Us
Who We Are
The Invisible Press is a small publishing company founded on the philosophy that conflict can be a vital catalyst for human connection when guided by wisdom and compassion. We are interested in novel perspectives from the social margins, especially that of society’s elders, those with nonstandard ways of learning, and those from non-western realms of thought. We publish insightful fiction and nonfiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, writing guides, study guides, educational materials, and educational games. In addition to printed books, the press also produces digital and audio versions of titles as well as board and card games. The press additionally provides educational services to accompany textbook adoptions with lectures and educational seminars
How it Started
Rick and Hazel Denhart opened The Invisible Press in Seattle in October 2018 after years of university teaching and humanitarian work in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Our first book, The Universal Grammar of Story, was pressed in March 2019 followed by a workbook to accompany it the following year.
Then came the pandemic stranding the Denharts in New Orleans during a visit. In August 2020 the press opened a satellite office in New Orleans and pressed our third project, Practically a Story, a game for writers, with The Paper Machine, a local community nonprofit printing organization located in the Lower Ninth Ward community.
Our Mission
The mission of the Invisible Press is to bring forth a guiding wisdom from voices at the margins with unique perspective to guide us along the uncharted edges of an increasing dangerous social frontier.
Our Team
The Principals
Rick Denhart, Founder and Managing Editor
In addition to managing The Press, Rick is also our chief illustrator, cover designer, and photographer. He is an outgoing, active member of the world community whose love of travel takes him to remote places where he embeds with local communities. There, he learns from local wisdom, offers mentoring for their maintaining strength in the face of global forces, and connects them to resources for advancing the community’s vision. Rick founded a private microfinance organization (Denhart Group) to advance housing, education, and agricultural support for marginalized populations. Rick’s leadership in humanitarian aid contributed to the Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Mercy Corps in 2008 with his efforts in deconstruction for individual and community empowerment. Rick has also led wide scale humanitarian aid projects in Central Asia and spent years mentoring entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Dr. Hazel Denhart
Co-Founder, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Author
Hazel Denhart, Ed.D. is creator and author of three books on the powerhouse mythopoetic writing method The Universal Grammar of Story®. What began as her Master’s thesis, integrating and simplifying thousands of years of writing knowledge, was field tested and refined over the decades at universities and writing groups in the US, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. From that emerged a dynamic and often shockingly effective philosophy of writing. Dr. Hazel offers entertaining and awe-inspiring workshops where she translates deeply complex ideas into crystal clarity with energizing outcomes for writers.
Dr. Hazel is the author of plays, screenplays, poetry, and educational books as well as having worked as a print and television journalist. She is also an academic researcher whose groundbreaking science is widely cited in two quite different fields: one on the social creation of disability in dyslexia, and the other on the psychological impact of building deconstruction vs. demolition on communities.
Developmental Editor
Denver born, Akiala I is a creative force that brings ideas and visions to life. She supports others in cultivating & expanding on ideas by using her many artistic mediums to bring concepts and dreams into fruition. Some of her passions include; writing, web design, graphic design, styling, consulting, sewing, videography, photography, interior design & public speaking. Akiala expresses her experiences with motherhood, life, travel, alchemy & relationships through her art. Her books invite the reader to be curious about their own evolution journey and take time to self reflect and consciously create their reality. She comes to the press with six published books: 100 Things; The Mind Which Exists: A Collection of Thoughts, Poems & Experiences (Vol 1 & 2); My Mommy’s a Witch; My Daddy’s a Wizard; and Consciously Create Your Reality Journey: An Exploration of Alchemy. For more information about Akiala please visit www.Akialai.com.
Book Designer
Jessica Peterson
Jessica Peterson is a letterpress printer, book artist and teacher.
Publicist
Cristina Deptula
Cristina Deptula is a journalist, writer, and book publicist who loves stories and is insatiably curious. She’s the founder of the PR agency Authors, Large and Small and also publishes the magazine Synchronized Chaos.
Graphic Design & Instruction
New Orleans born Abasi Qadhafi is a musician, artist, and graphic designer as well as our resident software teacher and advisor.
Abasi studied Elementary Education at the Southern University at New Orleans. He is an optimistic, energetic and
He is also the creator of the superhero Black Gizmo.
The Printing Houses
Paper Machine
The Press is proud to collaborate with Paper Machine, a local community nonprofit, for all our local printing needs. Paper Machine is a 5000 sq ft print shop in the Lower 9th Ward housing a range of traditional and cutting edge print technologies, to enhance, amplify, and explore New Orleans’s rich printing heritage while providing significant opportunities for artists and residents of the Lower Ninth Ward and beyond.
Paper Machine is a project of the larger community nonprofit Antenna and developed with the assistance of Dashboard. Paper Machine opened in 2017, housing the organization’s printing and publication efforts, studios for print based artists, a huge Rube-Goldberg-style sculptural print machine, and the Artist Book Collection. Paper Machine offers artist-driven exhibitions, programs, and classes exploring the boundaries of print technologies.
Visit the space at 6330 Saint Claude Ave, Tuesday-Friday 12-5pm. To print, contact for an appointment.
Ingram provides our printing and distribution services worldwide with paper sourced from environmentally responsible suppliers.