
"The Columbus, Ohio, press brings a punk-rock ethos to the books it's been publishing for more than a decade, and the brick-and-mortar bookstore—complete with a full bar—it has run since 2017. This year, Two Dollar Radio put out some remarkable books including Katya Apekina's stunning novel The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish and Eleanor Kriseman's acclaimed debut The Blurry Years."
Columbus Business First, 11/29/2018
How indie publisher Two Dollar Radio thrives in a tough market
by Laura Newpoff
"Two Dollar Radio is thriving as a lifestyle brand that produces six books a year, runs a retail space that’s a [Columbus, Ohio] south side gathering place with booze and food, and also makes micro-budget movies. No matter the product, the focus is quality."
Volumes Bookcafe, 2018
Indie Press Corner: Featured Publisher: TWO DOLLAR RADIO
by Josh
"Columbus, Ohio, is the birthplace of R.L. Stein and Guy Fieri, as well as to one of the coolest indie publishers in the world: Two Dollar Radio! ... I’ve read so many of their titles and am continually impressed by the quality of work they are harboring into the world. As long as Two Dollar Radio is around, I know I can depend on them for a good read."
^May 2017, Brett Gregory, Eliza Wood-Obenauf, Eric Obenauf in the newly leased Two Dollar Radio Headquarters, Columbus, Ohio
Unabridged Bookstore, Chicago, 8/27/2018
NEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 2018
"I've come to expect work of a certain psychological depth from scrappy, Ohio-based publisher Two Dollar Radio."
McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers, 8/27/2018
Instagram
"[Two Dollar Radio is] the David Lynch of small presses."
Book Riot, 8/2/2018
UPCOMING RELEASES FROM MY FAVORITE SMALL PRESSES
by Sarah Ullery
"Two Dollar Radio is my favorite, but that’s a biased opinion because I’m from Ohio, and their headquarters is in Columbus. But I also love this publisher because their books are deeply weird and unconventional."
Life's Soundtrack Podcast / WOUB Public Media, 6/27/2018
Eric and Eliza Obenauf, Owners of "Two Dollar Radio"
by Liz Pahl
"In this episode we sit down with Eric and Eliza Obenauf, owners of the indie Book Publisher, Two Dollar Radio, based out of Columbus Ohio. They successfully launched their brand new Headquarters on Parsons Avenue in Fall of 2017. This hard-working husband-and-wife team have spent the last decade cultivating the production of award-winning books, films, and their own Flyover Festival. Most importantly, they are building an intentional culture of creative, independent art & community. Listen as we talk about burgeoning Columbus, Hanif Abdurraqib and of course…parenting."
Columbus Alive Magazine, 6/13/2018
Restaurant review: Two Dollar Radio Headquarters
by G.A. Benton
"With the September [2017] addition of Two Dollar Radio publishing house’s South Side headquarters, the nationally renowned independent press branched out into the hospitality business. Offering an ambience that reflects the excellent taste prevalent in the books the little company puts out, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters is a multi-function space that’s as much cafe, bar and restaurant as it is book shop, meeting place and art gallery. Local artwork, handsome books and mismatched stout wooden furniture with a glossy finish contribute a liberal dose of charm to an inviting room with stark white walls and exposed brick accents. A soundtrack of smart contemporary bands is a perfect fit for Two Dollar’s casual-but-stylish digs..."
Independent Book Review, 6/4/2018
10 Awesome Indie Presses You Should Know About
by Jaylynn Korrell
"Created in 2005 by a husband and wife team, Two Dollar Radio is a truly unique indie publisher. Along with accepting bold work and designing incredible covers, this duo also produces films and runs a retail space [Two Dollar Radio Headquarters] that sells the books they publish and some totally awesome other stuff too! If you’re ever in Columbus, Ohio area, enter the words “Two Dollar Radio Headquarters” into your smartphone and let the awesomeness take over. This young press has already had plenty of success in the literary world, publishing books that have been named finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and have been honored by the National Book Foundation too."
