Library – Leslie Scalapino

Leslie Scalapino’s personal library catalog is publicly available via Library Thing.

Cataloging Leslie Scalapino’s personal library was an experience that words fail to describe, but I can say that the project felt like a natural extension of studying with Leslie. I could feel her spirit in these books, and I could hear her sweet yet direct voice reading out loud and discussing the text. I saw, in a new kind of way, her undoubtedly vital role in the community of poetry and poetics. This was an intensely intimate experience, and I often came across dedications and personal notes written inside the books by her friends and peers. Leslie was fiercely immersed in lifelong study, and having her collection available to us in this way is such an honor. I’ve no doubt you’ll find much inspiration here. Her books illuminate her dedication to, among other things, expression through language, art, and meditation. A tremendous thank you to Leslie’s husband, Tom White, for opening their home and library to the project, to E. Tracy Grinnell of Litmus Press, and to Aliza Rood for her assistance cataloging.

With Blessings,
Kati Knox