Anne Waldman feature:
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Alan Gilbert and Daron Mueller

Introduction

The essays included in this Anne Waldman feature were selected from presentations given at a symposium honoring the University of Michigan Special Collections Library’s acquisition of Anne Waldman’s archive. Entitled “Makeup on Empty Space: A Celebration of Anne Waldman,” the symposium was held at the University of Michigan from March 13–15, 2002. It included over twenty poets, scholars, publishers, and artists participating in both panels and poetry readings. Andrei Codrescu’s “Who’s Afraid of Anne Waldman?” served as the keynote speech for the symposium.

Nearly all of the essays collected here have been modified to varying extents from their original versions. Some are transcriptions of more informal presentations. We would like to thank the authors for all the work they put into their initial presentations and later into the revisions. Special thanks to Kathryn Beam and the staff at the Special Collections Library for their efforts in organizing the symposium. We are also grateful to John Tranter and Pam Brown of Jacket magazine for publishing this feature. And finally, thanks to Anne Waldman for her inspiration as a writer, teacher, scholar, and activist.

Alan Gilbert and Daron Mueller
New York City and Boulder, Colorado
April 2, 2005