LLC24: Small Press Reading Series
About
The Small Press Reading Series highlights creative writing and print culture in and around Central and Western New York.
Open to New People
Active since: 2019
- Syracuse University
- Colgate University
- Hamilton College
Collaborative Goals
Over the last year, the working group expanded its membership and broadened its scope to include the production of small press and alternative press across Central and Western New York. In addition to hosting readings, our goal was to include more institutional partners and unique disciplinary perspectives. This goal was met by welcoming new working group members from Hamilton College and the University of Rochester.
Group Organizers
Patrick Williams
Librarian for Literature, Rhetoric, and Digital Humanities, Syracuse University
Tina Hall
Department Chair, the Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Literature and Creative Writing, Hamilton College
Activities
Small Press Reading Series [Haley-Pollock]
Oct. 26, 2021, 7 p.m.
Small Press Reading Series: Hamilton College Letterpress Studio Workshop
Feb. 10, 2023, 1 p.m.
Small Press Reading Series: Poetry by Jessica Cuello & Armen Davoudian
Feb. 10, 2023, 5 p.m.
Group Outcomes
The addition of colleagues from the University of Rochester and Hamilton College expanded the working group's collaborative network. In addition, the interest in the letterpress workshop at Hamilton College was overwhelming and allowed faculty, students, and staff from Colgate University and Hamilton College to experiment with different forms of engaging with knowledge production. Both poets attended the workshop and printed a broadside of their poems alongside the participants. Over 100 broadsides were distributed at the poetry reading later that evening and underscored the interest in print culture and the enduring interest in the printed word.
Expansion of Collaborative Networks
The addition of Emily Sherwood, Director of Digital Scholarship and Studio X at University of Rochester's River Campus Libraries sparked conversations about knowledge production in the form of zines. The addition of Tina Hall, the Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Literature and Creative Writing, and Anne Valente, Associate Professor of Literature and Creative Writing led to a conversation about poetry, broadsides, and letterpress.
Student Engagement
Several students from Hamilton College and Colgate University attended the letterpress workshop. This participation created conversations about Colgate students joining the letterpress studio student organization at Hamilton College.