Experience Columbus, 6/4/2018
A Book Lover's Guide to Literary Columbus
by Jennifer Poleon
"Since launching last fall on Columbus’ south side, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters has become a hub for authors, activists, and artists. The independent bookstore/café/publishing house was launched by Brett Gregory, and husband and wife team Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf, the duo behind the publishing arm of Two Dollar Radio. Since 2005, the publishing house has launched more than 60 books including They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Usby Columbus native Hanif Abdurraqib, named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, Esquire, Paste Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune. Pick up a copy of Abdurraqib’s book along with other Two Dollar Radio books, as well as books from other indie publishers. The south side bookstore and café also hosts author talks, comedy, and poetry nights, and vegan brunches on Saturdays and Sundays."
Columbus CEO, 5/7/2018
Columbus Bookstores Have Independent Spirit
by Chloe Teasley
"The new Columbus indie bookstores are often built around unique business models. Two Dollar Radio, for instance, is first an independent small press that has been publishing “quirkier, more distinctive voices” for 13 years. It was started by Eric Obenauf and his wife, Eliza Wood-Obenauf, two self-described book-loving idealists. Now, its portfolio includes about 60 books and the storefront on Parsons Avenue that carries its entire published works, along with books and magazines from other indie publishers. Some of Two Dollar’s books are gaining mainstream attention..."
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, 3/2/2018
Publisher Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio
by Rachel Hildebrandt
"The first thing you see when you click on Two Dollar Radio’s 'Books' page is the phrase 'Books too loud to ignore.' After scanning the starred reviews of their latest releases, it’s obvious that titles by the Ohio-based publisher are impossible to dismiss... Co-founders Eliza Wood-Obenauf and Eric Obenauf are devoted to stories that push boundaries, and they’ve curated an international book list that demonstrates this devotion."
Columbus Navigator, 10/4/2017
Local Indie Press ‘Two Dollar Radio’ Opens Their Headquarters On Parsons Avenue
by Zoey Miller
"To the Obenaufs, it was important that they have a physical location. It wasn’t enough to simply produce works of fiction and essay collections from behind a curtain, they needed to tangibly engage the literary community, to become a part of it." Photo by Zoey Miller/Columbus Navigator:
Bustle, 1/6/2017
13 Indie Presses You Should Know in 2017
By Maddy Foley
"Specializing in novels, essays and graphic novels, Two Dollar Radio is as much known for their ability to curate boundary-pushing writers as they are for their DIY aesthetic. You can always pick out a Two Dollar Radio book on a shelf—and thank God for that."
The Atlantic, 7/17/2016
'American Literature Needs Indie Presses'
by Nathan Scott McNamara
"[Two Dollar Radio is] the publisher of some of the best gritty Americana novels of the past decade."
Politics & Prose Bookstore, 3/24/2016
Hurray For Small Presses!
"As giant, international conglomerates account for an ever-increasing share of the publishing industry, small presses remain a vital outlet for diverse voices and unconventional approaches. Independent presses not only provide opportunities to new authors but also can enhance the careers of established writers. They take risks, push boundaries, fill niches neglected by larger publishers, and serve a wide array of audiences... Two Dollar Radio in Columbus, Ohio, was started by a husband-and-wife team. Binary Star, a novel by Sarah Gerard cited by numerous critics as one of the best books of 2015, exemplifies the originality of the fiction this firm publishes."
(614) Magazine, 2/28/2016
Too Loud to Ignore
"This indie press has style. The sense of radical individuality is present in everything Eric and Eliza do with Two Dollar Radio. One of my biggest questions is how the two have been so sharp and intentional in their publishing choices, such that they’ve built a catalogue of releases consistently hailed as challenging, bold, and even punk."
Michael Silverblatt, KCRW's Bookworm | 2/25/2016
Mark de Silva: Square Wave
"A very interesting new literary press."
