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Copper Canyon Press Records, 1973-2006

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Copper Canyon Press
Title
Copper Canyon Press Records
Dates
1973-2006 (inclusive)
Quantity
163 Linear feet of shelf space, (271 Boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 708 (collection)
Summary
This collection includes publishing and business records of Copper Canyon Press, a press established to publish poetry exclusively, within the tradition of serious literary publishing.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English with a few exceptions
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Historical Note

Copper Canyon Press (CCP), a nonprofit publishing company, was founded in 1972 by Sam Hamill, poet and translator, and Holly (Tree) Swenson, book designer, in Denver, CO. In 1974 Hamill and Swenson relocated the company to Port Townsend, WA. They established the press to publish poetry exclusively, within the tradition of serious literary publishing. Their first titles were printed from hand-set type on antique letterpresses, but they soon began publishing more-affordable trade books.

Three primary aspects of poetry are emphasized by the press, according to an organizational history included in this collection: work from new or emerging writers; major works by distinguished writers, including selected or collected poems; and poetry in translation. Among the poets published by CCP are Nobel Laureates Pablo Neruda, Odysseas Elytis, Vicente Aleixandre, Octavio Paz, and Rabindranath Tagore; Pulitzer Prize winners Carolyn Kizer, Ted Kooser, Maxine Kumin, Theodore Roethke, and W. S. Merwin; and National Book Award winners Hayden Carruth, Lucille Clifton, and Ruth Stone. As of May 2007, CCP has published over 300 titles, including new collections, anthologies, translations, re-issues, and prose books about poetry.

(Source: Copper Canyon Press web site, http://www.coppercanyonpress.org/, accessed 3 May 2007)

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Content Description

This collection includes publishing and business records of Copper Canyon Press.

Materials related to titles published by Copper Canyon Press (CCP) are included in multiple series, primarily Series 1, 2, 3, and 4. The collection also includes a small amount of material produced by other presses. Series 1 (Book files) generally contains poetry manuscripts, correspondence, galley proofs, and other records related to content development of individual titles. Series 2 (Book production files) includes materials such as page layouts, sample pages, cover art and designs, and other items related to the process of designing and producing individual titles; this series also includes some records related to promotion and marketing of individual titles.

Series 3 (Broadsides) consists of printed broadsides, with related production materials.

Series 4 (Book and production files, oversize) consists of oversize material separated from related items in Series 1 and 2.

Series 5 (Author queries and manuscript submissions) consists of requests for publication and submissions (primarily unsolicited) for consideration by the press.

Series 6 (Grant, award and fundraising correspondence and supporting documentation) consists of documents related to obtaining external funds for operation, and documents related to various award programs, both awards for CCP authors and award programs administered by CCP.

Series 7 through 9 include administrative records related to business aspects of the press, such as board meetings, sales and marketing activities, and routine operations.

Series 10 (Miscellaneous materials and photographs) consists of printed ephemera (catalogs from other presses, newsletters, event announcements, programs, etc.), and a small number of photographs related to authors and CCP events.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]

Copper Canyon Press Records, 1973-2002 (Cage 708)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Many separate accessions were merged during processing to draw together materials related to individual CCP titles in book and production files.

The records are arranged in ten series. Series 1 and 2 are arranged alphabetically by title. Related oversize materials are included in Series 4, and have been subdivided into three subseries according to size. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by title, corresponding to the arrangement of Series 1 and 2.

Acquisition Information

These records of the Copper Canyon Press were purchased by Washington State University in installments between 1982 and 2002. Multiple accessions have been combined to form this collection: MS1982-24, MS1983-31, MS1984-37, MS1985-34, MS1986-26, MS1987-32, MS1988-50, MS1989-69, MS1990-08, MS1990-73, MS1992-21, MS1993-31, MS1994-56, MS1994-62, MS1997-01, MS1997-44, MS1998-16, MS2000-01, and MS2002-11.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by several permanent and temporary MASC employees between approximately 1999 and 2007, including Randy Smith, Robert Pickford, Miriam Johnston, Michael Evans, Dometa Wiegand, Robert Matuozzi, Lawrence Stark, and Cheryl Gunselman.

Separated Materials

Printed books were removed for separate cataloging. Printed broadsides and CCP catalogs were retained in the collection.

Some materials were excluded from the collection during processing, such as multiple copies of printed items (for example, books and broadsides); incoming mass mailings; files about employees or prospective employees; and cancelled checks.

Related Materials

Preliminary Guide to the Copper Canyon Press Records, 1995-2003 (MS 2004-17)

Sam Hamill Papers, 1972-2001 (Cage 700)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Authors and publishers -- Northwest, Pacific
  • Book design
  • Booksellers' catalogs -- Specimens
  • Poetry
  • Publishers and publishing -- Northwest, Pacific -- History -- Archives
  • Small presses -- Northwest, Pacific

Corporate Names

  • Copper Canyon Press -- Records and correspondence
  • Copperhead (Press) -- Records and correspondence

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Hamill, Sam, 1943-2018 (creator)
    • Swenson, Tree, 1951- (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Cheryl Gunselman
2016

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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