Morris Library to showcase Ezra Pound exhibit

2:30 p.m., Jan. 20, 2006--“Ezra Pound in His Time and Beyond: The Influence of Ezra Pound on 20th-Century Poetry,” an exhibit showcasing several literary works from UD’s recently acquired Ezra Pound collection, will be on display in the Special Collections Exhibition Gallery in the Morris Library from Tuesday, Feb. 14-Friday, June 16.

The display, which showcases books from the collection of Robert A. Wilson, a noted bookseller, author, collector, publisher and bibliographer, was curated by Jesse Rossa, assistant librarian in the Special Collections Department.

In conjunction with the show, the University of Delaware Library Associates will cosponsor a free, open-to-public presentation, “In the City of Aldus,” by Robert A. Wilson, at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, in the Reserve Room of the Morris Library. A printed invitation is available upon request by calling (302) 831-2231.

Arguably the most important literary figure in the early years of modernism, Ezra Pound, who lived from 1885-1972, was recognized as a poet, critic and indefatigable promoter of the modernist cause during some of the most tumultuous years of the 20th Century.

Perhaps more than any other writer, Pound was responsible for the transformation of literature in the early decades of the last century, and, because of his controversial political views, attracted almost as much criticism as he did accolades. “Ezra Pound in His Time and Beyond” provides an in-depth examination of his place in 20th-Century literature.

Robert A. Wilson, whose Pound collection is now owned by the University of Delaware Library, was born in Baltimore in 1922. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 1943, he entered the U.S. Army and served in Germany. He eventually moved to New York City and became a noted antiquarian bookseller and owner of the Phoenix Book Shop in Greenwich Village, a legendary literary haven that became one of the most important bookstores of the mid-20th Century.

The show, which is free and open to the public, is accompanied by a printed catalog, which is available upon request.

For more information on the exhibit and for current library hours, call (302) 831-BOOK.

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