Cultured Vultures, 2/9/2016
10 Small Presses to Check out in 2016
by Jay Slayton-Joslin
"Two Dollar Radio has a big year ahead of it. Aside from pushing literary ground, it’ll also release its second film, The Removals. This indie press who had releases that ended up on our best of 2015 list is releasing The Gloaming by Melanie Finn, The Reactive by Masande Ntshanga and Daniel Johnston, a graphic novel by Ricardo Cavolo & Scott McClanahan. A press that is doing such a diverse schedule of releases is definitely one to watch."
Los Angeles Times, 12/31/2015
6 book trends for 2016: Look into the future
by Carolyn Kellogg
"Independent presses bring the vanguard. With smaller print runs and often an intimate relationship with readers, these smaller houses are able to take bigger risks than their larger counterparts and are finding truly excellent writers outside the mainstream. Don't miss works from Open Letter, Deep Vellum, Bellevue Literary Press, Catapult, Restless Books, Two Dollar Radio and Los Angeles' Unnamed Press; like more established independents Graywolf and McSweeney's, they are delivering so much genuinely exciting fiction that they make it look easy."
Independent Publisher, Interview with Eric Obenauf, 11/1/2015
Indie Groundbreaking Publisher
by Anais Mohr
"Two Dollar Radio, the movement revolutionizing and trailblazing a new breed of indie publishing, celebrates a decade of blazing originality this year with an expansion into film. The powerhouse duo calling the shots have no intention of stopping there. Eric Obenauf and his wife Eliza Wood-Obenauf strive to knock people off-balance with every subversive publication. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the movement has gained momentum and accolades as a fierce voice willing to take risks that corporate publishing wouldn’t dare. IP got the chance to speak with Eric Obenauf on Two Dollar Radio's success and upcoming plans."
J. Sebastian Alberdi via Community on BuzzFeed, 10/14/2015
9 Indie Publishers Whose Books You Need To Read
"Based in Columbus, Ohio, and run by a husband-wife team, Two Dollar Radio is cool. And not just book cool, mainstream cool. As a multi-media publishing house (they make films too!) they focus on publishing literature that pushes boundaries—hard."
Quaint Magazine, 10/8/2015
by Kia Groom
"An extremely awesome independent press devoted to promoting subversive, experimental work."
From They’re Here: Grace Krilanovich’s The Orange Eats Creeps
Split Lip Magazine, 7/14/2015
by Kayla Rae Whitaker
"The Only Ones is another credit to the high standards of the Two Dollar Radio catalog, maybe the most exciting and innovative independent press going."
From A review of The Only Ones
Flavorwire, 5/28/2015
by Jonathon Sturgeon
"Unimpeachable."
From Colin Winnette’s Haints Stay
A literary journal of the Greenville Public Library, 3/3/2015
by David N
"Two Dollar Radio might be the best independent fiction press in the publishing world today, and I am continually impressed with the new voices they discover and unleash on the reading public."
Article.
Brazos Bookstore Blog, 10/6/2014
Independent Together: Profiles of Our Favorite Small Presses
by Mark
"Sometimes Two Dollar Radio feels like an author, not a publisher. This isn’t to devalue the individual authors of Two Dollar Radio’s books—authors who are distinctive and marvelous—but somehow each release seems to come from the same brain and is instantly identifiable as the work of this trailblazing Columbus-based publisher. This is true not only in terms of design (Two Dollar Radio is one of America’s best branded presses), but also in terms of the prose itself—feverish, irreverent, and so worked up that you worry the words themselves will tear the pages before you get a chance to read them. Two Dollar Radio releases often seem to mine genre for inspiration, taking “low art” and treating it with seriousness (consider the vampires of Grace Krilanovich’s The Orange Eats Creeps, the zombies of Bennett Sims’s A Questionable Shape, and the fairy tale inflections of Shane Jones’s Crystal Eaters). But maybe the best place to start is D. Foy’s Made to Break, a novel of wit, scope, and horror, about a group of friends stranded in a cabin in the middle of a storm. Like the best Two Dollar Radio books, it takes a pulpy premise and makes it human and complex." Article.
