Xerox Sutra Editions was started in 1980 by Elizabeth Was (aka Lyx Ish) and mIEKAL aND with the concept of creating one of kind visual poetry books using copiers. Many of the first editions were one of kind chapbooks, each one unique.

Also in the first couple years they did copier performances at a copy shop in Madison called Bob’s Copy Shop. The copier was set to some high number so it would run automatically. The performance took place on the glass of the copier with objects, alphabets, body gestures and then there was a person holding up each sheet as it was printed for the audience to see.

They were one of the first nano presses to start doing print on demand or what they referred to as Appropriate Scale Publishing. Remember that in the early 80s most small press books and mags were printed offset in larger runs in order to make the per copy price affordable. So often a press would print 300 copies but there was maybe an audience for 25 of those copies and the rest inevitably sat in a closet for eternity.

Soon XSE began releasing titles by others of experimental poety and vispo. Hard cover versions of the titles were made by gutting old books for their covers and Lyx lovingly painted and bound each one. Xerox Sutra also published Spek magazine which only lasted for 3 issues.

In 1985 Xerox Sutra Editions received a cease and desist letter from Xerox Corp stating to stop using their name in the name of the press. They threatened to sue for competing business interests and at that point XSE had sold maybe $500 worth of books.

In 1985 when they decided to become a 501 (c)(3) it was decided to change the name to not endanger the new organization and the name of the press was changed to Xexoxial Editions.

The Xerox Sutra imprint was dormant for many years until it was revived in 2009 to print the works of mIEKAL aND, primarily reprints of his titles that had been published by other presses and were now out of print.