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Alpha Beat Press Collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: PCMS-0069

Scope and Contents

The Alpha Beat Press Collection contains manuscripts, material related to the publication of the periodicals Bouillabaisse and Shoes, business and financial records, and printed matter including announcements, publicity flyers, and clippings.

Dates

  • 1985-2003

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Terms of Access and Use

The Alpha Beat Collection is open for research.

Copyright

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Historical Note

Alpha Beat Press was a small literary press publishing post-Beat independent modernist poetry with the intention of keeping the aesthetics and sensibilities of the Beat generation alive and giving voice to poets of the Beat tradition, from the prominent to the lesser known. Founded in Montréal, Canada in 1986 by Dave Christy, the press published magazines, broadsides, and chapbooks.

After a period of artistic collaboration with the New Jersey based poet Ana Pine, editor of the magazine Cokefish, Dave Christy moved to the United States. The couple eventually resettled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where they married and worked as co-publishers of Alpha Beat Press until Dave Christy’s death in 2010.

From the late 1980s until 2010, Alpha Beat Press published several little magazines, which often took various titles and formats throughout their publication. Periodical publications included Alpha Beat Soup, Bouillabaisse, Cokefishing in Alpha Beat Soup, and Shoes.

The press also published a broadside series and chapbooks from contributors such as Michael Basinski, Jeffery Beam, Alan Catlin, Ed Gailing, Douglas Holder, Ruth Moon Kempher, Jack Powers, T. Kilgore Splake, Joseph Verrilli, and Joy Walsh.

Extent

2 Linear Feet (4 full manuscript boxes, 1 half-manuscript box.)

Abstract

This collection contains material from Alpha Beat, an independent press publishing Beat generation and Beat-inspired work. Included are manuscripts, advertisements, reviews, and production material for monographic and periodical publications.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in four series: Poets, Periodicals, Printed Matter, and Business Records.

Acquisition Information

Donated by co-publisher Ana Christy in 2011.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected to this collection.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Sarah Akers, 2016.

Source

Title
Finding aid for the Alpha Beat Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Sarah Akers.
Date
2016
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Local Best Practices
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the The Poetry Collection Repository

Contact:
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2917
716-645-3714 (Fax)