Other People Podcast, 9/3/2014
Interview with David Connerley Nahm
by Brad Listi
"One of this country's finest independent presses." Article.
Columbus Alive, 8/7/2014
People to Watch: Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf of Two Dollar Radio
by Jesse Tigges
"One of the most exciting publishing companies in the country." Article.
Full Stop, 7/1/2014
Review of Crystal Eaters by Shane Jones
by Eleanor Gold
"[Two Dollar Radio books] are ambitious, far-reaching, and even visionary." Article.
The Millions, 6/28/2014
Next In Line from Two Dollar Radio
by Nick Moran
"Is there an indie press that consistently punches up as high and as successfully as Two Dollar Radio?"
Virginia Quarterly Review, 5/27/2014
Literature Is Not the Same Thing as Publishing
by Chris Fischbach
"Two Dollar Radio, a relatively new indie making a big splash, made an even bigger splash when it announced the launch of Two Dollar Radio Moving Pictures, a 'micro-budget film division.' These aren’t book trailers; they aren’t done just to promote their titles, or even their brand. These are creative, exciting works of art in their own right; each one gives you the sense that the people behind it are incredibly creative people who love books, but who also love movies, and love making things, making things happen, trying something new. It sounds so simple, but it really was a paradigm shift for Two Dollar Radio to even think this was a possibility."
Library Journal, 1/19/2014
'Galley Guide Discoveries'
by Barbara Hoffert
"[Two Dollar Radio's] publications are always eye-catching." Article.
Los Angeles Review of Books, 4/15/2014
'Midnight Reckonings' (review of Made to Break)
by David Rice
"Like Jeff Jackson’s fantastic Mira Corpora from last fall, Made to Break is published by Two Dollar Radio, an Ohio-based small press that puts out striking, deckle-edged paperbacks with extra thick pages and vividly dark writing." Article.
Brooklyn Based, 11/7/2013
by Jon Reiss
"Two Dollar Radio, another indie publisher I love, puts out six books a year, that though varied have a cohesive sensibility. There’s that same sense of discovery and collection when you read through their titles–something an Amazon or Pandora algorithm can never quite duplicate."
Coming Soon: Films from Indie Publisher Two Dollar Radio
^Meadow, business meeting, 2014
Tribeca Film Festival, 10/15/2013
by Zachary Wigon
"A pioneering literary press... If more respected content-providers [like Two Dollar Radio] begin to make their way into the low-cost, easy-to-operate realm of micro-budget filmmaking,we may see a real watershed moment in film occur."
The Future of Film: Two Dollar Radio and the Next Step for Micro-budget Cinema
Flavorwire, 10/1/2013
by Jason Diamond
"Our favorite indie out of Ohio has been expanding into new places like film production and the great biannual essay journal Frequencies, but they’re still hellbent on publishing great titles by writers like Barbara Browning, Grace Krilanovich, Jeff Jackson, and a bunch of other authors you should be reading."
25 Independent Presses That Prove This Is the Golden Age of Indie Publishing
Brooklyn Based, 8/8/2013
by Jon Reiss
"Two Dollar Radio makes strong choices. They publish authors from across the board, all of whom share a common thread that’s difficult to articulate while rarely sharing any obvious commonality in the style department. From Scott McLanahan, to Joshua Mohr to Francis Levy, nothing Two Dollar Radio does treads old ground, yet it all makes sense as part of a greater whole."
Review: Nothing by Anne Marie Wirth Cauchon
Brooklyn Based, 6/5/2013
by Jon Reiss
"Two Dollar Radio is the only non New York-based publishing house on this list, but without them, it would be incomplete. Two Dollar Radio follows in the tradition of publishing houses like Black Sparrow Press, Grove and more recently Akashic. They take the kind of risks bigger houses aren’t willing to take. They publish the books that turn them on and sit back and wait for the big houses to come clamoring for their authors. The folks at 2DR only publish a handful of books a year but the ones they publish are always dark and on the edge. They publish the kind of books they’d want to read, and the kind of books that challenge the status quo."
