UA News

"Behind the Book" features selections from several hundred books donated to the University of Arizona Poetry Center by Jill Carpenter, a biology teacher, science writer, bookseller, and 1984 alumna of the UA. Carpenter lives in Sewanee, Tenn.

The display was curated and designed by Theresa Sotto, the Poetry Center's summer library assistant and 2004-05 High School Poet-in-Residence. Of her selection, Sotto says, "This exhibit showcases innovative printing processes and prominent, inventive publishers from the turn of the 19th century to the late 20th century."

Featured books range from "Enoch Arden and Other Poems," by Alfred Lord Tennyson, an 1896 Newson & Co. cloth edition, and "One Thousand and One Gems of English and American Poetry," from the Burnt Leather Edition of the Poets Series, edited by Edwin O. Chapman and published by Hurst & Co. in the early 20th Century. Also included is "Talisman Poetry Folio Number One," a 1956 chapbook, "The Weathercock" by Ann Stanford, and Shakespeare's Sonnets, a circa 1970s edition illustrated by Mary Jane Gorton and published by Peter Pauper Press.

The display includes photographs and genealogical information about Beatrice and Bernice Bonham, twin sisters whose names appear in the frontispiece of several editions acquired through Carpenter's donation.

The Center's next display, featuring books by Charles Bukowski, will open on July 16. It will run concurrent with the opening of the film "Bukowski: Born into This" at Loft Cinema.

Founded in 1960, the University of Arizona Poetry Center is a non-circulating library and literary arts center open to the public. The collection currently holds more than 50,000 works, including single author monographs, limited edition chapbooks, rare and artist-made books, anthologies, periodicals, audio and video recordings, broadsides, manuscripts, photographs, prose and critical works by poets and reference volumes. Supported by an acquisitions endowment, the University of Arizona Poetry Center acquires all works of contemporary poetry published each year in English and English translation. The Poetry Center is a comprehensive, scholarly archive of the mid 20th through 21st century poetry and an invaluable resource for the study of individual poets and poetic movements. The Jill Carpenter editions greatly enhance and expand the Poetry Center's holdings of rare books.

Temporarily located at 1600 East First Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721, the Poetry Center is raising funds to build a permanent home worthy of its international reputation. This building, designed by Les Wallach of Line and Space, llc, will include a dedicated rare book room. For more information about the Poetry Center or the new building, please call Gail Browne at (520) 626-3765 or visit www.poetrycenter.arizona.edu.

Our next display, featuring books by Charles Bukowski, will open on July 16, concurrent with the opening of the film Bukowski: Born into This at Loft Cinema.