A reading by poet Wyn Cooper to celebrate the acquisition of BOA Editions' publishing archives by the University of Rochester Rare Books and Special Collections Library will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, in the Gamble Room of Rush Rhees Library on the University's River Campus. It is free and open to the public.
Cooper has published three books of poems: The Country of Here Below (Ahsahta Press, 1987), The Way Back (White Pine Press, 2000), and Postcards from the Interior (BOA Editions, 2005), as well as a chapbook, Secret Address (Chapiteau Press, 2002). He also is known for his lyrics set to music. After his reading, Cooper will join a group of Rochester faculty musicians performing under the name Em Dash, and read more of his work at a reception.
His work has appeared in Poetry, Ploughshares, Crazyhorse, Agni, Verse, Fence, and more than 60 other magazines. In 1993, "Fun," a poem from Cooper's first book, was turned into Sheryl Crow's Grammy-winning song "All I Wanna Do." He has co-written songs with David Broza, David Baerwald, Bill Bottrell, and Madison Smartt Bell, and has taught at the University of Utah, Bennington College, and Marlboro College.
BOA Editions, Ltd. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, not-for-profit publishing house that has received national acclaim for its work. Founded in 1976, BOA has published more than 170 books of American poetry and poetry in translation. The Rare Books and Special Collections Library purchased the BOA archive representing 10 years of publishing (1996-2005) this summer.
For more information, contact (585) 275-4477.