Indie Publishing Houses (and Titles) to Look Out For
Publishing Perspectives, 2/8/2013
'Overturning the "Lemonade-stand Culture of Literature"'
by David Duhr
"Weary of what he considered a 'lemonade-stand culture of literature,' with corporate presses flooding the market with formulaic books, Obenauf in 2006 founded what he labeled the Two Dollar Radio Movement and began publishing titles under the tagline 'Books too loud to ignore'... Recently I spoke with Obenauf to discover what has caused TDR to make such a splash outside of the industry’s mainstream."
Thought Catalog, 2/13/2013
4 Great Indie Publishers to Start Reading Right Now
by Alexander Kalamaroff
"Book for book, nobody beats Two Dollar Radio."
New Pages, 12/16/2012
by David R. Matteri
"Two Dollar Radio prides itself on putting forth publications too loud to ignore, and Frequencies is no exception."
Poets & Writers, 10/17/2012
Twenty-Seven Small Press Twitter Feeds to Follow
"Columbus, Ohio–based indie founded by husband-and-wife team Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf @TwoDollarRadio
Lit Reactor, 5/30/2012
by Joshua Chaplinsky
"Two Dollar Radio is more than just shiny artwork and sex appeal. Two of the biggest contributing factors to their success are their adventurous choice of material and their enthusiasm for the written word. Two Dollar Radio and their fellow indies are proof positive that you can achieve [...] success without pandering to trends. It may not always be a monetary success, but money's obviously not the main motivation here. Eric and Eliza Obenauf publish books for love of the game. And as previously mentioned, their passion for what they do is infectious." Article.
The Millions, 11/29/2011
by Edan Lepucki
"Whether it be larger independents like Algonquin and Graywolf, or small gems like Featherproof and Two Dollar Radio, or university presses like Lookout Books... independent presses offer diversity to readers... These presses are run and curated by well-read, talented people, and they provide readers with the same services that a large press provides: namely, a vote of confidence in a writer the public might have never heard of. Smaller presses, too, enjoy a specificity of brand and identity that too often eludes a larger house." Article.
The Columbus Dispatch, 11/13/2011
'Too Loud to Ignore'
Husband-and-wife team find following going against mainstream publishers
by Jeffrey Sheban
"Columbus is home to a small book publisher with grand ambitions... With an eclectic stable of first-time novelists as well as more-established writers, Two Dollar Radio (slogan: “Books too loud to ignore”) is gaining traction in publishing circles." Article.
The Brooklyn Rail, 11/2/2011
by Benjamin Gottlieb
"[Two Dollar Radio] has released some of the finest works of contemporary fiction in the past few years."
Fiction Review: Seven Days in Rio
^Fall 2011, Eric Obenauf with Rio and Maceo at the Miami Book Fair
Largehearted Boy, 7/17/2011
The Correspondence Artist (52 Nooks, 52 Weeks)
by David Gutowski
"A handful of publishers consistently amaze me, and one of those is Two Dollar Radio."
Three Guys One Book | 9/27/2010
'Why We Love What We Do - Eric Obenauf, Two Dollar Radio'
An Interview with Eric Obenauf by Jonathan Evison
"We love their editorial voice (authors like Josh Mohr, Rudy Wurlitzer, and Grace Krilanovich), we love how they do business, we love how they get behind their authors, and we love love love that they’re a family-run shop..."
ERIC OBENAUF: "We got started while we were living in San Diego. Eliza and I drove up the coast to Big Sur to camp with our dogs and celebrate our one-year anniversary. We stopped at the Henry Miller Memorial Library where I bought a photocopy of a letter that Miller wrote to random visitors who sought him out at home, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch, and a book that had nothing to do with Miller called The Business of Books, by a writer named Andre Schiffrin. The subtitle was ‘How International Conglomerates Took Over Publishing and Changed the Way We Read.’ Schiffrin was the publisher at Pantheon for many years before being shoved out by the new regime at Random House."
