Buck Downs Books is not a mini-haiku about a bibliovore, but a publishing house named for its owner. “In the small-press business, people have been coming up with cooler and cooler names, and I wasn’t up to the task,” explains Buck Downs. “It’s part of my philosophy of personal responsibility. Who’s in charge? Who owns this press? You see the name and you know.” Having ushered Rod Smith’s The Boy Poems and Alan Fitterman’s Ameresque into print, Downs is now bringing out A Valuable Trunk of Leaves by poet Jeff Conant, with more titles forthcoming. Downs entered the small-press sector in 1989, acquiring poetry magazine Open 24 Hours from publisher Chris Toll; O24H‘s format reflects his interest in a representative array of a writer’s work. “I like to see a nice chunk of stuff,” says Downs. “Publishing books was a natural extension of the magazine.” Buck Downs Books are available at Chapters, Bridge Street Books, and the Pentagon City Borders. (Fitterman reads from Ameresque at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Ruthless Grip Art Space, 1508 U St. NW.)