New Online Exhibit: Robert Bly Revealed
A new online exhibit provides a sneak peek at the Robert Bly papers held at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Featured in the exhibit are correspondence from members of the literary world, including James Dickey, George Plimpton, James Wright, Lewis Hyde, Andrei Voznesensky, Joyce Carol Oates, and Donald Hall. Other notable correspondents include Jimmy Carter, John Densmore, Mark Rylance, and Sigurd Olson.
Other highlights of the exhibit include:
- photographs from Bly's childhood trip to Mount Rushmore
- a selection of Bly's high school, navy, wedding, and family pictures
- a video clip of Bly reading one of his poems
- a handmade, wooden-covered book of poetry edited by Bly in high school
- original manuscripts of Bly's poetry and translations
- personal journal entries documenting early struggles with his career
- the entire June 2008 issue of the literary magazine Shokaran, published in Tehran and devoted to translating Bly's poetry into Persian
- the envelope containing Bly's personal effects when he was incarcerated for protesting the Vietnam War
- Bly's acceptance speech for his National Book Award in poetry, during which he hand over his $1,000 prize to the Vietnam War Resistance
These unique materials combine to showcase the influential career of the translator, founder of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement, and Minnesota's first poet laureate.
Visit the online archive at http://digital.lib.umn.edu/pachyderm/robertbly/.