Web100.com | 6/16/2009
'List of Independent Books and Literature Sites'
by Jasmine Chan
"Unabashedly independent and idealistic... Two Dollar Radio claims to publish “Books Too Loud to Ignore.” It seems Two Dollar Radio cannot be ignored either."
Art + Culture, 8/10/2009
'Curator's Corner: Two Dollar Radio'
by Benjamin Gottlieb
"The fiction publisher has a great many tremendous titles to its young catalogue."
Bookslut, 7/10/2009
by Michael Schaub
"[An] amazing indie press." Article.
The Brooklyn Rail | 7/9/2009
The Revenge of Print
Written by Eric Obenauf, publisher of Two Dollar Radio
"The goal for book publishers, most simply put, should not be to undertake a virtual arms race of developing technology with both the Internet and media, or to try to compete on a bloated scale with music and film, or even to translate a work to conform to an undetermined potential future model. The mission for book publishers and print media at large should be to create a product that is irreplaceable and indispensable...
"The corporate ideology has run its course in book publishing, which spells the death of print to many. But as evidenced by the bevy of awards (including Nobels and Pulitzers), the best-sellers, and the critical acclaim of the work being done consistently by independent presses, print can succeed on a responsible scale. These are the small, spunky houses unafraid to publish new ideas and new writers and work of substance, holding steady in their responsibility to the reading public as purveyors of culture. While this seems revolutionary in modern times, it was the dominant manner of thinking a half-century ago. It could be so again."
The Rumpus, 6/2/2009
'Live From Book Expo America'
by Stephen Elliott
"McSweeney’s seems to be doing fine, along with Graywolf and Two Dollar Radio. People buy books from these publishers written by authors they’ve never heard of. Just because. When was the last time someone bought a Random House book because it was published by Random House?"
The Stranger, 6/9/2009
'The Slow, Moronic Death of Books (as We Know Them)'
by Paul Constant
"It's easy to imagine that this collapse is a happy ending for publishing: Picture a world of small, good regional publishers like Two Dollar Radio, Seattle publisher Chin Music Press, and Akashic Books printing beautiful books with high literary merit and authors making good, honest blue-collar salaries (instead of grossly overinflated six-figure book deals). Frankly, that sounds like my dream industry."
Los Angeles Times, 6/1/2009
'BookExpo America reveals an industry in transition'
by David L. Ulin
"But for independent publishers—from the midsized Grove Atlantic to the fiercely iconoclastic Akashic and the up-and-coming Two Dollar Radio—there was an air of possibility, the belief that the future was very much in play."
Vroman's Blog, 9/24/2009
'Branding: The Future of Publishing?'
by Patrick Brown
"Two Dollar Radio has a very strong brand, publishing adventurous fiction across a spectrum of ideas rather than genres. They also understand the value of design, creating attractive books that look nice together in a set. Not coincidentally, they offer subscription packages on their website. They continue to be a model of how to start a small press and publish great stuff. In short, they don’t compromise."
The Longest Chapter, 10/21/2009
'Dark, Gritty Books Too Loud to Ignore'
by Kassie Rose
"Eric and Eliza are young, smart, hard-working and visionary. And their publishing company, that originated in Brooklyn four years ago, isn't some idealistic lark. No matter the persistent, annoying clamor that print is going away, it's not going away and it won't go away because of independent publishers like the Obenaufs and Two Dollar Radio."
Village Voice, 4/22/2009
'The Unlikely Triumph of Two Dollar Radio'
by Zach Baron
"Technically, the small, Ohio-based imprint Two Dollar Radio got its start after a 2003 cross-country car ride, during which fellow NYU graduates Eric Obenauf and Eliza Jane Wood accidentally fell in love. But the independent press really became what it is today on a lower level of Philip Glass’s East Village townhouse, where Obenauf came one day in 2006 to court the author Rudolph Wurlitzer. Wurlitzer—a sometime screenwriter (Two-Lane Blacktop) who made his reputation in the literary world with his psychedelic 1969 debut, Nog—was looking for a publisher. Obenauf had just become one... A trove of extremely weird fiction... aesthetically consistent, editorially adventurous, and manageably tiny."
