American and English poetry readings fliers, posters, and cards
Scope and Contents
This collection of American and English poetry readings fliers, posters, and cards comprises promotional ephemera documenting live poetry events in America and England from 1951-2011 (bulk 1965-1998). The collection contains posters, fliers, postcards, calendars, newsletters, programs and other printed and hand-drawn ephemera documenting the activities of poets, live performance venues, and literary networks largely associated with the California and New York experimental poetry scenes.
The bulk of the materials in the collection was generated by California and New York City venues that included arts and community centers, colleges, churches, museums, galleries, cafes, theaters, and town halls. Several of the fliers highlight the performative nature and communal participation associated with live poetry events in these cultural outlets. Alongside venue and performer information, many of the fliers, posters, and cards feature handmade or printed artwork in the form of collage, drawings, photography, typography, concrete poetry, and wordplay. Though some of the posters and fliers offer examples of fine press printing, most of the items in the collection, including several mimeographs and many photocopies, were printed quickly and cheaply for wide distribution.
Items in the collection feature poets associated with the San Francisco Renaissance, the first and second waves of the New York School, the Black Arts Movement, the Black Mountain School, and the Beat Generation, among others. Prominent writers and poets featured on the fliers include James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Daniel Berrigan, Robert Bly, Jorge Luis Borges, Kay Boyle, Robert Creeley, Diane Di Prima, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, Ted Joans, Donald Justice, Michael McClure, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Joel Oppenheimer, Ishmael Reed, Hubert Selby Jr., Gary Snyder, Anne Waldman, and Jonathan Williams.
Several of the items in the collection were originally mailed to Robert A. Wilson (1922-2016), the owner of New York’s Phoenix Book Shop from the 1960s through the mid-1980s and benefactor to poets and writers of his time.
Dates
- Creation: 1951-2011
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1965-1998
Creator
- Creator unidentified (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Access Information
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec
Extent
1.4 linear foot (1 box)
1 oversize folder
Abstract
This collection of American and English poetry readings fliers, posters, and cards comprises promotional ephemera documenting live poetry events in America and England. The collection contains posters, fliers, postcards, calendars, newsletters, programs and other printed and hand-drawn ephemera documenting the activities of poets, live performance venues, and literary networks largely associated with the California and New York experimental poetry scenes.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series. Series I. comprises ephemera from American poetry readings arranged geographically into three subseries: I.A. California, I.B. New York City, and I.C. Other U.S. locations. Series I.A. is arranged by California cities, including Berkeley, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and other general locations in the state. Series I.B. comprises posters and fliers from specific New York City venues. Series I.C. comprises promotional materials from other U.S. locations including the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Wyoming, among others.
Series II. comprises poetry reading ephemera from locations in England locations, including Kings College and the National Poetry Centre, among others.
Items throughout the collection inventory include the name of the first two headlining poets and specific venue and date information, if known.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, 2017
Shelving Summary
Box 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (17 inches)
Oversize folder 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS mapcases
Processing Information
Processed and encoded by Dustin Frohlich, September-October, 2020.
Subject
- Baldwin, James, 1924-1987 (Person)
- Baraka, Imamu Amiri, 1934-2014 (Person)
- Berrigan, Daniel (Person)
- Bly, Robert (Person)
- Borges, Jorge Luis, 1899-1986 (Person)
- Boyle, Kay, 1902-1992 (Person)
- Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005 (Person)
- Di Prima, Diane (Person)
- Duncan, Robert, 1919-1988 (Person)
- Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997 (Person)
- Joans, Ted (Person)
- Justice, Donald, 1925-2004 (Person)
- McClure, Michael (Person)
- Morrison, Toni (Person)
- Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938- (Person)
- Reed, Ishmael, 1938- (Person)
- Selby, Hubert, Jr., 1928-2004 (Person)
- Snyder, Gary, 1930- (Person)
- Waldman, Anne, 1945- (Person)
- Williams, Jonathan, 1929-2008 (Person)
- Wilson, Robert A. (Robert Alfred), 1922-2016 (Person)
- New York School of poets and painters (Organization)
- Beat Generation (Group of writers) (Organization)
Genre / Form
- Calendars
- Collages (visual works)
- Fliers (printed matter)
- Letterpress printing
- Literary readings
- Mimeograph copies
- Newsletters
- Photographs
- Poems
- Postcards
- Posters
- Printed ephemera
- Programs (documents)
- Promotional materials
Occupation
Topical
- Alternative spaces (Arts facilities)
- American poetry--20th century
- American poetry--21st century
- Arts facilities
- Black Arts movement
- Black Mountain school (Group of poets)
- Centers for the performing arts
- English poetry--20th century
- Poets, American--20th century
- Poets, American--21st century
- Poets, English--20th century
- Title
- Finding aid for American and English poetry readings fliers, posters, and cards
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2020 October 23
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Delaware Library Special Collections Repository