Scalapino, Leslie.

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Leslie Scalapino (1947-2010) is a California Bay Area poet, scholar, experimental prose writer associated with the "Language School" poetry movement, and founding editor of O Books (Oakland, Calif.). At an early age, she traveled throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, and her later work reflects some of these influences, including meditation on Zen writing and Tibetan philosophy. Her work has been published in many poetry and academic journals since the 1970s. Her awards include the Poetry Center Award, Lawrence Lipton Prize, and the American Book Award. In 1986, Scalapino founded O Books as a publishing outlet for younger and emerging writers, although she often publishes more established poets; as of 2007, O Books has published close to one hundred contemporary poetry books. Scalapino has served as a faculty member at San Francisco State University, the San Francisco Art Institute, the Naropa Institute, and Bard College. She died in Berkeley, California on May 28, 2010.

From the description of Leslie Scalapino Papers, 1982-2010. (University of California, San Diego). WorldCat record id: 66901782

Biography

Leslie Scalapino was born in Santa Barbara, California, in 1944 to singer Dee Jessen and political science professor Robert Scalapino, founder of UC Berkeley's Institute for Asian Studies. Because of her father's academic focus in the politics of Asia, Scalapino traveled thoughout Asia, Africa, and Europe at an early age. Her later work reflects some influence from these travels including meditation on Zen writing and Tibetan philosophy. In the 1960s, she attended Reed College, graduating in 1966. Her graduate studies in writing continued at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a M.A. in English (1969), after which she began to focus on writing poetry.

Scalapino's work evokes radical reaction to the human condition beyond the traditional means of expression. Her work is metaphorically often compared to Gertrude Stein and the experimental poetry associated with the Language poets.* Unbound by a single format, she published poetry, fiction, critical essays, and plays.

Her work has been published in many poetry and academic journals since the 1970s, and she participated in numerous conferences, including the Page Mothers Conference held at UCSD in 1999, that explored innovative writing by American women. Her long poem titled Way won the Poetry Center Award, the Lawrence Lipton Prize, and the American Book Award in 1989.

In 1986, Scalapino founded O Books, which operated out of Oakland, as a publishing outlet for younger and emerging writers, but also for prominent writers such as Alice Notley, Robert Grenier, Fanny Howe, Carla Harryman, and Tom Raworth. Her self-published works with O Books include Crowd and Not Evening or Light: A Poem (1992) and War and Peace 3 (2007) with Judith Goldman. As a press, O Books has published nearly a hundred contemporary poetry books.

Scalapino served as a faculty member at San Francisco State University, Mills College, University of California, San Diego, the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Institute, the Naropa Institute, and Bard College.

Leslie Scalapino died on May 28th, 2010. A memorial was held for her on July 1st, 2010 at The Green Dragon Temple, Green Gulch Farm in San Francisco.

*From Cohen, Alicia, "Leslie Scalapino 1947 -, " Encyclopedia of American Poetry: The Twentieth Century, 1st ed. (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 2001), 647-648.

From the guide to the Leslie Scalapino Papers, 1982 - 2011, (Mandeville Special Collections Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Ross, Joe, 1960-. [Beyond the page mothers : Poetry reading, March 7, 1999 [sound recording]]. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Poetry reading by Robert Creeley, in the company of Robert Grenier and Leslie Scalapino [videorecording], undated Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Fanny Howe Papers Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Susan Howe papers Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Fanny Howe Papers Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Sherick, Michael J. Table-Talk Press Collection, 1984-1989. University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Library
referencedIn Alice Notley Papers, 1969-2001 Mandeville Special Collections Library
creatorOf Vangelisti, Paul. Paul Vangelisti Papers, 1970-2009. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Paul Vangelisti Papers, 1970-2009 Mandeville Special Collections Library
referencedIn Dennis Phillips Papers, 1971 - 1998 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
creatorOf Scalapino, Leslie. Leslie Scalapino Papers, 1982-2010. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Kyger, Joanne. Joanne Kyger papers, 1950-2009. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Hickman, Leland. Papers, 1950-1991. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Joanne Kyger Papers, 1950-2009 Mandeville Special Collections Library
referencedIn Page Mothers Conference Tapes, 1999 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
referencedIn Leland Hickman Papers, 1950-1991 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
referencedIn Susan Howe papers Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Notley, Alice, 1945-. Alice Notley papers, 1969-2001. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Borders Book Store (Birmingham, Mich.). Portraits of writers, 1988-1994. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Scalapino, Leslie. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1985-1998. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Leslie Scalapino Papers, 1982 - 2011 Mandeville Special Collections Library
referencedIn Philip Whalen papers, circa 1940-2002 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Anne Waldman Papers (1945-2012, bulk 1965-2000) University of Michigan
referencedIn New Directions Publishing records Houghton Library
creatorOf Phillips, Dennis. Papers, 1971-1998. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Potes & Poets Press. Potes and Poets Press records, ca. 1980-[ongoing]. University of Connecticut, Homer Babbidge Library
creatorOf Conjunctions. Records II, 1985-1987. State Library of Ohio
creatorOf Whalen, Philip. Sound recordings from the Philip Whalen papers [sound recording]. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Scalapino, Leslie. [Poetry reading, April 14, 1999 [sound recording] / Leslie Scalapino ; introduction by Rae Armantrout]. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Davidson, Michael, 1944-. Page Mothers Conference, 1999 March 5-6 [sound recording]. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Whalen, Philip. Philip Whalen papers, [194-]-2001. UC Berkeley Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Borders Book Store (Birmingham, Mich.) corporateBody
associatedWith Conjunctions. corporateBody
associatedWith Davies, Alan, 1951- person
associatedWith Grenier, Robert person
associatedWith Grenier, Robert, person
associatedWith Hejinian, Lyn, person
associatedWith Hickman, Leland. person
associatedWith Howe, Fanny. person
associatedWith Howe, Fanny Quincy. person
associatedWith Howe, Susan, 1937- person
associatedWith Kyger, Joanne. person
associatedWith Levy, Andrew, 1962- person
associatedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
associatedWith North Point Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Notley, Alice, 1945- person
associatedWith O Books corporateBody
correspondedWith Phillips, Dennis person
associatedWith Phillips, Dennis. person
associatedWith Potes & Poets Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Shein, Keith, person
associatedWith Sherick, Michael J. person
associatedWith Silliman, Ronald, 1946- person
associatedWith Vangelisti, Paul person
associatedWith Vangelisti, Paul. person
associatedWith Waldman, Anne, 1945-. person
associatedWith Whalen, Philip person
associatedWith Whalen, Philip. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
American poetry
Women poets, American
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1944-07-25

Death 2010-05-28

Americans

English

Information

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