Details Magazine, Holiday 2008
'Boutique Publishers' by Timothy Hodler
"This tiny upstart has already produced an impressive array of subversive fiction."
Publishers Weekly, 5/5/2008
'50 Under 40' by Lynn Andriani
"Far from the cubicles of corporate Manhattan publishing, Eric Obenauf, 26, and Eliza Jane Wood, 28, run a publishing outfit called Two Dollar Radio out of their home in Granville, Ohio. The husband and wife sport tattoos of the company logo on their wrists. They put photos of their two-year-old daughter, Rio, and their dogs, Hoon and Scarlet, in their book catalogues. They both work second jobs: he waits tables and manages a restaurant; she proofreads textbooks. They used to live in New York, but the cost of living and running a business was too high, so they moved to Ohio, near family. “We have grass and stuff,” says Obenauf. They also have a fledgling publishing company that's on the verge of busting out from tiny to an official small press..."
Times Literary Supplement, 6/15/2007
'Freelance' by Michael Greenberg
"[Their] list of authors is impressive. I marvel at [their] idealism."
^Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf tattoos
People
To contact us, please start with an email to orders~at~twodollarradio~dot~com, or hop on over to our contact form, which uses the same inbox.
ERIC OBENAUF
Editorial Director / Co-Founder of Two Dollar Radio (he/they)
Eric founded Two Dollar Radio with his wife, Eliza. His writing has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, The Millions, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, Columbus Alive, and on The Billfold. In 2008, at the age of 26, Eric and Eliza (Editor's note: Eliza was 28 at the time) were included in Publishers Weekly's "50 Under 40" list, which spotlighted 50 individuals under age 40 working in publishing worth watching. He has received the Venable Herndon Award for Excellence in Screenwriting, and was a finalist in Publishers Weekly's 2016 "Star Watch" program. He is the writer and director of the Two Dollar Radio film, I'm Not Patrick. At Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (HQ), our bookstore + vegan cafe, Eric stocks the books and chefs it up in the kitchen. He enjoys camping, hiking, reading outside with a beer or two like a gentleman, and dad jokes. He is the author of the cookbook Two Dollar Radio Guide to Vegan Cooking.
BRETT GREGORY
Associate Director of Operations, Publicity / Co-Founder of Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (he/him)
* 2023 Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree
Brett studied English at Ohio State University. After graduating, he did an AmeriCorps stint with Habitat for Humanity in upstate New York. He then joined a band and toured the country while working as a bartender, until fatefully meeting Eric. Brett worked with Two Dollar Radio for a couple years before opening the HQ brick & mortar in the south-side of Columbus with Eric and Eliza. At the HQ, Brett booked & hosted an array of events, ran the front-of-house operations, and worked as prep chef. He currently lives down the road in Cincinnati with his family, where he also works for the public library.
ELIZA JANE WOOD-OBENAUF
Project Manager/Administrative Manager (she/they)
Eliza hails from the New York City metro area and central Virginia, but currently calls the South Side of Columbus, Ohio, home. After stints as a New York City public school teacher, a literacy tutor in a San Diego shelter, and a media coordinator for a large publisher, Eliza currently stays busy operating Two Dollar Radio, gardening with My Plant Is Your Plant, woodworking, and having fun with family.
SAM RISAK
Editorial at Two Dollar Radio and Events at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (she/her)
Sam Risak is a writer and editor. She earned her BA in Creative Writing and BA in Women's & Gender Studies at the University of South Florida and later earned a fellowship to pursue her MA in English literature and MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University. Raised in rural central Florida, much of her work is informed by the issues of class and substance abuse issues that were so prevalent in the area. An alum of the Tin House Writers Workshop and Los Angeles Review of Books Publishing Workshop, Sam's writing can be found in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Lit Hub, AWP's The Writer's Chronicle, and elsewhere.
